Why is EA's NHL series such crap?

[ChrisBlair]

Constantly frustrated with this game because it had so much potential and I love hockey. Was thinking of buying NHL14 but why bother? If it's twice as good as NHL13 then it still doesn't really work.

I just spent two seasons in BAP. Started as a junior, playing QMJHL hockey. I never sim a game, I play each and every shift. I led my team to the Memorial Cup twice, second time as Captain. There is no offensive category I didn't lead in, both seasons. Also led in +/-, had 14 PIMs in my most penalized season. Lead in hits each year. My team also had the fewest GAA and my goalies were 1-2 in GAA and Save %. I'm a defenseman and I mop up every AI player that crosses the blueline with the puck.

Drafted #1, first round. I'm the #1 star in each of my first three pre-season games with Calgary. I stopped two goals against from going in in game #3 by blocking the shot when the goalie was out of position. I'm told "your spot on the Calgary Flames this season is guaranteed". I'm the goals assists and +/- leader. I have 6 points in three games and we have two goals against in three games. I'm also the best player on the team in stats. Well guess what?

Suddenly I'm told it wasn't my year, and I'm back with my QMJHL team. Oh, and since I went pro, my stats got rolled back too before my NHL pre-season play, and I dropped from a 95 to an 87. So now I get to claw back up from an 87 this season in juniors, which screws me. I had thought about hoarding XP points from the middle of my second junior season when I was a 91 and then only using the points when I was with the big club, but I didn't want to game the game. Well what an asshole I was!

The game does weird things when you play well. Every season in other BAP careers I've played, after four games with the big club, I'm sent to the second line with my Winger pro. This is five seasons in, mind you, every year, clockwork. Doesn't matter if I have 5 points per game- which I've done- during those games, or if I have no points. I'm always told I'm dogging it and I don't play for a team that will take that performance, so I'm demoted. I've had seasons in which I have a hat trick in each of those games. Bam: I'm a busher that needs to ride pine even though I have 18 points in 4 games and lead the league in +/-. I figured it was a glitch with the team I was on so I got traded. Whammo- same deal with the new club.

And the commentators say it's the third period when it's the second. Religiously, they will say the other team scored when my team scores. When my team has a killer power play, they say the other team has the most feared PP in the game. This game is just broken.

Seriously...this stops being fun, my achievements and participation mean nothing. Why the F would I buy NHL14?? Did EA actually check to see if that one works before they sold it or did they phone that one in, too?

[ChrisBlair]

....I loaded an old save and tried again. The game locked up during preseason game 4.

Shoot me.

[ChrisBlair]

The game lockup is reproducible. If I play well and get First Star of game #3 in pre-season, I then have the option to play Game #4, or sim it, or skip it. if I choose to play it, the PS3 will lock up every single time. This is three tries in a row, same result each time: game hard locks.

If I play just OK and get Star 2 or 3, the game does not crash, and I'm sent back to juniors. The game will actually crash when I do well enough to stick in the NHL. Un-fricken-beleiveable. It glitches when I play well. Super.

[Dznts]

most of EA's game are crap. IMO

[FaytalsCamaro]

cause EA in general makes crappy sports games. 2k games have always been the better games in my eyes by far