Football Manager captures the attentions of millions of fans around the world, beckoning players to keep close tabs on their virtual teams and pull off deals worth millions of dollars. The game's developers, Sports Interactive, are bringing that experience to ice hockey.
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Eastside Hockey Manager is now available in early access form on Steam, with a low price during the development period as well as a bonus discount for Football Manager owners.
The series is actually making a return, not a debut--it came around between 2004 and 2007 as a boxed retail game, but a combination of piracy and difficulties moving physical versions in some regions did not make it financially viable. The franchise has received community support by a small dedicated number of fans since then, and the benefits of modern Steam make a return possible.
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You can manage any club across a large number leagues and levels of play, though the official licenses are absent for the time being. There are replicas of the NHL, teams, and players, but no official names until SI sees enough support to launch the game in full and acquire licenses. This early access period will serve partially as a test to gauge interest, as what started as a side project at the studio now has required hiring new staff to manage. The game will grow and add features with enough support, becoming a more full-fledged experience according to the Steam page.
There are some great community files out there already that add real player pictures, updated rosters with real names, and league and team names and photos to circumvent the fact that there are currently no licenses. This makes the game much more palatable instead of sorting through fake names as you attempt to play, trade, and draft your way to the top. Eastside Hockey Manager costs $14.99 in early access form.
