NHL 12 Producer Blog #1 - Great Teams Begin With Great Goalies

[SwinginAs12]

EA Sports have posted their first NHL 12 Producer blog, discussing goalies.

Gameplay Producer Nate Ng 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 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.

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.

[Simple Mathematics]

I hope we get more info soon. Or maybe a video or something, because this didnt really tell much

[leafs nation]

I think the news sounds awesome. I like what i'm hearing about the goalies. I just don't like the fight part. It's what we've all been asking for? First of all it was in previous EA NHL games and second any fighting in this game is pretty lackluster and irrelevant. I want it in the game because it's in the real game, but it's not all that fun. I don't like how much they are hyping that goalie fights. If they think that is a headline worthy I'm worried.

[PhillsPhan26]

Hey! We got real coahes? Cause you know "if it’s in the game, it’s gotta be in the game!".......

[bwiggy33]

Quote: Originally Posted by leafs nation

I think the news sounds awesome. I like what i'm hearing about the goalies. I just don't like the fight part. It's what we've all been asking for? First of all it was in previous EA NHL games and second any fighting in this game is pretty lackluster and irrelevant. I want it in the game because it's in the real game, but it's not all that fun. I don't like how much they are hyping that goalie fights. If they think that is a headline worthy I'm worried.

You are correct sir! Fighting in this game is absolutely horrendous and boring. I don't care all that much because if I wanted to fight I would buy fight night or UFC, but they are making way too big of a deal about goalies fighting. Fighting in this game lasts no more than 10 seconds. It is just so boring and the only benefit is having your lines re-energized. In the NHL, fighting does a lot more than just re-energizing a team. It can have positive and negative impacts. If they actually portrayed the real NHL fighting in a realistic manner in the game maybe fighting would mean more to me. Thinking about it though, I don't really remember fighting ever being fun in any NHL video game.

[Dalsanto0026]

I'm sick of hearing about the goalies already.

This is hardly what I'd consider headline worthy material.

[eeyor]

Quote: Originally Posted by Dalsanto0026

I'm sick of hearing about the goalies already. This is hardly what I'd consider headline worthy material.

Oh, I wouldn't say this. Goalies in all NHL games except NHL2k8 were horrible and therefore improvement in that regard is really needed.

[FBeaule04]

"Don't worry goalies, we will call goalies interference."

Yeah right! Just like your calling interference in the EASHL?

I'm already shaking of enthousiasm to see that in september!