NHL 16 launch
Pardon me if this is a little lengthier than you might be used to. Today is September 8, 2015, and in one week I would be driving the longest five minutes of my life to the GameStop to pick up my copy of this year's edition of the NHL game series, NHL 16. The shelf behind my bed will help confirm the game of choice--NHL 07 to 15, and parts of the P.C. collection that survived over the years from NHL 2001 onward. When I purchased an Xbox 360 in 2009, it was for one reason: EA Sports' NHL series. From my years in late elementary school to my senior year of college last September, NHL has always been a running accomplice to my life: the triumphant afternoon of playing it after completing my last class on my final day as a college student, or using NHL as that perfect distraction when life didn't seem quite fair. I've tinkered with the game, learned a lot about players from the NHL, AHL, CHL leagues and more through playing. In fact, I credit the game as one of the reasons I decided a career in sports was one I would try to pursue, so I received by B.A. in Journalism and Public Relations in May. Unfortunately, the job market hasn't been kind and with student loans to boot this time of year doesn't bring the same excitement it had for the last seemingly 10-12 years. See I have an Xbox 360 and it's incredibly difficult to again justify a major purchase with school payments and little on the market of jobs. Simply put: the Xbox360/PS3 version has had little information, and I'm not sure if that would even help at this point, I've read, followed and tracked the changes for NHL 16. I think it has the potential to be one of the best additions to come around and there's still a false eagerness within about the launch. But that's not for me, it's for my friends who I hope will tell me all about it. I don't think I'd want to play it--they might never get me off it. But everything from the edits of players to the mascots to the authenticity I've spent hours upon days editing in series prior to help re-create--it feels like it's finally here. And yet, next Tuesday I won't be able to share in that joy and that is a really disappointing thought to me. You probably can't do anything about this--I understand that. But as a devout fan next Tuesday will fail to offer that excitement and that notion is very unfortunate.
Best to everyone playing the game--enjoy it!
-Devout fan,
Neal
