An Open Letter Addressing EA and Developers Regarding NHL24

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@drawingcole wrote: The reliance on patches to fix fundamental issues is unacceptable and mirrors the troubling trend seen in cases like Cyberpunk 2077.

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How else is EA supposed to fix things post-launch? And why can't you explicitly state what exactly you think a fundamental issue is?

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@drawingcole wrote:

Your toxic cycle of acquiring, overworking, and ultimately shutting down small studios not only harms the livelihoods of developers but also erodes trust within the gaming community. As technology continues to shape our lives and more individuals turn to video games, there's a unique opportunity to cultivate the sport of hockey and capture new audiences. Yet, NHL24 fails to capitalize on this potential.

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They're literally trying everything they can to entice new users. They do all kinds of HUT marketing. They introduce more ways to play via Ones, Threes, WoC, HUT, etc. They've adopted a Fortnite approach to the WoC ecosystem to follow the trend and hopefully capture more of the market. (which I hate, but I get it)

And again, without examples of what you think should be done to capitalize on this potential, this just comes off as an airing of grievances that provides no suggestions on how to improve.  

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@drawingcole wrote:

It's time to acknowledge that you are not the company capable of nurturing the growth of hockey through gaming. Your priorities lie elsewhere, and the NHL license you hold should be earned through genuine dedication to the sport, not mere financial gain.

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Your understanding of how licensing works is lacking. Anyone is able to apply to the NHL to use their license. This includes game companies. If there's a developer out there with the passion to nurture the growth of hockey through gaming - there's literally nothing stopping them from presenting that idea to the NHL in the hopes to acquire a licensing deal.

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@drawingcole wrote:

Instead of brushing aside legitimate concerns, it's time to take responsibility for your actions and commit to delivering a game that honors the sport and its community.

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Come on man - there's a 30+ page thread regarding a recent change to body checking. They're not "brushing aside legitimate concerns. There's patch & tuner notes that directly address countless issues raised by this very community!

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@drawingcole wrote:

In conclusion, the NHL gaming community deserves better. It's time to break free from the toxic cycle and prioritize the integrity and quality of NHL gaming experiences. Failure to do so will only further alienate your audience and hinder the growth of hockey in the gaming world.

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Firstly, it's weird that you used A.I. to write this.

Putting that aside, why not provide actual solutions to improve the game rather than just attempting to lecture them in a public forum for fake points?

I think some of you would also be well served to brush up on the term Echo-Chambers. There are always these grandstanding beliefs that "everyone" or "the majority" is upset about the state of the game but that couldn't be further from the truth.

Sales data is only available for NHL 19. It topped out around 700K. 

A few hundred "this game sucks" tweets mean literally nothing when that equals .03% of the presumed total consumer base. 

The 10-20 regulars here who insist the game is in dire straits make up a piddly .006%.

Point being the game has its faults. But they're not all as game-breaking as some of your echo chambers want to make you believe and the belief that "everyone" feels this way is just not true.