New NHL07 Xbox360 Screens

MizzouRah · Post by **MizzouRah** » Mon Jul 17, 2006 10:16 pm

10spro wrote:
MizzouRah wrote:
10spro wrote:Hmmm, the video could have been on easy level at least that's what EA may hope us consumers to believe in order to justify the D-men standing around. If 2K7 fixes their glitches, including better offensive AI, I will probably stick with 2K again this year. I just wished that they have a system where the left analog stick controls arm movements (say holds, etc.) so that you don't have to have separate buttons. The right stick then would control your stick (hooks, high sticks, spears, etc.) for the same reason. How about a complete custom remapping of all buttons?

Hopefully they'l fix players faces and camera angle but I'll just leave those wishes for the future 2k7 thread.
I think you're getting way ahead of yourself here. There is still time to tweaks things I'm sure.
How's someone's wishes on a game considered getting way ahead ?
Wishes to improve on an already fine game and like you said since there's time, one can always hope that things can improve.

My fault, I quoted you whole post. I was talking about NHL 2007, aka your first sentence. Granted the track record with EA and NHL hasn't been good in quite some time, the game still has time for programming, one would hope.

GameSeven · Post by **GameSeven** » Wed Jul 19, 2006 12:56 am

EA NHL 07 website has been revamped:
http://www.easports.com/nhl07/home.jsp

Includes new video showing some next-gen and current-gen action:
http://www.easports.com/nhl07/theater.j ... dia=videos

-G7

GameSeven · Post by **GameSeven** » Thu Jul 20, 2006 6:20 pm

Yet another new video. Game looking better and better IMHO. I still have reservations that the revamped goalie logic could lead to possible exploits, but the foundation looks solid.

http://www.gametrailers.com/player.php? ... mv&pl=game

-G7

Edit: Be sure to watch the HD clip if your PC has the muscle

vader29 · Post by **vader29** » Thu Jul 20, 2006 6:28 pm

This game just keeps looking better and better with every new video, can't wait to play this.

DivotMaker · Post by **DivotMaker** » Thu Jul 20, 2006 7:51 pm

vader29 wrote:This game just keeps looking better and better with every new video, can't wait to play this.

Ditto. Looks like my good friend Ken Sayler might be making an impact on the NHL series again. He used to be a producer for the NHL series a few years ago before making a pit stop with the Tiger Woods team before returning late last year to the NHL team....looking better and better.

JRod · Post by **JRod** » Thu Jul 20, 2006 8:03 pm

Well beside the graphics, I'd like to know what people see that mean this game plays hockey. EA Sports hasn't gotten hockey for a very long time. This is nothing more than a rental based on EA's history.

GTHobbes · Post by **GTHobbes** » Thu Jul 20, 2006 8:32 pm

The game continues to look great. Never would've bet that it would be an EA game to make me want to replace my perfectly fine big screen with a new HDTV, but there you go.

hoserthehorrible · Post by **hoserthehorrible** » Thu Jul 20, 2006 9:19 pm

JRod wrote:Well beside the graphics, I'd like to know what people see that mean this game plays hockey. EA Sports hasn't gotten hockey for a very long time. This is nothing more than a rental based on EA's history.

There were a couple significant problems with NHL 06 that made it a bit ridiculous. Other than those couple problems though the game was fairly well done.

1) In 06 the goalies stacked the pads and flopped all over the crease way too much. It was way over done and made the game unrealistic.

That has been addressed in XBOX 360 07. If you listen to the interviews, and more importantly watch the videos, the goalies no longer flop all over. In fact, the goalies look and act like goalies this year with a decent representation of the butterfly style and the hybrid style. They also use their gloves in a realistic manner and have to cover the puck when it's loose.

2) In 06 there were only a couple ways to score and unfortunately those ways were too easy to do. The one timer across the crease and the wrap around were the main ways. Again, it made the game too unrealistic.

If you listen to the interviews, and more importantly watch the videos, it's obvious that there's multiple ways to score in XBOX 360 07. We'll see if there's any money goals once the game's out but for sure there's multiple ways to score this year.

3) In 06 the puck physics were fairly unrealistic whereby the puck would stick to the goalies like velcro, stick to the stick of the playing receiving passes like velcro, and ricochet off the goalies and the pipes far too much.

If you listen to the interviews, and more importantly watch the videos, you'll see that the puck physics are quite a bit better in XBOX 360 07. Lot's of loose pucks, missed passes, missed shots, etc. I've seen pucks deflect off of skates when the player isn't looking for a pass, I've seen pucks hit a stick and bounce up in the air in a realistic manner, and I've seen very realistic looking puck physics on goalie saves. Again, this issue from 06 appears to have been resolved in XBOX 360 07.

4) The defensive AI was too passive in 06, after being too aggressive on 05. The defenders simply couldn't stop a pass to a player in front for a one timer.

In XBox 360 07 it certainly looks from the videos like the pass across the crease for a one timer goal is no longer impossible to defend.

If EA simply fixes the issues outlined above and provides the exact same graphics they'd have a very good game in 07. It looks like they've gone quite a bit further than that though judging from the interviews and more importantly the videos.

Time will tell how good the game actually is of course but from the initial impressions it looks like they've fixed the major areas and have upgraded the game in various other areas. I believe the results will be similar to when they overhauled Triple Play and came out with MVP Baseball. They actually had a helluva game on their hands in MVP baseball until they lost their MLB license and had to abandon it for College Baseball.

10spro · Post by **10spro** » Thu Jul 20, 2006 10:46 pm

Cosmetically speaking this could be the best looking "Next Gen" sports game yet. I am all curious about the new right analog stick handling, especially while deking, SO's etc. Puck physics seems much improved too.

I still think the videos were shot on easy level as I saw three easy breakaways. Keeping the game on a realistic gamemode will be crucial for me, but no doubt graphics' wise I am sold.

Gotta love the two way contracts, waivers and a salary cap in franchise.

BTW we all know that A. Ovechkin is the poster boy for EA while J. Thornton will be the face for 2K7 in Canada.

Diablo25 · Post by **Diablo25** » Fri Jul 21, 2006 3:51 pm

GameSeven wrote:Yet another new video. Game looking better and better IMHO. I still have reservations that the revamped goalie logic could lead to possible exploits, but the foundation looks solid.

http://www.gametrailers.com/player.php? ... mv&pl=game

-G7

Edit: Be sure to watch the HD clip if your PC has the muscle

The goal by Pronger about 2/3 the way thru the video is just sick.

GameSeven · Post by **GameSeven** » Thu Jul 27, 2006 9:45 pm

New video 7/27

If you haven't checked the screenshots over the past couple of weeks, there have been some added at the images link at the above URL.

-G7

vader29 · Post by **vader29** » Wed Aug 02, 2006 8:12 pm

New video at gametrailers.com:

http://www.gametrailers.com/player.php? ... mv&pl=game

JackB1 · Post by **JackB1** » Wed Aug 02, 2006 10:21 pm

great video preview! the only negative is that player
movements look jerky to me compared to NHL06, where
they were much smoother. I am excited to try the dual
analog controls out.

vader29 wrote:New video at gametrailers.com:

http://www.gametrailers.com/player.php? ... mv&pl=game

JackB1 · Post by **JackB1** » Wed Aug 02, 2006 10:28 pm

the videos look great and all but what bothers me is the way the player move while skating. It looks very herky-jerky and they seem to be able to cut sideways and diagnoly on a dime. They seemed to have lost the great momemtum based skating model that they had with NHL 04 and to some extent 05 and 06.

GameSeven wrote:Yet another new video. Game looking better and better IMHO. I still have reservations that the revamped goalie logic could lead to possible exploits, but the foundation looks solid.

http://www.gametrailers.com/player.php? ... mv&pl=game

-G7

Edit: Be sure to watch the HD clip if your PC has the muscle

JackB1 · Post by **JackB1** » Wed Aug 02, 2006 10:39 pm

I'm glad someone else noticed the "jerkiness". You would think with all the processing power behind the 360, the player movements would be smooth as silk, but it sure doesn't look that way. The game also looks way to fast, but hopefully that can be corrected with sliders.

GameSeven wrote:
webdanzer wrote: I'd say my biggest disappointment with the game as shown would be the jerkiness of the animation but I was happy to see errant passes and shots as well as the BIG improvement in puck physics.

Naples39 · Post by **Naples39** » Wed Aug 02, 2006 10:49 pm

I love how the video constantly refers to NHL 94 as the holy grail of hockey gaming. At least EA realizes that was the pinnacle of the series. I know it's the only hockey game I currently play. If this game simply combines that playability with high-def graphics and modern features I'd be satisfied.

I also think the new physics are the most promising part of this game. When I think about it, what makes NHL 94 so fun, and the Winning Eleven series so good, is the basic system of how the players move and the ball/puck interacts with them just feels right. Obviously those two games are at two different extreme ends of realism, but that is what makes a good sports game come together IMO.

10spro · Post by **10spro** » Wed Aug 02, 2006 10:49 pm

Bloody video took forever to show, I am still on the fence on this one. 05 was a disaster with the player collision problem and 06 did slightly better although it was pure arcade action. Nice graphics again and the jerkiness itself, I hope is from the video and not the gameplay.

MizzouRah · Post by **MizzouRah** » Thu Aug 03, 2006 8:52 am

I think the game looks and sounds great. I know it's all kool-aid at this point, but I can't wait to try it out at home.

If it has that NCAA 360 fun factor, I'll be happy.

FINALLY, they take out the speed button and go off pure ratings!

Airdog · Post by **Airdog** » Thu Aug 03, 2006 2:42 pm

This game definitely looks really cool, but the biggest thing I'm afraid of is that every player seems to pull off some really sick stick handling moves in the videos.

If the game can be tweaked for simulation minded gamers who know that scrub players generally can't go forehand to backhand eight times in a second, this game could be a winner.

MizzouRah · Post by **MizzouRah** » Thu Aug 03, 2006 3:40 pm

Airdog wrote:This game definitely looks really cool, but the biggest thing I'm afraid of is that every player seems to pull off some really sick stick handling moves in the videos.

If the game can be tweaked for simulation minded gamers who know that scrub players generally can't go forehand to backhand eight times in a second, this game could be a winner.

As per every friggin EA game, I'm sure slider changes will need to be made.. but the game sounds incredibly fun to play.

Sudz · Post by **Sudz** » Thu Aug 03, 2006 4:50 pm

Airdog wrote:This game definitely looks really cool, but the biggest thing I'm afraid of is that every player seems to pull off some really sick stick handling moves in the videos.

If the game can be tweaked for simulation minded gamers who know that scrub players generally can't go forehand to backhand eight times in a second, this game could be a winner.

i hope there is a puck retention rating that would combat that.

vader29 · Post by **vader29** » Thu Aug 03, 2006 5:50 pm

In the video they did say that you will be able to take control of your goalie so that could be interesting for anyone that doesn't trust the ai controlled goalies.

GTHobbes · Post by **GTHobbes** » Thu Aug 03, 2006 9:40 pm

Both hockey games look great to me...can't wait. I wish EA's game had the new 2k camera angle, which I really think I'm going to like, but maybe EA will have a broadcast cam to make up for it.

10spro · Post by **10spro** » Fri Aug 11, 2006 1:26 am

This is what I look forward in a Hockey game and according to IGN's preview, EA may get my cash this year.

"the puck has a life of its own and takes all kinds of wonky bounces. We've seen the puck bounce off the post and off the goalie and in. We've seen it bounce off the goalie, drop to the ice, hit his skate and bounce in. "

fanatic · Post by **fanatic** » Fri Aug 11, 2006 1:36 am

10spro wrote:This is what I look forward in a Hockey game and according to IGN's preview, EA may get my cash this year.

"the puck has a life of its own and takes all kinds of wonky bounces. We've seen the puck bounce off the post and off the goalie and in. We've seen it bounce off the goalie, drop to the ice, hit his skate and bounce in. "

I agree with you....the "randomness" in sports games is a necessity for me nowadays. From the videos I've seen so far, it seems like the puck can pretty much go anywhere.

My only worry is that the puck might be too lively once again. I've seen some clips where a puck misses the net and bounces back to centre ice in about a half a second. This seems to be a pattern within a lot of EA games...basketballs that zip across the court, pucks that fly like nuts and soccer balls that can cross the pitch like a laser.

Still optimistic though!