Updated: NHL Needs a Year Pass With PC Release – The Model That Out-Earns HUT

KidShowtime1867​ I 

I played MVP Baseball 05 for six years after its release because they gave players full customization in and out of franchise mode, with way more depth. If EA isn’t going to give us proper player scans, accurate equipment sizes no and styles, and the ability to edit attributes inside Franchise — along with the option to fix their terrible generic faces and hairstyles for non-scanned players — it just shows they don’t want to give full customization by design. They’re afraid that if offline players had that kind of freedom, people wouldn’t feel the need to buy every year.

The generic faces haven’t changed in over a decade, and there’s zero incentive to make offline modes feel like a real NHL season experience. The devs are capable of it — it’s EA holding it back for money.

For me, making NHL great again has less to do with raw gameplay and more to do with the depth of a true simulated NHL experience. Most of the features I’ve listed are about realism, not mechanics: interviews, storylines, authentic and fluid commentary, in-season scrimmages and drills, news articles, off-ice interactions (not just in Be a Pro), full customization, more cutscenes showing players, fans, arenas, and broadcast walk-ins while commentators go over keys to the game. These are all features that used to exist in some form years ago, only to be stripped down and drip-fed back slowly by design.

And honestly, this kind of stuff could all be added in one offseason if EA wanted to. A subscription model would ensure players keep paying every year even with full customization. Hell, if they don’t want to include it by default, then monetize it — charge us to unlock full customization or for updated scans. At least give the option. Fans have been asking for years, and it’s insane that the depth, weight, and realism of a true NHL simulation keeps getting ignored.