We're likely a few months out from another NHL game. At this point anyone who wanted the game has likely bought it. If EA wants to increase their player base going forward I think they should just make this game free on the PS store. They won't lose much money doing this and I think a LOT of people would probably download it if it was free. If even 1% of those people enjoyed the game enough to buy the next game they would likely be making out really well.. just a thought..
I don't think rocket league would have ever made it big if it wasn't free for a month, I'm sure there are plenty of other games in the same boat.
No word on a free offering of NHL 20, however the game is currently in The Vault for EA Access. Prices will vary depending on regions, but it's about $4.99 a month and $29.99 a year for a full library of games. I know it's not free, but for anyone interested in NHL 20 they could always sign up for a one month membership to see if they like it and play a ton of other games while they're at it. With games being over $60 each now, there's a ton of value there. There's other perks that come with EA Access too, but throwing this out there in case you have some buddies you want to get on the ice.
Your thoughts are out of great intentions though and we love it! We all want the EA NHL community to continue getting bigger though. If we find out any news on promotions like a free copy we'll let you know though. The Community Manager was giving away free copies over Twitter a while back.
I have actually suggested this to a few friends, I usually sign up for a month before I buy a game for the discount/ early play and also try out a few games in the process to see if they're worth picking up. Some people hear "subscription" even when explained and they are turned off by it.
I just think it being free and advertised may bring in more people. There are a few games like rocket league that I would have NEVER given a chance if not free, I pumped some money into it just because I played it so much. I'm not a big fortnite guy but I can't imagine it takes off or receives money like it does w/o being free.
It's just a thought, I'm sure you don't make those decisions but to me it makes sense, especially with not much time before the next installment and this one becoming obsolete. The NHL series needs some serious help. Sometimes it takes 5-10 minutes of sitting in a lobby to find a game.
This is why crossplay is becoming critical. With the games declining popularity coupled with SO many game modes, the community is shrinking and fracturing.
I get the feeling it may be coming, I just hope it comes in time to save the franchise from completely tanking.
Much to everyone's chagrin, I don't think EA will ever make their games cross-play. They're too much like Nintendo who believe THEY know better what gamers want than the gamers themselves. Remember when Nintendo said that gamers don't want online connected games? It wasn't until the Switch that they truly embraced the concept that Microsoft and Sony had embraced 2 generations ago (3 generations ago in the case of Microsoft).
They need to see a loss in revenue in order to change, and sadly FIFA and Madden make hella money for them. Even NHL which I don't think necessarily LOSES them money, just doesn't make them as much as the other games.
I'd like to be proven wrong or surprised though.
EA doesn't want to get left behind by the likes of Activision so you can almost guarantee that the next Battlefield will feature cross-play.
Lol. What happened to just making the game good again? We can strategize all we want such as introducing crossplay or featuring a certain game mode more, but in essence if the core gameplay isn't good how can you expect people to play this game over other popular games out there. There are so many outlets of entertainment then ever before so the expectation for quality gameplay will only increase moving forward...
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I have actually suggested this to a few friends, I usually sign up for a month before I buy a game for the discount/ early play and also try out a few games in the process to see if they're worth picking up. Some people hear "subscription" even when explained and they are turned off by it.
I just think it being free and advertised may bring in more people. There are a few games like rocket league that I would have NEVER given a chance if not free, I pumped some money into it just because I played it so much. I'm not a big fortnite guy but I can't imagine it takes off or receives money like it does w/o being free.
It's just a thought, I'm sure you don't make those decisions but to me it makes sense, especially with not much time before the next installment and this one becoming obsolete. The NHL series needs some serious help. Sometimes it takes 5-10 minutes of sitting in a lobby to find a game.
EA doesn't want to get left behind by the likes of Activision so you can almost guarantee that the next Battlefield will feature cross-play.