I truly believe that all sports games should adopt a live service model, spanning 3 to 5 years. With each new release, we often encounter discussions on forums lamenting the repetition and lack of innovation in games like Madden, NHL, and FIFA. I propose a different approach—one that benefits both development teams and fans.Here’s how it could work:Initial Purchase: When you buy NHL 25 (or any other sports game), it’s a full-price game. However, instead of annual releases, we introduce a concept of “season passes” for the next 3 to 5 years.Season Passes: After the draft, fans can purchase a season pass for $20. This pass would provide continuous updates, including roster changes and gameplay adjustments, throughout the season.Major Releases: Every few years (let’s say NHL 28), a new game is released at full price. This version would feature significant updates, improved graphics, new game modes, and other enhancements. The cycle then continues with subsequent major releases.Benefits:Happy Players: Fans won’t feel like they’re paying full price for the same game repeatedly. Instead, they get incremental improvements over several years.Focused Development: Development teams can dedicate more time to each game, aiming for substantial leaps forward without the pressure of annual deadlines.While I’m sure board members and financial analysts might have differing opinions, this approach seems like a logical step in modern-day gaming. It balances player satisfaction and creative freedom for developers

I’d like to see this for an EASHL only mode. It’s the only thing I’ve played since it was introduced. Yet I have to pay for the full version every year. I would also love to be able to start up my game and not see any of those other modes. Stop shoving Battle Pass in our faces too. I don’t need to see it pop up all the time to have to dismiss it again and again. If someone is interested in it then the BP tab is easy found.

Annual releases, despite their flaws, often come with a fresh wave of features, improvements, and technological advancements. -- I am sure most of the community would think otherwise, just look at the forumDevelopers might become complacent, relying on minor tweaks rather than pushing for groundbreaking enhancements each year. -- I don't personally know any developers but based on what I've read in recent years with over worked / over stressed development teams i would think that the additional time to create something new would inspire and motivate.A live service model might create a fragmented player base -- I simply disagree with the second paragraph. I don't know many people that play the older games online and offline modes will always be available.Sports games often serve as snapshots of their respective eras... -- Lets be honest sports eras are multiple years. and you can always download the original roster the game came with...consumers are already experiencing subscription fatigue... -- Anyone that buys the game yearly is on a $70 subscription anyway, I'm recommending reducing the priceSports games have a significant market in physical copies -- This just seems like a poor argument. everything is going digitalGaaS models often incorporate microtransactions..,. -- This game is stacked with microtransactions anyway.Continuous changes to the game mechanics, features, and rosters can increase the complexity and learning curve for players... -- its on the developers to ensure the game is learnable and the matchmaking online is fair. but ultimately life's tough get a helmetI just fully disagree with your last paragraph.Also let's pull the curtain back here. Yes, I used AI to rewrite my original post. Please don't ask AI to provide your counter argument.

@ericdan12 wrote: GaaS models often incorporate microtransactions..,. -- This game is stacked with microtransactions anyway. Obviously, we have microtransactions. I wouldn't call it stacked though. When it comes to WoC, these are almost all entirely esthetic so they're totally optional. Of course there are custom builds that can be purchased, but these are hardly P2W. With HUT, all you can do is buy points that can be spent on packs. I wouldn't call this stacked with microtransactions though. This mode is still very playable without spending anything extra. As far as the idea of a subscription instead of purchasing the game goes, I'm intrigued by it for sure. What @KidShowtime1867 mentioned about subscription fatigue is a very real concern though. I have more subscriptions than every for various streaming services as well as gamepass. Adding another to the mix isn't really appealing. However, with as much time as I spend on this game, I'm sure it would be worth it. Especially if the updates released year to year significantly improved the game and it wasn't just tuners, bug fixes and roster updates.

@EA_Aljo ok maybe "stacked" is the wrong adjective but they are there so the other guy's point was weak. I would just be curious what would happen if this style was adopted by the industry. Personally, I would play NHL 24 for another 2 years with roster updates and tweaks to the tuners for a fee, if in a few years I got a familiar but NEW felling game with unique changes to all modes. Let's be honest though its mostly about the $$ and if enough people continue to buy for $70 each year (like a subscription...) then we will welcome NHL 25, 26, 27, etc.

@ericdan12 wrote: So, there are things you agree with, and you understand my point with some rebuttal but ultimately we will not see eye to eye on this. As I said to @EA_Aljo I understand that cash is king and if $70 games yearly are making the EA board happy then trying something new is not in the cards. Although the way you were coming to the defense of EA there is making me wonder if you are shooting for Aljo's community manager job... but if you wanna solve this like men then 1v1 me! No matter how the game performs financially, what we want is a happy community. Which, obviously, there's still work to do to achieve. I feel like we're making steps in the right direction though as this year I think it's apparent we've been listening and acting on community feedback. I really don't think @KidShowtime1867 is gunning for my role here. Their opinions aren't just in defense of EA. I've seen plenty of times they're in agreement with others. Regardless, let's keep the discussion on topic. Thanks!

ericdan12

New Scout

2 years ago

Sports games should be live service games

I truly believe that all sports games should adopt a live service model, spanning 3 to 5 years. With each new release, we often encounter discussions on forums lamenting the repetition and lack of innovation in games like Madden, NHL, and FIFA. I propose a different approach—one that benefits both development teams and fans.

Here’s how it could work:

Initial Purchase: When you buy NHL 25 (or any other sports game), it’s a full-price game. However, instead of annual releases, we introduce a concept of “season passes” for the next 3 to 5 years.
Season Passes: After the draft, fans can purchase a season pass for $20. This pass would provide continuous updates, including roster changes and gameplay adjustments, throughout the season.
Major Releases: Every few years (let’s say NHL 28), a new game is released at full price. This version would feature significant updates, improved graphics, new game modes, and other enhancements. The cycle then continues with subsequent major releases.

Benefits:

Happy Players: Fans won’t feel like they’re paying full price for the same game repeatedly. Instead, they get incremental improvements over several years.
Focused Development: Development teams can dedicate more time to each game, aiming for substantial leaps forward without the pressure of annual deadlines.

While I’m sure board members and financial analysts might have differing opinions, this approach seems like a logical step in modern-day gaming. It balances player satisfaction and creative freedom for developers

17 Replies

KlariskraysNHL
Hero
2 years ago
@ericdan12You left out the solution to the biggest elephant in the sports games. Ultimate Teams. How would you handle that? Also the removal of players who retire which might affect saved files.

Also just because a game might do a release then season passes as you suggest doesn't mean that EA would keep a full team working on the game until the year before it releases. Because they going to be making way less money and going to need to cut costs somewhere which I don't think you would want new people working on the game knowing job stability isn't there.
Modulater83 You can't use Rocket League as a model. They don't have to spend $4-5mil a year on the license for their game. They don't have to remove assets from the game due to retiring. It's the same boring Fennec and Octane used over and over. A fake sport can't be compared with a real sport because they don't have to pay extra costs.
Modulater83
Seasoned Adventurer
2 years ago
@KlariskraysNHL wrote:
You can't use Rocket League as a model. They don't have to spend $4-5mil a year on the license for their game. They don't have to remove assets from the game due to retiring. It's the same boring Fennec and Octane used over and over. A fake sport can't be compared with a real sport because they don't have to pay extra costs.
I agree that the NHL series can't be exactly like Rocket League, they have different factors at play and monetization--which you touched on by mentioning licensing--is a big one. While RL does have a good amount of licensed content (each season brings new cars from various other media), the cost of the game is low enough that it works as a free-to-play model. That jumps a giant monetization hurdle that is required to have only one version across all platforms and generations. As an outside observer, it doesn't seem likely EA could do the same with its sports titles.
However, should there be some way to work it out where there is only one version of NHL you can purchase and play across Playstation, Xbox, (and PC!), I don't think the issues you mentioned are deal breakers. I think it could open the door to some positive improvements, player base being one of them.
KlariskraysNHL
Hero
2 years ago
@Modulater83Trust me I have brought it up several times about adding just HUT to PC as a free to play thing with all the mtx stuff that is normally in it. With that part being free it could potentially have more people, but I would also expect the mtx to become more wild if HUT was a standalone to make up for potential loss of sales because they are always factoring in things like that.
ericdan12
New Scout
2 years ago
I'll be honest I have never played ultimate team. I am online ranked, be a pro, and have offline tournament parties with friends. However, there are probably creative ways to handle the player status that we don't need to dive deep into now but the first thing that comes to mind is either just keep them OR offer the player credits or a replacement of equal level.
Secondly, I would not expect a "full team" to continue support NHL via the season pass system. I mentioned before I am not in game development, but I would think they in the follow-on years it doesn't take a massive team to continue doing roster updates, adding an occasional jersey to a team, and tweaking some tuners. The full team will be off making the new full priced NHL game for 3-4 years later.
thebrazenhead75
Rising Hotshot
2 years ago
I’d like to see this for an EASHL only mode. It’s the only thing I’ve played since it was introduced. Yet I have to pay for the full version every year.
I would also love to be able to start up my game and not see any of those other modes.

Stop shoving Battle Pass in our faces too. I don’t need to see it pop up all the time to have to dismiss it again and again. If someone is interested in it then the BP tab is easy found.
KidShowtime1867
Hero
2 years ago
@thebrazenhead75 wrote:
I’d like to see this for an EASHL only mode. It’s the only thing I’ve played since it was introduced. Yet I have to pay for the full version every year.
I would also love to be able to start up my game and not see any of those other modes.

Stop shoving Battle Pass in our faces too. I don’t need to see it pop up all the time to have to dismiss it again and again. If someone is interested in it then the BP tab is easy found.
Seriously. I hate that these battle pass screens and all the other garbage actually works on most users - otherwise EA wouldn't be implementing it.
The flow of getting into an EASHL game is atrocious.
thebrazenhead75
Rising Hotshot
2 years ago
@KidShowtime1867 wrote:
@thebrazenhead75 wrote:
I’d like to see this for an EASHL only mode. It’s the only thing I’ve played since it was introduced. Yet I have to pay for the full version every year.
I would also love to be able to start up my game and not see any of those other modes.

Stop shoving Battle Pass in our faces too. I don’t need to see it pop up all the time to have to dismiss it again and again. If someone is interested in it then the BP tab is easy found.
Seriously. I hate that these battle pass screens and all the other garbage actually works on most users - otherwise EA wouldn't be implementing it.
The flow of getting into an EASHL game is atrocious.
Agreed. At least give us the option to disable certain things.

I would love to be able to start up the game and as my main menu see only two things.

Settings and WOC.

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Sports games should be live service games

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