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steelerfan
05-21-2011, 04:57 PM
Use this thread to discuss NHL 12 by EA Sports.

steelerfan
05-21-2011, 04:58 PM
The first screen shot was released yesterday.

http://blogs.thescore.com.s3.amazonaws.com/nhl/files/2011/05/NHL12.jpg

SmoothPancakes
05-21-2011, 05:00 PM
The first screen shot was released yesterday.

http://www.operationsports.com/viewshot.php?id=15984&no=1&outof=1

That's an impressive screenshot. Getting that little corner of the square to break off so cleanly from the main icon, EA is all over this game this year. ;)

steelerfan
05-21-2011, 05:04 PM
That's an impressive screenshot. Getting that little corner of the square to break off so cleanly from the main icon, EA is all over this game this year. ;)

Can't help it if your PC is a POS. :P

JBHuskers
05-21-2011, 05:44 PM
PS3 fellas, my hiatus for this series will come to an end this year!

steelerfan
05-21-2011, 05:46 PM
PS3 fellas, my hiatus for this series will come to an end this year!

Thanks for the warning.

jaymo76
05-22-2011, 11:40 AM
Geesh Steeler, give me a break... I just finished my first season of NHL 11 yesterday! lol. Seriously though, with NCAA and Madden looking this good, I don't know if I will be able to fit NHL 12 into the schedule.

DariusLock
05-22-2011, 12:17 PM
I doubt I get Madden, I just seem to hate it's gameplay. I will get this or either Tiger Woods along with NCAA and call it a season.

JBHuskers
05-24-2011, 12:28 PM
Feast your eyes on the Feature Reveal Trailer from Pasta (http://www.pastapadre.com/2011/05/24/nhl-12-feature-reveal-trailer)

DariusLock
05-24-2011, 05:26 PM
Damn. Skyrim, NHL, NCAA, and MW3 all look like must buys for me right now.


•In the revamped Be a Pro mode, experience the pursuit of greatness and legendary moments in your playing career, shatter historic records and cement yourself in NHL history. Additionally, the better you play, the more ice time you’ll get where you can simulate to your next shift so you’re always on the ice as you play out your entire career in pursuit of the Stanley Cup.

•The NHL 12 Full Contact Physics Engine puts you in the rink with everything now live on the ice, from players to the environment – everything is interactive and in play. Experience the skill and aggression of hockey from shattered glass to flying helmets to knocking players over the boards and into the bench; crash the crease too hard and you’ll knock the net off and send the goalie flying. Size and physicality will be emphasized as bigger players will be able to throw their weight around as they screen the goalie and battle in front of the net.

•This year marks the first time players will face dynamic goalies in the game. Players can knock the net off and make contact with goalies, knocking them down or out of position, as they crash the crease. Watch as goalies battle through screens to make awe-inspiring saves. Additionally, we’re reigniting the beloved fighting engine that first appeared in NHL 10 with all-new goalie battles. When the action gets heated, send a message by leaving the net, dropping the gloves, and trading punches with rivals during fights.

•All new gameplay presentation creates an authentic, fresh new look and feel throughout NHL 12 with presentation graphics that mimic real life hockey broadcasts. For the first time ever lace up outdoors under the lights in one of the biggest hockey events of the season, the 2011 NHL Winter Classic® at Heinz Field in Pittsburgh, within seconds of putting in the disc. Inspired by the NHL GameCenter Ice Tracker, the all-new EA SPORTS Action Tracker simulates action without missing a beat with a shift-by-shift breakdown of stats and key moments leading up to your next shift.


Pulled quote from Pasta's site.

JBHuskers
05-24-2011, 06:28 PM
Damn. Skyrim, NHL, NCAA, and MW3 all look like must buys for me right now.




Pulled quote from Pasta's site.

I'm probably getting all of the above (except MW3 will probably be a Xmas gift request....I'll just prob play the offline).

I'm excited to knock the helmets off of some fools. And of course GOALIE FIGHTS!

jaymo76
05-24-2011, 11:39 PM
that trailer did look pretty good. I loved seeing the glass break and the fans sitting there.

cdj
05-31-2011, 10:45 PM
From IGN (http://xbox360.ign.com/articles/117/1171672p1.html):


Winnipeg Returns in NHL 12
Thrashers getting a new look for this year's hockey title.

EA Sports is making sure NHL 12 is as authentic as possible this year, even if a team relocates to Canada during the playoffs.

The National Hockey League announced this morning that the True North Sports and Entertainment ownership group has purchased the Atlanta Thrashers, with plans to move the team to Winnipeg, Manitoba for the 2011-12 season.

EA Sports confirmed to IGN the newly relocated team will be included in this year's title, set for release this September.

"We're excited to welcome the Thrashers to their home in Winnipeg for the 2011-12 NHL season," the company said. "Once we have confirmation on the team's new name and jerseys, we will be taking the necessary steps to incorporate them into NHL 12.

"We will have more details in the near future."

JBHuskers
06-01-2011, 08:58 AM
Yeah EA Canada's Community Manager Alain Quinto said on Twitter that they are trying to get them in. For one, the new unis aren't unveiled yet. For two, it's not as easy as just plugging them in, but Alain did say that since they're staying in the same division this year, it will make things a lot easier.

I'm sure they are working hard to get this in at release. Day one patch at the worst.

Nothingface
06-01-2011, 10:37 AM
I miss Genesis hockey. lol

JBHuskers
06-01-2011, 11:14 AM
I miss Genesis hockey. lol

http://static.nme.com/images/gallery/84_genesis_L191006.jpg

Nothingface
06-01-2011, 11:27 AM
http://static.nme.com/images/gallery/84_genesis_L191006.jpg

fucking goons!

cdj
06-01-2011, 08:23 PM
First NHL 12 producer blog (http://www.ea.com/nhl/blog/great-goalies):

Gameplay Producer Nate Ng (http://twitter.com/NateHL22) here to kick off the first blog for NHL 12 with some goalie info. I just want to prefix the rest of the info with a few things. This is by no means ALL the new goalie info as things will change up until the game gets into your hands. This is also not the last time we will talk about goalies. If my blog doesn’t answer some of the questions you have, post your questions here (http://forum.ea.com/eaforum/posts/list/0/6332156.page#14480065) and stay tuned! Without further ado, let’s dig into some goalie info for NHL 12.

Goalie V-H Technique – what does V-H stand for? Well I’m glad you asked. It stands for vertical-horizontal. It is a technique used by goalies similar to the hug post. Goalie V-H is something you see many NHL goalies do throughout the game but something we’ve been missing in the title. The purpose of this technique is to put goalies in better position for passes behind the goal line and also allows for them to more easily push off the post into butterfly. How does this affect your goalie in NHL 12? From the goalie V-H, you will be able to make saves, poke check, and cover the puck. You will also be able to push off the post from this stance and right into butterfly or into the desperation saves.

Updated goalie saves – Goalies are always a work in progress. The thing with goalies is that we have to make them balanced. Any tweaks to shooting or AI, and we have to rebalance goalies. They are what one might call a house of cards. Tune a shot this way, and you have the potential to unleash ‘always goals’. Much like every other year, we go in and look at all the saves we have in the game and try to tune goalie behavior to allow for goal scoring, yet still have goalies feel natural. We have also improved the puck tracking for goalies this year. What this means for goalies is that they will be better at fighting through the screens and battles in front of the net, and be more agile when skaters are pulling dekes on breakaways and in close.

http://web-vassets.ea.com/Assets/Richmedia/Image/Billboard/Luongo520.jpg

Goalies are LIVE – Yes, you read correctly. Skating hard to the net, players will have the ability to crash the crease, jostle for position in the crease, bump or even run the goalie over. Don’t worry though goalies, we will call goalie interference penalties. Have a pest in front of your net that you want to clear out? We got you covered. Goalies can shove back this year. Both AI goalies and user goalies can and will clear out the front of their nets. For AI goalies, it will be based on their ratings, and for user goalies we will give you a button.

Goalie behavior this year will also be affected by traits. A more aggressive goalie will shove and fight to clear his crease. A good puck handling goalie will be brave and come out and challenge for loose pucks.

Goalie fights –Goalies can fight! You asked for it, you got it! When you run the goalie, you can expect a tough guy to stand up for his goalie. At times, the goalie will stand up for himself by dropping the gloves and there’ll also be times where the opposing goalie will want a piece of the action too. We saw it happen a couple times this year in the real NHL…if it’s in the game, it’s gotta be in the game!

There you have it folks, the first little teaser to goalies in NHL 12. For all the community members and fans out there, if you have constructive feedback about goalies, feel free to leave comments in the forums (http://forum.ea.com/eaforum/posts/list/6332156.page) and I’ll look to respond there or in a future blog.

jaymo76
06-01-2011, 09:24 PM
Goalie info sounds good. That could add a lot to the game.

steelerfan
06-01-2011, 09:59 PM
Yeah, it does. I just hope the goalie fights are RARE. If I see a goalie-goalie scrap twice in a season it is too much. Hopefully, since the NHL team is great about this, they add a slider for goalie fighting.

cdj
06-02-2011, 03:56 PM
Community Event preview/thoughts on the Goalies in NHL 12 from TNA Equalizer (http://forum.ea.com/eaforum/posts/list/6377923.page)

Paakaa10
06-06-2011, 05:16 PM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GPzxXlAGnBA


In this 1st video from E3 about NHL 12 we take a look at how NHL 12 introduces the Winter Classic and a FIRST LOOK at the ALL-NEW Game Tracker.

Boucher
06-06-2011, 06:47 PM
same thing every year

steelerfan
06-06-2011, 09:25 PM
That is the best looking snow I have ever seen in a game.

BAP should be deeper, for those who play it, as you can now play your entire CHL career.

Paakaa10
06-06-2011, 09:47 PM
That is the best looking snow I have ever seen in a game.

Definitely looks good for their first foray into outdoor venues. Makes me wonder if any tech is overlapped between Madden NFL and NHL since the Heinz Field model is probably being borrowed. Haven't seen any footage of snow games in Madden NFL 12 but I'm sure somebody will capture that footage at E3 this week if they're able.

steelerfan
06-06-2011, 10:12 PM
I just wonder if the 2012 Winter Classic is in. It seems kinda pointless if they only got last year's in (and that comes from a Pens/Steelers fan).

Paakaa10
06-06-2011, 10:15 PM
I just wonder if the 2012 Winter Classic is in. It seems kinda pointless if they only got last year's in (and that comes from a Pens/Steelers fan).

I believe I read somewhere that the only Winter Classic venue in NHL 12 will be Heinz Field, but you can use any teams that you want in the outdoor venue. I don't know if this is 100% the reasoning, but I think 2K Sports holding the MLB license serves to block EA SPORTS from having the MLB venues in NHL. Especially since this year's Winter Classic is set to be at Citizens Bank Park.

steelerfan
06-06-2011, 10:34 PM
I believe I read somewhere that the only Winter Classic venue in NHL 12 will be Heinz Field, but you can use any teams that you want in the outdoor venue. I don't know if this is 100% the reasoning, but I think 2K Sports holding the MLB license serves to block EA SPORTS from having the MLB venues in NHL. Especially since this year's Winter Classic is set to be at Citizens Bank Park.

I'm not sure on the licensing (when does it officially end for 2K, or has it already?) but I'd think they could, at least, render a similar ballpark and not use the name (much like Madden has been doing with Soldier Field). But, who knows?

Paakaa10
06-06-2011, 10:39 PM
I'm not sure on the licensing (when does it officially end for 2K, or has it already?) but I'd think they could, at least, render a similar ballpark and not use the name (much like Madden has been doing with Soldier Field). But, who knows?

I believe that 2K Sports will make one more exclusive MLB game and then the license will be up for exclusive bidding again (if anyone decides they want to do so). Based on statements made by 2K Sports higher-ups, it doesn't seem very likely that they will renew the deal, thus potentially opening up not only MLB stadiums but also the possibility of a 3rd-party MLB title to other interested parties.

EA SPORTS did put Rogers Centre--home of the Blue Jays--in Madden NFL 11 because that is the venue where the Buffalo Bills play their Toronto Series games each year. I imagine the NFL license extended to that to allow them to use it. I believe 2K Sports was also previously a sponsor of the real-life Winter Classic events, however, which likely also tied into the absence of the game from the EA SPORTS NHL series until this year. With no NHL 2K product planned for release, it doesn't make very much sense to keep the Winter Classic out of the only hockey series remaining; even if only a single venue.

Paakaa10
06-06-2011, 10:45 PM
Here's a write-up (http://kotaku.com/5803725/the-winter-classic-at-last-comes-to-ea-sports-nhl) on the issue of Winter Classic use from Owen Good of Kotaku:


How many new features can you spot in this first screen shot of NHL 12? For starters, that's the Capitals and the Penguins playing the Winter Classic at Heinz Field, which means the NHL's outdoor New Year's Day gala will appear in the EA Sports series for the first time ever.

The Winter Classic played at Buffalo's Ralph Wilson Stadium in its inaugural year (2008) but in 2009 and 2010, played in baseball stadia, to which 2K Sports exclusively owned the licensing rights by virtue of MLB 2K The 2011 Winter Classic played at the home of the Pittsburgh Steelers, which means EA Sports can get in on the action.

baseballplyrmvp
06-06-2011, 11:13 PM
with vancouver's success in the playoffs this year, i may give this a try. the last hockey game i had was nhl 95 for sega genesis. lol

Paakaa10
06-07-2011, 01:43 PM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9vNZr7Qy3vc


Check out this NHL 12 video from the E3 floor showcasing all the new goalie interactions, goalie fighting, and exclusive unseen gameplay of NHL 12.

Paakaa10
06-07-2011, 02:02 PM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q7M7faX2bYE


Stay here for more NHL 12 news from E3

Boucher
06-07-2011, 07:43 PM
Goalies still dont seem "right". CPU AI seems weak but the physics seem sweet

steelerfan
06-08-2011, 01:12 AM
Goalies still dont seem "right". CPU AI seems weak but the physics seem sweet

WIP. As well, this series does a great job with sliders, AI and how quickly it learns is something that can be tweaked.

Paakaa10
06-08-2011, 07:42 AM
Link (http://www.operationsports.com/previews/121/os-at-e3-nhl-12-preview/)


Presentation

I got to play in the Winter Classic venue, so it feels right to start with the presentation. While it's hard to get a read on the commentary (low volume for the demo), I could immediately tell work was done to player faces. It's tough to gauge how great all the players will look, but the stars definitely received some love and pixelated magic. Ovechkin and Crosby were highlighted in the pregame ceremonies, and I can't speak highly enough about how realistic their faces looked. It would be an amazing feat if the NHL developers could spend that amount of time on everyone.

Beyond the snow and Heinz Field aura, the Winter Classic essentially does what you'd expect -- provides a little extra excitement to your standard game of hockey by giving you the added weather element. The game plays out a bit differently on this ice as well because pucks roll around a bit more and lead to a bit more "clumsy" hockey so to speak. (By the way, the puck is now loose on slap shots, just have to throw that in here even if it's not a presentation thing.)

Another element I noticed here is that the players on the benches are way more alive this year. In addition to all the players being rendered and represented on the bench, they are also reacting to what's happening on the ice and actively jumping on and off the bench to get over the boards for line changes. So if you wreck someone near your bench, you can see your players cheer you on or just simply embrace the body you have dumped into their laps.

The all new EA Sports Action Tracker is a presentational addition as well as the showcase for the new simulation engine in the game. This Action Tracker is similar in look to NHL GameCenter, and at any point during a game you're playing you can press pause and check out any action that has happened on the ice to that point. Key moments in the game will even be highlighted as replays in the Action Tracker. It's a really good looking addition, and it's invaluable at the end of periods, especially for uploading purposes. I don't know too much about the simulation engine changes at this point, but again, I do know the Action Tracker plays right into the new simulation engine. In short, the development team needed to make this type of big change to the presentation in order to make those under-the-hood changes to the simulation engine.

Gameplay

Bloody chaos. This build is bloody chaos!

It's hard to get a good read on everything because the developers even said they really turned some things up in this build to show off the new goalie interactions, hitting and so forth. Physicality reigns supreme here (I swear every other check near the glass ended up breaking the glass), but there were some underlying changes at work that are still worth discussing.

First off, hitting variety has been increased. That does not just mean there are more massive checks, it means that checks are entirely changed in terms of how both players can react to them. During my time with the game, I saw checks where both players fell down. I also saw instances where the player who made the check fell while the other player was able to stumble and keep going. I even witnessed players stumbling or falling to their knees after being checked. What's even more wild about these checks is that if some player falls to his knees, another player can still come in and check him again and ruin that guy's day even more.

And even with the checks being the definition of absurd in this build, it's worth noting there is much more information tied into these checks. Weight and height are even more important this year -- smaller players will bounce off big dudes or even fall over -- and puck control, strength and other attributes are also working together here in an attempt to better simulate how checks should play out on the ice.

Beyond the checking, the developers were not fibbing when they said the goalie is live now. At the start, I went hard to the net a couple times just to see if I could get a penalty (hint hint: I did). After the whistle, the goalies are just as live; I was knocking goalies around and knocking the net off its moorings well after the whistle had been blown.

The issue with the goalie interactions right now is again a matter of tuning. If you even touch the goalie or the crease area something big seems to be happening. Either my player is falling over and getting stuck in the crease, or he is just simply destroying the goalie. It's great that the goalie's mask can be knocked off, and some people will like that goalies can fight and all that, but we can't forget this is not NHL Hitz. (Quick tangent: It would be far more interesting to me to see one skater give the goalie a snow shower while a defender comes in and sort of grabs him and just pushes him a bit -- rather than just full-on chaos always breaking out after every whistle)

There are very fascinating and worthwhile experiences that can be added to the game if the goalie interactions are tuned in the coming months, but right now it's hard to know what will happen because it's a new addition and it hasn't been tuned right yet. On the more positive side of things, tussling in front of the net and screening really look good so far. There were a plentiful amount of deflections, and one of my goals (I scored two, hooray) was directly tied to a great screen in front of the net. This to me seems like the much bigger addition to the game than the checking tweaks. There also seemed to be more deflections and redirects because of this increased traffic.

The developers have also been talking about some of the AI tweaks that have been made this year, but since I have played only head to head, it's hard to get a feel for those. Nevertheless, I know this is an important topic to you guys, so I'll give you a couple of the bullet points that come from the developers themselves at it relates to AI:


New CPU shot-decision logic -- they shoot more and are more aggressive
New skate with intent animation and logic -- better planning by the AI
CPU will aim for goalie's pads to create rebounds when no other scoring chance is available
CPU puck carriers will skate more aggressively towards open space
New "stay onside" logic
Improved in-zone set up logic.


To wrap up my gameplay thoughts, I need to tell you about one first-hand experience. The best thing about my time with the demo came in the form of a delicious example of strength and balance. I used the Penguins in the demo, and during one play I was grinding it out down low. At some point, Malkin got the puck. After the smooth-skinned Russian escaped from the scrum, I used the (previously nerfed) shield button to use Malkin's girth to get out in front of the net and keep the defender on my hip. I was able to get myself to the slot and fire off a quick wrist shot through a screen and directly into the top of the net. It was a singular moment of sheer talent, skill and strength.

It's those moments where star players stand out and show off their unique skills that most excite me about this game. Hopefully the developers are focusing on giving players some signature style and skills so individuals as well as teams can stand out more moving forward.

Final Thoughts

NHL 12 still seems really promising to me, but it's really hard to get a gauge on where the game is at this point because of the arcade-like tuning to the gameplay. I have been assured this is not where the game will be when the game ships, but it still clouds the overall gameplay situation. That being said, the game still seems to be making positive strides this year on the ice. Of course, one of the big questions remaining is what is being done to improve the game off the ice.

Paakaa10
06-08-2011, 05:38 PM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aN1AaGfWmr0


If we get 1k more likes at http://facebook.com/EASPORTSNHL we will post another video on Thursday.

Paakaa10
06-09-2011, 02:14 PM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lq1izzE0zzs


In this video Rammer shows a cool moment captured while he was playing another dev guy at E3.

SmoothPancakes
06-09-2011, 02:48 PM
The NHL team is doing an EA chat as well today (like the NCAA team did). Coming up at 1pm PT/4pm ET.

http://live-event.ea.com/e3/chat/nhl

Paakaa10
06-15-2011, 05:32 PM
Link to original story at Operation Sports (http://www.operationsports.com/features/1286/ea-producer-blog-nhl-12-gameplay/)


Producer Sean Ramjagsingh here to give you a look at the improvements we’ve made to gameplay and AI in NHL 12. We’ve made a ton of improvements over last year’s game that we know our fans will appreciate and that will make NHL 12 the most authentic hockey videogame yet. Before we dive in, don’t forget to check out our first producer blog for NHL 12 which focused on goalie improvements.

The first thing you’ll notice when you play NHL 12 is what the new Full Contact Physics Engine brings to gameplay. Gone is the ‘A + B always equals C formula’ or in hockey terms, if you hit someone, they’re going to fall down. Size and physicality really do make a difference in the game as the physics engine uses these and other player attributes to produce a variety of unique outcomes with every hit or jostle for the puck. The Full Contact Physics Engine will also factor in player speeds, balance at the time of impact and facing. Contact won’t always knock players down, it can also cause a player to stumble or fall to his knees, forcing a player to slow down to recover and regain balance. You will now also see collisions where both players fall down after a hit. Where size difference is a factor, smaller players are more likely to be knocked off their skates while delivering a hit – think Daniel Briere trying to hit Zdeno Chara on the forecheck. In a nutshell, we let real world physics do what it would do!

Shooting has also been refined this year adding the ability to redirect one-timers and take one-knee shots with skilled players, as well as the addition of even greater realism for scoring plays in the slot and around the net. You’re now able to roof shots in tight and tuck pucks around the goalie, which means that battling for space in front of the net has never been more important.


http://media.operationsports.com/shots/400/16485.jpg

Net battles are a huge part of NHL 12. This brand new mechanic will change the way the action unfolds in front of the net. Forwards and defensemen will now engage with each other in front of the net to battle for space in the toughest area on the ice. Forwards will fight to create screens or for room to pop in garbage goals off rebounds. Defensemen will push players away from the net to help their goalie fight through screens. Bigger players will likely be at the advantage if they use their strength to create space, while smaller players will be most effective if they use their agility and finesse to swing off checkers to get open. Goalies will visibly fight through screens or in the case of more aggressive goalies (think Tim Thomas) shove and slash to clear their crease.

Before we move into Offensive and Defensive AI, let’s take a quick look at other gameplay improvements in NHL 12:

Improved puck physics – the puck will roll on end from rebounds, saves and dump-ins; players with lower puck control ratings will need a split second extra to corral the puck
Smoother cycling down low – players working in the corners can curl and grab the puck without losing speed
Skate with intent logic – players will automatically skate quicker breaking through the neutral zone towards open ice
New hustle/fatigue skating animations – skaters will pump their legs faster but will also drop their head and skate slower if tired
Line changes – Forwards and defenseman will enter and exit through the appropriate door; defenseman using the door closest to their own end and forwards the door further up ice
Authentic helmet rules – If a player loses their helmet in an NHL game they will keep playing; in the CHL they will automatically leave the ice.



http://media.operationsports.com/shots/400/16484.jpg

Quite possibly the most exciting and game-changing improvements in NHL 12 have come from overhauling the offensive and defensive AI to build a stronger, more realistic gameplay experience. New this year, skaters will have traits assigned to them which will influence their actions and positioning on the ice. Watch Joe Thorton or Henrik Sedin setup down low or Stamkos, position himself in the slot for his deadly, one-knee one timer. For those of you with a sharp eye and knowledge of NHL player characteristics you’ll notice players playing to their individual strengths, while adding variety and another dimension to the offensive AI. Here are some of the player traits:


One-knee specialists – snipers; sharp-shooters; you can find these players shooting one-timers from one-knee on the off-wing, e.g. Steven Stamkos, Corey Perry
Setup man – playmaker; loves to distribute the puck and is great at it, e.g. Henrik Sedin, Joe Thornton
Net agitators – kings of the front of the net; live for the tough areas and banging in garbage goals, e.g. Tomas Holmstrom
Drives the net – goes hard to the net to create rebounds, e.g. Ryan Kesler
Shoots on the rush – over the blueline, quick move then snipe, e.g. Alexander Ovechkin
Dump and chaser – your text-book 3rd and 4th line grinder; persistent and strong board play, e.g. Chris Neil, Aaron Asham


Although these designated player traits can influence how a player will behave in specific situations, these traits are only one aspect of the improved offensive AI behaviors.

In NHL 12, CPU players are smarter both with and without the puck. With the puck you’ll notice CPU players no longer have a tendency to ‘over-pass’ the puck and will be more inclined to shoot when the opportunity arises. New this year is an improved analysis system for CPU players, creating quicker, smarter decision-making that allows the AI to move from scripted plays towards more unique and creative playmaking.

Without the puck, the improved analysis system means that the offensive AI is more intelligent and anticipates the play more effectively. Players without the puck will move with intent to open space in both the offensive and neutral zones in order to do a better job of supporting the puck carrier. Forwards will have the ability to anticipate breakouts in the defensive zone and look for space to receive the outlet pass, hoping to catch the defense off-guard. This AI anticipation will open up more space in the neutral zone for transition play, improving the speed and flow of the game.

In and around the offensive zone, the first thing you’ll be glad to see is that CPU players now have improved ‘Stay Onside Logic’, which will lead to less offsides as players will now drag their leg at the blue line to ensure they don’t jump ahead of the play and cause a whistle. In the offensive zone, CPU players will be more responsive to your actions: if you drive the net or shoot from outside, they’ll crash the net looking for a rebound; if you swing wide and hang out the puck, your teammates will move with greater intensity to open space looking for a pass or to support you.

Transitioning to defensive AI, because of the improved AI analysis system, players will do a better job of reading and reacting to the play. You’ll notice CPU defensemen anticipating being caught and backing off the blueline or defensive forwards back-checking harder and getting deeper in the defensive zone to support their defensemen who is in trouble. Most importantly, you’ll realize that the AI no longer plays exclusively to an “I’m on offense” or “I’m on defense” mentality, but will be more fluid and responsive, ready to adapt to quick changes in possession and gameplay. This allows for players like Zdeno Chara to anticipate the opposition getting possession and then being in position to intercept a pass or break up the rush.

We’ve worked very hard to make sure NHL 12 is the best hockey game you’ve ever played. We love our community’s passion for the EA SPORTS NHL series and have incorporated the feedback you’ve given us through community day sessions and the EA SPORTS NHL forums into the game. On top of that, every member of the NHL dev team is a huge hockey fan and we’ve used examples from the real-world of hockey to inspire what we put into the game each year. We can’t wait for September and we hope you’re as excited as we are for NHL 12!

JBHuskers
06-17-2011, 01:23 PM
For PS3 players I have set up a ladder, let me know if you want in on it once the game drops.

http://www.thegamingtailgate.com/forums/ladders.php?do=view&id=4

Paakaa10
06-17-2011, 07:03 PM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eaz0gvjyCh8


NHL 12 Producer Sean Ramjagsingh pops his head in to show you this week's Quick Clip highlighting that size does matter with the new Full Contact Physics Engine. Check it out and let us know what you think and what you'd like to see in future Quick Clips!

jaymo76
06-19-2011, 01:18 PM
Always love seeing NHL clips. I actually went to school with Sean Ramjagsingh *he was in grade 12 when I was in grade 11... tallest guy I have ever seen) . Good to see a local guy doing well.

cdj
06-22-2011, 08:26 PM
Tampa Bay Lightning forward Steven Stamkos is the NHL 12 cover athlete (http://eaus.gamespress.com/artwork/2011/06/na-1-20110622011055/71fb5e6c7a0240f2/nhl12_keyart_for_press_release_acc_jpg_jpgcopy.jpg ).

JBHuskers
07-01-2011, 02:13 PM
NHL 12 Cover Athlete is Now a Free Agent (http://www.pastapadre.com/2011/07/01/nhl-12-cover-athlete-is-now-a-free-agent)

stanfordfan1
07-10-2011, 09:03 PM
is it true that nhl 12 has the winter classic in it

JeffHCross
07-10-2011, 09:12 PM
is it true that nhl 12 has the winter classic in itYes. (link) (http://content.usatoday.com/communities/gamehunters/post/2011/05/dynamic-goalies-winter-classic-headed-to-nhl-12/1)

JBHuskers
07-10-2011, 09:13 PM
Yes. (link) (http://content.usatoday.com/communities/gamehunters/post/2011/05/dynamic-goalies-winter-classic-headed-to-nhl-12/1)

You gonna get this Jeff? Wanna join in the ladder we're going to do?

JeffHCross
07-10-2011, 09:20 PM
You gonna get this Jeff? Wanna join in the ladder we're going to do?I'll think about it. I got NHL 10 but skipped 11. I might be more likely to buy 12 this year.

JBHuskers
07-10-2011, 09:24 PM
I'll think about it. I got NHL 10 but skipped 11. I might be more likely to buy 12 this year.

If they add NCAA Hockey into 12, it'll be a no brainer for me. But I'm pretty sure I'm going to get it day one anyways.

JeffHCross
07-10-2011, 10:27 PM
I'd agree, though NHL 10 was a Day 1 for me and I ended up playing very little of it. Don't want to get into that situation again. I have a lot of games to catch up on as it is.

JBHuskers
07-11-2011, 01:28 AM
Wow the Winter Classic looks beautiful....


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aMddP9aFJKY

steelerfan
07-11-2011, 07:27 AM
F the Caps!

psusnoop
07-11-2011, 08:02 AM
BS goal, there is no way that happens in 2012. Caps suck!

JBHuskers
07-11-2011, 08:52 AM
:fp: homers

stanfordfan1
07-12-2011, 03:37 PM
yes i can play an outdoor game now to bad san jose doesnt get cold enough for a winter classic game to be played there

stanfordfan1
07-15-2011, 04:21 PM
i did the same thing but i got nhl 08 nhl 09 nhl 11 but skipped 10

jaymo76
07-21-2011, 12:19 PM
Wow the Winter Classic looks beautiful....


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aMddP9aFJKY

Unless this year you can actually PLAY and/or WATCH other games then this feature is all for not. Biggest flaw of a truly great series... 100% isolation during franchise mode.

JBHuskers
07-26-2011, 12:24 PM
Here you go! $20 Credit from Amazon! (http://www.amazon.com/NHL-12-Playstation-3/dp/B004WL4LP8/ref=as_li_tf_sw?&camp=212361&linkCode=wsw&tag=thegamtai-20&creative=380789)

cdj
08-05-2011, 07:45 AM
- Presentation blog (http://www.ea.com/nhl/blog/presentation-blog)

- NHL Ultimate Team blog (http://www.ea.com/nhl/blog/hockey-ultimate-team)

cdj
08-06-2011, 11:17 AM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4c47l9CT6OA&feature=player_embedded

cdj
08-08-2011, 11:40 AM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7agavygeJwM

jaymo76
08-08-2011, 01:04 PM
I LOVED NHL 11!!! But, I am just not pumped for NHL 12. I like the goalies, etc but the cpu/info just hasn't made me want to buy this game. I only play franchise and they need more league immersion. Until I see that I think I will stick with 11.

JBHuskers
08-11-2011, 11:35 AM
Sounds like GTTV tonight will have a huge reveal for NHL 12.

steelerfan
08-11-2011, 11:38 AM
Sounds like GTTV tonight will have a huge reveal for NHL 12.

Hopefully, it's NCAA, ECHL etc.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I997 using Tapatalk

JBHuskers
08-11-2011, 12:25 PM
Hopefully, it's NCAA, ECHL etc.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I997 using Tapatalk

:+1:

SmoothPancakes
08-11-2011, 12:54 PM
Hopefully, it's NCAA, ECHL etc.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I997 using Tapatalk

If it is, NHL 12 just became a day 1 buy.

psusnoop
08-11-2011, 01:16 PM
August 23rd the Demo drops, will be checking that out for sure!

cdj
08-11-2011, 01:17 PM
I figure tonight's announcement centers around legends in the game.

If it is surrounding the college ranks in the game, then NHL 12 would become a day one buy for me as well.

cdj
08-11-2011, 01:18 PM
As psusnoop said, demo hits August 23.

Info courtesy OS (http://www.operationsports.com/news/501919/exclusive-nhl-12-demo-announcement-blog/):



With launch right around the corner, the NHL 12 demo is almost here! The highly anticipated demo will be available through Xbox LIVE and PlayStation Network beginning August 23. The demo will feature access to three modes: Play Now, Be A Pro, and Hockey Ultimate Team.

steelerfan
08-11-2011, 01:27 PM
I figure tonight's announcement centers around legends in the game.

If it is surrounding the college ranks in the game, then NHL 12 would become a day one buy for me as well.

You are probably right. Legends don't do anything for me.

I just keep holding out hope for NCAA since there was talk between EA and them late in the NHL 11 cycle.

Honestly though, they need the ECHL and USHL (among others) just as badly.

I wish they could work out a deal with the PHPA so that rosters in the minors aren't such a mess for so long after release.

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cdj
08-11-2011, 03:25 PM
Courtesy OS, NHL 12 demo blog (http://www.operationsports.com/features/1315/nhl-12-demo-announcement-blog/?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter):


With launch right around the corner, the NHL 12 demo is almost here! The highly anticipated demo will be available through Xbox LIVE and PlayStation Network beginning August 23. The demo will feature access to three modes: Play Now, Be A Pro, and Hockey Ultimate Team. In Play Now, relive the emotion of the 2011 Stanley Cup Finals as the game inserts you into the third period of a match-up between the Boston Bruins and the Vancouver Canucks -- will you embrace history or rewrite it?

In the Revamped Be A Pro mode, play as your created pro –- earn every shift on the ice with stellar play, big hits, and spectacular goals. Simulate the action to your next shift! New to NHL 12 is the ability to sim through the time you’re on the bench. Don’t worry about missing out on the action –- the EA SPORTS Action Tracker will track and present every major event that takes place on the ice, so you know exactly what the situation is when you get back onto the ice.

Last but definitely not least, play Hockey Ultimate Team -- the largest online dynasty ever! Earn up to two HUT card packs for NHL 12 by playing the mode, and earn an additional HUT card pack by inviting a friend to try the NHL 12 demo.

With three modes, over 300 gameplay refinements and NHL 12’s hat-trick of innovations -- all-new Anticipation AI, the Full Contact Physics Engine including Net Battles and All-New Dynamic Goalies -- we hope you’ll enjoy the NHL 12 demo!

NHL 12 hits retailers on September 13 in North America and September 9 in Europe.

jaymo76
08-11-2011, 03:35 PM
Doesn't sound like presentation has been touched???

jaymo76
08-12-2011, 03:57 PM
So the BIG announcement has been confirmed as the ability to use legends... kind of dissapointing as a "big" feature IMO.

SmoothPancakes
08-12-2011, 10:39 PM
Agreed.

cdj
08-16-2011, 11:51 AM
NHL 12 Soundtrack (http://www.ea.com/nhl/blog/nhl-12-soundtrack):

Against! Me – Occult Enemies (Russian Spies/Occult Enemies)

Anthrax – I’m Alive (Worship Music)

Beady Eye – Standing on the Edge of the Noise (Different Gear, Still Speeding)

Billy Idol – Mony Mony (The Very Best of Billy Idol)

Black Tide – That Fire (Post Mortem)

Blackguard – Farewell (Firefight)

Bush – Sound of Winter (The Sea of Memories)

Death Letters – I Wish I could Steal a Sunset (Post-Historic)

Dropkick Murphys – Hang ‘em High (Going out in Style)

ELO – Don’t Bring Me Down (Mr. Blue Sky: The Very Best of ELO)

Judas Priest – You’ve Got Another Thing Comin’ (Screaming for Vengeance)

Manchester Orchestra – April Fool (Simple Math)

Middle Class Rut – Busy Being Born (No Name No Color)

Murderdolls – Whatever you got, I’m Against It (Women and Children Last)

jaymo76
08-16-2011, 01:00 PM
The list above really doesn't seem to fit hockey IMO though I have alweays been fond of mony, mony.

steelerfan
08-16-2011, 01:06 PM
The list above really doesn't seem to fit hockey IMO though I have alweays been fond of mony, mony.

The NHL carefully brands and pushes their music. I guarantee every one of these songs will play in NHL arenas this season. It's the case every year with the game's soundtrack.

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jaymo76
08-16-2011, 01:13 PM
The NHL carefully brands and pushes their music. I guarantee every one of these songs will play in NHL arenas this season. It's the case every year with the game's soundtrack.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I997 using Tapatalk

I guess this would explain attendance in some of the weak markets then... lol.

steelerfan
08-16-2011, 03:33 PM
I guess this would explain attendance in some of the weak markets then... lol.

In the past, they've tried to push alot of newer, relatively unknown Canadian bands. :fp:

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cdj
08-16-2011, 08:17 PM
Steve Yzerman latest Legend confirmed for NHL 12.

cdj
08-17-2011, 05:12 PM
Roy and Selming also named as Legends in NHL 12.

steelerfan
08-17-2011, 08:29 PM
Roy and Salming also named as Legends in NHL 12.

Fixed. ;)

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Paakaa10
08-17-2011, 08:51 PM
Jeremy Roenick confirmed as a Legend as well.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iX923TwijtM

The irony of having Roenick and Roy in the same trailer is summed up well by this interview...


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pW1aSTmwrOE

I am beyond geeked out about Saint Patrick being in NHL 12. Got to meet him in person when he coached a rival QMJHL team a few years ago that faced my hometown team, and he signed a Colorado Avalanche jersey for me.

psuexv
08-18-2011, 02:53 PM
For PS3 players I have set up a ladder, let me know if you want in on it once the game drops.

http://www.thegamingtailgate.com/forums/ladders.php?do=view&id=4

I guess this means no Online Dynasty feature? :down:

cdj
08-18-2011, 03:05 PM
Gordie Howe and Mario Lemieux the final two Legends for NHL 12.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BFLhbiI01pU

JBHuskers
08-18-2011, 03:05 PM
I guess this means no Online Dynasty feature? :down:

Not 100% sure, but highly unlikely.

psuexv
08-18-2011, 03:08 PM
Not 100% sure, but highly unlikely.

With the game dropping next month I think we would have heard about it if it was there.

JeffHCross
08-18-2011, 08:50 PM
When Gretz, Chelios and Bourque were the first three named, I'll be honest ... I wasn't expecting much from this feature. I was assuming the tried and true marketing method of throwing the big names out first. I'll gladly admit I was wrong. A very nice list to end up, and I'm absolutely a fan of seeing Patrick Roy included.

SmoothPancakes
08-18-2011, 08:58 PM
I am beyond geeked out about Saint Patrick being in NHL 12. Got to meet him in person when he coached a rival QMJHL team a few years ago that faced my hometown team, and he signed a Colorado Avalanche jersey for me.


When Gretz, Chelios and Bourque were the first three named, I'll be honest ... I wasn't expecting much from this feature. I was assuming the tried and true marketing method of throwing the big names out first. I'll gladly admit I was wrong. A very nice list to end up, and I'm absolutely a fan of seeing Patrick Roy included.

Amen. As as Colorado Avalanche fan, I loved watching Roy do his magic in net. He was one of my favorite players, if not my most favorite player in hockey when he was still playing. Some amazing games watching him play.

JeffHCross
08-18-2011, 09:19 PM
In football, I love defense. In hockey, I love goaltending. I would go out of my way to watch Patrick Roy play in net when I was younger.

ram29jackson
08-18-2011, 09:49 PM
I missed last year.. I would really like this game this year..that online 6 on 6 stuff can be lots of fun..and I just play as defender and its still fun !

SmoothPancakes
08-18-2011, 10:29 PM
In football, I love defense. In hockey, I love goaltending. I would go out of my way to watch Patrick Roy play in net when I was younger.

Yeah, that is one thing I regret to this day, is never getting the chance to watch him play in person. That would have been awesome to watch him live in person in a game.


I missed last year.. I would really like this game this year..that online 6 on 6 stuff can be lots of fun..and I just play as defender and its still fun !

Yeah, I love the Online Team Play (6 on 6) in NHL 11. I have never once played center or wing when playing OTP. In the dozens (if not into the hundreds) of OTP games that I have played on 11, every time I would play defender or goalie. Goalie is a ton of fun and intense to play, especially when it's a tie game and the other team has control of the puck in your half of the ice. Makes for some intense moments and big drama when you see them wind up for that shot.

JBHuskers
08-18-2011, 11:33 PM
Goalie is a blast, either you're the hero or the goat. Didn't play much 11, but will play a ton of 12.

steelerfan
08-22-2011, 02:40 PM
I ordered Madden from Amazon today with Release-Day shipping. My total was 60.98 and I got the $20 Amazon credit.

NHL now has Release-Day shipping so, when the $20 credit hits after Madden ships, I'll order NHL and get it on release day with $20 off. NHL currently has a $10 credit attached to it.

If anyone is looking to get both games, this seems to be a great route. Both games will arrive on release day (.99 for shipping) and you get a total of $30 in credit.

I know that NHL had a $20 credit when JB ordered, but there was no release day shipping at that time. NHL is one game that I HAVE to have on release day every year. :nod:

bdoughty
08-23-2011, 02:06 PM
I ordered Madden from Amazon today with Release-Day shipping. My total was 60.98 and I got the $20 Amazon credit.

NHL now has Release-Day shipping so, when the $20 credit hits after Madden ships, I'll order NHL and get it on release day with $20 off. NHL currently has a $10 credit attached to it.

If anyone is looking to get both games, this seems to be a great route. Both games will arrive on release day (.99 for shipping) and you get a total of $30 in credit.

I know that NHL had a $20 credit when JB ordered, but there was no release day shipping at that time. NHL is one game that I HAVE to have on release day every year. :nod:

Or do what I do and preorder Madden 12, NHL 12 and Fifa 12 and then take the credit to pay for a free game in Nov. :)


DEMO IS OUT ON THE 360 - 1.34 GB

SmoothPancakes
08-23-2011, 02:45 PM
Yep, I saw that the demo was out this morning. I still haven't gotten my Xbox hooked back up yet (have all my other electronics set and have my DVDs, games, and books all good to go), but I plan on hooking it up a little later on, so I'll have to get started downloading that.

jaymo76
08-23-2011, 03:33 PM
I don't know if I want to download the demo. I told myself I wasn't buying 12 if franchise mode didn't bring in more league-wide immersion. If I download then I may be hooked. I might just wait and get season pass and see the whole game...

steelerfan
08-23-2011, 03:53 PM
Demo is on PSN.

JBHuskers
08-23-2011, 04:08 PM
PSN has been stepping up their store updating times lately.

ram29jackson
08-23-2011, 08:19 PM
I want the game but dont even know if i'll get to get it..so I wont bother with demo, it will just depress me

steelerfan
08-24-2011, 03:52 PM
So, did anyone else play the demo?

I must admit, I'm disappointed in the fact that BAGM didn't get some of the big adds I was hoping for. However, the new sim engine sounds fantastic and the little additions of things like "more injuries" should be great upgrades to the mode.

As for the demo, the gameplay is really great. The improvements are subtle, but so nice. The feel of the jostling is great. The hooking seems really dynamic and well done. The goaltenders are much more fluid and their movements look much better. I even like the feel of BAP, which has never been a big mode for me (simming to your next shift will be a great boost to BAP).

I'm really surprised that, in the demo, Vancouver's goaltending is a 97 while Boston's is a 91. I know this factors in the backup and that's exactly why it's ludicrous. Oh well, nothing new. EA always inflates their hometown Canucks. I remember seeing them in 5 straight Finals in sims on NHL 09, lol.

JBHuskers
08-24-2011, 04:08 PM
Gonna download it tonight probably.

Whammer
08-24-2011, 09:03 PM
I think the demo is great. The game plays very well, nice improvements to play dynamics.

DuffHouse12
08-31-2011, 06:22 PM
are we starting a gaming tailgate club? this is by far my most favorite game mode.

SmoothPancakes
08-31-2011, 08:40 PM
If people were interested, I'd give it a thought if I end up getting the game on release day. I went ahead and decided to buy EA Season Ticket tonight, so I'm all set come September 9th to download NHL and give it a try. After buying NHL 11 last year, I'm not sure right now if I want to buy NHL 12 as well.

NCAA and Tiger Woods are the only annual games that I buy for certain every year. The other games, it depends. Madden, I haven't bought before Christmas since before Madden 09. FIFA, I've only ever bought FIFA 10. NHL 11 was my first NHL game since NHL 2K9 on PS2. So I'll have to see how well the new things in NHL 12 are before I decide to buy it or not.

jaymo76
09-03-2011, 12:53 PM
If people were interested, I'd give it a thought if I end up getting the game on release day. I went ahead and decided to buy EA Season Ticket tonight, so I'm all set come September 9th to download NHL and give it a try. After buying NHL 11 last year, I'm not sure right now if I want to buy NHL 12 as well.

NCAA and Tiger Woods are the only annual games that I buy for certain every year. The other games, it depends. Madden, I haven't bought before Christmas since before Madden 09. FIFA, I've only ever bought FIFA 10. NHL 11 was my first NHL game since NHL 2K9 on PS2. So I'll have to see how well the new things in NHL 12 are before I decide to buy it or not.

Smooth, I'm shocked. I figured you and Steeler were 100% for NHL 12. I will download with SEASON TICKET but I am 99% sure I am not buying. I really wanted more franchise immersion and without it I am content with NHL 11 as it's an excellent game.

JBHuskers
09-03-2011, 01:31 PM
NHL 12 is in the house. If you have questions, I'll try to answer them. Only thing I'm limited to is a review until Sept. 6th.

http://i151.photobucket.com/albums/s159/jbennett98/2011-09-03_13-28-56_344.jpg

ram29jackson
09-03-2011, 02:21 PM
... I hate you........LOL j/k

steelerfan
09-03-2011, 03:33 PM
Smooth, I'm shocked. I figured you and Steeler were 100% for NHL 12. I will download with SEASON TICKET but I am 99% sure I am not buying. I really wanted more franchise immersion and without it I am content with NHL 11 as it's an excellent game.

Oh, I'm 100% lol. NHL and NCAA are the only 2 series that I own every iteration of. After the demo, I am definitely looking forward to 12. The gameplay changes seem subtle, but needed. :up:

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steelerfan
09-03-2011, 03:34 PM
NHL 12 is in the house. If you have questions, I'll try to answer them. Only thing I'm limited to is a review until Sept. 6th.

You'd think they'd send the game to someone who knows something about hockey. :fp:

;)

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SmoothPancakes
09-03-2011, 08:41 PM
Smooth, I'm shocked. I figured you and Steeler were 100% for NHL 12. I will download with SEASON TICKET but I am 99% sure I am not buying. I really wanted more franchise immersion and without it I am content with NHL 11 as it's an excellent game.

Yeah, for me, NHL is still 50/50 each year. I really haven't bought hockey much over the years, and NHL 11 being my first game in a couple years, it definitely does the job for me. I'll get three full days of NHL 12 with the EA Sports Ticket to play everything in NHL 12 and see everything new in the game to convince myself to buy it on release day. At the moment, the only 100% absolute guaranteed release day buys for me are Tiger Woods and NCAA. NHL may move into that category over time, but for right now I'm still on a wait and see approach. Season ticket is going to be huge in the future for when deciding on possibly buying NHL, Madden or FIFA in future years.

psusnoop
09-04-2011, 10:27 AM
I love Hockey but haven't gotten NHL on release day ever. That may change this year though :D

BCEagles
09-04-2011, 11:17 AM
I love Hockey but haven't gotten NHL on release day ever. That may change this year though :D
Same here, idk if i'm going to get fifa or nhl yet, but i'm leaning towards fifa.

JBHuskers
09-04-2011, 03:07 PM
You'd think they'd send the game to someone who knows something about hockey. :fp:

;)

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http://www.pophate.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/Gearge-Takei-Douchbag-Animated-GIF.gif

steelerfan
09-06-2011, 08:28 AM
Any thoughts, JB?

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JBHuskers
09-06-2011, 08:41 AM
I never did play the demo, so I'm not sure what all is on there, but I'm really pleased with the change they made on Be A Pro where the clock is a full 20 minutes for periods and you can skip right to when you go back on the ice (just like when you're a coordinator in NCAA or Road To Glory). After asking :sf: what sounds right, it seems the shifts overall are pretty accurate, outside of Be A Legend.

Struggling for position right in front of the goalie is pretty well done as well. There have been times I have shielded the goalie and the CPU was able to get a shot in, and there have been times where I have been able to deflect a shot in for a goal, and these do not happen all the time either; which is good.

I love checking someone into the bench and knocking their helmet off too :D brings me back to the old days of Madden when you used to be able to knock their helmets off.

steelerfan
09-06-2011, 08:55 AM
That's cool.

As for ice time, you can probably keep it in check by going to the bench (there's a set of red flashing circles) to get off the ice when your player starts to fatigue.

Not sure if you knew you could do that.

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steelerfan
09-06-2011, 08:58 AM
If you get a chance, sim a season.

I'd like to know who the playoff teams are. Some stat leaders would be nice too. The new sim engine should clean up all the weird happenings of teams missing/making the playoffs from past versions.

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JBHuskers
09-06-2011, 09:12 AM
That's cool.

As for ice time, you can probably keep it in check by going to the bench (there's a set of red flashing circles) to get off the ice when your player starts to fatigue.

Not sure if you knew you could do that.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I997 using Tapatalk

Oh yeah I knew that. I typically go right to the bench right away when the circles are flashing, unless there is a good scoring chance.


If you get a chance, sim a season.

I'd like to know who the playoff teams are. Some stat leaders would be nice too. The new sim engine should clean up all the weird happenings of teams missing/making the playoffs from past versions.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I997 using Tapatalk

Yeah, I can do that tonight while watching Strasburg pitch.

steelerfan
09-06-2011, 09:20 AM
Sounds good, buddy.

Do you know if the OTL bug has been fixed in Season Mode?

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JBHuskers
09-06-2011, 12:25 PM
GTTV gives the game a 9.2

http://www.gametrailers.com/video/review-nhl-12/720222

JBHuskers
09-07-2011, 05:59 PM
Playoff Teams

Western Conference
1. San Jose 53-23-6 112 pts
2. St. Louis 53-25-4 110 pts
3. Calgary 49-27-6 104 pts
4. Chicago 44-27-11 99 pts
5. Vancouver 43-27-12 98 pts
6. Minnesota 45-35-5 95 pts
7. Detroit 43-35-4 90 pts
8. Dallas 39-34-9 87 pts

Eastern Conference
1. Boston 49-20-13 111 pts
2. Pittsburgh 47-28-7 101 pts
3. Tampa Bay 46-31-5 97 pts
4. Montreal 48-31-3 99 pts
5. Buffalo 48-31-3 99 pts
6. NY Rangers 45-32-5 95 pts
7. Washington 41-32-9 91 pts
8. Ottawa 41-33-8 90 pts

League Leaders

Goals
1. Ovechkin 60
2. Marleau 46
3. Staal 43
4. Stamkos 43
5. D. Sedin 42

Assists
1. H. Sedin 65
2. Backstrom 63
3. Getzlaf 60
4. Parise 59
5. Thornton 58

Points
1. Ovechkin 110
2. D. Sedin 99
3. H. Sedin 94
4. Staal 94
5. Getzlaf 92

PIM
1. J. Scott 231
2. Carkner 226
3. Brookbank 202
4. Boll 189
5. C. Neil 188

+/-
1. Backstrom +35
2. Eriksson +34
3. Ovechkin +32
4. D. Sedin +31
5. Pominville +30

GAA (those who played 50+ games)
1. Halak 2.24
2. Lundqvist 2.25
3. Fleury 2.25
4. Rinne 2.26
5. Kiprusoff 2.29

Save %
1. Rinne .923
2. Lundqvist .923
3. Fluery .920
4. Lehtonen .920
5. Halak .920

steelerfan
09-07-2011, 08:06 PM
Perfect. No Flyers. :))

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JBHuskers
09-07-2011, 08:24 PM
Perfect. No Flyers. :))

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http://harmonia.meccahosting.com/~a0002223/jesus_middle_finger.jpg

SmoothPancakes
09-09-2011, 10:30 AM
Almost completely forgot about this today. Downloading the game right now. :nod:

Edit - Unfortunately I'm not going to get to play it until tomorrow as I'm sitting in studio for HS football all evening. I might be able to squeeze in an hour or two, when I get home around 11:30 or midnight, before having to eventually leave and hit the road to go do my morning show. So no serious, in-depth playing until tomorrow afternoon/night.

JBHuskers
09-09-2011, 10:32 AM
Almost completely forgot about this today. Downloading the game right now. :nod:

I guess Season Ticket isn't all that bad of an idea then huh? :D

Playing this on my new TV and the game is absoultely beautiful. Love the Winter Classic.

SmoothPancakes
09-09-2011, 10:35 AM
I guess Season Ticket isn't all that bad of an idea then huh? :D

Playing this on my new TV and the game is absoultely beautiful. Love the Winter Classic.

Oh, I was getting Season Ticket at some point regardless. Between NCAA, NHL, Tiger Woods, get to try out the new FIFA in full-depth before deciding if I might pick this year's up, it was a no-brainer for me. The only question was if I was going to finally break down and get it last week so I could play NHL, or wait until October so I'd be fully covered for all 5 games next year. I broke down last week. :D

JBHuskers
09-09-2011, 10:35 AM
Oh, I was getting Season Ticket at some point regardless. Between NCAA, NHL, Tiger Woods, get to try out the new FIFA in full-depth before deciding if I might pick this year's up, it was a no-brainer for me. The only question was if I was going to finally break down and get it last week so I could play NHL, or wait until October so I'd be fully covered for all 5 games next year. I broke down last week. :D

Oh I know...just poking fun at the detractors that ended up buying it (wasn't talking about you SP).

SmoothPancakes
09-09-2011, 10:40 AM
Oh I know...just poking fun at the detractors that ended up buying it (wasn't talking about you SP).

Ah. :D Yeah, I saw a lot of people who were hating on Season Ticket that ended up breaking down for Madden. Madden I really couldn't care less about right now. I haven't seriously owned or played Madden since the PS2 days. The only reason I've bothered purchasing Madden 09/10/11 (for extremely cheap prices in the spring), is to whore the achievements and then sell it back off. It'll probably be the same thing for Madden 12 unless I decide to pick up during Cyber Monday or some other day during the holidays. Everything else, it's heaven. :)

I'd love to see the sales statistics for Season Ticket at the end of the month when it comes time for FIFA. The soccer fans, worldwide, who haven't bought Season Ticket yet, it is going explode in purchases.

steelerfan
09-09-2011, 10:49 AM
Dammit. I have such a ridiculous amount of drunken plans this weekend that I'm not sure how much I'll get to play. :down:

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SmoothPancakes
09-09-2011, 10:52 AM
Dammit. I have such a ridiculous amount of drunken plans this weekend that I'm not sure how much I'll get to play. :down:

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Yeah, like I edited into my original post on this page, between working studio for HS football tonight, my morning show tomorrow, getting some sleep sometime after I get home from doing the morning show since I just pull an all-nighter each week between football and the show as there is hardly any time to get any sleep between the two, and it wouldn't do any good in the end, it probably won't be until Saturday night before I'll get to actually delve into the game and explore it all.

ram29jackson
09-09-2011, 04:11 PM
i'm going to cry... i want this game

SmoothPancakes
09-09-2011, 04:19 PM
Nice, just checked my download since I started it earlier and left it going all day. NHL 12 is fully downloaded and installed and waiting to be played. Hopefully tonight is another 11:30 night and not a midnight night, giving me a little extra time to come home and get some NHL action in for a little bit before leaving for my morning show. Can't wait. :)

steelerfan
09-09-2011, 10:21 PM
I started my download this evening, but I'm at a party so I have no idea when I'll dig in.

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SmoothPancakes
09-09-2011, 10:43 PM
I started my download this evening, but I'm at a party so I have no idea when I'll dig in.

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I'm hoping to dig in when I get home at 10am tomorrow morning. I might, keyword might, be able to dive in for 30 or 60 minutes tonight, as I'm currently at home as postgame stuff for football got done quick tonight.

But I'm currently watching some of the shows that the DVR recorded tonight to clear it out again. It was only 17% full when I left for work at 5:30pm, now at 11:40pm, it's 47% full. Granted, a good portion of that is the Florida International-Louisville game recorded on ESPN HD, which takes up a lot of space.

JeffHCross
09-09-2011, 10:49 PM
It was only 17% full when I left for work at 5:30pm, now at 11:40pm, it's 47% full. Granted, a good portion of that is the Florida International-Louisville game recorded on ESPN HD, which takes up a lot of space.I know your pain. HD is 5% per hour on my DVR.

jaymo76
09-09-2011, 11:06 PM
Just started downloading now... this is gonna take awhile BUT I think I will try out the winter classic first.

SmoothPancakes
09-09-2011, 11:38 PM
I know your pain. HD is 5% per hour on my DVR.

Yeah, 3 1/2 hours of college football in HD, and then probably a good 4 or 5 other hours of various programming recorded on HD channels, yeah, this thing fills up very fast for me. Have to stay on top of things otherwise it'd be completely full in no time.

steelerfan
09-10-2011, 03:26 AM
Just got home. Installing now. :))

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steelerfan
09-10-2011, 04:44 AM
The game immediately asks you if you want to install your profile from NHL 11. I'm not exactly sure what the point of it is (it didn't take your sliders or anything).

You are immediately dropped into the Winter Classic.

I beat the Caps, 2-0. Let's Go Pens!

I saw the glass break. Wasn't impressive. I hope it's extremely rare.

The puck physics are incredibly improved, and the smoothness of gameplay is even better than 11.

Going to play a 2nd game now, with some settings and slider adjustments.

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steelerfan
09-10-2011, 08:27 AM
I got 2 more games in. I lost, 3-0, as Pittsburgh at Winnipeg and, 2-1 in OT, as San Jose vs Los Angeles.

Penalties need serious tuning. In the last 2 games, there were 7 minors (6 against the CPU) total. I'm playing with all of the penalty sliders maxed and with 10-minute periods. I'm sure they'll tune this fairly quickly, they've had to do so in the past.

Other than that, I like the way the game is playing.

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jaymo76
09-10-2011, 02:50 PM
Played the Winter Classic and two play now games as the Jets and Canucks. I assume that the Jets uniforms which we released LAST week will be in a download code later on??? Anyways, the game plays well and it's fun overall. However, I have seen nothing to convine me to buy this game. I think I will stick with NHL 11 as it's a great game and I just don't see the additions to 12 as being worth the purchase IMO. To be fair, there are many subtle changes that improve the game. The commentary really needs to be redone and there needs to be more dynamic presentation to make the game feel less isolated during franchise mode.

Next up I will try BE A PRO and also check out the LEGENDS feature. As I say, my feelings right now... it's a really good game but I don't feel the need to upgrade from 11 as of yet.

JBHuskers
09-10-2011, 03:11 PM
Played the Winter Classic and two play now games as the Jets and Canucks. I assume that the Jets uniforms which we released LAST week will be in a download code later on??? Anyways, the game plays well and it's fun overall. However, I have seen nothing to convine me to buy this game. I think I will stick with NHL 11 as it's a great game and I just don't see the additions to 12 as being worth the purchase IMO. To be fair, there are many subtle changes that improve the game. The commentary really needs to be redone and there needs to be more dynamic presentation to make the game feel less isolated during franchise mode.

Next up I will try BE A PRO and also check out the LEGENDS feature. As I say, my feelings right now... it's a really good game but I don't feel the need to upgrade from 11 as of yet.

Jets unis are already in the game as far as I know on the retail disc.

jaymo76
09-10-2011, 04:09 PM
Jets unis are already in the game as far as I know on the retail disc.

Hmmm... I wonder why they aren't on season ticket then? The only options are the OLD 1980's unis and the generic NHL jerseys. Oh one thing I forgot to mention that I really LIKE is the new intermission stats area. The use of video clips in it is really well done.

jaymo76
09-10-2011, 04:34 PM
Just quickly played the winter classic again and I have to say that it looks absolutely stunning. I feel like I'm actually there. Well done EA!

Paakaa10
09-10-2011, 04:53 PM
Hmmm... I wonder why they aren't on season ticket then? The only options are the OLD 1980's unis and the generic NHL jerseys. Oh one thing I forgot to mention that I really LIKE is the new intermission stats area. The use of video clips in it is really well done.

I have the same retail disc as JB and the only uniform options for the Winnipeg Jets that I'm seeing are:

Home (Black NHL Generic Jersey)
Away (White NHL Generic Jersey)
1980-81 Home (White)
1980-81 Away (Blue)

SmoothPancakes
09-11-2011, 04:47 AM
Woohoo, just now firing this baby up. Time for some hockey!

SmoothPancakes
09-11-2011, 08:22 AM
Ahh, nothing like some Sunday morning 6 on 6 Online Team Play action. :nod:

JBHuskers
09-12-2011, 12:10 AM
I have the same retail disc as JB and the only uniform options for the Winnipeg Jets that I'm seeing are:

Home (Black NHL Generic Jersey)
Away (White NHL Generic Jersey)
1980-81 Home (White)
1980-81 Away (Blue)


Hmmm must be just the logo that is in then when you're in the calendar and etc.

Paakaa10
09-12-2011, 08:19 AM
Hmmm must be just the logo that is in then when you're in the calendar and etc.

Yeah, the new logo is there; but the uniforms were just unveiled last week, so I imagine it might be a little bit before they are added in. No idea what the timetable looks like though.

ram29jackson
09-12-2011, 04:37 PM
they just had the launch event u-stream, but I missed it... I always see these EA ustream emails too late,,,they always do stuff like around 9am west coast time too

JBHuskers
09-12-2011, 04:49 PM
Steelerfan and I are planning a best-of-7 matchup between our teams the Penguins and Flyers :D

Oh yes, there will be blood.

ram29jackson
09-12-2011, 05:34 PM
.....damn......

SmoothPancakes
09-13-2011, 01:05 PM
We got any 360 guys in the house who are buying NHL 12?

JBHuskers
09-13-2011, 01:12 PM
We got any 360 guys in the house who are buying NHL 12?

You just need to get a PS3 ;) you have two good reasons now, Tiger and NHL :nod:

SmoothPancakes
09-13-2011, 01:14 PM
:D Those would be about the only games on my PS3. I've built up such a large 360 game collection over the year, that 360 is my main console of choice when buying games, so PS3 would be just about solely for those games.

JBHuskers
09-13-2011, 01:16 PM
:D Those would be about the only games on my PS3. I've built up such a large 360 game collection over the year, that 360 is my main console of choice when buying games, so PS3 would be just about solely for those games.

Yeah, I have waaay too many games, and probably have bought maybe four or five games the past two weeks :D mainly because they were such great deals (Child of Eden, Homefront, Duke Nukem Forever, Top Spin 4, Brink, Playstation Move Heroes) not to mention NHL and then Gears next week.

bdoughty
09-13-2011, 04:28 PM
We got any 360 guys in the house who are buying NHL 12?

That would be me just twiddling my thumbs waiting for it to show up.

Oh look an IGN review.

http://xbox360.ign.com/articles/119/1192229p1.html


They really went all out with this review, one page and some mode are not even discussed.

bdoughty
09-13-2011, 05:42 PM
Happy the fixed the custom cameras this year by actually saving them. It was a PITA having to remember my exact settings each time.

steelerfan
09-13-2011, 06:00 PM
My Pens take Game 1 from JB's Flyers, 3-1.

Pittsburgh outshoots Philly 37-22, has an attack advantage of 5:04 to 3:37, and wins 20 of 34 draws. Philly does out hit the Pens, 20-10, however.

3 Stars:

MAF: 21 saves
Matt Cooke: 1 goal (GWG)
Brooks Orpik: 2 Assists

Good game, JB.


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steelerfan
09-13-2011, 06:10 PM
http://www.easports.com/media/play/video/92936008

I did get one good one in though. :nod:

JBHuskers
09-13-2011, 07:14 PM
My Pens take Game 1 from JB's Flyers, 3-1.

Pittsburgh outshoots Philly 37-22, has an attack advantage of 5:04 to 3:37, and wins 20 of 34 draws. Philly does out hit the Pens, 20-10, however.

3 Stars:

MAF: 21 saves
Matt Cooke: 1 goal (GWG)
Brooks Orpik: 2 Assists

Good game, JB.


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Yeah I score the first goal of the game, then my goalie takes the rest of the game off :fp:



http://www.easports.com/media/play/video/92936008

I did get one good one in though. :nod:

That was f'n hilarious when I was stuck laid out on the wall then what you don't see later is I crumple to the ice :D

steelerfan
09-13-2011, 10:41 PM
My Pens take game 2, 4-2. Got a big goal off of a draw with :00.1 left in the 2nd to break a 2-2 tie. Cooke drive the dagger in with a beautiful deke 6:50 into the 3rd. Pens lead the series, 2-0, as it shifts to Philly for games 3 and 4.

Pittsburgh outshot the Flyers, 32-27, and had a 6:36 to 3:51 ask advantage. Philly won the faceoff battle, 19-18, and out hit the Pens, 17-14.

3 Stars:

Briere: 2 G
Malkin: G, A
Fluery: 25 Saves

GG, JB.

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JBHuskers
09-13-2011, 10:46 PM
GG :sf:

I played a better game, and I think that goal at the end of the 2nd broke their spirits....that deke for the fourth goal was sick.

Now on to Philly for Game 3.

steelerfan
09-13-2011, 11:49 PM
Pens take a commanding 3-0 series lead with a 4-2 win in Philadelphia. The Pens jumped to a 3-0 lead after 1, then needed a Matt Cooke deflection with 4:39 left to hold off the Flyers comeback.

The Flyers controlled much of the pace, owning a 37-30 shot advantage, a 22-13 edge in hits, and a 4:57-4:45 margin in time on attack. However, Pittsburgh forced numerous Philadelphia turnovers and used a 24-10 faceoff to earn the win.

3 Stars:

Fluery: 35 Saves
Crosby: G, 2 A
Dupuis: G, A

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JBHuskers
09-14-2011, 12:55 AM
:sf: and I just had an EPIC game four. He'll post the details soon, but I ended up avoiding the sweep thanks to a win via shootout. The game was insanely close the entire way.

steelerfan
09-14-2011, 12:58 AM
Philly avoids the sweep with a 3-2 shootout win. Game 5 is back in Pittsburgh where the Penguins look, once again, to close things out.

The Flyers held a slight edge in shots (42-36), hits (18-15), and faceoffs (24-22) while the Pens had a 6:11 to 5:55 advantage in attack time.

3 Stars:

Fluery: 40 Saves
Bryzgalov: 34 Saves
Briere: G

GG, JB.

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JBHuskers
09-14-2011, 01:01 AM
Philly avoids the sweep with a 3-2 shootout win. Game 5 is back in Pittsburgh where the Penguins look, once again, to close things out.

The Flyers held a slight edge in shots (42-36), hits (18-15), and faceoffs (24-22) while the Pens had a 6:11 to 5:55 advantage in attack time.

3 Stars:

Fluery: 40 Saves
Bryzgalov: 34 Saves
Briere: G

GG, JB.

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GG bro.

It was pretty insane. The shootout came down my 3rd and final guy and Van Riemsdyk came through. My goalie was able to stop :sf: on the extra shootout, and by some act of god, Jagr was able to get it through the 5 hole for the GW-shootout goal.

psusnoop
09-14-2011, 10:37 AM
I'm really looking forward to getting NHL here soon, can't wait to start a little RR tourney in this one.

steelerfan
09-14-2011, 11:25 AM
GG :sf:

I played a better game, and I think that goal at the end of the 2nd broke their spirits....that deke for the fourth goal was sick.

Now on to Philly for Game 3.

Here's the one at the end of the 2nd...


http://www.easports.com/media/play/video/92993436


and Cooke's deke...

http://www.easports.com/media/play/video/92992732

JBHuskers
09-14-2011, 11:31 AM
I'm really looking forward to getting NHL here soon, can't wait to start a little RR tourney in this one.

Actually it's a whole season of 30 games + playoffs in the NHL's online leagues. It's a neat setup.

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steelerfan
09-14-2011, 11:48 AM
Every year when I get NHL (well, at least since the AHL was added), I go through the same routine...

Soon after release, I start a BAGM with the Minnesota Wild. I make all roster moves in the best interest of he parent club, but only play the AHL affiliate's (Houston Aeros) games. After I finish one season with the Aeros, I start a second BAGM with the Pittsburgh Penguins. That first BAGM allows me to get used to the new game, set sliders, wade through patches and tuners, and get rosters set before getting my Pens BAGM rolling.

This year is no different. I have started my BAGM with Minnesota (again, I'm simming the Wild's games and playing the Aeros games). I haven't actually got a game in yet, but I did sign a winger and a defenseman to the Aeros to fill out their roster. In the preseason, Pierre-Marc Bouchard suffered an MCL sprain and will miss about a month. I called up pugilist Matt Kassian to replace him in Minnesota until he is healthy.

Here's Kassian's resume...

http://www.hockeyfights.com/players/1108

Here's a nice video of Kassian beating the piss out of Philly's Jody Shelley last season.

http://www.hockeyfights.com/fights/99170

ram29jackson
09-16-2011, 12:36 AM
:(

steelerfan
09-16-2011, 10:44 AM
:(

ram29jackson
09-16-2011, 05:48 PM
:(

me like game, me no have/cant get game....hell, i never played one on one against anybody, but that team play stuff was done well

JBHuskers
09-16-2011, 05:51 PM
It's really fun, but there are a lot of glitching teams that you run against in EASHL.

SmoothPancakes
09-16-2011, 05:57 PM
It's really fun, but there are a lot of glitching teams that you run against in EASHL.

Yeah, an unfortunate setback with something like that. Still a lot of fun though. I spent literal days worth of hours playing EASHL and 6 on 6 OTP just because it was fun as hell. Plus getting to move around from position to position kept it fresh. One game I'd play as the goalie, another I'd be a defenseman, other I'd play as a winger or center, and rinse/wash/repeat. Kept things interesting, kept it entertaining, kept it fresh. Not many games can I say something like that about their online offerings.

steelerfan
09-16-2011, 11:48 PM
My Penguins pulled out a tough 2-1 win in game 5 over JB's Flyers to close out the series, 4 games to 1.

Pittsburgh outshot Philly, 27-23, won 19 of 32 draws, and had a 6:06 to 2:51 margin in attack time. The Flyers out hit the Pens, 17-12.

Jaromir Jagr opened the scoring 2:52 into the 1st, but Marc-Andre Fluery kept Philly off the scoreboard the rest of the way. James Neal evened the score with just 4:03 to play, and Steve Sullivan's Power Play Goal with 1:57 to go provided the difference.

3 Stars:

Fluery: 22 Saves
Sullivan: PPG
Bryzgalov: 25 Saves


GG, JB. Fun series!

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JBHuskers
09-16-2011, 11:49 PM
The 2nd goal was BS :D :fp:

steelerfan
09-17-2011, 01:36 AM
JB and I got 2 more games in tonight.

In the first, we used AHL teams, and my Houston Aeros got a 3-2 OT win at Toronto.

In the second game, I was San Jose and I hosted JB and Washington. San Jose cruised to a 6-1 win. That was the first of our 7 games that was lopsided.

NHL plays so smooth online and it's a lot of fun. It is easily my favorite game to play online.

GGs, JB!

SmoothPancakes
09-17-2011, 02:24 AM
Looking at the results of the Pengiuns-Flyers series (while close scores/games, it was a short series) and the two additional games played last night, looks like JB has some more training to do before the padawan can become the master.

Paakaa10
09-17-2011, 11:20 AM
I haven't played a ton of games yet, but I've gotten in enough time with the game offline to feel as though I can put together some decent impressions.

POSITIVES

The puck physics seem to have received a fairly good overhaul since last year's game; shots bounce around and deflect a lot more realistically than they have in the past. I'm not the biggest fan of how easy it is for players to lose the puck when trying to take slap shots, but it adds an element of spontaneity to the game. I still think that the AI goalies and defenders tend to control rebounds too easily on shots from the point, but it's not as frustrating as it was last year.
On default slider settings, the game seems to play quicker and smoother compared to last year. Players who have speed can actually get around defenders and find themselves in breakaway situations, which is something I felt was lacking in NHL 11.
Goalies on both sides seem generally more intelligent than they did last year; there were a lot of "gimme" goals for the AI last year because it seemed as though the player's goalie would do the "split save" animation on every cross-crease one-timer, which more often than not resulted in a CPU goal. I've found this year that CPU goals tend to be more realistic, and I've even seen a good number of deflection goals that I almost never saw the CPU score last year.
The CPU seems to do a better job running the break-out from their defensive end and then getting through center ice. In NHL 11, I felt that it was far too easy to "stalemate" a CPU player trying to carry the puck between the blue lines; it was really embarrassing to watch at times, as it didn't resemble at all what real-life hockey plays like. In NHL 12, the CPU is much more effective at seeing both the skating and passing lanes as they switch over to offensive play.
On default slider settings--All-Star difficulty level--the differential in shots taken between player and CPU is much closer than it ever was for me in NHL 11. I used to routinely out-shoot the CPU by 15-20 shots in NHL 11, and I would still lose games because the CPU would end up scoring one or two "cheese" goals. In the games I've played of NHL 12 so far, the shot differentials have been much closer--often 5 or fewer--and I've managed shutouts.
I'm a big fan of the "Action Tracker" which is persistently accessible from the pause menu and allows you to view replays of all the shots, goals, hits, and penalties which have happened in the game. It's nice to see a graphical representation of where shots are being taken from and which have been successfully converted into goals.


NEGATIVES

Even though this is year two of the physics engine implementation, there are still a number of hits that look really, really bad. As much as I respect the NHL development team for going all-in on trying to bring physics to the game for player interactions, it's simultaneously making the argument for why games have relied upon animation-driven interactions for such a long time. Maybe another year of development will iron out some of these issues by the time NHL 13 rolls around, but right now it still looks too often like a work-in-progress (though I know it essentially is that).
I'm not sure I agree with the structure of the NHL Legends mode. When you fire up the game for the first time, the only Legend you can play as is Jeremy Roenick. Selecting him from the menu then leads to a screen where you select a team for him to play as just like how the game is structured in Be-a-Player mode. I haven't spent a lot of time with it--and there doesn't seem to be any documentation of the mode in the in-game manual--but if you have to take a Legend through an entire career meeting milestones to unlock the other Legends, then it's a really bad design decision from my eyes. The appeal of Legends in the game is not to put them on modern-day teams and take them through a career from the minors to the NHL; for me, anyway. I would much rather have something like what NBA 2K11 did for their Jordan Moments; give me the teams that these Legends played on and put me in situations to achieve specific milestones. As big a fan as I am of Patrick Roy, I'm not sure I want to complete careers with three or four other Legends just to unlock him and do the same.
For the most part goalies are "live", but not nearly as much as they were advertised to be. In the general course of play, there are still a number of instances where goalies seem to be "protected" by a "force field" instead of truly live in the game. More often than not, if you do manage to "bump" a goalie in the game, it's going to result in a goaltender interference penalty; kind of a harsh price to pay when real-life hockey comes with some jostling and bumping between players and goalies. When I used to play hockey growing up, physicality between myself as a goalie and the players trying to screen me or take position at the top of the crease was an important part of the game. While there has been some improvement here from NHL 11, there's still work to be done.
Having the Winter Classic from Heinz Field available is great and makes me hopeful for future versions of the game going back and replicating venues like Fenway Park and Wrigley Field which have hosted the event before; that said, there doesn't really seem to be any effect on gameplay. In the game, snow is blowing pretty much throughout the game; as anybody who has watched a real-life Winter Classic game could tell you, this creates situations where snow builds up on the ice and the puck travels more slowly and more unpredictably. I've played a few games in the mode now and essentially have felt as though the game plays just as though it were hosted in an indoor arena. While some people might get crabby about having weather randomly affect gameplay, I hope that for NHL 13 the team can experiment and try to introduce the environmental element to the setting.
I hate first-person fighting. When it was first introduced a few years back with the switch over to Xbox 360/PlayStation 3, it was a fun little novelty. But now, it's worn out its welcome for me. I might be in the minority--seeing as the only thing touched regarding fighting for NHL 12 was allowing goalies to fight as well--but for me, I would much rather have a third-person fighting view if fighting is going to remain a part of the game. On the same note, having "free time" after whistles to push people around the ice and start fights wears on me too; I know that this can be tweaked using sliders, but every time a whistle is blown and players start wailing on each other it feels more like a video game and less like a sport simulation.


Overall, I feel as though NHL 12 is a solid continuation of the series. People who are casual NHL fans and already own NHL 11 might have trouble convincing themselves that enough has changed to warrant buying this year's game, but anybody who watches hockey and understands the game will probably put NHL 11 back in its case--never to be opened again--once they get 12. I just hope that the team continues to push themselves for next year. If rights and likenesses to full Legend teams could be procured and the mode could be re-tooled in NHL 13, I think there'd be a significant sales spike solely from people who have trouble keeping up with hockey games on TV today--since coverage can be so limited--and want to re-live the "glory days" of watching the sport in the past.

JBHuskers
09-17-2011, 11:21 AM
Looking at the results of the Pengiuns-Flyers series (while close scores/games, it was a short series) and the two additional games played last night, looks like JB has some more training to do before the padawan can become the master.

Haha yep. I didn't play much of 11 compared to 10. 12 will probably be the most played ever for me just because of the Online League I'm in with Snoop, EXV, and :sf: I was always in the games with the exception of the last game. Game 5 of the series I had dominated defenseively for 2 3/4 periods....some how on that 2nd goal it was floating RIGHT IN FRONT of Brzygalov and he didn't cover it up :fp:

Paakaa10
09-19-2011, 06:57 PM
A few days removed from my "impressions" post, I do feel it is necessary to note that I have already surpassed my time playing NHL 11 with NHL 12 so far, and in spite of the issues I listed under "NEGATIVES" I'm enjoying the game significantly more than last year. Since hockey was the sport I played the most growing up, I always have higher expectations out of NHL video games. Things that are annoying to me probably wouldn't get noticed by the casual fan.

EDIT:
I sure would love there to be some tweaks to the default control scheme, however. Even after playing the game with right-analog-stick shooting for 5-6 iterations now, I still find myself messing up and giving away a puck that I've intercepted because of what :ps3R1: and :ps3R2: are set to when you're controlling a player without the puck. If I try to use :ps3R1: to poke-check and I suddenly end up with the puck, I'm going to end up giving it away because the button press registers as a saucer pass; if I use :ps3R2: to switch to a defender that I think is in better position and I end up with the puck, I'm going to give it away as well because that button press registers as a normal pass. No matter how much I play the series, I still end up accidentally giving away a pass I intercepted at least once or twice a game.

Part of me also wishes that there was an option to hold :ps3R2: and then press :ps3x:, :ps3sq:, :ps3tri: or :ps3cir: for icon-based passing. Once or twice a game, the game will misread my pass intention and the puck will go to a teammate who I know is covered instead of the player who is open.

I understand that the control scheme is designed to emphasize use of the shoulder buttons and analog sticks instead of using the face buttons, but these are lingering issues which could be smoothed over, I feel.

steelerfan
09-20-2011, 12:52 PM
I'm 14 games into my Wild BAGM (only playing the Aeros games) and I'm 7-5-2 with Houston.

I like the variety of games I'm seeing. I had a game recently where there were about 80 SOG total and, in my last game, there were only 37 (I was outshot 21-16).

I'm still really hoping that the frequency of penalties is tuned. I'm averaging a hair under 2 PPs per game while I'm SH a little less than 3 times per game. That's about half of what I'd like, in both areas.

I do like some of the little presentation elements that have been added to BAGM. There are "game track-like" replays that highlight a hot goalie or big hitter etc. There are graphics and commentary when the game features a player who is among the statistical leaders in a particular category. Each game, the teams' record in their last 10 games is discussed as well. I've also seen overlays that tell you when a player is on a point streak. Nice adds.

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steelerfan
09-21-2011, 02:03 AM
Posted by Steve at OS...




Biggest First Week in Franchise History; Up 19 Percent Year Over Year

Franchise to Expand to Facebook Next Month with NHL Superstars

REDWOOD CITY, Calif. – September 20, 2011 – Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ: ERTS) today announced the record-breaking launch of NHL® 12. Based on internal estimates, NHL® 12 had its biggest launch week in franchise history with more than $27 million generated at retail worldwide. First week unit sales of NHL® 12 were up 19 percent across Europe and North America. The game launched Sept. 9 in Europe and Sept. 13 in North America.

EA SPORTS™ also announced that the NHL franchise will be expanding with NHL® Superstars*, a free-to-play social game on Facebook®. NHL Superstars will bring an all-new NHL experience to millions of hockey fans by enabling players to build and manage their ultimate team of professional hockey players. With dynamic and accessible gameplay, fans can compete head-to-head in games against their Facebook friends from around the world. NHL Superstars will be available in early October.

“The fan response to NHL 12 has been incredible, and we’re delighted to expand the franchise to Facebook next month,” said Andrew Wilson, Executive Vice President, EA SPORTS. “NHL 12 is our most exciting hockey game ever, with more than 300 gameplay improvements and the ability to play with some of the NHL’s greatest legends.”

Among the additional notable accomplishments for NHL® 12 since its launch on September 13 in North America and September 9 in Europe:

• NHL® 12 sold through more than 451,000 copies at retail worldwide in its first week.
• Fans logged more than 6.9 million online connected game sessions last week (Sept. 13-19), which marks the most online games played in one week in franchise history and 17 percent more than last year’s opening week.
• Each day last week, an average of 86 total hours of online gameplay of NHL® 12 were played by fans – the equivalent of more than 70 full NHL seasons of action every single day.
• NHL 12 has earned 17 review scores of 90 or better around the world, including a perfect mark from Gaming Age who said “NHL fans need to buy NHL 12 if only to play the best representation of the sport ever created.” GameTrailers proclaimed that “NHL 12 refuses to say that amazing is good enough,” while Game Informer raves “NHL 12 is strongest where it counts – on the ice.”

NHL® 12 authentically captures hockey as it is played on the ice with more than 300 gameplay refinements highlighted by three key innovations: Anticipation AI, Dynamic Goalies and the Full Contact Physics Engine. Anticipation AI takes NHL 12 to the next level as players will now intuitively determine their next move by reading and anticipating the play. With the Full Contact Physics Engine, size and strength matter. NHL12 continues to innovate by giving you true to life collisions and control over the battles around the crease. With Dynamic Goalies, goalies are live for the first time ever. Players can make contact with goalies as they crash the crease and goalies will battle through traffic in front of the net as they fight through screens to make awe-inspiring saves.

New in NHL® 12 is the introduction of legends; nine former NHL greats – including Wayne Gretzky, Gordie Howe, and Mario Lemieux – will be integrated into the game across virtually every mode, including the all-new Be A Legend Mode. Be the next great legend in the revamped Be A Pro mode. Play as your created pro and earn every shift on the ice with stellar play, big hits, and spectacular goals as you progress towards greatness.

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ram29jackson
09-22-2011, 06:13 PM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fq-6YgxuMS0&feature=feedu

DariusLock
09-23-2011, 09:12 PM
Wow, whoever was the white team was balling haha! This game looks fun! Wish there was a league or something.

Paakaa10
09-24-2011, 09:24 AM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ma81YVIXP4w

And that's why you put the puck on net...

ram29jackson
09-28-2011, 11:13 PM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MiVrHKrYsVs&feature=feedu

steelerfan
09-29-2011, 12:11 AM
That guy needs to change his Puck Size and Puck Shadow to "Authentic", lol. Looks goofy otherwise. :D

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steelerfan
09-29-2011, 03:24 AM
This is me potting one with Malkin a week or so ago against JB.

http://www.easports.com/media/play/video/94494255

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ram29jackson
09-29-2011, 05:50 PM
That guy needs to change his Puck Size and Puck Shadow to "Authentic", lol. Looks goofy otherwise. :D

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I dont have the game , so I dont know what you are talking about...but, also, its an online head to headby the description, so wouldnt that be standard ?

steelerfan
09-29-2011, 06:33 PM
I dont have the game , so I dont know what you are talking about...but, also, its an online head to headby the description, so wouldnt that be standard ?

No.

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DariusLock
09-30-2011, 08:29 AM
Playing the demo, I suck. How the hell do you score haha? My shots always get stopped.

JBHuskers
09-30-2011, 08:40 AM
Playing the demo, I suck. How the hell do you score haha? My shots always get stopped.

I'm not the greatest at the game, but I have had some success in the league I'm in at scoring. Basically:


Try to move the puck around in the offensive zone to throw off the goalie.
Try to shoot in traffic to get a deflected goal.
Try to shoot at the goalie with one of your guys on the other side to get a possible rebound.
Try to induce turnovers to get a 2-on-1 or 3-on-2 situation where you can run a "fastbreak", make a quick pass near the goal, and get it past the goalie.

DariusLock
09-30-2011, 08:41 AM
I'm not the greatest at the game, but I have had some success in the league I'm in at scoring. Basically:

Hahaha

JBHuskers
09-30-2011, 08:43 AM
Hahaha

:D

I hit send instead of Go Advanced :fp:

See above.

ram29jackson
10-04-2011, 04:25 PM
the one problem with this game is..you can wear out the right stick of your ps3 controller pretty fast

psusnoop
10-05-2011, 07:35 AM
the one problem with this game is..you can wear out the right stick of your ps3 controller pretty fast

for 2009 I went through a controller but the fun factor makes it such an easy decision to buy.

I've had some really really fun games lately against :sf:, JB and psuexv.

JBHuskers
10-10-2011, 04:02 PM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SVjX7EoVotY&feature=player_embedded

baseballplyrmvp
10-20-2011, 10:32 PM
i didnt know this existed in hockey? :o


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ssrg6oo0euo&feature=player_embedded

i'm guessing that that player has a low stamina rating. :D

SmoothPancakes
10-21-2011, 12:08 AM
i didnt know this existed in hockey? :o

i'm guessing that that player has a low stamina rating. :D

his stamina rating may be low, but it appears his libido sure isn't. :D

JBHuskers
10-21-2011, 12:59 AM
Down boy :D

ram29jackson
11-06-2011, 03:42 PM
Anyone want to get me NHL 12 for Christmas ? :D

ram29jackson
11-18-2011, 02:20 PM
Anyone want to get me NHL 12 for Christmas ? :D

No ? :D

psusnoop
11-18-2011, 04:59 PM
:D, it is a great game u should get it!

cdj
11-22-2011, 10:05 PM
Florida Away Jersey (Whites)
New York Islanders 3rd jersey
Ottawa Senators 3rd jersey
Toronto Maple Leafs 3rd jersey

Type in the following code to unlock these jerseys:

2wg3gap9mvrth6kq

steelerfan
11-22-2011, 11:59 PM
Florida Away Jersey (Whites)
New York Islanders 3rd jersey
Ottawa Senators 3rd jersey
Toronto Maple Leafs 3rd jersey

Type in the following code to unlock these jerseys:

2wg3gap9mvrth6kq

Thanks, Chris.

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psusnoop
11-23-2011, 07:03 AM
Florida Away Jersey (Whites)
New York Islanders 3rd jersey
Ottawa Senators 3rd jersey
Toronto Maple Leafs 3rd jersey

Type in the following code to unlock these jerseys:

2wg3gap9mvrth6kq

:up:

GatorfanStovy
11-23-2011, 12:21 PM
Man I need to get back in NHL . I haven't plaid since NHL 10 . How much have this game improved ? I was in a league for a while just could never score much. When does NHL 13 come out ? I may wait for that since I'm sort of broke right now and traveling this weekend this I won't have time to stop in at best buy to pick up .

psuexv
11-23-2011, 12:24 PM
Man I need to get back in NHL . I haven't plaid since NHL 10 . How much have this game improved ? I was in a league for a while just could never score much. When does NHL 13 come out ? I may wait for that since I'm sort of broke right now and traveling this weekend this I won't have time to stop in at best buy to pick up .

Since NHL 10, dramatically. Especially this year with the puck dynamics. '13 won't drop until Septemberish of next year.

ram29jackson
01-19-2012, 05:56 AM
does this site have a club/team for multiplayer?...what ever the exact name is for the mode?

steelerfan
01-19-2012, 06:04 AM
does this site have a club/team for multiplayer?...what ever the exact name is for the mode?

No.

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ram29jackson
01-19-2012, 02:57 PM
No.

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party pooper...


just got my bowl pool prize today !!!!

http://img214.imageshack.us/img214/2281/nhl1212.png (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/214/nhl1212.png/)

Uploaded with ImageShack.us (http://imageshack.us)

steelerfan
01-19-2012, 03:13 PM
Party pooper what?

You asked if there was a team. I answered you.

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ram29jackson
01-19-2012, 03:49 PM
Party pooper what?

You asked if there was a team. I answered you.

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LOL i'm aware of that, you have a talent for flat one word answers that have a teensy negative bend to them LOL


anyway...having trouble...servers are down or i cant find where the hell to redeem my online pass...?

the one thing about video games now,they are all freaking projects

ram29jackson
01-19-2012, 04:27 PM
now its telling me i'm not permitted to register.....bullpucky..there better not have been a problem when the game froze when i was creating a player or when the updated loaded that prevents me from getting online........

steelerfan
01-19-2012, 05:26 PM
Someone else said the Playstation Store is down till 9 your time. :dunno:

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BCEagles
01-19-2012, 05:29 PM
does this site have a club/team for multiplayer?...what ever the exact name is for the mode?
if somebody decided to start one i would certainly not be opposed too it.

ram29jackson
01-19-2012, 05:52 PM
Someone else said the Playstation Store is down till 9 your time. :dunno:

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thank you..yes..I found that out just now and maybe thats why?..better be...........dangit

ram29jackson
01-20-2012, 12:42 AM
stiil not up yet

ram29jackson
01-20-2012, 01:20 PM
this game seems harder to get use to then 10' was

ram29jackson
01-21-2012, 04:40 PM
i'm fullback29 on ps3

I made a pulic club called

SIOUX
public,northwest region
if you want to join,go ahead
I'm not great, I only like to play left defense, so if you join ,you better be willing to pass and not be a puck hogging cheeser LOL

besides, I of course made custom uniforms LOL
....and unless i get a few members,no one will ever see them :(

GatorfanStovy
02-05-2012, 12:39 PM
How is everyone enjoying 12 still ? I'm really thinking about getting but can't find it cheaper then 40 any where .

psuexv
02-07-2012, 09:38 AM
It's a very good game. I haven't played it as much since when it came out but will be picking back up now that football is over.

GatorfanStovy
02-07-2012, 09:20 PM
Well I decided to pull the trigger and pick up NHL 12.I hope it is fun . I did buy it used is there any online pass code I need to go online with it? I don't think my used copy has one or I cant find it.

steelerfan
02-07-2012, 10:28 PM
Well I decided to pull the trigger and pick up NHL 12.I hope it is fun . I did buy it used is there any online pass code I need to go online with it? I don't think my used copy has one or I cant find it.

There is a code needed for it, yes.

ram29jackson
03-25-2012, 08:07 PM
puck ends up on goalies back/neck and gets knocked in

http://www.easports.com/media/play/video/117821325

SmoothPancakes
05-07-2012, 02:21 AM
I'm just gonna put this in here since I don't want to unnecessarily dig up the NHL 11 thread for just one post. But I just played NHL 11 for the first time since probably September or October. Did a Play Now game as Colorado at home against Detroit, partially to get me reaccustomed to the controls. What a wild game it turned out to be.

While I was able to lay some big hits on Detroit, I couldn't pass for shit and Detroit was poking like a bitch and knocking the puck loose constantly. They took a 2-0 lead with two goals in a minute and a half in the first period, though I was able to get one back with 5 minutes left to play, to make it 2-1 after the first period. Second period, Detroit netted another midway through to make it 3-1.

Then in the third period, I was able to get one in early, just three minutes in to make it 3-2. Then the rest of the period, I was blasting shots as often as I could but couldn't get anything in (did clank it off the post three agonizing times), and had to sweat out a couple times where Detroit was able to either get an undefended breakaway or get a 1 or 2 man advantage on my goalie, who thankfully came through for me. Then, with the clock ticking down, I took the puck into Detroit's half with the clock beeping because it was under 10 seconds. Shot once, blocked to the right side behind the goal, got the puck back, blocked again, off to the left side behind the goal, was able to get the puck again with time nearly gone (can't tell because the clock/scoreboard isn't on screen so I'm sweating bullets) and then was able to somehow get a shot off between three Detroit players and one of my own players, sliced it in just beyond the reach of the goalie's glove and just inside the right side of the net for the game-tying goal with was was only 2.7 seconds left to play.

Went into overtime, we both had some very close shots, battled back and forth and look destined for a shoot out. Then with a minute left, Detroit made a bad pass that went right to one of my players at center ice, he passed it to one of my forwards who got behind the Detroit defensemen, and he put the breakaway shot right underneath the goalie's armpit for the game-winning goal with 47 seconds left in the period. I have played a ton of games in Play Now, Be a GM, Be a Pro, but that just might have been my top game I've played on NHL 11. Between trying to battle back from 2-0 and 3-1 deficits, scoring the game-tying goal on a desperation shot with 2.7 seconds left, and then scoring the game-winner in overtime with 47 seconds left to play, that was a battle and a ton of fun from beginning to end. Glad to see the old sliders I was using back last fall are still tough and challenging, probably more so since I hadn't played in months.