No News is NHL 10 News
After 55 hours without anything newsworthy to post, I've decided to turn to pseudo-news. If you've been following Icethetics for any length of time, you know the one thing I don't like is rumors based on video games. Sadly, I have nothing else to tell you about at the moment.
Eric and Alex both wrote in this week to tell me about some things they noticed while watching preview videos for the forthcoming NHL 10 video game by EA Sports. I understand the game designers really try to get things correct when it comes to uniforms, but I'm always cautious against taking it as gospel.
Still, I write tonight on the subject just in case there's any truth to it.
Let's start with the Calgary Flames. Eric tells me something's up with their socks. Yes, their socks.
When the Rbk EDGE Uniform System was first introduced two years ago, the Flames (and Lightning too) were afflicted with a rather untraditional sock design. From the front, stripes appeared to run horizontally around the leg, but when you got a look at the back, there was a little surprise.
Matthew Lombardi leans in for a closer look at Owen Nolan's shocking socks
The collective reaction to this was a confused WTF? In the last two years, many fans have bemoaned this issue, apparently, onto deaf ears. Or are they? (Deaf, that is.) A screenshot from NHL 10, offered up via EA's official web site, depicts something different.
Dion Phaneuf skates with confidence knowing his sock stripes are no longer afraid of his calf
These stripes wrap all the way around the leg. It begs the question: As a person who's never played the game, did NHL 09 feature accurate stripes, or did they wrap fully as these do? Perhaps someone in the know can assist with the answer so we can better speculate on the state of the real-life uniforms.
While we wait for that, Alex tells me NHL 10 suggests the Flyers may be making a minor change to their orange jerseys. This is by no means reason to stop any presses.
First, we do know that it will be promoted from third jersey to home jersey this season (as the black sweater switches to an alternate role). A noteworthy feature of the sweater is its white nameplate, as seen below.
;)
Flyers break the mold by wearing white nameplate on orange jersey
The nameplate isn't the only thing that sets this jersey apart from the rest of the NHL. (It's also orange. Not blue or red or black or white. Orange.) But another video from EA Sports is making us question whether this nameplate madness is going by the wayside.
Flyers get glue to fix broken mold and switch back to matching nameplate
If they are losing the white nameplate, I hope they learn that white is easier to read on orange than black. Especially on TV (hint). Though it wouldn't surprise me in the least if they ignore this fact.
So there it is. Take it for what's it worth. If it ends up being inaccurate, you didn't hear it from me. If it ends up being true, you heard it first on Icethetics.
While we ride out this newslessness spell, do your civic duty and cast some votes for the IceHL.
Chris
I've got a couple of updates to this post this morning.
As Steve points out in the comments, it looks like the Flames' socks are likely getting a makeover. Not only does NHL 10 have the horizontal stripes (after having used the old version in previous games), but NHL 2K10 also appears have them too.
Looks like we're a go for the confidence-inspiring stripes
So that's one theory I think we can run with. Flames fans, what do you think? Are the folks in charge finally listening?
As far as the Flyers, that part of this post was almost unnecessary. It appears the white nameplates will remain on the orange jerseys in NHL 10, but in a screenshot from a newer video, they will evidently span from shoulder to shoulder, as opposed to simply being the length of the player's name.
NHL 10 goes with white shoulder-spanning nameplates after all
I know it's hard to see, but right in the middle there is No. 6, Randy Jones. If you click on the image, it takes you to the YouTube video where I grabbed this screenshot. Then you can watch more of the Flyers/Lightning gameplay.
Anyway, if you're still questioning my aversion to using video games as uniform news sources, take the Flyers as a prime example. Last year, in NHL 09, the weight of the typeface on the nameplate was inaccurately heavy. Sounds like this year they've fixed that, but now the nameplate itself is inaccurately wide.
The Flyers kick off their preseason in Detroit on September 16, then play as the "home team" in London, Ontario a night later. I expect one of those nights we'll see the orange jerseys for the first time this season and I wouldn't expect them to be any different than they were last year.
Reader Comments (29)
Flames' socks were 'scared of the calf' in NHL 09.
In nhl 09 i believe that the sock were correct and had the weird back. You could also make teams with these weird socks...
the Flyers one is not right i new vid. came out of NHL 10 and it had the Flyers in it and they had the white in the back
notice the refs uniformm, it is the same as the one they wore during the all star game. mabye this is a hint that they will wear them full time
Yeah, a few things here, Chris.
The entire Flyers section of this post is unnecessary. That screenshot is from a very old video, and chances are at the time they shot it, they were reworking the texture for the back of the Flyers jersey because the text was too bold last year. The nameplates are back in the newest videos, and they have in fact reworked the text so it isn't bolded like NHL 09.
As for the Flames, it does seem they are getting new socks this year. NHL 2K10 (2K Sports) has featured a shot or two of the Flames, and they too are sporting the socks seen above, just like in NHL 10 (EA Sports). It would seem a little coincidental if both developers decided to inaccurately portray the Flames socks this year, especially since they were in fact correct in last year's games (both 2K and EA). Not like they would just change them for fun, right?
I believe the refs jerseys were scheduled to become full time in 09-10, no? When they were originally released? It makes sense the game would reflect this.
Of course, taking things from video games should never be seen as gospel, but your distaste for any news based on these games is... a little silly. These developers have official partnerships with the NHL and licenses with Reebok, Bauer, and more, yet you write off anything that comes from these games as little more than guesswork. Meanwhile, you post every little leak or impression from just about every other unverified source out there with much more enthusiasm than you show these games. I had assumed when NHL 08 leaked the Edge code and every jersey in the game was dead on accurate prior to their public releases, your tune would change. I was apparently mistaken.
So the Flames are honoring not only Canada and Alberta on their shoulders, but Germany on their socks as well?
To cashe and Steve: Let me know what video shows the corrected version of the Flyers jersey and I'll update this post.
To Steve: First of all, what part of grown men talking about hockey jerseys isn't a little bit silly in the first place? Let's just be honest about that. But I'll tend to your argument just the same.
The Flyers nameplate thing is a perfect example of why I don't trust what comes out of pre-release video games. How are we to know what's completed and what's still in progress? This "very old" video from which I grabbed the Flyers screenshot was released not two weeks ago, according to EA.
Furthermore, I think it's quite a stretch to call my reporting of "every little leak" or "unverified source" anything close to "enthusiastic." Correct me if I'm wrong, but while I may lend more credence to actual journalists (i.e.: newspaper beat writers), do I not always explain the source and tell readers to take it for what it is? (Just as I did here.) Don't let the facts get in the way of making a good argument.
Lastly, I'm completely aware of all the licensing agreements EA has and it's not their attention to detail I'm doubting. It's the fact that these images and videos are all coming to us prior to the official release of the game. As I mentioned, who's to say what's finalized and what's not?
Thanks for hearing me out.
By the way, if 2K10 also has the horizontally-striped Flames socks, I'm tempted to agree that may be a legitimate change and worth further discussion. But I won't accept it until I see it on the ice. (The real ice.) And yes, the refs will be wearing those new uniforms full time this year.
Well, you make good points. I didn't mean to knock the blog or your reporting style, not by any stretch. I've been a follower since you began this thing (I think) back with NHL TOL, so I guess my response to this article stemmed mainly from my particular circumstances. I'm fairly involved with EA's NHL series, and I'm also a die-hard Flyers fan, so I suppose, unlike yourself, I knew for certain that the image you posted was from an older video (early July, as far as I can tell), and that newer videos had already come out confirming the return of the nameplates. Not to mention, I knew the Flyers wouldn't be getting rid of them being how well the jerseys (name plates included) were received by the fans last season.
As for everything else, I understand the apprehension, but I just feel like you're a little too dismissive of the games as a source, that's all. I would trust something coming out of this game (like the socks) just as much as I would a grainy cell phone picture, or a journalist's impressions. I suppose that's just a difference in our opinions though, which is perfectly fine, but I thought I'd leave my thoughts all the same. Regardless, keep up the good work!
Here is the new video of the Flyers jerseys, though you'll notice, despite the fact they've corrected the bold font issue, they've gone ahead and made the name plates too wide / large on the back of the jerseys
Also, Flames socks in NHL 2K10
Sorry for failing at linking, but a little old fashioned copy and paste never hurt anyone, right?
[edit by Chris: Fixed your links.]
Buffalo Sabres' 3rd jersey wasn't correct in NHL 09. I think it was the same 3rd jersey which they wore before Edge -era. So, even finished video games don't get everything correctly.
I think EA just took the easy way out with the Flyers jerseys being shoulder to shoulder rather that being the actual length of the name. Its easier to program a long white stripe on the jersey.
I'm with Chris here..
Just look at the Islanders in NHL 09. Their third jersey in the game had orange numbers and letters. In real life they are white.
The Bolts piping was missing in 09, as was the Sabres.
Just because EA has it does not mean it's accurate.
A note on the extra wide white name plates, I believe that they are that way due to the unnecessary coding complexity and texturing issues of getting each name plate to custom fit each name. It may not look quite right but I saves them from having things go wrong when you trade someone onto the team and their name exceeds the bar due to a glitch.
Good catch on the whole sock thing. Just as a little more info I found. Ironically enough, Dion Phaneuf was the coverboy for NHL09, and he is wearing the "calf-less" socks on the cover of that version and in game for 09 as well
Regarding the Flames sock change for 2010... all of the pics posted only have the away (white) jersey showing the new socks, are the home (red) jerseys changing too? I assume they would, but I'd love to see a pick of the new red socks
Chris, the nameplate is not an issue. It's only widened because they were still working on the game and just threw it on there.
Chris, the folks in charge have pretty much always listened to us Flames fans. I like the new socks, but the old ones were really never an issue. I talk to Flames fans all the time, and no one cares about something so small.
I must say that often in the developments of NHL 10 they wont have the uniforms correct until the game is late in the development, so close to september 15th. Although they do have mistakes that are never fixed, but being a gamer i think gameplay is more important anyway.
Well that's one striping problem fixed for the Flames.
Now if they would just make waist stripes match their arm stripes, their jerseys might actually be decent again. Kind of funny how the German Flag shows up on the away socks.
Meanwhile I guess the designers at EA Sports are having trouble with the white Flyers nameplate. Never was a problem until now I suppose.
Know what, I actually like that funky sock design the Flames and Lightning have/had/whatever
I like those socks too, trying to find me a pair......
I see they still haven't solved the Germany issue...
I didn't mind the socks from 07-09. It went with the jersey, but not a huge deal either way.
That´s a shame that Flames and my fav Bolts will give up on those cool Rbk EDGE socks, because i thought those wore revolutionary for the hockeys sock world.
As far as the nameplates in the video game. Usually all they would need to do is put a white background on each letter, instead of the transparent background they use for every team. That would fix any coding problems because it wouldn't be new code. The only reason I can see changing that is that you wouldn't have stitching on the first and last letters of the name because it could be any letter.
I guess they are trying to get around the stitching problem and just make a separate nameplate texture so people could do similar stuff with their custom team uniforms. Doing that i agree would be a huge problem in having the length calculated.
anyone know who that goalie is in that picture of owen nolan and matthew lombardi? i dont think its roloson because i dont recall him using those pads and it looks as if there is a different crest on the jersey.
To taro: That's Craig Anderson and the Florida Panthers.
The white name bar was never going to be removed from the Flyers jersey. In the game where you see it missing, it's just an early build of the game where it was left out. The white name plate is staying.
One thought on the Flyers name plates.
The way textures work in most video games means that the "jersey" is one image, while the name and number are other images super-imposed onto this. This works perfectly (mostly) for 29 NHL teams since none do anything variable with the jersey itself. Note, this is why names "stretch weirdly" in games too, because the images are literally stuck to the X,Y coordinates and don't move so naturally when the guy reaches out his arm.
However, with the Flyer name plate that changes width, it might be more of an issue. Odds are, either EA adopted a standard width as part of the background texture of the jersey, then super-imposed the name onto it. Thus, the standard widths.
Moreover, the work-around required to make the variable width on the jersey would take a bit of trickery, and likely fall later in the development cycle during a polish run.
Of course, the art and coders wouldn't really tell this to the PR and thus, you get shots of the jersey from behind that are unfortunate.
Bottom line, I suspect their name plate is undergoing zero change at all.
sooo the flames were wearing new socks at their preseason home opener this evening
Also a problem with NHL 09 AND NHL 10 is that the Sharks' shoulder patches use the same logo as appears on the chest for home/away. Both games overlooked that the alternate, full bodied, jumping shark should appear on the shoulders of these jerseys. Big letdown for jersey connoisseurs.