azn Posted January 31, 2009 Share Posted January 31, 2009 Electronic Arts has told Eurogamer that it plans to reinvent the Need for Speed series by launching separate core, casual and 'Play 4 Free' games this year.Need for Speed: Shift will launch on PC, Xbox 360, PS3 and PSP this autumn - as will Need for Speed: Nitro on Wii and DS. Need for Speed: World Online will be released to the Asian online PC market this summer, before heading West in the winter. Need for Speed: Shift will be made by Slightly Mad Studios of GT Legends and GTR 2 fame, with help from EA Black Box producer Michael Mann and EA Games Europe bigwig Patrick Soderlund. Shift focuses on simulation racing - not just the realistic movement of cars, but also driver behaviour. This, EA marketing boss Keith Munro told Eurogamer, is what will set the game apart. Also, less baggy jeans and hip-hop. "The urban underground was a manifestation of style in some past Need for Speed games for sure, but Shift focuses less on these style cues and more on mirroring the driver experience, that athleticism of being in a wickedly-intense race, and what it really feels like to be behind the wheel," Munro told us. A flashy 3D HUD that mimics driver head movement, inertia and G-force will help achieve this. There's a cockpit view that lets players freely look around using the right thumbstick, too. Munro reckons serious car enthusiasts will "love" Shift, and that mainstream racers will also get on board. He's quite excited. "Need for Speed Shift is amazing and I think it will blow people away," said Munro. "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!" And, he added: "Regarding any new Need for Speed girls I can't comment, but I'll definitely mark down one enthusiastic vote for Josie Maran." Steady on. (Update: An EA spokesperson has been in touch to comment on the response to the first screenshot. "That is an untouched screenshot captured from gameplay footage," we're told.) Need for Speed: Nitro will be created by EA Montreal. Fast and fun arcade racing tops the bill, and will be matched by vibrant and eye-catching visuals, we're told. "Need for Speed Nitro on the Wii and DS will not be a Mario Kart clone - Nintendo already does an excellent job with that," said Munro. "Instead, we are evolving the arcade racer with a fresh and unique visual style that is very Need for Speed. The game will be rich and deep and will appeal to experienced arcade racers as well as casual players." "What you'll see is that Nitro in no way resembles any other previous Need for Speed title," he added. Specific details are scarce, and apparently it's "still too early" to talk about multiplayer plans for the Wii and DS game. Need for Speed: World Online is the 'Play 4 Free' wild-card, and will be co-developed by series regular Black Box and EA's online studio in Singapore. Released to Asia first, this online PC game will let players pick and customise their choice of licensed vehicles and take on the rest of the world - well, Asia, before heading West after a thumbs-up there. "This is not so much a proof of concept - it is a full-fledged launch in a market that we are very ambitious toward," explained Munro. "This Play 4 Free action racing game will give Need for Speed fans the most licensed cars, parts and game modes ever in Need for Speed's history. "Players will prove their racing supremacy through the sophisticated online matchmaking features and fully customise their profile and their ride. "Once Need for Speed World Online has been successfully deployed in Asia, we will expand the game's reach by offering the service to PC gamers around the world," he said. Drawing inspiration from Battlefield Heroes and the free FIFA online games, World Online will no doubt adopt a micro-transaction model, but that's Munro has said he will discuss in the future. Source Screens: Shift Nitro World Online Well, what does everybody think then? Will this bring the NFS series back to it's former glory? Personally I think that if World Online demands a super computer I might not even bother. Discuss! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Huckleberry Pie Posted January 31, 2009 Share Posted January 31, 2009 I hope NFS: Shift makes up for what Prostreet lacked, and as for World Online, does this mean they'll pattern it after those Korean MMOs like those played by most Asian kids nowadays? They'll make it free to play by gaining revenue from advertising, but they should at least code and distribute it with compatibility and performance in mind; most, if not all MMO gamers in Asia use a low to midrange computer, which can barely run GTA IV, so it would be prudent to optimize it for such PCs... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Damjan Posted January 31, 2009 Share Posted January 31, 2009 YAY! Been waiting for a new NFS,but still one disappointment.You can't get out of cars and refuel. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mpilk901 Posted January 31, 2009 Share Posted January 31, 2009 I read about this and just felt even more pity for EA. It sounds terrible. The NFS series is dead, they just ruined it too much. Stop releasing games every single year and actually work on them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
little_homer Posted January 31, 2009 Share Posted January 31, 2009 Does that mean they are all free to dl? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kitsune Inferno Posted January 31, 2009 Share Posted January 31, 2009 Let it die, EA. Give the NFS franchise the respectful funeral it deserves. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Posted January 31, 2009 Share Posted January 31, 2009 Seems like a rather emphatic way to go out, 3 games? Wow. It's dead. Waste of time and resources by EA I think. They could have dedicated them to another game. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kitsune Inferno Posted January 31, 2009 Share Posted January 31, 2009 Another game that blows ass. Seriously, when was the last time EA had an original idea and actually did something good with it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WRX22B1998 Posted February 1, 2009 Share Posted February 1, 2009 wow wtf. lol il stick to gran turismo, they already failed at making a sim with prostreet (although i had countless hours of fun seeing the biggest crash i could make) this makes me think, why make 3 average games, why not 1 good game. so dumb :S ... nfs undercover in my opinion was actually not bad, i have it on ps2 (its ok), ps3 it was really good i think. need for speed underground 2 was probably my favourite... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mpilk901 Posted February 1, 2009 Share Posted February 1, 2009 Another game that blows ass. Seriously, when was the last time EA had an original idea and actually did something good with it? Not too long ago actually. What about Skate and Mirror's Edge? I kind of like EA now, their giving an equal balance of support to all consoles now (EA games for PS3 used to be REALLY crap ports) and after they made the games I mentioned above I like them even more. Some of the crappy titles still remain though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hansui Posted February 1, 2009 Share Posted February 1, 2009 yeah, i think EA should stop making more NFS games... but i hope this one won't fail NFS is still the best racing game I ever played Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TM™ Posted February 1, 2009 Share Posted February 1, 2009 To be honest, NFS has been my favourite racing game, but seriously, they need think about some things first. Firstly, Shift seems promising, but it seems like another version of Pro Street, which could end up failing. But then again, I liked Pro Street a bit, but since they're moving away from the Urban Underground, I don't know what else to say. Lets just hope this goes well, cause if not, EA have wasted their time. They could of made another game, or they could of done something a bit better. Keep the underground theme, illegal street racing and other stuff, but this time, rather than make those stupid ass cutscenes were you see your character (With a blurred up face) getting arrested by the cops, make a fucking story up with an actual character which we don't need to name and can see his face! Seriously, haven't they thought of something like that, we'd finally have a protagonist for NFS, rather than put your own name in it. This can add better cutscenes and stuff like it, that could possibly make NFS a decent racing game. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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