Ben-DutkaNeed for Speed: Undercover represented a slight departure from tradition for the long-running racing franchise, as EA implemented a movie-like storyline in order to grab new fans. Evidently, though, they didn't go far enough with the restructuring.
According to Eurogamer, EA says they plan to "reinvent" the Need for Speed series this year, which means we won't see just one blockbuster release. Instead, we'll get "separate core, casual and 'Play 4 Free' games." Therefore, the schedule includes Need for Speed: Shift for the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, PSP and PC (set for fall), Need for Speed: Nitro for the Wii and DS, and Need for Speed: World Online , which will be released to the Asian online PC market first in the summer, than head to North America in the winter. Shift is being developed by Slightly Mad Studios (they're responsible for GT Legends and GTR2 ), and this installment will focus on the simulation aspects of driving. Apparently, this will not only include racing physics, but "realistic driver behavior." That whole "urban underground" theme will disappear, it seems, and instead, we get features like "a flashy 3D HUD that mimics driver head movement" (feeds off inertia and G-force), a cockpit view, and more. Said EA Marketing boss Keith Munro:
"Need for Speed Shift is amazing and I think it will blow people away. The tech behind that game, the details that only a team with such racing pedigree could accomplish, and the ability to make you feel the intensity of a race is unprecedented. I can't wait for our fans to begin experiencing it! Regarding any new Need for Speed girls I can't comment, but I'll definitely mark down one enthusiastic vote for Josie Maran."
As if you hadn't already guessed, Nitro will be a "fast, fun arcade" racer, and…well, that's all we really need to say about it. World Online is being co-developed by Black Box and EA's online studio in Singapore. Munro says it's "not so much a proof of concept – it is a full-fledged launch in a market that we are very ambitious toward." If you want to sign up for this bad boy, you'll be able to get your hands on more licensed cars, parts and game modes than has ever appeared in any NFS title in history. So there you have it: the NFS revamping is under way! How do you like it?
whatever happened to the original need for speed? where it was all sport cars and stuff, i had the most fun on hot persuit 2 then any of the need for speed games, they just went downhill after underground 2
Need for speed was my first Playstation game.
Leave it to these idiots to ruin on of the best series out.
Need for Speed was THE game back in the PS1 and early PS2 days.
Just give me a great racer with some nasty cars.
And a few hot Betty's
Remake Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit 2 and I'll buy it in a heartbeat.
Such a good game.
Yeah, I agree.
Yeah, I agree.
yay, another boring-ass driving sim…well i guess it's better than my car bouncing like it's on hydros everytime I took a jump like it did in undercover…
bring back HP2 or NFSU1…those were fun.
Exactly coldbore! Where are the pure exotics (Ferraris) & sports cars. Put the cars in that can hold their own in stock & then tweak it from there.
nah, burnout's good, but there isn't a single liscened vechile. if they did have them, it would be better, but you know.
need for speed has nothing on my turismo PERIOD!
give me underground 3 already, i loved the underground series, especially the 2nd cuz u could do so much with ur cars (fine-tuning etc.)
i stopped buying nfs games after u bought carbon, which really turned me down, completed it in about an afternoon in total (and im a slow gamer, trying to get the most outa the games), and it wasn't as cool by far as the previous ones.
though midnight club la was good, though i liked the cars and the modding of mc3 dub remix better
I don't like the seperate names deal and NFS Online? Does that mean they won't be having online for the Shift titles?
Looks like the super bland, "Anti-Urban" gamers out there will get their wish. I'll try it but if NFS ends up being like Gran Turismo then as along a time fan since ps1 i'll definitely be done with the franchise. Hopefully MC will continue and i'll just keep buying their games. I just wanted NFS to go back to the ps1 games and underground style of race tracks and dump the open world crap.
ugghh..I think NFS is going in the wrong direction. I loved the Hot Pursuits, and loved most wanted, didn't care for carbon or prostreet. (Haven't tried undercover yet) EA needs to hire some of the Criterion Burnout crew, make the game arcade style and fun again. Leave the realism to the Forza and GT5 games.
They are sooo dumb. cant they just listen to the people. instead they go off and make another thing that will fail. PROSTREET is what SHIFT will be. just without hot girls and cool customization
it'd be craaap
NFS has a long way to go to win me back. Carbon and Pro-Street were lack-luster when racing games like Burnout and Grid were soo much fun and kept me coming back.
The only thing the last NFS titles did was have me coming back to the game store to trade them in.
Cmon GT5…
yay.
finally someone els who liked GRiD =D
i LOVE that game to death.
best racing game ive played since Underground1
Grid is the best racer period!!
Well until GT5 drops anyways!!
I have hopes for NFS Shift. The GTR games were extremely well done and had insane physics engines. I will be playing NFS Shift next week, hopefully it's great.
Let us know man. You know im a GT5P addict, but i do like some freeway racing sometimes, specifically with the requirement of skill.
Why completely restructure? Why not just spend more time on the product itself and MAKE A QUALITY GAME. EA has to rush a product out the door just to bring in a buck. It's almost sad. One day EA will understand this. We're not buying games based on the idea that "well, it's the newest one out". Back in the day, you could do that and not be too let down if you loved the series. But now? No way. Quit rushing it out the door, make a quality product, THEN we'll buy it.
Last edited by Driven2Decay on 1/30/2009 2:23:44 PM
I liked the open world on Undercover, but in my opinion the story was just way to short and mainly consisted off racing purely to get rep, instead of racing to whip the hell out of the opposition and have a great time while doing so. Keep us posted plz Arnold!
Each Need for Speed game I have gotten and traded in or played the demo and gone nah not even gonna bother with this one! Unless it gets high reviews
Need for Speed is developed from a studio that EA is closing down if I'm correct? So I thought we wouldn't see another NFS title again? Which a kinda was glad because the franchise to me was stale. The fun part for me is just the customization of the cars.
Maybe we'll see a diferent racer from Slightly Mad Studios? Let's hope the level of customization is still there, I like to see them partner with West Coast Customs to get some authenticity in the customization and I would add some TV monitors, all just for fun.
How cool would it be if they added a tool in the game that would allow the user to easily create there own car designs.
EA has to stop making NFS after NFS so fast. They think they will throw another one on the market and everyone will buy it because "it's the newest NFS after all!" This isn't how it works. I liked Most Wanted, Carbon was so-so and Pro Street was a joke. When I heard they making Undercover to be like MW, I thought – finally. But Undercover is a crap. It was just made to quick, no quality. Wake up EA!
See "shift" is being developed by guys who did from what i hear a great PC Sim racer. Thats what im talking about. I don't expect NFS to have the great physics that are in GT5P because those are pure simulation(that i love) so they would be a bit more "user friendly" but i think and hope that they will still put some emphasis on cornering, braking skill even in an urban environment rather than some "rubber band racer" handling.
NFS needs a revitalisation, an overhaul and to go a bit back to its handling roots. Like Jack Sparrow said, stop making them so fast, focus on each installment and support each one for a while.
They HAVE to make it arcade style, it is the trademark of the series. If it's not, I won't buy it. I kind of liked Carbon, but despised Pro Street (it was impossible to beat unless you magically won the level 4 performance parts). I also hated the cops in Undercover. After about ten seconds of free roaming, they're on to you, even if you just lost them, LITERALLY 10 SECONDS. This did only happen after I beat the game, but I also only had a heat level of 3.
who were the people who developed underground1,2 and most wanted?
they were the best NFS that ive played.
(i only started playin NFS at underground, nd have played all of them since)
give me a most wanted sequel =D
agreed. Most Wanted was the best in my opinion too.