Franchise Hockey Manager 3 is coming October 17. The hockey management simulator, in which players take on the role of both GM and head coach of a professional hockey team, will be a Windows and Mac exclusive.
What makes Franchise Hockey Manager 3 stand out from past titles in the franchise and other management simulators is that it is officially licensed by the NHL. In past Franchise Hockey Manager titles, NHL logos and jerseys had to be imported from third party sources, but this is no longer the case.
Franchise Hockey Manager 3 is the first PC hockey game since EA’s NHL 09 to be officially licensed by the NHL.
The official licensing has brought with it NHL logos, insignias, and uniforms from all 30 teams, as well as the Stanley Cup Championship and post-season awards like the Hart, Vezina, and Norris.
Developer Out of the Park Developments hopes that the NHL logos and jerseys will add a new level of authenticity that wasn’t previously possible with their franchise. In addition to having access to the NHL’s exhaustive library of player face generations, Franchise Hockey Manager 3 has the rights to all official player numbers, and these can be adapted to new teams based on trades. Ever wanted to see Patrick Kane in a Bruins jersey? Now is your chance.
Out of the Park Developments has stated that they are just scratching the surface of what the NHL license will allow them to do.
Franchise Hockey Manager 3 also has a new Path To Glory Mode, a more streamlined way to play with improved game and information flow.
Path To Glory Mode also provides those new to the genre with the tools to get into the game quickly, laying out goals clearly and giving gamers more guidance than in previous titles.
Path To Glory Mode also lets gamers customize their GM/Coach with preferences and strengths and weaknesses. These customizable traits will affect how your GM/Coach implements strategy, how they relate to their players, and how easy it is for them to make trades and sign new players.
When players finish Path To Glory mode, they will be assigned a score that is compared to historic NHL GMs.
For those who want a less guided experience with fewer structured goals, Sandbox mode offers a more flexible and free experience—akin to what’s been offered in past Out of the Park Developments titles.
A new Role-Based Tactical System is available, which allows gamers to choose from a variety of pre-set tactics to build their team’s system and assign players to specific roles within that system. This lets gamers customize offensive and defensive strategy, along with power play and penalty kill strategy.
More in-depth information about these game modes can be found in the video at the top of the page.
There will be more news and updates ahead of the game’s October 17 release date.
Anyone who pre-orders Franchise Hockey Manager 3 can get $10 off the full list price of $40.