Blogs

NHL 09 Blog: David Littman

Posted 10.29.2008

Hi there, David Littman here.

We are in the process of putting the patches up for both the X360 and
the PS3.
PS3 Europe has already gone up, and PS3 North America and both X360
patches should be up within the next week or two.

First and foremost we have fixed the "dirty disc" message issue that
some people are seeing on the X360.
For the PS3, we have fixed the issue where there are sometimes white
flashes or flickers during gameplay.
So, if you have seen one of the above, you will be happy to know they
are fixed with the patch.

For most people though...the important fixes are in gameplay.
We have listened to all of you, and we have played the game ourselves
every day. While we couldn't make every fix that you asked for because
of time constraints, we did fix most of the big issues, and also
improved gameplay to be more authentic.

  • The jersey on the EASHL side select screen is more visible than
    the team logo. This will make it easier for people to see when jersey
    colors clash
  • Deking controls normal when shooting downscreen with "Always Up"
    controls
  • Checking has been tuned so you will see less big hits from guys
    that aren't traditionally known for hitting
  • Less CPU AI one-timers
  • Increased the height of dump ins, for a better dump and chase
    game.
  • No more goals from flip dumps
  • Better CPU AI logic near offensive blueline so they don't go
    off-sides as much
  • CPU goalie will not drag the puck back toward himself in a
    shootout
  • We have fixed the goals from outside shots that people are
    scoring. We have reduced shot accuracy when on the rush and when turning
    quickly, and from far out. You will now have to be more conservative
    when shooting on the rush. If you aim all the way to the left or right,
    your shot will go wide a lot more. Try aiming more towards the middle to
    hit the net from outside. This fixes the cross goal where you shoot back
    the other way, and the goal that goes in with the "curve" animation, and
    a few others. There's a reason NHL players don't shoot from outside on
    the rush very often. Dumping or trying to set up is a better play unless
    you have an odd-man situation.
  • We reduced the time it took to get control of the goalie by 1/3.
  • When line changes are set to auto, and a user changes
    lines/defense manually between whistles, the line/defensive pair you
    asked for will come out (or stay out).
  • If you have line changes off in Be a Pro, line change player
    chatter will be turned off.
  • When using a defenseman in BAP, BAP player won't get stuck on
    the bench and will be able to call for change
  • The EASHL will now go to continuous 5v5 overtime until one team
    scores. This way nobody has to sit out, and you get to decide who wins
    (this is now just like the NHL Play-offs)
  • The proper own-goal cut scene will be shown where the player who
    scored on himself is upset.
  • All cut scenes should now show players sitting in their
    respective team's bench.
  • Increase AI team aggressiveness and the likelihood of them
    getting called for a penalty on an infraction.
  • If Vision Control is pressed, you do not throw a hit when in
    front of the attacking net. This helps with rebound shots.
  • Increase the likelihood of a penalty if the stick hits the body
    during a stick lift.
  • Reduce the accuracy of shots for penalty shots and shootouts.
    Aiming for just inside the post is a lot tougher now

Along with these changes we are still working on the server side of
things to make sure that the EASHL and online play is always improving.
Keep checking our website for more information on the EASHL play-offs.

Thanks
-David Littman

NHL 09 Blog: Ryan Nicholas

Posted 09.15.2008

Hey hockey fans, I'm Ryan Nicholas, the producer of NHL 09 on PC. We've added a bunch of new stuff for 09 and I can't wait for you to get your hands on it. We got a bit of a late start this year, and wanted to be sure all of the new features worked great before releasing it which is why we're a little later than the other versions.

The feature I'm most excited about is our new Be A Pro mode. This is a totally new way to play the game and I hope everyone likes it as much as I do. You get to create your own NHL player and try to build him into an NHL legend by completing both individual and team oriented goals. You'll start off with limited skills and must perform well on the ice to earn upgrades to level up your character. We also created a brand new camera angle to go with this mode that keeps the focus on your player and gets you up close to the action.

For new players, we have added a Rookie control scheme that uses two buttons for passing/switching and shooting/checking. This feature lets experienced NHL players take on their friends who might not be as familiar with NHL and still have a good game.

On the international side, I'm happy to tell you that we have added the Russian Super League to our line-up of European elite leagues so this year features the most teams of any NHL game ever. You can play a full season with the Finnish, Swedish, German, Czech, or Russian leagues, as well as the AHL. Also, to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Montreal Canadiens, we have added a team featuring all of the greatest Habs of all-time. This gives us over 160 different teams!

You can expect to see NHL 09 PC in stores October 21st. See you at the rink!

Lauren Belfoy's NHL 09 Blog 9.4.08

Posted 09.4.2008

I'd first like to correct a mistake I made last week. Shame on me, I accidentally misspelled "Mikka Kiprusoff" (you have to give me a little credit; an extra "p" was the worst of it). A two minute minor mishap. Besides, no matter what obscure Finnish name you type into Word, spell-check is going to red-squiggly-underline it. So I sincerely apologize to Mr. Kiprusoff and the Flames faithful; I'm not stupid, I'm American.

I figured with (still) not a whole lot going on in the "real life" NHL, this would be an opportune time to mention my favorite new feature on NHL 09. No it isn't the one-handed deke, "be a pro" mode, or the improved fighting. There are two personality traits that I possess that are worth mentioning here: I'm pretty incapable of operating most things with buttons, and I'm a big fat cheater- if there is an easier way to do something, I WILL find it. So you can imagine how thrilled I was to hear that NHL 09 was including a "NHL 94 controls" option. Hit. Pass. Shoot. Old school. It's two freakin' buttons! How cool is that? Literally anyone can play. If I?m feeling rather (mentally) lazy some day, I may just sneak onto the '94 controls and rock the multiplayer. So fellas, good way to invite the ladies over and get them into it (wink wink). Or you know, your little cousin, or grandma, golden retriever, whoever.

I posted my email address in the last blog hoping to get some interesting responses. Mission accomplished you could say, but none of them were more blog-worthy than the following gem... I'd like to close with my "letter of the week" (this is not actually going to be a weekly thing):

Lauren,

Chris Simon is not a criminal and hasn't been convicted of any criminal code or provincial offense for any of his on-ice incidents. He is just a guy who made some poor decisions on the ice and has been effectively banished from the league because of it. He is currently playing for Vityaz Chekhov of the KHL, their pre-season started a few weeks ago. Your Blog borders on slander.

-J (Changed for privacy)

RE:

Dear J,

I suppose it borders on slander if you were born without a sense of humor. And I find that offensive to people who actually were born without a sense of humor; it's a very serious disorder. How dare you, sir. They are just people like you and me, but they have to walk through life with no choice in the matter, they just can't laugh. Can you imagine watching Everybody Loves Raymond and sitting through the whole thing straight-faced? It's life-crippling.

And about Chris Simon, I have nothing against the guy. He's a little dramatic, yes. In fact, as Chris Simon's number-one-fan/vigilante lawyer/friend....(or more?) you should be more pissed off about the fact that he was made to be so freakin' slow in the game back in the day. Chris Simon could be Gary Ridgeway on ice but in no way does he deserve to be animated like he's in slow motion. No wonder he left the NHL... he was tired of being misrepresented (?) in a video game; I totally get now where his anger comes from. Your email borders on enlightening.

- Lauren

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