Eastside Hockey Manager
Eastside Hockey Manager (2nd generation), commonly known as EHM or EHM2g is a freeware video game about managing an ice hockey team. Complete with computer controlled AI teams and the possibility to set up online leagues to play against friends, it was created by a small independent team led by Finnish programmer Risto Remes and was coded in the Visual Basic programming language.
The game simulated the full NHL season and had a database of around 3,000 players and staff and featured virtually unlimited number of seasons to play. After the game picked up a large following in the internet, it was 'spotted' by a leading member of British game developers Sports Interactive. Remes then signed with Sports Interactive to work on a commercial version of the game, using the expertise and codebase of the company famous for creating hit football management games. The new version of the game went by the working title of Eastside Hockey Manager: Franchise Edition before being released by Sega under the name of NHL Eastside Hockey Manager. A follow-up for the 2005 season came in July 2005, and the game was expected to grow in the same way as Sports Interactive's market-leading Football Manager series. However, on January 30th, 2007 it was decided that the 2007 edition would be the final edition at that time. The series cancellation was credited to a loss of sales due to software piracy, and glossed over the impact that the lock-out had upon sales in a year when no previous hockey season existed.[1]
On March 26th, 2015, a new game in the series was announced by Sports Interactive, and that the game would be released in Early Access mode on Steam later that day. [2]
See also
- NHL Eastside Hockey Manager - The first commercial version of the game.
- NHL Eastside Hockey Manager 2005 - The first sequel to the commercial game.
- NHL Eastside Hockey Manager 2007 - The latest edition of the series (September 2006)
- Eastside Hockey Manager series - The hockey management series.