Well, this is a bit of a downer....
In an interview done by Operation Sports, Sean Ramjagsingh, producer of NHL 15, has confirmed that several game modes will not be included in the upcoming launch on the next-gen consoles, including the wildly popular EASHL online game mode.
Ramjagsingh, in the interview, addressed the concerns of gamers who are now questioning whether it's worth paying $60 for a title that is going to feel somewhat incomplete.
First of all with the move to the new console for us, it was about creating a great gameplay and presentation experience. Really it was about getting into that space and settings us up with a foundation for development on this generation of consoles. What we’ve done with gameplay and presentation this year, we are very, very, proud of.
We truly changed the gameplay experience and have delivered a brand new presentation. With the modes themselves, we are offering a suite of modes which will offer different ways to play our game on Gen-4.
We have Be a GM, Be a Pro, Online Versus, Hockey Ultimate Team and NHL Moments Live, which is a scenario mode where we will continuously update with moments from the real world.
Ramjagsingh would then comment later on about the direct exclusion of the game modes.
The big one which most people have been asking about is about OTP and EASHL. The reality there is, we had to start with the core and we had to get the online up and running. The team has been pushing as hard as we can to get OTP in for launch.
As of today, which is our beta date looking to get the game in the package-goods product for consumers to pick up on the first day, we had to make the decision that OTP will not be in the game for launch. It was a very tough decision for us. Obviously we recognize that OTP and EASHL are huge modes for us. Our fans, our community are very invested in those modes, so it was a very tough decision and tough day for us. But the reality is, its not going to get there for launch.
To summarize, these game modes are actually going to be available on the Xbox 360 and Playstation 3 versions, but because of the revamp in the graphics for the Xbox One and Playstation 4, these modes are not going to make it in and may only be added after launch via patch.
A word of the wise to EA Sports: You may want to get those modes in sooner rather than later, or else the sales figures for this title are going to be pretty awful.
