Our review of NHL 15 has already gone up here at Gaming Nexus, and it should could come to the shock of nobody that I felt that the severe lack of optimal game modes truly hurt the overall product. EA Sports has addressed this in a posting on their website, stating that content will improve as time goes by.
We’re committed to keeping the experience fresh throughout the hockey season, in addition to the roster and ratings updates you’ve always received, the list below contains the free content updates for the Xbox One and PlayStation 4 we’re working on and our expected window on when you will see them in the game:
Now, let's back up just a bit and try and translate that, which comes in the second paragraph of the posting. There seems to be a lack of understanding on EA's part as to what "free content" actually means. These game modes, which I'll cover in this posting, are available from launch on the Xbox 360 and Playstation 3. This is not free content; it's updating a game to make it a complete product that should have been available at launch.
Further reading the post, EA Sports goes on to state that Playoff Mode, Coach Feedback (Be A Pro), Three Stars, and a couple of tweaks to Ultimate Team, are going to be available by the end of September. I cannot fathom who thought it would be a great idea to not have the Three Stars implemented from launch, which was first implemented in 1936 but was first truly utilized in Canada in 1976.
Let's re-iterate that: An NHL tradition that is pushing 80 years old was not implemented in the next-gen launch. That's a problem and only a part of the reason that fans of the franchise are upset.
In October, another set of updates will roll around that will include a draft mode in GM Connected Franchise and Online Team Play, which seems to be some form of last year's EASHL.
It's great that EA Sports is realizing the error of their ways and are trying to correct it, but after reading through numerous online forums and reading the outrage, many fans have decided to pass on the title this year. Their minds may change once these patches are complete, but the ball has been dropped. Here's hoping that EA Sports has fully realized this and tries not to do so in the future.
