NHL 15 News Post

The Medium is the Message: EASHL, Transparency, and the Core Gamer

10:50 AM - August 18, 2014 by RaychelSnr

As of this writing, fans of EA's NHL franchise don't know what's going on with several of the popular modes in the upcoming Xbox One and PS4 versions of the game. And in some ways, it now doesn't matter. To be sure, people would like to see EASHL, OTP, GM Connected and everything else “in the game,” as EA likes to say, but in terms of messaging and transparency, the damage has been done. A failure of communication has led to a good number of faithful fans feeling alienated or taken for granted. The stereotype of a company that's ardently pro-business marches on.

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# 41 Smooth Grizzly @ 08/22/14 12:51 PM

It's not a lack of communication problem for me personally. You could of said: "We didn't realize NHL 15 comes a year after NHL 14" or "we built it from scratch" months ago. You still don't have it. I like the approach of a super limited game over canceling multiple releases though.

# 42 thejudicata @ 08/22/14 03:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Smooth Grizzly


	It's not a lack of communication problem for me personally. You could of said: "We didn't realize NHL 15 comes a year after NHL 14" or "we built it from scratch" months ago. You still don't have it. I like the approach of a super limited game over canceling multiple releases though.

Their statements are conflicting too.

Like Rammer said they didn't make the decision to cut EASHL until the announcement a few days ago?

So if you just realized 20 days before release EASHL won't be ready, why not just patch it in? I mean how far along is it? I'd have to assume if you JUST realized it 20 days before release it won't be done, it must be far along?

IE if EASHL is only 10% done, you would have realized a long time ago you don't have the time/resources to finish it and not made a last minute announcement. Because you are basically saying that at 30 days or 45 days you thought EASHL could be finished in time.

It just doesn't make sense and reeks of dishonesty.

Its also about trust, if they held this key information back for so long, what else are they holding back on? Before this EASHL announcement, a lot of members on this board kept making note that EA was unusually not showing much of the game and very little actual gameplay.

# 43 Reejer @ 08/22/14 04:20 PM

Great read. I have been frustrated with the degradation of the Madden brand by using this business method. So all I had to really look forward to was NHL 15, wow what a swift kick in the crotch. It is great to hear that I am not alone.

I hope that NHL doesn't follow Madden into the MUT hole, and they get back to the old reliable "core" gamers, who have purchased the games for decades. Because a loyal customer is a good customer, and once you dump on them, it is pretty hard to win them back.

# 44 TDKing @ 08/22/14 04:54 PM

I don't think Madden left out any modes when they went next gen a year earlier... Did they?

# 45 THESHAMISASHAME @ 09/08/14 02:26 PM

Hopefully this will be a turning point for EA and other sports titles but that being said I understand EA NHL short comings budget ect but I love what they have laid as a base for many years to come for NHL on the new systems and I will support them now so we dont lose the title totally or even just have it become a roster update like MLB has become with the same stale game play the last 5 years .

# 46 woody2goody @ 09/10/14 10:26 AM

I'm going to get 15 on PS4 but only because I've missed the last couple of games. EA don't deserve our money for this game, but my view is if the PS4 one is no good I will trade it in and get the PS3 one.

Transparency is a big issue these days. Developers are becoming increasingly secretive and it's no good for the fans.

Also the amount of straight-up lies which are being told is increasing, and I find that quite unsettling.

The WWE 2k15 roster reveal for instance. At the 'full roster reveal' they only announced about 45 wrestlers despite the fact we saw the character select screen at gamescom and it had 92 slots before DLC.

So why call it the 'full roster reveal'. It seems like everything is an exercise in getting more social media followers and advertising revenue through mouse clicks, when really they should be focused on maximising SALES.

I would rather 2k had said 'ok, this isn't the full roster but the rest will be revealed later/be a surprise.

Instead they get people's hopes up, not unlike the NHL developers, and not only do they not release the entire roster, they also don't show ANY footage.

I know the guys are busy making the games but some blogs or dev diaries would make a huge difference.

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