|
A couple weeks back, we were granted permission to ask NHL 07 Producer David Littman a few questions regarding EA's revamped NHL series. So, our ConsoleSports Canada hockey contributor, Henry Dyck, whipped up a few questions concerning the NHL series and sent them off...and here's the results... ConsoleSports: Thank you very much for taking this time to answer some of our questions. Here at ConsoleSports we're big fans of NHL07 for the Xbox 360. David Littman: It is my pleasure. We all have a lot in common…we are also big fans of NHL 07 for the 360. I will do my best to answer your questions, but I can’t comment too much about NHL 08 at this early date, but I will do my best to address the NHL 07 [360 version] questions.
CS: The game has been out for over 4 months now and it seems the gaming community is still enjoying this game. How do you feel about it now that you've had an abundance of time to play it yourself and read what others feel about it?
DL: The response to the 360 version of NHL 07 has been terrific. We have won some gaming awards and, as you point out, the community is still playing the game and having fun. I still play the game online and with friends when I have time. What I like most about the game is that I see something new every game, even after playing thousands of games. I also enjoy the fact that my hockey knowledge actually helps me win games. I visit the forums regularly and have to say that the NHL 07 forums are filled with dedicated hockey fans that really know and love the sport. Before the game was released we knew there were issues that we did not have time to get to. The NHL 07 community has intelligently identified each and every one, and came up with some new ones that we did not know. We compile a list of issues, bugs, complaints and suggestions from the top forums and rest assured most are on the list for NHL 08. By the way, if you would like your complaint or suggestion to make our compilation then say it in a “nice” way. ☺
CS: What aspects of the game do you wish you had done differently or had more time to work with?
DL: The frustrations that the community and reviewers feel with NHL 07 on the 360 are the same ones that I feel and that the entire dev team feels. We only had so much time to build a game on [what was to us] a brand new system, and we could not get to everything we would have liked, or tune the game for as long as we would have liked.
When I go online to play a game I find that most of the time I am having loads of fun. Some of the time though, I feel like throwing my controller through the window. They are the same “controller throwing” moments that the community has been talking about. They are also the moments that are at the top of our list for NHL 08. Here are a few of them:
• Too many trickle goals and goalies knocking the puck into their own net
• It is hard to control your player on defense
• It is difficult to set up in the offensive zone and pass the puck back to the point
• There are too many ways to cheat online
• There are not enough penalties called for slashing and interference
• It is difficult to pass the puck if you are about to get hit
CS: The Skill Stick was absolute genius. I can't imagine playing another hockey game without it. However, it seems that all the advancements were used for offensive purposes. Are there any plans to include this feature on the defensive side?
DL: You are correct; we did focus on the skill stick for offensive purposes. That is one reason we had to make the goalies so much better or scores would be astronomical. Going forward, it is our goal to make playing defense just as fun as playing offense.
CS: While the skating looked very lifelike some have complained that NHL07 has a few missing animations. Will this be addressed in NHL08?
DL: This was one of the areas that we just did not have enough time to get all of what we wanted into the game. We got the basics of skating in, but skating is an area that will definitely be improved for NHL 08. One of the frustrations listed above is the control aspect of skating and that is a key area for us to improve. We will also be adding animations on top of the control that are authentic and varied.
CS: I'm sure you're fully aware of the incredibly life-like goalies you created for NHL07. I haven't seen goalies like this in a hockey game to date and on many occasions I found myself watching replays over and over again when a big save is made. How proud is your team for developing such lifelike goalkeepers and dare I ask if there is higher plateau that can be reached in terms of goaltender realism? Like, more distinct styles between goalies?
DL: We have 2 goalies on our production staff that played at high levels of hockey. We were told at the beginning of the year that if our goalies weren’t the best ever seen in a hockey game, we would be in trouble. ☺
One of our Software Engineers lived and breathed goalies for the entire year and did an incredible job to get the goalies to the level they are at. If you watch the footage of Alex Auld during our mocap shoot and then compare it to the in-game goalies, it is hard to tell the difference. The model in the game is also by far the most realistic goalie model ever in a hockey video game, and for that we have to credit our art team. But, we do know that there are a few things we have to fix and improve to make our goalies play more like real goalies…I will leave it at that for now.
CS: I know that Andy Agostini was in charge of the Dynasty mode within NHL07 and that he read through the extensive 600+ page CBA that the NHL currently has in place. While I still feel there is enough depth in the current Dynasty mode, it seemed that he too wasn't happy with what he wasn't able to get into this years game. What kinds of things can we expect for next year?
DL: Our goal is to keep improving NHL's Dynasty Mode and along the way become more and more authentic to the real world of hockey. Some of the key areas we are looking at are free agency, the draft, and adding back a few features that have been lost in the transition to the Next Gen systems. We are also improving on some of the areas that the community has mentioned, and we will certainly be fixing the major issues that cropped up in 07.
CS: Will the Create-A-Player be expanded upon as well as the Create-A-Team?
DL: We know that we had to cut back on the create player feature in 07. We also know that we did not include create team in 07. These are 2 features that we are looking into.
CS: Will a Fantasy Draft and a Season mode be available in the future?
DL: These are a couple of features that have been mentioned a lot on the forums and are two areas that we are looking into.
CS: The presentation in NHL 07 is some of the best around, and surprised many of us. Its refreshing to see replayed highlights of big scores and big saves from your respective game during the intermissions and end of game portions. NHL 07 is really the first modern era EA game that has pushed this level of presentation, and I would hope that is a company-wide trend for EA's 08 lineup. Can we expect more of this kind of "sports network style" hockey presentation in NHL 08, such as highlights from other games in-franchise, perhaps even the AI's games?
DL: Presentation is an important part of our game and we are working on many parts of this area for 08. Beyond that, I can’t give out any more info at this time.
CS: Overall, what direction do you see this series going in? I can already tell you that the graphics, presentation, skill stick, puck physics, goalies and graphical interface are already "top-shelf". How do you see this game playing in the next 2-3 years?
DL: We will continue along the same direction. NHL 07 was all about the core elements of hockey. NHL 08 is about improving those core elements and adding new ones. Our goal in 2 or 3 years would be to have zero complaints in your forum. ☺
CS: Who is the best NHL07 player on your team and if you had to build an NHL team from scratch who would you choose first; Sidney Crosby or Alex Ovechkin?
DL: We have a few guys that are ranked in the top 500 in the world right now. No one on our team is allowed to use any online exploits or quit a game. I do not know if I could make a decision on which of these players I would choose first…they are both incredible players and both are great for the sport.
CS: Finally, what is your favorite line in Slap Shot?
DL: Pretty much any time Denis Lemieux [the goalie] said anything. ‘My hallergy to those fans…has returned”.
Again, thank you very much for taking this time to answer our questions. We're really looking forward to seeing what you have in store for NHL08 and beyond. Henry Dyck
ConsoleSports.net
|
