The NHL franchise's Be-A-GM mode has been a staple in the game for years, but has g..."/> The NHL franchise's Be-A-GM mode has been a staple in the game for years, but has g..."/>
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NHL 14: Be A GM And GM Connected Improvements

By Michael Straw

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The NHL franchise’s Be-A-GM mode has been a staple in the game for years, but has gone largely untouched year after year; GM Connected, while a great idea, failed to live up to the hype in its first iteration in NHL 13.

EA Sports has taken feedback given to them by plenty of members of the NHL gaming community, and used it to make some big changes to the popular game modes for this year’s edition of the game.

In it’s latest developer blog, the team at EA Sports Vancouver laid out all of the updates to the two modes, including improved loading time for GM Connected.

"Optimized GM Connected Functionality – GM Connected will be more user-friendly and allow you to spend less time on loading screens, thanks to improved speed and performance in both menu loading and simulation behaviorOther updates include:Commissioners can now accept & decline trades on mobile devices.Counter trades can be proposed directly from the mailbox.The ability to accept trades directly from the Trade Details Screen.Users can invite others to a league.All games in the league can be seen on the Master Schedule.Deeper Be a GM Progression and Trading Intelligence – Be a GM game mode is all about creating an authentic hockey management experience. New scouting features, realistic ice-time simulations and adjustable trade difficulty settings create a deeper, more customizable experience in Be a GM mode.Other updates include:Potential is now affected by the number of scouting visits, creating a more organic experience.Difficulty can be scaled to make it more (or less) challenging to trade with the AI.CPU can sign and re-sign players during the off season for the user.Player swapping is easier with just one transaction in the Roster Management Screen.Players develop during the season, making for a more authentic gameplay feel."

They may not have made every update fans of the series would have liked to see — more realistic offseason and free agency period — but they definitely seem to have made some big improvements to a couple of modes that very much needed them.

NHL 14 hits store shelves on Sept. 10 for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3.

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