NHL 10 Demo Arrives
by 
After several EA Sports releases with demos that either did not do a good job of displaying improvements or being tied into preorders in some manner comes a reversal of sorts with NHL 10. The demo is available to everyone (no preorder requirements) and is now up for the 360 and will be out for the PS3 next Thursday. Not only does the demo offer extended stretches of play but it also has unique scenarios and two different modes of play. Skill level, game style, and camera angles are adjustable. Somehow it comes in at only 765.36 MB despite all the content it offers.
To begin with there is a quick player creation followed by an interactive tutorial. You can get a feel for new features such as the fighting and board play along with basic shooting, skating, and defensive skills.
One portion of the demo allows you to jump into the 3rd period of Game 7 of the Finals in “Battle for the Cup” mode. What happens the first time is you are dropped into it with the Penguins up 2-0 over the Red Wings. Sidney Crosby has been injured and you have to decide whether to play him (at decreased capacity) or sit him. What really makes this unique is that after this first occasion, every time you play the demo it supersims to Game 7 so the injuries, stats, and scores are different providing a new experience each time.
You can also try out the beginnings of “Be a Pro” mode in the 3rd period of the Prospects Game. You can be any player type and try to perform well enough to be drafted by an NHL team.
Hopefully this is a sign of what EA can do with demos going forward rather than providing the abbreviated quarters method that has become so stale and frustrating. This is a really impressive sampling of what the game has to offer and shows supreme confidence in the quality of NHL 10.
August 21, 2009 at 1:45 am
no ps3 bull
August 21, 2009 at 2:04 am
just 360… complete bullshit
August 21, 2009 at 2:26 am
360 > Ps3 … EA just proved it lol
August 21, 2009 at 2:28 am
Poor Sony fanboys… another lesson in why the XBOX > PS3
August 21, 2009 at 2:31 am
Right as soonas you download that dem RROD a week wont hurt lol
August 21, 2009 at 12:20 pm
Watch out for your YLOD
August 21, 2009 at 7:13 pm
There is no YLOD. The light only turns yellow when the unit gets too hot but the PS3 has a fail-safe method of turning off before it gets to that point. Now the RROD is very real and has a 33-50% chance of happening. The failure rate of the Wii and PS3 is only 1%
Mo Diddley the factual expert!
August 21, 2009 at 2:31 am
i was still hoeing for a regular 5 min 3rd quarter : /
August 21, 2009 at 2:34 am
ya know.. ps3 got the demo first last year.. it's only fair… i miss my ps3
August 21, 2009 at 3:41 am
poor sony owners, they gotta wait an extra week to get a demo of nhl 10 >.>
August 21, 2009 at 4:20 am
Why does it seem like the NHL franchise is the only EA title that does everything right?
August 21, 2009 at 12:20 pm
because they still have to try… they can fuck madden 65 ways from sunday, and since they have the NFL License, nobody has a second option
August 21, 2009 at 4:22 am
nhl 10 is the tits!!!
August 21, 2009 at 5:48 am
lol xbox users who say xbox 360>ps3 ,guys wait another week of playing nhl10 youll have to be sending in your xboxs for flashing red lights or e74 lol time to upgrade to something better microsoft
August 21, 2009 at 5:57 am
Remember Sony got the Demo early last year.
Pasta.. SO HAPPY you posted this…
For the record, the game feels great. The HARDCORE mode is the logical next step in their control scheme. The boardplay really does feel right. The passing is gonna take a bit of practice, btu I cant wait to master it.
This game is gonna rock.. wish they upgraded the frontend menus though… eh.
August 21, 2009 at 6:37 am
Reason why there isn't a PS3 version yet is probably because they didn't fix the "reset" bug yet!
Every time I try to quit 09 from the menu, I hear a few beeps and it boots up my PS3!
Hated that game!
August 21, 2009 at 7:06 am
So Pasta, what are your thoughts on the demo?
August 21, 2009 at 8:31 am
Can they move this development team over to Madden?
August 21, 2009 at 9:52 am
Lord no, then NHL games will suck again lol.
August 21, 2009 at 7:41 pm
Maddne 10 is a great game. It just has a few minor flaws that need to be tweaked out. Hopefully they will address them with the 2 updates
Mo Diddley the tell it like it is-er!
August 21, 2009 at 7:52 pm
The developers of the Tiger Woods franchise need to take some serious notes from the NHL developers and make a true PGA Tour simulation mode in the game.
August 21, 2009 at 8:39 am
This game is gonna rock.. wish they upgraded the frontend menus though… eh.
August 21, 2009 at 9:52 am
The demo was awesome, I was happy EA gave us some time to get into a small groove of gameplay in the 3rd period of Be A Pro's Prospect Game. September 15th just can't get here fast enough.
August 21, 2009 at 9:54 am
xbox suck sucked and will suck big time !!!!
Last Year, PS3 had the demo earlyer and now shitbox has it
August 21, 2009 at 11:31 am
I love how people get upset because the other system has a demo first. Who really gives a shit? Ah that's right, people with nothing else to look forward to in their lives. It's not our (XBOX 360 Owners) fault that Microsoft gave the go ahead to the demo before Sony did. Don't hate us, hate Sony.
August 21, 2009 at 11:41 am
Exactly. It's just a demo and it won't hurt ot wait for it. I have a 360 and haven't downloaded it yet, it's not like the game just came out. Just a demo people.
August 21, 2009 at 4:46 pm
RROD (red ring of death) box's day is coming. With the PS3 price drop, you will see PS3 sales sky rocket through the 4th quarter. IMHO it is only a matter of time til developers make that shift to the PS3 as there lead development console and when they do……Standby crapbox. With Buray technology out sports game will be bigger and badder. MLB 09 shows just how great a sports game can be when you have massive storgage space available. Sports gaming will surely blossom when developers come to their collective senses and use the PS3's superior disc storage space to good use and stop suckling on the Microsoft Teet.
August 21, 2009 at 7:40 pm
t. daley as long as they are still making good games who really cares
Mo Diddley the place put-er
August 21, 2009 at 8:30 pm
My point is that the games we play are being limited by the disc constraints of DVD. Since most developers use the xbox 360 as there primary development platform we will never see the full potential of games, that is why all PS3 exclusive games are far superior to anything being played on an xbox 360. Once the lateral shift occurs and the PS3 becomes the primary development platform, you will see how good the games will become and it will be xbox that is left out in the cold playing inferior stripped down versions of games.
August 21, 2009 at 11:49 am
last years game was great, it was one of the best sports games off all time IMO. this year they look to improve on it and i think they did a great job on adding goalie AI and fighting after the whistle. i think the board play is fun but sometimes it just seems a little bit to magnetic when you try to do it, you get like sucked in like blocking on madden. Demo was great its a def. first day buy cant wait.
August 21, 2009 at 4:32 pm
Change the settings to Hardcore mode, it gets rid of all of the magnetic stuff in all aspects of gameplay
August 21, 2009 at 4:42 pm
Just a minor correction: NHL 09 WAS sports game of the year and IMHO IS the best sports title of all time.
August 21, 2009 at 12:14 pm
Can't wait to play later…PP, do you think Live's demo will still be 1st week of Sept? I've really been jonesin' for Live 10 lately…LET'S HOPE WE DON'T HAVE TO WATCH THAT MANDATORY 5 MIN TUTORIAL VIDEO AGAIN!!! Does any1 remember that?!?
August 21, 2009 at 1:09 pm
I do, it turned me off on the Live demo. I may not be a Live fan, but I wanted to jump in and see what they've added for gameplay last year, but had to sit through that crap.
August 21, 2009 at 12:54 pm
Why did they release NHL 8.2 and not NHl 10? can some fanboy please tell me this?
August 21, 2009 at 1:09 pm
May I ask what the hell you are talking about?
August 21, 2009 at 4:40 pm
I think he has been smoking some of that ROX. Dont do Meth EAROX.
August 21, 2009 at 2:58 pm
Not really a hockey fan, but for some reason I can't wait to get home from work to check out this demo. Expanding my horizons I guess you could call it, lol. I've heard often that the NHL series has been the most complete and authentic in the sports genre of games. I would keep up with the inside blogs when they were posting them and I'm really looking forward to checking it out!
Thanks Pasta for posting bring this to the forefront when it probably would have gone by with little fanfare.
August 21, 2009 at 2:59 pm
Not really a hockey fan, but for some reason I can't wait to get home from work to check out this demo. Expanding my horizons I guess you could call it, lol. I've heard often that the NHL series has been the most complete and authentic in the sports genre of games. I followed the inside blogs when they were posting them and I'm really looking forward to checking it out!
Thanks Pasta for posting. Bringing this to the forefront when it probably would have gone by with little notice or fanfare.
August 21, 2009 at 4:39 pm
This is one sports game that is so fun to play that you need not be a fan, much like the Tiger Woods Golf franchise. Both these games are just plain fun to play. The secret is that they aren't overly complicated and they are fluid both online and offline. I was so impressed last year at how well NHL 09 played online last year. I live in Hawaii and I routinely played games with a guy from NYC and every game we played, played as if it were an offline game. Smooth as silk.
August 21, 2009 at 7:49 pm
I agree, though I think FIFA could also fall in that category.
August 21, 2009 at 4:35 pm
To be honest Pasta, After playing THE ULTIMATE SPORTS GAME OF 09 in NHL '09, I ask you; What is not to be confident about. NHL 09 was clearly a gem in every way and any additions they add to NHL 10 is just icing on an already scrumptious cake.
Now if only EA Canada can deliver on NBA LIVE like this then all will be well with the world and we can finally put all the 2k drones to rest and maybe, just maybe, 2k can finally pick up there toys and go home.
August 21, 2009 at 5:46 pm
I've always thought that 2K made a solid interpretation of hockey…until last year when EA finally showed the muscle I know they can show with NHL 09. Only College Hoops 2K8 and All-Star Baseball 2002 have gotten me to play EVERY game of every season I did until NHL 09 was added to that mix because of Be A Pro.
August 21, 2009 at 8:18 pm
lol yea i played all 82 games plus all my playoff games( lost in stanley cup) for the first time ever in any sports game other than football cuz theyr only 16+playoffs but in baseball, basketball, and hockey iv never played all 162 or 82 games until last year
August 21, 2009 at 9:27 pm
I was hooked on ASB 2002's expansion team feature, so I powered out 162 games before getting burned out lol.
August 22, 2009 at 6:08 am
wow the farthest in a baseball game i ever made it was the end of june on mvp 05 but got bored cuz my ADD started to kick in lol so now i just pick 5 games a month and play them. i can barely even get through a full 16 game football season but i did that in ncaa last year plus the bowl game.
August 21, 2009 at 5:46 pm
3 things I'm hoping for (but doubt I'll see)
1. pregame national anthems like in NHL 08
2. fixing Buffalo's alternate jersey (completely wrong color)
3. fixing the Sabre's center ice logo (wrong logo all together)
August 21, 2009 at 7:38 pm
Mo Diddley is starting to seriously question your manhood. Why are you so nit-picky about wristbands and socks stripes?
Mo Diddley the inquisitive mind!
August 21, 2009 at 7:34 pm
Sony releases updates on Thursday how many times does Pasta have to say this? Also to correct a previous comment about the YLOD. There is no such thing as a YLOD. The light only turns yellow when the unit gets too hot but the PS3 has a fail-safe method of turning off before it gets to that point. Now the RROD is very real and has a 33-50% chance of happening. The failure rate of the Wii and PS3 is only 1%. The 360 doesn't have a fail-safe method so it just gets to the point where it literally fry's the circuit.
The 360 was rushed to capitalize on being the 1st next generation system while Sony took their time to create a more developed system. Xbox got most of the next generation hardcore gamers because they came out 1st. Sony came out a full year later and put out a highly expensive machine with all of the bells and whistles but unfortunately they out priced the market. Even though the 360 actually cost more to upgrade to equal that of the PlayStation (wi-fi, network subscription etc.) the sticker price detracted a lot of would be gamers from the PS3 to the cheaper 360 and the much cheaper Wii. Another reason that the 360 maintains gamers after the RROD is from gamers not wanting to replace their gaming collection or achievements on that system. So to say that a machine that has a 33%-50% (at least could be higher) failure rate is better than a system that has a 1% failure rate and plays 95% of the same games is asinine.
If a gamer prefers more online users than the 360 is better choice, if a player wants a more media orientated system than PS3 is better and of course if you like playing more family friendly games than the Wii is the better option.
Mo Diddley the factual expert!
August 21, 2009 at 7:51 pm
Does anybody realize that you can not compare Madden to MLB or NHL? There are 22 players, 7 officials, and two full sidelines of players and coaches. On top of all of that they have to generate the largest animated audience. The question should not be about Madden but for MLB and NHL for taking so long to make a great game. As for the basketball titles they should just be ashamed of themselves because both games are trash. People who play them only play them because it's the only game in town. NBA2K and NBA Live=trash. Madden to me right now is a 8.5 but if they can fix some of the coverage issues I will give it an official 9.7 on the "Mo Diddley's Buyer's" scale.
Mo Diddley the voice of reason!
August 21, 2009 at 8:32 pm
I don't agree at all. The NHL is the most free form sport out of the big 4. Football is very structured as you only have short bursts of play, perhaps 5-15 seconds and every play is pre-planned. Baseball is even more structured. With the NBA the court isn't that big so usually you set up shop when you get into the offensive zone and run planned plays as well. In hockey you don't have any of that. You may have strategies but there are no set plays and anything can happen.
August 21, 2009 at 8:49 pm
Abdul Ahmad 29 players & officials on the field with a full sideline of 30+on each vs 14 players & officials with little sideline and a smaller animated audience. I'm not referring to the "flow" of the game just the technical aspects of generating so many images at one time and having each work independently. When you really think about it it's pretty impressive to get each imagine to behave somewhat lifelike.
Mo Diddley the see your point but wasn't really what I was talking about-er!
August 21, 2009 at 8:16 pm
you could really feel the energy in the battle for the cup game. i actually felt like it was game 7 of the stanley cup and it wound up being the same as the real one for me. i was up by one goal as the pens and with 1 second left the red wings took a shot and fleury made an amazing "buzzer beater" save i guess u could call it. also i played crosby and he wound up playing amazing with great defensive plays. wow it really got me pumped up lol
August 21, 2009 at 8:39 pm
This demo is solid. Things that I noticed:
1) The AI moves the puck very well and play smart defense
2) The animations are outstanding (got knocked down and was able to shoot from my knees)
3) The atmosphere is much more realistic
4) The tipped and deflected shots on goal look incredible
5) The gameplay is smooth and the controls as solid as ever
Things that will require tweaking:
1) Too many penalties (definitely will adjust the slider when I get my copy)
2) The speed is a touch slow and it feels like steering the players through mud at times (more attributed to game speed than anything)
Overall, a strong demo. I would rather play a full quarter of Madden rather than four 1 minute quarters. This demo should be used as a template for all future demos….
August 21, 2009 at 9:30 pm
The speed can be tweaked, plus it is reflectant upon which game style you play in, Default, Hardcore, etc…
August 21, 2009 at 9:48 pm
I didn't realize you can tweak the speed in the demo. I changed skill levels and found no difference. Regardless, the game is sweet.
August 22, 2009 at 12:27 am
PS3 OWNS SHITBOX ANYDAY!! EVEN MICROSOFT ADMITS THIS LOL
August 21, 2009 at 7:55 pm
Sony releases updates on Thursday how many times does Pasta have to say this? Also to correct a previous comment about the YLOD. There is no such thing as a YLOD. The light only turns yellow when the unit gets too hot but the PS3 has a fail-safe method of turning off before it gets to the point of damage. Now the RROD is very real and has a 33-50% chance of happening. The failure rate of the Wii and PS3 is only 1%. The 360 doesn't have a fail-safe method so it just gets to the point where it literally fry's the circuit.
The 360 was rushed to capitalize on being the 1st next generation system while Sony took their time to create a more developed system. Xbox got most of the next generation hardcore gamers because they came out 1st. Sony came out a full year later and put out a highly expensive machine with all of the bells and whistles but unfortunately they out priced the market. Even though the 360 actually cost more to upgrade to equal that of the PlayStation (wi-fi, network subscription etc.) the sticker price detracted a lot of would be gamers from the PS3 to the cheaper 360 and the much cheaper Wii. Another reason that the 360 maintains gamers after the RROD is from gamers not wanting to replace their gaming collection or achievements on that system. So to say that a machine that has a 33%-50% (at least could be higher) failure rate is better than a system that has a 1% failure rate and plays 95% of the same games is asinine.
If a gamer prefers more online users than the 360 is better choice, if a player wants a more media orientated system than PS3 is better and of course if you like playing more family friendly games than the Wii is the better option.
Mo Diddley the put 2&2 together-er!
August 21, 2009 at 8:46 pm
I have both systems and the 360 gets more play time than my PS3. Partly, I like the 360 controller better and XBox Live, although there is a fee, is much more user friendly than the PSN mess. I also agree that the Gamerscore (achievements) was one of the best additions to the 360. The PS3 trophies, although pretty much the same thing, is not as enticing partly because there is nothing to indicate visually (without searching) what trophies / points you have earned.
With the PS3's game lineup getting stronger (Uncharted 2, Heavy Rain, Gran Turismo 5, not to mention the best console baseball game ever made in MLB: The Show), my PS3 will get some much needed attentional this fall.
If the 360 didn't have the hardware failures, it would be a perfect console. And when Natal ships next year, it is going to be increasingly awesome. I will say that whichever system one owns, you can't go wrong. Both have solid 3rd party support and strong first party titles.
August 27, 2009 at 2:33 pm
Yeah the cheaper and more unreliable XBox is better…the only reason why you all think your bullshit xbox is better is because its cheaper and you're all too jewish to buy a PS3…Whatever, enjoy the red lights of death, fags
August 27, 2009 at 6:38 pm
I Dont give a rats *** about this rivalry about 360 and Ps3 like holy boys, its just a gaming system we all play to have fun, not 2 fight over… I JUST WANT EA TO SEND OUT THE ******* NHL 10 demo already!!!! ****
August 27, 2009 at 6:39 pm
YA…. im with Subzero
August 27, 2009 at 10:49 pm
Is the nhl 10 demo out on the ps3?? because I can't find it! help please