What updates would you guys like to see for 20 and beyond?

[robertmac43]

Hockey is my favorite sports.. baseball a close second but I'll buy almost any sports game not made by EA. I buy NBA 2k because of how much more bang for your buck you get .. also love MLB the Show.. that's a great product, and the game play feels realistic. NHL games are nothing like actual hockey... You should be rewarded for playing proper systems and using strategy.

Honestly at this point I think the only one worth buying is the Show. All the EA titles fail to deliver on the single player side of things and I'm not much of an Ultimate Team guy so there is no point. 2k has been on a slide downwards as well with all of the pay to win stuff even in the single player. I guess you can still progress decently in my player but they make it a grueling grind so people just buy their skill points.

MLB feels like a complete game with a good multiplayer on top of it. It should be the model for sports games in my mind.

 

[Nordiques1979]

We're 3 months from September and still no news?

 

[filip85]

We're 3 months from September and still no news?

News should be around NHL awards in June.

 

[Tak7]

Honestly at this point I think the only one worth buying is the Show. All the EA titles fail to deliver on the single player side of things and I'm not much of an Ultimate Team guy so there is no point. 2k has been on a slide downwards as well with all of the pay to win stuff even in the single player. I guess you can still progress decently in my player but they make it a grueling grind so people just buy their skill points.

MLB feels like a complete game with a good multiplayer on top of it. It should be the model for sports games in my mind.

Ultimate Team is such a juggernaut, with dollar signs attached all over it, that it's easy to see why they've sacrificed the rest of the game in order to focus on it - Franchise mode, outside of the new scouting system / Fog of War, was completely unchanged. My guess is many other modes suffered the same experience.

I fully agree with you regarding The Show - a thorough, robust, high quality experience which keeps all players in mind; not just the ones using mom's credit card to play hockey's equivalent of Pokemon Cards.

 

[Beauner]

Ultimate Team is such a juggernaut, with dollar signs attached all over it, that it's easy to see why they've sacrificed the rest of the game in order to focus on it - Franchise mode, outside of the new scouting system / Fog of War, was completely unchanged. My guess is many other modes suffered the same experience.

I fully agree with you regarding The Show - a thorough, robust, high quality experience which keeps all players in mind; not just the ones using mom's credit card to play hockey's equivalent of Pokemon Cards.

And also a huge development team that can dedicate time and resources to creating the depth of that game.

The bulk of ultimate team mode updates come DURING the game cycle. Year to year the skeleton of the mode remains unchanged. Don't direct your hate towards that, direct it to the company that has the bare-bones development team which had to juggle new skating mechanics, building WoC from the ground-up and implementing Fog of War and other updates to GM mode. It's pretty obvious WoC took up a big part of the dev teams time when creating 19. Honestly I wish they'd focus one 1 mode per game development cycle instead of doing a few things at a time. Be a pro is a complete joke. If they spent all of the past year making an in-depth be-a-pro and didn't touch a single other thing, I think a lot of people probably wouldn't be too unhappy. Their team is just too small to make it as in-depth as The Show or 2k

 

[Tak7]

And also a huge development team that can dedicate time and resources to creating the depth of that game.

The bulk of ultimate team mode updates come DURING the game cycle. Year to year the skeleton of the mode remains unchanged. Don't direct your hate towards that, direct it to the company that has the bare-bones development team which had to juggle new skating mechanics, building WoC from the ground-up and implementing Fog of War and other updates to GM mode. It's pretty obvious WoC took up a big part of the dev teams time when creating 19. Honestly I wish they'd focus one 1 mode per game development cycle instead of doing a few things at a time. Be a pro is a complete joke. If they spent all of the past year making an in-depth be-a-pro and didn't touch a single other thing, I think a lot of people probably wouldn't be too unhappy. Their team is just too small to make it as in-depth as The Show or 2k

I'm not hating on anyone - if you read my original post, you'd understand that I was pointing out that the bulk of their limited resources goes towards where they generate the most revenue; Ultimate Team and WoC. If I was in there shoes, I'd 100% make the same decision.

I've been to EAC in Burnaby 4 times. It's a large studio, but it's not a massive team. Compared to some of the other studios I've visited, it's one of the smallest teams I've engaged with.

 

[Beauner]

I'm not hating on anyone - if you read my original post, you'd understand that I was pointing out that the bulk of their limited resources goes towards where they generate the most revenue; Ultimate Team and WoC. If I was in there shoes, I'd 100% make the same decision.

I've been to EAC in Burnaby 4 times. It's a large studio, but it's not a massive team. Compared to some of the other studios I've visited, it's one of the smallest teams I've engaged with.

Which is super unfortunate because the potential is there. Perils of being the 4th most popular sport I guess

 

[Thedogo]

This was something in NHL 2004 and I like to see it come back especially with the IIHF going to North American size rinks. Select the rink size from NHL, International and Auto.

 

[AK87]

The problem is these games come out every single year, what if they skipped a year to make improvements? And launched brand new games every 2 years and just had patches and such for the current year. This would give the devs more time to make much needed improvements.

 

[Lions67]

I have played the EA NHL series sinc ehr ebeginning on Sega Genesis. NHL HOCKEY.
There was a time between NHL 04 to NHL 07 that I skipped entirely because it was stale. Now NHL 08 comes along and it’s GO TIME!!.... damn, from 08 to NHL 13 the game was awesome.
Then the new systems come out and NHL 15 is crap, so is 16,17,18 and now 19. Same old same old. Boring ....STALE.
I have put the game down once I picked up THE GOLF CLUB 2!.... imagine that??... hockey taking a back seat to a golf game!!.... but it is, now I have moved on the THE GOLF CLUB 2019 featuring the PGA and the hockey game continues to sit there... collecting dust.
If NHL 20 does not come out of the gate ina new way like NHL 08 did, I won’t buy it. Period.
I will just stick to the golf and enjoy every shot, every round. It’s THAT GOOD!!

EA!!..... get your you know what together or get lost and let some other company make a proper hockey game!

 

[CamPopplestone]

Connected Franchise Mode back. But they won't since it doesn't encourage recurring user spending

 

[jetsv2]

Let 2K give it a shot.

Add more selection of music, no issue with songs but i am tired of hearing the same 6 songs loop at a playlist of say 30 songs in the next one.

There is nothing stopping 2K from making an NHL game, unlike the NFL EA never paid for exclusive rights to NHL. 2K just decided it wasn't worth it to make the games anymore and stopped.

 

[thewall]

Id love to see the coachs challenge install. Sometimes goals are waved off because a player barely hits the goalie. Id love to be able to challenge some of those calls.

Id love to have player suspensions. If i hit a player from behind and get a 5 min major, id love if this player would get a call from the league to review the hit.

Been preaching a long time for more goalie pads and mask options for each teams and create teams. Nhl06 use to have plenty of mask options.

More jersey templates for created teams with more logos. Also get more realistic names in the create a player database.

 

[Cor]

The problem is these games come out every single year, what if they skipped a year to make improvements? And launched brand new games every 2 years and just had patches and such for the current year. This would give the devs more time to make much needed improvements.

It’s a yearly game for a reason. Rosters change so significantly, there’s a draft every year, players retire, players enter the CHL. They do a yearly game because they give away money if they don’t.

What they need is simply a larger production team.

The only way your suggestion would work is if EA and 2K actually teamed up to release a game alternating years. Both developers get a 2 year dev cycle, fans get updated games yearly still, and they can work it out where they have a revenue sharing of each other’s release, so they still get income every year.

 

[Barry Amsterdam]

GM connected f***ing please

 

[jetsv2]

It’s a yearly game for a reason. Rosters change so significantly, there’s a draft every year, players retire, players enter the CHL. They do a yearly game because they give away money if they don’t.

What they need is simply a larger production team.

The only way your suggestion would work is if EA and 2K actually teamed up to release a game alternating years. Both developers get a 2 year dev cycle, fans get updated games yearly still, and they can work it out where they have a revenue sharing of each other’s release, so they still get income every year.

It will never happen though. NHL games don't make enough money to justify a larger production team and EA and 2K will never cooperate like you suggested.

 

[CBJWerenski8]

I only play EASHL in a team of 4's and 5's (so we never play 3's). And they need to fix the CPU's. They are so aggravating to play against. Some places they are absolutely useless (in front of your own net, anywhere behind the net, etc) and some they are unstoppable (cycling, checking user players off the puck regardless of player type, etc). They need to find a way to balance the computers so they aren't so oppressive that they give you an advantage to play with more CPUS than users, but they also need to make it balanced enough that if you only have two in a 6's game you still have a chance. I thought they had the CPU's relatively fine in NHL 16 and 17.

I personally would be fine if the CPUs reverted back to last gen stature. Where they were absolutely useless. The only reason why, is because most of the games back then were dictated and won by the users, and both teams had shit CPUs so it made the games 4-3. Now, both teams, regardless of skill level, have pretty overpowered CPUs and the games can be as low as 1-0 or 2-1 constantly. I'm fine with low scoring games, and its welcomed, but I'd rather it be because of the users not CPUs.

 

[AK87]

It’s a yearly game for a reason. Rosters change so significantly, there’s a draft every year, players retire, players enter the CHL. They do a yearly game because they give away money if they don’t.

What they need is simply a larger production team.

The only way your suggestion would work is if EA and 2K actually teamed up to release a game alternating years. Both developers get a 2 year dev cycle, fans get updated games yearly still, and they can work it out where they have a revenue sharing of each other’s release, so they still get income every year.

You could easily fix the player changes/drafting by offering roster updates. Just a side note I got this game FREE on Xbox Live yesterday. I feel bad for people who had to buy it, new games in Canada are $79.99

 

[BatVader]

Franchise Mode
-Introduce negotiating into trades. Instead of the usual responses from the team you’re trying to trade with, have them reply with a counter offer.
-Introduce coaches. Make it so you can hire and fire coaches. Have current and recent past coaches and have each one of them affect certain attributes of the team differently based on their real world coaching style.
-Introduce modified and full NTC’s and NMC’s

Be A Pro
-Introduce the ability to go UFA and request an amount and a term, instead of the usual... you have 2 teams interested... these are their offers, and you have to choose one of them.
-Same for initial ELC contract after being drafted. Introduce the ability to negotiate money amount.
-Make it possible to increase speed and acceleration
-Have all prior NHL player last names available for play-by-play and commentator use. If your related to one in real life you should be able to use that name in game.
-

Game in General
-Fix the stupid glitches!
-Realistic player fighting. Players like Mark Stone and Max Pacioretty aren’t fighters. They shouldn’t be in game either. Also it’s unrealistic for Brendan Gallagher to kick Dustin Byfuglien’s ass in a fight.
-Less irrelevant comments by the on air idiots.
-

 

[CartographerNo611]

Its EA so I will keep it simple and give them some fixes the 5 people working on the game can handle.

1.Be able to edit free agent players, you have to create a team and transfer players in order to do it.

2.Have CPU generated rookies have a rookie face to picture like in Madden.

3. Players should start declining at age 34

4.Tone down some of the potentials for junior players, 60 percent of them wont even make AHL top 6.

5. A modern minalmistic menu system

6. Add the phones back in for trade deadlines.

7. Be able to set a custom salary cap

8. Can we get NMC, NTC, and LTIR finally.

 

[hmc1987]

For franchise mode:
Make drafting less OP. Not every player should hit their potential
Development should be updated, and have more to do with player's stats. I'd like to see the occasional 5th rounder have a great season in junior and have his potential go up, but if 1st rounders do poorly for multiple years they should go down.
Fix trade values. In some instances it's too easy to rip other teams off, in others teams will get stingy and make you rip yourself off.
More than like 10 players should be capable of scoring a lot of goals. I shouldn't have to constantly rely on 40 year old Ovechkin and Kane to be my main snipers.

#1 Not only this, but how in 2019 and probably 2020 can we RUN A FRANCHISE WITHOUT A COACH? We can hire scouts from all over the world, but we can't hire a goddamn COACH?

By the way Coaches make a HUGE DIFFERENCE. See CAROLINA, NYI, and - OH YEAH - ST. LOUIS BLUES

Please, please, please, please, please add COACHES to Franchise mode.

#2 And improve draft scenarios...5-6 seasons into ANY Franchise and the league is overrun with youngsters dominating...that's fine and all, but not what happens in reality.

A few gems with every draft, but every team should NOT be a 95 Offense, 93 Defense, 92 Goalie...it's ridiculous.

#3 Fix Free Agency so that Money isn't the ONLY variable. There are many times where players simply WON'T play on certain clubs. Think..PANARIN and CBJ? Think TAVARES and NYI?!? I shouldn't be able to make a 1 year contract with a 33-34 year old "top free agent" and then trade them for a younger Top 10 pick...that's not reality

 

[Sempiternal]

The game would've been great this season if they didn't make such drastic updates all season. Build it and stick with it unless there are major bugs. Also, no non-NHL player should be above 92 overall. The diamond player drops the past two months have been stupid. Pure money grab..

I liked the playoff predictor and Stanley Cup cards.

Lastly, they shouldve stuck with Gretzky and Lemieux the only 99 overalls.

 

[hmc1987]

The game would've been great this season if they didn't make such drastic updates all season. Build it and stick with it unless there are major bugs. Also, no non-NHL player should be above 92 overall. The diamond player drops the past two months have been stupid. Pure money grab..

I liked the playoff predictor and Stanley Cup cards.

Lastly, they shouldve stuck with Gretzky and Lemieux the only 99 overalls.

Yeah I strongly prefer not having 99 overalls. It devalues the game IMHO

Make the highest like 97...

99 does not exist in real life and never has.

Gretzky's scored 92 goals during a different era. It would be like scoring 70-75 goals in this era. Ovie has done 60 multiple times, but hitting 70 is a freak of nature

 

[Tak7]

I'd like to see the same thing I've requested for several years now - burn Franchise Mode to the ground, and rebuild it from the start up.

Make it much more interactive, dynamic, and engaging to the player. Give us more control over things like player / prospect development, and create a morale / performance system that actually makes sense and works well, unlike the awful system we have now which everyone just turns off.

Remove Owner Mode, and implement a far more comprehensive Executive / Presidential component to the mode, that makes sense (unlike bathrooms of an entirely new building needing repairs every 3 months, etc).

Let us deep-dive into player performances, trends/form, and give us control over staff hires - head coaches, assistant coaches, goalie coaches, etc.

Basically, look at what East Side Hockey Manager used to provide, and try and implement many of those systems into a Franchise Mode that makes sense and is easy to grasp - perhaps with many toggle-options to turn on/off many different variables, similar to what we have with Morale and Owner Mode now.

 

[tsujimoto74]

I'd like to see the same thing I've requested for several years now - burn Franchise Mode to the ground, and rebuild it from the start up.

Make it much more interactive, dynamic, and engaging to the player. Give us more control over things like player / prospect development, and create a morale / performance system that actually makes sense and works well, unlike the awful system we have now which everyone just turns off.

Remove Owner Mode, and implement a far more comprehensive Executive / Presidential component to the mode, that makes sense (unlike bathrooms of an entirely new building needing repairs every 3 months, etc).

Let us deep-dive into player performances, trends/form, and give us control over staff hires - head coaches, assistant coaches, goalie coaches, etc.

Basically, look at what East Side Hockey Manager used to provide, and try and implement many of those systems into a Franchise Mode that makes sense and is easy to grasp - perhaps with many toggle-options to turn on/off many different variables, similar to what we have with Morale and Owner Mode now.

Franchise mode is basically the only thing I play, but my god does it need fixing. The trade system is better than it used to be, but it's still very broken, both in terms of player values and how the AI teams regard players. (E.g., a 46 overall prospect with "elite medium" potential who just got drafted 2 days ago shouldn't have a 2/3-3/4 full value bar.) I also think the system needs to be less black and white in terms of what a team is willing to move, with a range from "totally unwilling to trade" to "actively shopping" (with 2-3 levels in between). The development system needs way more depth and control. How I use a player should actually matter. The stats they post, in whatever league they're playing in, should matter (and for more than just "statistical growth"). I also think they made amateur scouting way too easy with 19. I like building teams in franchise mode, but it could be so much better than it is.