GM Connected (NHL 13 & 14) was a favorite game mode of numerous EA Sports NHL players. It was always exciting to come home after a day of school or work and see that you had 2 or 3 games on the schedule against a friend for the current period. Even more exciting was being matched up against a friend in a playoff series. Many of us still talk about the nail-biting series we used to have.

The impact GM Connected had carries far beyond the couch. We the players would constantly talk about the games we would have when we were finally reunited. We the players remember the sweat we would break during crucial season or playoff games. GM Connected was a great way to stay connected to friends, especially those who we were unable to play against in person, but still wanted to play head to head against them in games that had meaning, and did they ever have meaning. 

The games had meaning because of the investment players would make in the season. After playing an 82 game season, playoff games had more meaning and got players' hearts pounding more than any other game mode. 

To give one of numerous anecdotes of players out there, I had a group of approximately 10 friends that were die-hard GM Connected players. We would all meet online to play whenever possible, but when that was not the case, all you had to do was contact your individual friends that you had a scheduled game with and set up a time to play. The laughs, and the competitive and anxiety-inducing nature that came with GM Connected games resonate with me to this day. Those who were not in a game would intently monitor the scores of those who were playing to see how it either affected the standings, or who would be taking the lead in a playoff series. Those in a game would often mute the rest of the Xbox party to focus on the game, and all can attest to the heart-racing and sweat-provoking intensity of these games. These games were a source of lighthearted humor, and gave our friends the opportunity to take a jab at others. We loved GM Connected, as did the numerous other GM Connected players out there.

We understand that EA discontinued GM Connected in part because of low participation. After reading countless forums outlining feedback from players, this was largely connected to network issues during games. It has been 6 years since we lost GM Connected, yet in that time the tech industry's innovation has greatly improved the connectivity and network issues that sometimes plagued the online gaming experience of years past.

We the players, your customers, and your loyal fan-base, respectfully but adamantly direct your attention to a pool of players that you have not heard as a collective. There is a sect of your customers that have been longing for a return of GM Connected for years. We sincerely hope that you take our feedback seriously and translate it into a tangible result for the benefit of us all. 

EA Sports, please hear us.

Sincerely,

Your fans, customers, and players