New Sports Interactive game on Steam

[TruthEnigma]

It looks like Sports Interactive have a new game out on early access. It's a relaunch of an older game they had Eastside Hockey Manager.

http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2015-03-26-nhl-eastside-hockey-manager-returning-today

[Trippled]

Sega should devirsefy them more. Maybe include a bit of that Sega-ness with the japanese Sega sports games (include music etc.)

[Sharky]

I know nothing about hockey, what makes it 'East Side' hockey?

[crackdude]

I know nothing about hockey, what makes it 'East Side' hockey?

[Aki-at]

Sega should devirsefy them more. Maybe include a bit of that Sega-ness with the japanese Sega sports games (include music etc.)

They did that once with one of their Playstation 2 Let's Make A... games and critics didn't like it. Which is a shame, from what I saw it had a particular charm about it.

[MadeManG74]

I know nothing about hockey, what makes it 'East Side' hockey?

Eastside Hockey is a style of hockey like Rugby is a 'style' of Football.

Basically it's like regular Ice Hockey you normally see, except they play on a smaller field and have seven players on the ice at any time, split evenly between the two teams. Instead of a puck they use a small ball made of leather or something. The sticks are different too, resembling grass hockey sticks but not as thick (think shaped like a candy cane). You are actually allowed to use the stick to 'trip' the opponent as well, so long as you don't strike them.

The object of the game is to 'lose' points, so you try to score 'own goals' while the other team has to stop you. And score more own goals.

[Sharky]

Eastside Hockey is a style of hockey like Rugby is a 'style' of Football.

Basically it's like regular Ice Hockey you normally see, except they play on a smaller field and have seven players on the ice at any time, split evenly between the two teams. Instead of a puck they use a small ball made of leather or something. The sticks are different too, resembling grass hockey sticks but not as thick (think shaped like a candy cane). You are actually allowed to use the stick to 'trip' the opponent as well, so long as you don't strike them.

The object of the game is to 'lose' points, so you try to score 'own goals' while the other team has to stop you. And score more own goals.

Is this the more popular hockey then? Sounds weird...

[Tad]

I've played the previous game of this and it's nothing like that. It's just regular ice hockey. Glad to see this come back. The last one was a lot of fun and even featured my ice hockey league here in Britain

[Mariano]

They did that once with one of their Playstation 2 Let's Make A... games and critics didn't like it. Which is a shame, from what I saw it had a particular charm about it.

Yeah, that series continue in Japan until 2013 i think, or at least that was the last time i heard SEGA released a game from that franchise. The last game was 100% for japanese people so that didnt came here of course.

[Sharky]

This is silly, they are releasing it quietly without the hockey license to test the water, but how can you test the water with a product that hasn't got the feature people are going to want most? The real players and teams and shit... Seems doomed to fail.

[MadeManG74]

This is silly, they are releasing it quietly without the hockey license to test the water, but how can you test the water with a product that hasn't got the feature people are going to want most? The real players and teams and shit... Seems doomed to fail.

I think there's still a market for the unlicensed games, this was a free browser game before Sega picked up the franchise I believe. It's probably got a decent little fanbase already and if it's a really good management sim I think it'll attract more players. It'll never be Football Manager of course.

[Trippled]

Yeah, that series continue in Japan until 2013 i think, or at least that was the last time i heard SEGA released a game from that franchise. The last game was 100% for japanese people so that didnt came here of course.

Was it? It didn't have the J. League attached to it. Tough Japanese fans were dissapointed appearently.

[Tad]

For what it's worth, the last one in 2007 was brilliant and is still the go to one for hockey fans - People have been updating rosters and so on since then. I can see a lot of hockey fans jumping on this if it simply updates from the last one.

[George]

The game is getting good reviews, did a news post for it.

[Tad]

Yeah, a few of my friends have got it and said it's pretty good. A few errors (as expected) where players from the UK league are signing big deals elsewhere which makes no sense given their stats, but it's mostly a solid ground to build on.