Hockey is a sport that's difficult to master, mostly because you're trying to skate properly and use the hockey stick to maneuver the puck around and score goals against the opposing team. For Electronic Arts' upcoming hockey game, NHL 08 (PS3, Xbox 360), we've got a little surprise for you. Below are two new videos for you to enjoy that should help you master the fine art of using a skill stick controls. That's right: a hockey stick isn't used for beating people up, it's for scoring goals!

In the first video, you'll be introduced to the skill stick tutorial, which will teach you the basics of maneuvering and scoring goals in NHL 08. It includes movement of the player and the puck, shooting, dodging, and performing fake maneuvers to throw your opponent off-guard. In the second video, you'll be able to hear commentary from the game's producers, Dean Richard and David Littman, as they explain the nuances of the skill stick. You'll hear them explaining how the new features for this year's game is meant to make the game more realistic, as the puck is live and in play when you're in the game.

In any case, you can find out more about the skill stick by watching the videos below. Enjoy!



Another video after the jump!

Buy: [NHL 08 (PS3)]
Buy: [NHL 08 (Xbox 360)]

If you've ever played hockey, or attempted to play it, you'd know just how painful it can get. (Heck, for this writer, even putting one foot on the ice is painful.) For today's dose of the upcoming EA Sports video game - NHL 08, a lot of effort was put on making the pain look real.

David Littman, gameplay producer for NHL 08, gives us some insight on just how the contact physics and realistic motion applies in the title. They used a new contact physics engine and a new skating engine. NHL 08 (PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, and PC) looks smooth and realistic, though that's judging from the videos we're seen so far. The real test will be on the game's September 11 release date.

Anyway, we'll leave you to check it out for yourself. Feel free to tell us what you think. Enjoy!

And just to settle the score against the competition, EA Sports' NHL 08 (for the PC, Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3) producer David Littman recently made a blog entry for the next hockey sports title and passed new gameplay features and improvements that players might be interested to know. And according to him, from now until shipment, fans of the game can keep checking blogged updates on new developments.

But first, let's see what EA Sports has in store for the new hockey successor to NHL 07, featuring cover athlete Eric "Gunner" Staal this time around. Littman pointed out that all the NHL 07 skating issues have been addressed and that players should have complete, 100% control over each of their players.

"Overall, our goal is to create the tools and the brain of an NHL player, input them into our game, and then leave the rest to you," blogged Littman. So expect brief flicks on control sticks should equate to a precise unique reaction on a player in the game, like a 10% tap in one direction should reflect a player zipping in that location in 10% speed accordingly.

And how about stopping to line up the right pass or shot? That's been improved, too. In any case, the length of time it takes for you to tap the stick on your gamepad, the controlled man will take that long to stop. A simple tap backwards makes a brief controlled halt, and tapping back forward again will cause your player to skirt in that direction again.

And skating has also been improved to the point that animation and gameplay mechanics become more practical and realistic. Teammates on the defense positions will now keep to the blue lines, facing their upper torso toward the puck so that they're always ready to receive a pass from the puckhandler.

Cross-over turns are now just controlled by a genuine, quick roll of the stick, if you want to skirt behind the goal for example to clear up a newly retrieved puck for a new offensive dash toward the opponent's end. He also adds that it keeps player's speeds up while allowing them to change direction.

Skill Stick features in NHL 07 have been further developed to practical levels in NHL 08, and the team behind NHL 08 will also be addressing goals trickling past the goalie and new team-based AI. More on that once they come in.