Franchise questions
What additional access will we have to edit our franchise experience in NHL 25? Really hoping for the ability to edit strategies, player positions and players attributes in general. Bought eve...
Forum Discussion
I don’t think that level of customization will ever be possible unfortunately. In all fairness NBA 2k really is the only series with that level of customization. To be honest, NHL has made a lot of really positive strides with franchise mode over the last few years. From the introduction of coaching staffs, to the revamped scouting, right down to the player line fits and personalities. Does it all work 100%. No. But they have been adding things for years when other series franchise modes remained stagnant. I have been singing their praises for years over at OS. But like I said. This marketing cycle is just bizarre. To be so reluctant to put information out is just…… well, bizarre
2K is leagues above all other sports game in regards to customization that is true and I'm certainly not expecting EA to catch up in one game, I just want them to strive towards it. They oddly took away the ability to edit player positions in NHL 20 so I'm worried that it's not that they can't implement player freedom, it's that they don't want to. Which, is just a design philosophy I am completely in disagreement with.
But I agree, the franchise mode certainly is fun and provides a solid base to build off of, but the lack of creative control really just accentuates some of the issues with their systems. I.e. generated player prospects being extremely similar year after year, wildly incorrect cultural names for certain countries, overrepresentation of certain counties in the draft, defensemen development and contracts, line strategies/preferences, and just so much else that's too much to list.
2K is leagues above all other sports game in regards to customization
I think this has more to do with 2K's licensing relationship with NBA/NBPA where they may allow a lot of creative freedom when it comes to customization.
One can't help but think the NHL has a tight grip on many creative design decisions. It may be that those entrusted with branding/licensing are still in an 'old school' way of thinking and don't want to take any risks with the license - even if it's just a videogame.
That would not be surprising actually. Totally something the NHL would fumble.
That is possible but I find it highly unlikely the NHL would be more restrictive than a league like the NFL. EA already allows you to edit players in the season mode so it really doesn't seem like some rep from the NHL is barring them from doing that in their franchise mode. Maybe for something like 2K's "era's" mode, that is harder to work with NHLPA but that's a distant pipe-dream for EA to implement.
Is the NHL really restricting the ability for them to do what literally every other sports game allows? They didn't restrict 2K from doing it back when they were making video games. I just find that very hard to believe that the NHL has the ability to tell EA to restrict the ability to edit generated prospects in an completely offline mode.
If anything, I'd wager the NHL is far more hands off than any other league when it comes to their sports game.
Never underestimate the poor decision making of the Old Man’s Club in charge of the NHL.
Can you give an example of this? Are you suggesting that the NHL(PA) would tell EA that players' ratings/ages may NOT be altered by users of their video game? That sounds legitimately insane and I highly doubt organizations with serious IRL issues to worry about would even think about such things.
