@rsandersr47Well the NHL license can be had by anyone. I believe 2K when they changed their hockey game are the ones that put themselves out of the market losing too much of a share. Even if NHL was at its peak it would sell around 2mil copies.
Soccer is the most popular sport in the world, with an estimated following of 3.5 to 5 billion fans.
They estimate ice hockey around 2 billion fans.
FIFA sells over 10mil copies a year and it's not all that great of a game from year to year improvements.
Even in the state that NHL is in it should be selling around 3mil if we going by numbers, but it is nowhere close.
So EA has to invest in FIFA to control that market from competition with exclusive deals like crazy.
NHL doesn't do that exclusive stuff so until competition arises there isn't a need from a business standpoint imo to splurge.
2K put the NBA Live series out to pasture. They tried to comeback with NBA Live again but it was a case of wasted money cause you aren't gonna topple a giant. Now 2K is back to coasting in the fans eyes. You can see all the lovely posts https://www.reddit.com/r/NBA2k/
All of this just my opinions on how I see things.
@KlariskraysNHLI agree with almost everything you wrote and that's what I'm saying.
The only thing I don't completely agree with is that 2K is coasting. In some ways they are, sure. However, the game adds SO much every year. I won't say it's always what people want. Every year they do TRY to listen to fans and make changes. This year a lot of people complained about the pointless side quests, 2K24 is making those optional. In NHL we still have to open up hockey bags despite asking EVERY year for them to be removed. Now we can open up multiple.. of course they have to be the same type of bag. NBA every year they make a WHOLE city. They make a whole new story, how you get drafted, a rival, voice acting for all of this, They make a WHOLE NEW my player builder. For years we just picked an archetype.. now we can sorta edit the archetypes and we get X Factors.. judging by most people I run into the Xfactors need adjusted. In NBA you can make your player however you want, you make him better through playing.
Now I'm not asking for a whole city.. In fact I sorta hate traversing the thing. However, there are ways to make the game feel deeper and grow the community. NBA may be more popular that the NHL but the growth of video game sales vs NHL has been much more steep than the sport's rise in popularity.
I'm also not asking for a full story every year.. but BAP story is boring. And talking to your teamate and him challenging you to do better despite being the best player in the league is silly. They dont even make a new story or.. really even a story at all and they dont have voice actors. I wouldnt even mind the story being the same if it was semi intriguing. Having a rival in 2K actually makes the game pretty fun.
If I was running this franchise I wouldn't even really hide the fact that I'm taking ideas from 2k.. I would have a BAP mode built into WoC. I would allow players to build their skater, I would have stores in the game (not that you need to walk to) instead of hockey bags. I would have a spectator mode.. this would allow players to see drop in games or club games to invite people to join your club or ask to join there's.
The truth is in 2K there's an atmosphere and you feel you're part of a community without even trying. In NHL you have to go out of your way to get that. I HATE the NBA, basketball is boring to me. The game is so good that I've played it FAR more than NHL this year. I don't plan to buy NHL this year unless a lot is added.. or maybe when it goes on sale. I mean if they took a full year off of updating this last title they better have added a lot. Adding 3 things per year just isn't enough, especially when they're broken/ half added/ just a small rather insignificant animation/ or a roster update (world juniors/ female players) I just think if 2K players complain about coasting and they get a new city. My player builder, full cross play, new ways to play ever year they had slamball one year! several new animations (they're actually going to use AI to create player movements in game) then what do we call this? I mean when we add a few things while breaking others.. I just can't honestly beleive they care at all. If this game doesn't come with a lot, I think we should all get the message. There's no excuse this year, they didnt have time to make any corrections this year. If they start promoting this game and say "we have full cross play, updated presentation, and a new deke, plus one update to just 1 of the big modes" it will be clear to me they just want a couple bucks.
Stick lifts aren't in a good spot...have to turn slashing off during offline play ebcause its so nonsensical that its comedic. sitck lifts...plays that happen 1000+ times a game irl are needing to be used only whe the absolute PERFECT time exists...meanwhile the players are playing a mach 4 with 200+ mph shots and passes but sticklifts need to opnly be used when the exact .1 second window calls for it haha.....
why cant they just miss when the positioning is close? i get penalites from behind but penalities when theres a clear lane to the stick is experience killing...we all know the limitations of the stick play in this game...and the body play...so defenders can just never lose their gaps and over collapse/be over passive...or need to spritn around like an overcaffinated scott stevens to play "intended" defense in this game?
i mean...why? surely we can do better right? how is this the accepted solution? its spiritually/practically broken even if its "technically" "working"
