stingermck

Looks like NFS Undercover may be my last one until they reboot (Again) No desire to play a simulation NFS if its anything like Pro Street, GT, PGR, etc. And does "first person" mean no alternate cameras/views?



'Need for Speed' franchise is shifting gears (AP)

LOS ANGELES - Electronic Arts is steering the popular "Need for Speed" franchise in a new direction.

The video game publisher announced plans Friday to spin off the 15-year-old racing series into three driving games on different platforms. The new games will speed into three separate genres — simulation, action and arcade racing.

"It's all about crafting different games for different audiences," said Keith Munro, EA marketing vice president. "The 'Need for Speed' brand is quite powerful. It has great recognition, even outside of gaming. When we talked to consumers about what the brand meant to them, we realized that it could be stretched to new limits on different platforms."

The new games, expected to be released later this year, are "Need for Speed Shift," a first-person racing simulation for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360; "Need for Speed World Online," a multiplayer action-driving game for the PC; and "Need for Speed Nitro," an arcade-style racing game developed by EA Montreal for the Nintendo Wii and DS.

"In the past, our 'Need for Speed' games have done very well on all platforms," Munro said. "We just think we can do better with this new plan. We actually have the opportunity to devote an entirely new studio and development team to the creation of a from-the-ground-up Nintendo-only 'Need for Speed' game. We didn't have those resources available before."

Munro said EA Black Box, the Canadian developer that created every previous "Need for Speed" game, has been collaborating with developer Slightly Mad Studios on "Need for Speed Shift" and EA Singapore on "Need for Speed World Online." He also said Black Box is continuing to work on a new action driving game, despite recent companywide layoffs.

"They will still be very much involved in the development of 'Need for Speed' products," Munro said. "Over the years, we've asked the Black Box team to deliver a new 'Need for Speed' game every year. We've gone to a couple of new studios to deliver next fall's games to inject freshness into the category and give the Black Box team time to retrench."

The new games have been in development for two years. The original "Need for Speed" was released in 1994 for the 3DO, PC, PlayStation and Sega Saturn systems. The most recent game, "Need for Speed Undercover," was released last November for the PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, PlayStation Portable, Xbox 360, Nintendo DS, Wii and PC.

http://tech.yahoo.com/news/ap/200901...need_for_speed

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More info and interview:

"We're listening to players and will deliver the games on a schedule that makes the most sense for the franchise. Currently, players demand a new Need for Speed property in the market each year."

http://www.gamespot.com/news/6203924...topstory;title

cruzness

Not interested in any of the 3 NFS projects. Their new direction is to have no specific direction and release 3 generic sounding games. Sounds like a train wreck waiting to happen.

PerryD

I would love it if they just remade the very first Need for Speed with high def graphics and maybe add some new tracks and multiplayer modes.

chess

No you wouldn't.

Nostalgia is funny that way...and driving games have evolved a lot since then.

stingermck

A true sequel to Hot Pursuit is whats needed. Undercover was close, but there were too many random events/races and too few storyline races/chases.

boredsilly

I agree. Hot Pursuit was an amazing game. Maybe if I go back and play it now it will seem a little antiquated, but I remember pouring hours upon hours into Hot Pursuit. The pure racing was great, and the police chases were incredibly intense. Every NFS game I've picked up since then has been too cute (with the Fast and Furious aesthetic) and lacked on the pure driving.

lordwow

Let.

It.

Die.

The Bus

I liked NFS:MW just found the framerate and ridiculous difficulty level wanting.

chess

Yes.

Exotic cars. Exotic locations. Police chases. High-Def graphics. Sold.