Re: Gameplay is Better - Why Didn't EA Advertise This?
@VeronicatheCDThey want to sell you on "New Features" and not something, like you mentioned, that can be tweaked with a tuner. Saying such and such is a "New Feature" is a way to justify EA charging $60-$100 for basically a tuner update.
Case in point. If you freeze at 1:28 in the reveal trailer, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lp-tpffayvw you'll see some dumb social comment like, "Zegras flip is in the game!!!!!1111111111" like it's some new amazing thing to do in the game.
Check out this Reddit post. Same move was in NHL 06 where you could puck flip, bank, and even knock it in yourself. https://old.reddit.com/r/EA_NHL/comments/wwo3c7/the_zegras_behind_the_net_goal_was_in_nhl_06/
It's a meme by now, but EA continues to sell this game based on decades old "features" as new one and tuner updates.