I have decided to create a new game.  I am sure everyone has at least heard of, if not played the EA sports NHL games.  This game is very popular, so popular it in fact comes out with a new game each year.  With each year EA comes out with a new NHL game with the corresponding year.  My idea is that with the new NHL ‘22 coming out around this Christmas, coming out with a new spinoff of the NHL games called “EA’s ‘NHL '22 Goon Edition’”, relating to the 2011 Canadian film titled Goon.  This version of the game will mostly focus around a fighter, the goon, that is the player along with the regular NHL game aspects.  At the beginning of this game, the player gets to customize their character.  This can be as simple as aesthetic looks to hair color or height.  Once their ‘Goon’ is crested they will get drafted to a team.  This is already a feature on the NHL games that are already out.  Many of the features in the game simulation and setup will be similar.  However, on ‘The Goon’ once you are on your team you will not be playing much hockey.  A goon is defined as “the ice hockey player on a team who is known as the enforcer. This player is also known as the tough guy or the fighter of the team. The main role of the goon is to act aggressively towards the opposition’s star player or goalie or to also respond to an opponent who performed a dirty play against someone on their team. A team may also use this player to help protect the star player on their own team”.  Therefore as the goon, you will be fighting as a majority in this game.  For winning fights you will get points added to your overall score.  The goal in the game is to accumulate points from your fighting.  These points will be able to be used in many ways.  One way the points cal be used is to add to your player’s appearance.  Different things such as tattoos and piercings will be able to be purchased through points.  Along with being able to purchase different gear such as sticks, tape, skates, etc.  The points will also be used to measure your ‘fame’.  By fighting (winning) and getting points your character will become more famous.  Not only will your fame increase with your wins and points but so will things such as stamina and strength.  The more you win the better your character will become.  This will create a bit of difficulty at the beginning of the game.  You will have to rely on strategy more than strength until your points increase.  Altough the main idea of the playing hockey will still be very important.  Playing each game will still be done but the Goon will be an added feature.  If you chose to deploy your Goon into the game there are certain rewards and consequences in their efforts.  If your Goon is successful in their attack or fight, your team will gain an advantage.  This advantage will slow the opposing team by 25% and avoid any penalty minutes to your men.  Although if your Goon is unsuccessful, your team will play down a man and be on a 5 on 4 penalty kill.  The player of the game can choose their game mode whether they want to play the Goon Deploy mode or just as a Goon itself with only the fighting aspect to gain strength and points they can choose to do so.

Below (on the right with NHL player Austin Matthews) is a mock-up of what the game case may look like.  It is using a photo from the 2011 Goon movie along with the stickers that are on usual NHL game cases (on the left with NHL player P.K. Subban).

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Reflecting on this assignment I really enjoyed writing about this idea.  In the upcoming week of the assignment I was on facetime with my boyfriend.  I had hit a wall coming up with ideas for this project so I decided to explain the project to him and see if he had any thoughts.  I told him my hope was to create a new game that was possibly based off a movie.  He emediatly said Goon and I ran with it.  That movie title sparked the idea of a more intense hockey fighting game.  The NHL games in the past have had aspects of fighting within them, however they never implemented a 'goon'.  In the regular NHL games the player had to initiate the fight by clicking a button.  I always had diffuvulty with this.  I don't know if it was the other player refusing to fight or that I was simply not doing it right.  Basically, the fighting in the games before was more few and far between.  So I decided to make a version that sort of highlighted hockey fighting rather than sliding it under the rug.  Fighting is as much a part of this game than anything else.

After our meeting I made some adjustments I had not thought about myself.  I did not realize how similar it may be to a UFC or WWE game if it was only about the fighting aspect of a Goon.  That is when I added the Goon Deploy mode I described above.  I think this is a fun game mode that will use the new aspect of the game very well and still make the hockey part just as importatant.  Although once I made this adjustment I also changed the name from just EA's Goon to EA's NHL '22 Goon to show that it is just an added game mode and a spinoff of the regular NHL game series.  I kept all the original aspects of the game and decided to elaborate on them.  I also decided to have a game mode where I could leave the originally idea I had for the game while making a more functional version of the game as well.  This more functional version is the Goon Deploy mode I have already mentioned.  Although with this game changes and the change to the name I did decide to remake the game case cover to match the idea as well.