The first screenshot of NHL 15 has been revealed by EA Sports. It features Joe Thornton, San Jose Sharks center, with incredible detail during a face-off. Two of the things in the photo that stand out would be the fact that the jerseys seem to fit properly and although it is a small sample, no two people in the crowd are the same.
NHL 15 will be the first of the series for the new generation of consoles. It will use the power of the new consoles to utilize the 12 Player NHL Collision Physics system which effects every player with on-ice collisions, secondary collisions and player pileups.
Player models will have three distinct layers: body, equipment and jersey. Each of these layers will move independently with contact, and the clothing will react with the players movement as they speed up or slow down.
The variability within the crowd can be attributed to the over 9,000 crowd modes with four times the animations of former versions. EA says, “You’ll see fans holding up signs with your name on them, costume wearing super fans, or even sections full of team rivals rooting against you.”
EA has taken advantage of the graphics abilities of the new generation for NHL 15. The screenshot represents many of these advances and should help with the realism and fluidity of the game. Hopefully they will apply this same technology to other sports games.