One complaint I hear a lot from fans is that players don't always seem to play to their ratings. This is a really tricky area because you don't want players, be they good or bad, to always play the same way, but will people be able to clearly tell a difference from an All-Star quality player to a 4th liner?

This is probably more noticeable in 2K8 than it ever has been. With the Pro Stick, for example, lesser-skilled players won’t have the same range and mobility when handling the puck. Higher-skilled players can even do some things like putting the puck behind their back that aren’t available to the average player. As mentioned with Superstar Moves above, only the best players will be able to pull off all of those moves successfully.

Even when just trying to do basic stickhandling, an average player is going to be more likely to lose the puck in traffic. Power forwards will also be able to retain control of the puck better when being bumped and checked. Each of the different types of players in the game, from snipers, to finesse players, to power forwards, to enforcers, have strengths and weaknesses that you will feel on the ice, and this was something we definitely wanted to stand out more from the beginning.

Is there anything new this year with how online leagues are run?

The online league system is set up very similarly to the way it has been in past versions of the game. We are working on some new and interesting things that we are going to tie in with our league website support though, so stay tuned for details on that.

Has Franchise Mode changed at all?

Franchise Mode has gotten a huge overhaul this year. We spent a ton of time working in all the finer details of the NHL’s new CBA. Everything from a waiver system, one and two-way contracts, restricted and unrestricted free agents, holdouts, and a general cap management system are included. We also have a brand new negotiation system that lets you go back and forth with the agent of the player you are trying to sign, and it creates a fun little game-within-the-game as you build your roster.

Additionally, there is a new player progression system that is more strongly tied to ice time and how well your players perform. If you have a hot prospect that you want to get better fast, you can put him on the first line, and the more successful you are when playing with him, the quicker his ratings will improve. There are a ton of details here and things to do with your team that could keep you busy for hours. I haven’t even touched on our practice system, chemistry system, or minor league system. The great thing about all this too is that not only is there going to be something for everyone, but you can pick and choose what areas you want to focus on. If you’re more interested in the management side and want to handle contract negotiations, keeping your team in line with the cap, and setting up good line combinations, you can do all that while simulating the games. If you want to play through all the games yourself and focus on player progression and taking your team to the Cup while the CPU handles all the management decisions, you can do that too. Or if you’re a really hard-core player with a lot of time on your hands, you can do both.

Is there any difference this year between the Xbox 360 and PS3 versions?

Not a whole lot, really. There is a bit of a different visual quality between the two systems. Certain things look a bit better on one system or the other, but generally they are pretty close. On 360, we have added 2K Reelmaker for NHL 2K8, which is an Xbox Marketplace exclusive. On PS3, we support the SIXAXIS controller for both checking and Crease Control. Otherwise, there’s not much setting the two apart.

Any closing thoughts that you'd like to share with fans of the game?

Overall, I’m really happy with the way the game has shaped up this year. I think we’ve easily made the biggest leap from one year to the next with NHL 2K8. It’s a brand new experience across the board. Everything from the menu system and interface, to gameplay, to graphics, to presentation, to Franchise mode has seen a significant upgrade. Our goal was to make this seem like a new game as much as possible, and I hope that is the feeling people have when they finally get to try it out.

We also now have a great foundation in place for the future. There are so many things we can expand on and improve, that I’m already getting excited just thinking about the possibilities for NHL 2K9. For now though, I’m looking forward to NHL 2K8 hitting the shelves and getting to see the feedback and responses from everyone out there. September is only a few short weeks away – I’ll see you all online!

We'd like to thank Ben for taking the time to speak with us about this year's game. I'm sure he just raised the anticipation meter tenfold. If it all comes together the way he says it has, I'm sure hockey fans are going to be in for a real treat this fall. We'll all find out soon enough as the game is less than a month away, and I'll get a chance to take the Blue Jackets to the Promised Land. A man can dream, eh?