Videogames.com got a chance to ask Radical Entertainment's development team producer Joe Nickolls and product manager Craig Howe a few questions about their upcoming ESPN-licensed title National Hockey Night. Here's what they had to say.

　　Videogames.com: What differentiates Radical's Hockey from previous EA and Konami titles?

　　Radical: Two things. First, National Hockey Night is a playable ESPN broadcast.

　　Second is gameplay. Radical pioneered fluid hockey gameplay in 3D with our PowerPlay series. At that time, the team was so focused on delivering the most realistic hockey experience that it sacrificed enhancing the graphics and presentation. With all the recognizable flare of ESPN and completely remodeled art and animations, we can now deliver not only the best playing, but one of the best looking hockey game on the market.

　　Videogames.com: How are you taking full advantage of the ESPN name with this game?

　　Radical: Every single screen, every single feature is derived from an ESPN broadcast. A few examples.

　　The production team logged hours in the ESPN National Hockey Night production trucks during live broadcasts. This created our eight authentic ESPN camera angles and a tool called Director that replicates the between-the-whistles and instant replay cut sequences used on ESPN.

　　We have rotating front ends that feel just like the SportsCenter intro featuring ESPN icons Dan Patrick and Kenny Mayne. All the in-game stats have been provided in detail by ESPN's massive research department and delivered in the game in a recognizable format.

　　The little things are all included like an up-to-the-minute SportsTicker at the bottom of the screen, ESPN graphic overlays and fonts, authentic National Hockey Night music and sound, and most importantly Gary Thorne and Steve Levy.

　　Vidoegames.com: Tell us more about the announcers.

　　Radical: Gary Thorne and Steve Levy are the foundation of the ESPN broadcast feel in this game. Not only are the voices easily identifiable, the commentary is extremely relevant and insightful. Our philosophy has been to get away from the repetitive two-man commentary booths that exist in video games today and let true personalities with good hockey knowledge and a great sense of humor have fun. The result is relevant, humorous, and nonrepetitive color commentary.

　　Videogames.com: What was your goal when you first set out to create this game?

　　Radical: We had two goals. The first was to create the first truly playable broadcast. How do most people know hockey? Not every hockey gamer has been to a NHL game and even fewer have actually stepped onto the ice. People want to play what they see on TV, and that's what we intend to bring to life. I don't think anyone could ask for a better partner than ESPN to make this happen. The second is to deliver a realistic NHL simulation that is fun to play and truly captures the fluid gameplay of NHL hockey.

　　Videogames.com: What mistakes in other hockey games have you learned from and how did you improve upon these?

　　Radical: Get rid of the repetitive play-by-play. Too many games out there right now "talk to much." It gets a little overbearing to know every time so-and-so passes to so-and-so. We found through focus groups that gamers want relevant and humorous information about the game they're playing. Hockey is not baseball, there is just too much action going on to try and do play-by-play.

　　Create a better AI. We want the game to play exactly like the NHL and the only way to do that is to make our game smarter than any other hockey game on the market. This is evident in every facet of National Hockey Night, from detailed player animations to accurate coaching strategies.

　　Rather than focus on fixing mistakes, we've been more concerned about doing things that no one else has done before. Having specific color commentary, crowd noise, and gameplay dedicated toward NHL rivalries (White Hot Rivalries) is one example. Letting PC gamers get up-to-the-minute SportsTicker updates and choose team jerseys before every game is another. Basically, we've taken all the good elements from hockey video games and combined them with innovative ideas and a clean ESPN presentation.

　　Videogames.com: What have you done to create a true hockey experience for hardcore fans?

　　Radical: White Hot Rivalries and Playoff Performers are two features geared toward hockey fanatics. White Hot Rivalries not only talks about why certain NHL teams don't like each other, but elevates gameplay, crowd noise, and player intensity. Everyone from die-hard hockey fans to hockey rookies love to hear why the Red Wings and Avalanche have such a strong dislike for each other. Playoff Performers is another cool feature. Hockey is notorious for having players that coast through the regular season and then go into overdrive in the playoffs. In light of this, National Hockey Night changes player ratings when the post-season begins.

　　Videogames.com: What sort of sound treatment does the game have?

　　Radical: Sound was captured live from arena soundboards at NHL arenas during rivalry games like Blackhawks vs. Red Wings and Devils vs. Rangers. This let us capture authentic sounds both on the ice and in the crowd. We also have full Dolby surround sound as well as two-man color commentary booth and stadium announcer.

　　Videogames.com: How is the single-player mode vs. the multiplayer mode?

　　Radical: Seasons and playoffs all support multiple users and multiple teams. You can have up to eight players with two PlayStation multitaps. The single-player version will feature three skill levels.

　　Videogames.com: How much customizability does the game have?

　　Radical: The game will have customizable controller configurations, camera angles, color commentary, and sound (crowd, music, and effects). The game also includes Create-a-Player, multiplayer trades, and the ability to edit players. The SportsTicker (PC only) can be customized to receive as many or as few sports as the user wants. The roster updates online (PC only), including rosters, rookies, free agents, attributes, pictures, and Power Rankings. The game has multiple quarter lengths, simulation, and arcade modes.

　　Videogames.com: Is there a Stanley Cup?

　　Radical: Yes and a World Tournament as well.

　　Videogames.com: How do you plan to spend the remainder of the development cycle?

　　Radical: Tuning the playability and graphics. All the tools are in at this point; we just need time to polish the nuts and bolts of the game.

　　Videogames.com: When do you expect the game to launch?

　　Radical: It should be in stores at the end of October or early November for both PC and PlayStation.