Eurogamer: ChampMan is obviously famed for its attention to detail and its massively detailed player and staff database - how detailed is the Eastside database by comparison? How much research went into it in all?
Risto Remes: We are a long way from getting into the level of the football database since they have so many years of research behind it all and we have just started our database for this version. We've had about 30 Head Researchers during the development of the game all over the world with their own countless team researchers and they have all worked hard on getting the database where it is today. I cannot estimate any specific hours that have been spent on the research but it has been an enormous effort.
Eurogamer: How does that sort of relationship work? Do you pay the NHL a fee to make use of their official logos and such, or is it royalty-based?
Miles Jacobson: We legally aren't allowed to disclose the relationship with the NHL/NHLPA, or any other license. What I can say is that they've been very helpful in ensuring that all of the player rosters and the like are accurate for the league.
Eurogamer: You're probably bored of answering this sort of question by now (so sorry about that in advance!), but would you mind describing an average game of Eastside for our readers? Say we were just starting out - what sort of things would we have to worry about initially?
Risto Remes: Starting a completely new game, it would go something like this. First you'd take a glance of how your team looks and what kind of players you have available. Maybe ask your head coach to do the lines to see what they would look like to start with, so you can start looking at any weak spots and finding new players for those positions. Then a quick glance at the upcoming exhibition games and the league schedule before setting some training schedules and assigning some of your scouts to look for new players. Then moving on day by day through the pre-season exhibition games, trying out different line combinations and different tactics, preparing for the season. If you are lucky and find some suitable players to improve your roster, you can sign or trade for them (depending on where they currently play and you manage). Once the season starts you'll need to keep an eye out for possible good signings or trades to improve the roster even more while coaching through the games and keeping your players happy. Handling the media will probably also play a part during the season and if you do well enough, you'll find yourself battling in the playoffs at the end of the season in order to win the league title. After the season, there are drafts in some leagues to select promising youngsters and then the off-season to sign some free-agents before it all begins again and you'll prepare for a new season. (This was just a general glance on a season without going into too many details...)
