NHL 2k8 Conference Call Highlights
Posted by Dan Owen on 09.03.2007
411 got a chance to chat with NHL 2k8's developers, see what they had to say inside.
411mania.com was recently given the opportunity to participate in a conference call with some of the developers of NHL 2k8, who fielded questions about their anticipated game. NHL 2k8 will be coming out for the Xbox 360 and the Playstation 3 on September 11th. This game is shaping up to be quite possibly the deepest and most realistic hockey game ever, and any hockey fan should be sure to check it out. Below are some of the highlights of the press conference.
There are no big differences between the two versions of the game. The few small differences include the 360 allowing players to listen to their own soundtracks while the PS3 utilizes the SixAxis controller in checking.
There will not be a version of the game for the Wii or any of the handheld platforms, although it is something the developers are exploring for future versions of the game.
NHL 2k8 will run at 60 frames per second on both the PS3 and the Xbox 360.
You will now be able to upload your sliders to the consoles internet community (PSN or Live) for others to download.
The biggest development in this year’s game is the introduction of the ProStick, which uses the right thumbstick to give the player complete control of their player’s stick. This allows the player to create his own backhand, instead of having to turn the player to the side to get him to switch the puck over to that side. It also allows for more realistic gameplay on the whole, especially since the stick is independent from all of your other actions, so you can deke one way and move the puck in another way.
The ProStick is also used while playing defense. You can use it to aim your poke checks, making them a lot more effective.
Another big addition to the game are the new superstar moves. These allow you to perform some of the games greatest scoring moves ever performed. The gamer executes these moves by pressing a combination of buttons, and if the timing is right the move will be done.
The game does take into account a players skills. Certain stat levels have to be met to pull off various superstar moves. Also, the ProStick is more effective the higher a players stick handling and/or puck handling ratings are. This means that your third liners will probably not be able to pull off the same moves as the first liners.
One-timers will not be as effective as they have been in prior versions. Shots will need to be lined up better, as the accuracy of one-timers has been reduced.
Checking is no longer quite as much of a spectacle. The developers felt that the checks had gotten a little out of hand, so they toned down the number of huge checks in favor of more “push checks”.
Fighting has also been toned down a bit. The developers said that this is a reflection of the NHL’s increased stand on less fighting. The controls were made a little tighter for the fights, but other than that no changes were made.
Faceoffs have been redone this year. There is a big element of risk/reward involved. You aren’t going to win unless you try to jump the drop of the puck. But if you go too early once, you get warned, and if you go early twice your thrown out of the faceoff and the computer takes over. This system does a great job of capturing the essence of a real NHL faceoff.
The AI the players has been improved considerably, especially regarding the goalies. The goalies will play smarter, which is a huge thing in making the game more realistic. A cool feature is that your goalie will play differently depending on his abilities. He might tend to come out more to challenge shots, or he might prefer to wait back in the net, all depending on what he excels at.
The physics of deflections have been greatly updated.
You manually control the development of players. They earn general experience during practice to be allotted as you see fit. They will also not change player class (enforcer, skater, shooter, etc.) unless you decide to change it.
A huge amount of player equipment has been put into the game, and if a player has an interesting quirk about what kind of stick he wears, or skates, etc., it’s likely to be in the game. 2k is also promising to release roster updates that have updated player apparel for the upcoming season.
The Minor League system use’s the NHL’s actual waiver system. It has also been set up where players will develop better if they are left in the minors to get more ice time than if they sit on your bench in the pros and log only a handful of minutes.
The developers said that, for them, Marty Turkow changed the way they view cover athletes. He was a huge video game fan, and gave them a lot of input. This year’s cover athlete, Joe Thornton, helped a lot with the redesigned faceoffs.
The developers feel that this year’s edition moved more towards the hardcore side of gameplay. The wanted to create a game that captured the essence of the NHL game and make it as realistic of an experience as possible.
Regarding the fact that NHL 2k8 has to compete with EA’s NHL 08, the developers felt like their real competition came from hockey itself, trying to create the most realistic experience. One of the developers also mentioned the fans, saying they had to work hard to meet the wants of the fans. It was admitted that it is always the goal to create a game that would be better, but that is simply because they want to create the best game possible.
