So for years I’ve been a believer in sports games needing more than a 9 month dev cycle. This year though, with the smaller dev team for nhl, it’s obvious there just isn’t enough time to actually make the changes they envisioned efficiently. Every year the game releases in a state that takes months to fix, cutting into the dev time and efforts on the next game. I think NHL in particular could benefit from a multi year dev cycle. Release like a 10 dollar uniform, roster, and equipment update in the off years. That would be a good 6 months of support and updates to make the current version of the game the best possible, then the next 18 months focused on the next release with a small group keeping an eye on the current version. The reason this will never happen? The money they make with HUT. That mode dies down a few months after release and the only way to get more money coming into it is starting the new year cycle.

@DominickB3 I think everyone probably agrees with you..but ea wants Money and people continue buying games lol. This year EA put women in NHL 22 and called it NHL 23 . They also made scoring cross crease harder and Made the back hand for hand goal the Glitch of the year. The past 10 years it's basically been a copy and paste game without many changes or what theyll do is take changes out of the game and then bring them back as if they were a new idea. Attributes were the best thing jn the game because it made it feel like you could build your player to your style they took that system out of the game and brought it back 5-6 years later.They brought back animations that have were removed as well. As long as EA continues to make a mediocre product and people continue to buy theyll do the bare minimum to make the largest profit. Its unfortunate but true.

@DeMiGoD1988 well they don’t. Sales are steadily declining every year since NHL 15.

@DeMiGoD1988 Would be no different than fortnite or other free to play online models. You sell the single player/offline stuff separately. This would force EA to make those modes actually good for a change and spend more than 5 minutes making it.The problem is a free to play with a season pass style of play benefits the consumers too much and EA isn’t about that. It would hold the devs too accountable to where if they weren’t delivering, people wouldn’t be spending the money on it. EA would much rather the business model they have now, where they can release bug filled messes, with no accountability because they already have your money. Then proceed to copy and paste the next game, and have the same bugs plus more in it and cash in again.Our community is honestly one of the worst in gaming for allowing this stuff, so unfortunately we will just continue to get taken advantage of. No accountability needed with EA on this series

@17ZxxzxxZ17 wrote:@DominickB3I think everyone probably agrees with you..but ea wants Money and people continue buying games lol. This year EA put women in NHL 22 and called it NHL 23 . They also made scoring cross crease harder and Made the back hand for hand goal the Glitch of the year. The past 10 years it's basically been a copy and paste game without many changes or what theyll do is take changes out of the game and then bring them back as if they were a new idea. Attributes were the best thing jn the game because it made it feel like you could build your player to your style they took that system out of the game and brought it back 5-6 years later.They brought back animations that have were removed as well. As long as EA continues to make a mediocre product and people continue to buy theyll do the bare minimum to make the largest profit. Its unfortunate but true.Has nothing to do with that, strangely this is on NHL side of things as apart of EA making the games its on an annual cycle, not just that but they also need to appease the shareholders. So for them its a double end sword, dammed if you do and dammed if you don't. We as players would survive if they took a year off but we ultimately don't have contractual obligations to uphold or shareholders to please. They unfortunately do.The reason the dev teams are smaller is because EA is trying to cut back to make it look like EA is making hand over fist in profits so its more desirable for someone to purchase EA as EA is on the market, not just that but out of all the EA sports games NHL has the lowest revenue, so therefore it gets less resources. This also happened between DICE and Respawn, Battlefield wasn't making expected profit margins where as Apex Legends was exceeding them, so naturally they'll give Respawn more responsibilities which would be the IP to the starwars franchise.

Game should go Free to Play / Season Pass model. It’s already built like F2P mobile game with constant connection to servers, but ridled with bugs. Even the offline modes need connection to server...Let’s say they make Drop-In&ProAm in CHEL and some modes in HUT free, and everything else is behind Season Pass. That way they could get 2-3 times more ppl online, more sold packs (sadly) and maybe even some quality to game with longer dev cycles.

Maybe it’s time to rethink yearly releases

19 Replies

17ZxxzxxZ17
Rising Traveler
3 years ago
@DominickB3 I think everyone probably agrees with you..but ea wants Money and people continue buying games lol. This year EA put women in NHL 22 and called it NHL 23 . They also made scoring cross crease harder and Made the back hand for hand goal the Glitch of the year. The past 10 years it's basically been a copy and paste game without many changes or what theyll do is take changes out of the game and then bring them back as if they were a new idea. Attributes were the best thing jn the game because it made it feel like you could build your player to your style they took that system out of the game and brought it back 5-6 years later.
They brought back animations that have were removed as well. As long as EA continues to make a mediocre product and people continue to buy theyll do the bare minimum to make the largest profit. Its unfortunate but true.
DeMiGoD1988
3 years ago
@17ZxxzxxZ17 wrote:
@DominickB3I think everyone probably agrees with you..but ea wants Money and people continue buying games lol. This year EA put women in NHL 22 and called it NHL 23 . They also made scoring cross crease harder and Made the back hand for hand goal the Glitch of the year. The past 10 years it's basically been a copy and paste game without many changes or what theyll do is take changes out of the game and then bring them back as if they were a new idea. Attributes were the best thing jn the game because it made it feel like you could build your player to your style they took that system out of the game and brought it back 5-6 years later.
They brought back animations that have were removed as well. As long as EA continues to make a mediocre product and people continue to buy theyll do the bare minimum to make the largest profit. Its unfortunate but true.
Has nothing to do with that, strangely this is on NHL side of things as apart of EA making the games its on an annual cycle, not just that but they also need to appease the shareholders. So for them its a double end sword, dammed if you do and dammed if you don't. We as players would survive if they took a year off but we ultimately don't have contractual obligations to uphold or shareholders to please. They unfortunately do.
The reason the dev teams are smaller is because EA is trying to cut back to make it look like EA is making hand over fist in profits so its more desirable for someone to purchase EA as EA is on the market, not just that but out of all the EA sports games NHL has the lowest revenue, so therefore it gets less resources. This also happened between DICE and Respawn, Battlefield wasn't making expected profit margins where as Apex Legends was exceeding them, so naturally they'll give Respawn more responsibilities which would be the IP to the starwars franchise.
Greyinsi
Seasoned Veteran
3 years ago
Game should go Free to Play / Season Pass model. It’s already built like F2P mobile game with constant connection to servers, but ridled with bugs. Even the offline modes need connection to server...
Let’s say they make Drop-In&ProAm in CHEL and some modes in HUT free, and everything else is behind Season Pass. That way they could get 2-3 times more ppl online, more sold packs (sadly) and maybe even some quality to game with longer dev cycles.
DeMiGoD1988
3 years ago
@Greyinsi So basically you're also saying screw BAP and Franchise? How would they work under a season pass scheme? This needs to be fair for all not just online players, but offline too
Greyinsi
Seasoned Veteran
3 years ago
@DeMiGoD1988 Not at all, offline is still very relevant to this series. I’m just not sure how to give free teaser for BAP or Franchise. This was just a idea forward.
PaulReubens
New Traveler
3 years ago
@DominickB3 No it’s time for companies to actually do work and not be so greedy. They had over a year to fix things and they couldn’t be bothered.
TITAN_NHL
3 years ago
@DeMiGoD1988
Would be no different than fortnite or other free to play online models. You sell the single player/offline stuff separately. This would force EA to make those modes actually good for a change and spend more than 5 minutes making it.
The problem is a free to play with a season pass style of play benefits the consumers too much and EA isn’t about that. It would hold the devs too accountable to where if they weren’t delivering, people wouldn’t be spending the money on it. EA would much rather the business model they have now, where they can release bug filled messes, with no accountability because they already have your money. Then proceed to copy and paste the next game, and have the same bugs plus more in it and cash in again.
Our community is honestly one of the worst in gaming for allowing this stuff, so unfortunately we will just continue to get taken advantage of. No accountability needed with EA on this series
DeMiGoD1988
3 years ago
@Greyinsi If EA isn't willing to make their failed Battlefield free to play they won't with any of their sports titles
DeMiGoD1988
3 years ago
@TITAN_NHL wrote:
@DeMiGoD1988
Would be no different than fortnite or other free to play online models. You sell the single player/offline stuff separately. This would force EA to make those modes actually good for a change and spend more than 5 minutes making it.
The problem is a free to play with a season pass style of play benefits the consumers too much and EA isn’t about that. It would hold the devs too accountable to where if they weren’t delivering, people wouldn’t be spending the money on it. EA would much rather the business model they have now, where they can release bug filled messes, with no accountability because they already have your money. Then proceed to copy and paste the next game, and have the same bugs plus more in it and cash in again.
Our community is honestly one of the worst in gaming for allowing this stuff, so unfortunately we will just continue to get taken advantage of. No accountability needed with EA on this series
I honestly don't think it does suit the consumer again look at Apex Legends season passes way more fails then passes not to mention the complacency that's taken place.
TITAN_NHL
3 years ago
@DeMiGoD1988
It is good for the consumer. I don’t get how it would even make sense that a free to play game where you’re given the option to make the decision whether it’s worth your money to sub for the season, could ever be a bad thing.
You think they have gotten complacent? Don’t pay for the season then, it’s no loss to you. If they want your money they have to at least put enough of an effort in that the playerbase is willing to pay for it
That’s like saying when you go to a restaurant, it would be better to be forced to give a tip regardless of the service you have received. I think we can all agree that would lead to less service from the waiter/waitress, as opposed to them working for it

Forum Discussion

Maybe it’s time to rethink yearly releases

19 Replies

About NHL 23

Recent Discussions

Input Lag/Unresponsiveness

Struggles with Ones play

BRING BACK NHL 23

NHL 23 unavailable

Wrong