NHL 15 bringing new collision and puck physics to the PS4 and Xbox One

The first iteration of EA Sports' NHL franchise is coming to Xbox One and PlayStation 4 this year, and with it comes new physics for players and the puck.

Publisher Electronic Arts announced today that while the game will also be coming to PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, the new, real-world physics will be coming to Sony's and Microsoft's newest consoles. The new physics features for NHL 15 are:

• 12 Player NHL Collision Physics – For the first time, real-world physics affect every player through every on-ice collision with the new 12 Player NHL® Collision Physics. Utilizing the power of the new consoles, and building off the critically-acclaimed NHL Collision Physics system, every player on the ice is governed by physics at all times. Feel the hard-hitting chaos of NHL hockey through true-to-life secondary collisions, net scrambles and player pileups, capturing the desperation of every shift.
• Real Puck Physics – The puck is one of the most complex items in the game to authentically replicate and it finally gets its due in NHL 15. Completely rebuilt puck physics result in a more realistic feel to every puck interaction. Everything on the ice, including the ice surface itself, is live which leads to the unpredictable and authentic puck spins, rolls and bounces seen in a real NHL game.

Outside of the new physics, the new player models have been rebuilt from the ground up, with player models having three distinct layers — the body, equipment, and the jersey — with dynamic cloth technology that helps add some realism to the way players move. NHL 15 also uses the same technology from EA Sports UFC to bring player likeness, emotion and animation to the players.

The Superstar Skill Stick gives players full control to protect the puck, receive passes, discover an arsenal of dekes, all packaged onto the right stick control scheme. Player Vision AI also helps teammates read and react quicker to potential plays with scoring area recognition, pass anticipation and team breakouts.

NHL 15 will release this fall for Xbox One, PlayStation 4, Playstation 3 and Xbox 360.

You can follow Senior Editor Lance Liebl on Twitter @Lance_GZ. He likes talking sports, video games, movies, and the stupidity of celebrities. Email at LLiebl@GameZone.com