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Revamped Need for Speed series set for this year with three announced new titles, and a secret one

Posted Jan 31, 2009 at 1:30PM EST by Mabie A.

Listed in: News, Games Tags: Canada, EA Montreal, Electronic Arts, Michael Mann

The events unfolding within the offices of the Need for Speed franchise are certainly faster with more exciting sharp turns and a fuller pack of nitrous boost than any map in their games.

It was mid-December when Electronic Arts announced that they're canceling the NFS studio, immediately followed by news that developer Black Box will be moving in with EA Canada. And then just last week, a memo from EA's NFS studio leaked to the press, revealing the massive layoffs that have hit them recently.

Today though, the news that comes out relating to the franchise is way better than what we've seen as of late. EA's sent out a press wire announcing a revamped NFS franchise, with not just one, or two, but three new titles to fill up the roster this year.

Here are their profiles:

Need for Speed SHIFT
Platforms: PS3, Xbox 360, PSP, PC
Release window: Fall 2009
Developers: Slightly mad Studios in collaboration with executive producer Michael Mann (Black Box) and Patrick Soderlund (Senior VP, EA Games Europe)

Players are thrust into the heart of the action with immersive and exciting features including a stunningly realistic first-person cockpit view camera and an all-new crash mechanic, providing an unrivaled sensation of the speed and feeling of racing a car on the extreme edge of control.

Need for Speed NITRO (Working Title)
Platforms: Wii, DS
Release Window: Fall 2009
Developer: EA Montreal

Gamers can build up their boost as they drift and drag behind their opponents and use it strategically to change the course of the race, but watch out for the cops! Offering a fresh and unique visual style, the game features a variety of licensed cars which can be fully customized to let the game reflect the playerÂ’s taste and personality.

Need for Speed World Online
Platforms: PC
Release Window: Winter 2009 (North America), Summer 2009 (Asia)
Developer: Black Box, EA Singapore

Beginning in Asia, this Play 4 Free action racing game will give Need for Speed fans access to licensed cars, parts and multiple game modes. Players will prove their racing supremacy through the sophisticated online matchmaking features and fully customize their profile and their ride.

But apparently, that press release did not say all that there is to know about this product revamp. Franchise VP of marketing Keith Munro let it slip to Eurogamer that they are, in fact, working on one more title.

"Black Box is currently working on a future action title in the franchise." Action title for the NFS title? Will it involve more cops and chases? Could EA slip once again into focusing too much on churning out titles under the franchise, at the expense of diluting the essence of the game itself?

Fortunately, Munro says no.

This isn't about the quantity, this is about crafting different games for different audiences and their unique tastes in the driving category.

The motivation was purely driven by our understanding of racing gamers and their desire to experience different kinds of racing games. I would say that our strategy is the inverse of milking; it is an intentionally non-traditional approach.

We took a consumer-fast approach and spoke with the fans about what they would like from their Need for Speed. Player feedback was consistent - create custom simulation and arcade experiences but maintain the franchises' core values of street culture, attitude and beautiful licensed cars.

If that is the case, then I am definitely looking forward to their new titles. Admittedly, I was one of those who weren't all too happy with the direction the franchise took with Carbon (I am an Underground baby!). But hey, there's always a second chance for everyone, right? And thank God this time they're taking gamer feedback seriously. Cos you know, in this case, I think the adage "The Customer is Always Right" stands true.

Okay, maybe not always.

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It honestly needs to. Now they're not only releasing one a year. They're releasing three a year.

Not to mention. How many months ago did the last title that bombed came out? Yeah. And all of those are being released in 2009? EA needs to follow their own advice and get in the game, because they certainly aren't in the game and they haven't been in the game quite awhile.

If anyone is curious about my play on words. It's EA sports "it's in the game" comment.

# HAHA Nintendo is shunned from having SHIFT!!! — SolidSnake117 2009-01-31 17:19

HAHA wii and DS have a different one then the other consoles. Xbox and PS3 are the leading consoles and even psp is pro enough to have a share in the glory of a better game then the crappy nintendo version HAHHA

HAHA Nintendo is shunned from having SHIFT!!!So it has to go and get another game made for it, cause no gaming company wants to make a game for Nintendo's crappy consoles. HAHAHAHA!!! Am I right or Am I right?

# LMAO — icypsp 2009-01-31 17:30

YEA you right!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!

Step ya game up nintendo

litterally lmao

they forgot about us real gamers

[sniff].....

:(

# Dit. — Specht 2009-01-31 19:25

Hopefully this next NFS's aren't riddled with pop culture and the whole Fast and the Furious gig that got old after Underground 2. (though Most Wanted was great)

As for the "secret" title...

Hot Pursuit 3!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !

Hot Pursuit 3!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !

Hot Pursuit 3!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !

Hot Pursuit 3!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !

Hot Pursuit 3!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !

Hot Pursuit 3!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !

Hot Pursuit 3!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !

# ... — Specht 2009-01-31 19:29

Anyone who cares about "pro" games and has a Wii most likely has a 360 or PS3 as well.

You're making fun of people who don't give a crap about a game that we only know the name of.

# I don't care what anyone says — teh not so 1337 g@m3r 2009-01-31 19:45

Undercover was Most Wanted 2.0 and Most Wanted was awesome. Thus Undercover was awesome.

They can release 3 games, it's not like it's one studio doing all 3.

I'll continue to play and support the NFS series as long they are made on the street and not on the track.

Besides, I guess what kupomogli fails to realize is they have 2 teams working on the series. Team 1 releases 1, 3 and 5, Team 2 releases 2, 4 and 6. The first team has probably been working on SHIFT a year before Undercover, usually just shy of a 2 year development cycle.

# It's (not) in the game — Specht 2009-01-31 20:00

Need for Speed is not an EA Sports title. There's no "It's in the game" in the opening credits.

And as teh not so 1337 g@m3r said, these games aren't being made by BlackBox(well the PC one is, but that jsut seems like an mmo). And SHIFT and NITRO are being done by separate devs.

# Yeah.. — JaXeRiR 2009-01-31 20:24

"This isn't about the quantity, this is about crafting different games for different audiences and their unique tastes in the driving category."

Sure, but if I have an Xbox 360 and I don't like SHIFT, I need to buy a Wii/DS first to be able to play NITRO.

And that isn't going to happen.

# ... — Specht 2009-01-31 20:43

0 stars for speaking the truth? Not that I care but it just seems a bit uncalled for.

# Tough one to make — sesa 2009-02-01 00:36

I still have my doubts about this new NFS game.

When you had something as good as Burnout series in the franchise, it's tough to create another racing game.

# just another racing game... — ov3rkill 2009-02-01 02:50

I just hope it's not just another racing game. We've already got lots of them. They really need to recreate and brainstorm some new elements, perhaps new gameplay mechanic or something. Anything will do cause the best NFS series i've played so far was the old one Hot Pursuit 2. LOL

# They need to go back to #1 — damonous 2009-02-01 05:48

The original Need For Speed (on 3DO) had more addictive intensity than all of the sequels combined. (I'm exaggerating for effect: I haven't played *every* iteration since.)

....Although I actually like Undercover quite a bit, I played that original 3DO title for HOURS upon hours, and still consider that a milestone game all these years later. They diluted it and made it 'arcadey' as soon as they ported it to PS1, and never stopped diluting it since. But, the ORIGINAL was a flat-out point-to-point street race, with great in-car views, and a racing 'feel' so realistic that you would actually slow down considerably if you touched the gravel on the side of the road (and that could give the opponent NPC driver the edge over you). Although the full-motion video 'opponent' cut-scenes were controversial, I LOVED them, because it really felt like you were competing with a character on a crazy rich-boy's race for bragging rights. That will always ultimately be my definition of what the name "Need for Speed" means. --Not racing a circuit lap with glowing-arrow barricades pointing the way while the most realistic view is 'hood cam'. :-p

# umm — x70xchallengerx 2009-02-01 06:40

well considering NFS came MANY years before burnout was even THOUGHT OF, and they are made by 2 different companies (NFS+EA/BLACKBOX)(BURNO UT+CRITERION), your comment doesnt even count. I would much rather play a NFS game than a burnout game, or at least an OLDER NFS game.

# dit, Burnout — Specht 2009-02-01 07:06

In my opinion, Burnout just got good compared to NFS in Paradise. Before that, it didn't interest me much. The crashes (what the game was praised for so much) either were half a second or screwed you over in the main mode.

Paradise gave you more freedom to do whatever you want.

Still, I'd rather go back and play NFS3:HP or HP2 than any Burnout game.

# I Agree COMPLETELY!!! — GUNBEHINDTHESUN 2009-02-01 08:09

We all know what your saying is true and i'm hoping Hot Pursuit 3 is in the works and proves it self so much that respect trumps all the bad recent titles we've seen. Although, I hope a NFS Most Wanted 2 is in the works too. NFS Most Wanted is my favorite in the tuner series by far.

# Aren't you a smart one Specht — kupomogli 2009-02-01 12:08

I know NFS isn't an EA sports title. Infact. The series has never once been an EA sports title.

The fact that EA is one of the *****tiest companies out there is why I was quoting one of their *****ty quotes that EA actually needs to get in the game.

It's rare when EA actually releases a good game as literally everything is ***** from that company. That's why I quoted what I did due to the fact that they need to stop being such a *****ty company.

# ya, ya, I get it. — Specht 2009-02-01 15:55

But complaining about EA producing (not developing) games that you(not everyone) don't like isn't gonna do anything except be an eyesore for those that don't care.

I like quite a few games EA has published lately. Rockband, Mirror's Edge(even though the demo pretty much sums up the entire game), NFS before ProStreet, etc. And let's not forget that they brought The Orange Box to the 360.

I'm not a big fan of sports titles, but they do make some kickass football and golf(on the wii) games.

# idear — Master Chef 2009-02-01 16:31

Street racing game with the customization and car selection of Forza, and without the difficulty of Forza + win

I'd buy it

Hot Pursuit 3 will work too

# oops — Master Chef 2009-02-01 16:32

I'm sure most people are aware of QJ's problem by now, but that + sign should be an equals

# Good grief... — Onlooker 2009-02-02 04:50

Just let it DIE already!

# And that's bad? — Onlooker 2009-02-02 04:55

You haven't played any of the recent NFS games, have you?

I'll spell it out for you: ALL recent NFS games are terrible. The less platforms these games get, the better.

# ffs — Sw3RvE 2009-02-02 12:00

screw that... give us need for speed underground!

# Hot Pursuit 3 would be great, BUT... — Djhg2000 2009-02-08 13:47

...If they update Porche 2000 (aka Porche Unleashed) with more cars (possibly other brands, that would require a name change tho) and better graphics I might actually BUY the PC version (j/k).

But seriously I would buy the PS3 version, no question about it.

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Revamped Need for Speed series set for this year with three announced new titles, and a secret one

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