NHL 2012 Female Player Option

[badinsults]

I thought this was pretty neat. This girl was playing an NHL hockey game, and she lamented how she could not create female players to create a team based on the team she plays on. So she writes a letter to EA Sports, and not only do they include gender as an option in creating a player, but they make her the model for the default female player.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/girl-wins-bid-to-play-virtual-self-in-nhl-video-game/article2161727/

[Nirvana]

I saw this on Yahoo the other day. It makes me happy that EA Sports actually read this girl's letter and fulfilled her wish, and went above and beyond by making her the default female player model. Classy move.

[Mianrtcv]

I am pleasantly surprised to read this.

[Gameguy]

It's good news to hear, but now you know some company is just going to screw it up. Soon something like Dead or Alive Xtreme Hockey is going to get made.

[Ze_ro]

Classy move, EA Sports. I think this is a great idea all around.

--Zero

[skaar]

Nicely done.

[Robocop2]

I think that this type of thing is an excellent example of ways to make games more accessible and hopefully enjoyable for female gamers. I think that alot of RPG's have done a good job of this in the past as well though.

Next on EA's list: WNBA 2012 ;)

[bunnybum]

Females in video games? Preposterous!

Joking aside, this is a nice move by EA but will this put off the NHL purists? Granted, I don't know anything about hockey but are there female players? If I was a die-hard fan of sport X and only bought one game a year based on that sport/league/event this would piss me off. Imagine Nintendo taking over the Fifa franchise and putting Yoshi in as a referee.

[Collector_Gaming]

they do have a female branch of NHL
infact they have womens hockey apart of the olympics. So why not?

[bunnybum]

they do have a female branch of NHL
infact they have womens hockey apart of the olympics. So why not?

See, I did not know that. Then maybe this is the eye-opener for EA to make a game about the female branch, which wouldn't be half bad.

[badinsults]

Females in video games? Preposterous!

Joking aside, this is a nice move by EA but will this put off the NHL purists? Granted, I don't know anything about hockey but are there female players? If I was a die-hard fan of sport X and only bought one game a year based on that sport/league/event this would piss me off. Imagine Nintendo taking over the Fifa franchise and putting Yoshi in as a referee.

I really don't see how this could piss people off. Really, there are tons of women playing hockey (at least in Canada). I remember when I was in high school, there was a girl who was good enough that she played on the school's mens team, and she was the highest scorer in the league. Why would EA ignore the fastest growing demographic in the sport? The NHL games already include AHL and CHL teams, so it is only a matter of time before they include female international play.

[Ze_ro]

they do have a female branch of NHL
Well... there's the CWHL and the WWHL in Canada... But calling either a "branch" of the NHL is a huge overstatement I'd say.

There are women like Manon Rheaume and Haley Wickenheiser who have played professional hockey... but this really isn't about making the game more realistic. It's all about appealing to a demographic that is completely ignored in other sports games (and video games in general). I see no reason for "purists" to have anything against this... it's not like there are going to be a bunch of girls on all the NHL teams (well, except maybe the Oilers :P ).

--Zero

[skaar]

it's not like there are going to be a bunch of girls on all the NHL teams (well, except maybe the Oilers :P )

Particularly the Oilers. Seriously, if you're the kind of person that gets a bug up their ass over this... Bah to you.

[AceAerosmith]

If they make a womens hockey game, will it be like the Lingerie Football League?

Minnesota got their franchise up and running this year. The Minnesota Valkyrie, kids.

http://www.lflus.com/minnesotavalkyrie/

[Snapple]

This isn't going to bug the purists. Nobody is forced to use a 14-year old girl player. They're just putting in the option to make it happen.

I see it as all upside, no downside. It's classy.