Need for Speed: Shift Comments by Christian Donlan

I read that as Need for Speed: Shit

I can't be the only one, shirley?

More like Need For Speed: Sh*t

I gave up on the series a LONG LONG time ago.

you arent the only
and dont call me shirley!

@quantumsheep

Darn, u beat me to it!!!! 40 seconds difference!!! :D but yeah you're not the only one surely :D

Knee-jerk comments of people who haven't read the article? Surely not?

Against my better judgment I am actually quite enthusiastic about this

Doesn't look half bad, even if it doesn't feel like a "real" Need for Speed game at this point. It's got my attention, which couldn't be said of the previous two NFS games.

I also read this as NFS: Shit. It probably will be, although I'm happy to be proven wrong.

@Eraysor - Yeah, that's what I read it as too and I'm sure that's exactly what it will be known as if it's another dud like NFS: ProStreet and Undercover.

Sounds like it could be a good game, have to agree with the final paragraph in the article, it seems that the Need for Speed name has been bolted on by the suits. I think its a mistake, these days your average Need for Speed fans don't want a sim, and they, or the parents buying them, probably won't read up on games to know that there are several versions being put out under the brand. You'll just annoy and confuse them with it, while not picking up the fans of sim racers who are now deeply cynical (See comments so far) of anything titled Need for Speed.

I have to laugh at some of the above comments, if you're aware of the team and technology behind this game, you'll know it's odds on to be the best driving game released so far on consoles.

Please note - I'm not saying the game itself is shit.

I'm just pointing out that at first glance, the title *looked* like it said 'shit'.

There's a bloody difference you know!

I wasn't talking about you! :)

Didn't we just have another NFS not too long ago? Good grief...they're really milking this shit.

The team and engine are excellent - I just don't see what it's going to bring to the table that's revolutionary when you compare it to the competition. The NFS license is just more a badge of shame than anything else.

the problem i have with non-sim style racers is that im 29 years old, and thus expected to be treated as such. which means realism, good handling and physics along with eye catching graphics. i was seriously hoping race:pro was going to do this til forza 3 and gt5 came along, i was sorely disappointed. im hoping that theres more upcoming games to race on my wheel with, and the simbin input seems promising, until i played race:pro. so take your grid, dirt, previous nfs incarnations and ram them, realism is so much more fun than slidy cars doing 0-120mph in 5 seconds (the chevy lacetti in grid is a good example of this)

I enjoyed NFS: Porsche Unleashed on the PC more that any other NFS game. If I remember correctly, I think I liked the handling. I don't think there were any NFS-esque gimmicks in that game either and it was well balanced between realistic and arcade. I never hear anyone refer to this game as a highlight of the series though.

Looks fantastic.

Well it's a European developer so I think there's hope for it - after all Criterion continued with a great product after EA took them over. Can see why they keep Need for Speed in the title, but I think we'd all feel more positive if it wasn't. Oh well, I hope it's good - been a bit of a lack of good race games for a while.

I can't decide if it's a good or bad thing that EA have basically 'taken over' what was Simbin. On the one hand we are actually going to get games from those guys, on the other hand it's worrying what this will mean long term.

could do with video to see frame rate, been one of the worst parts of previous games.

For those wondering about this developer...

http://www.shacknews.com/onearticle.x/57...

Sounds promising to me.

@Numbat - I just think using the Need for Speed title will confuse recent fans and mainstream winter holiday buyers who do not read up on the new strategy, and the discredited brand (to put it lightly) among gamers might result in it not reaching people who would be interested in the game.

Certainly does look like NFS is heading back in the right direction towards GRID/PGR type play.

Would be even nicer if it went back to its original roots as a test drive rip-- homage. Would certainly be more interesting than just being another arcadey racer in detailed-but-tiny city-based maps

I have been quietly hoping that this game turns out to be the PC version of Forza/GT that so many have been longing for. However I expect it's going to end up more like a prettier version of GT-R Evolution than a Forza/GT type game.

It leaves me utterly bemused as to why no developer has attempted a Forza/GT game for the PC, surely it would be the biggest hit of them all, combining sim-like handling with beautiful visuals and a massive selection of customisable cars/tracks.

I'll continue to hold out hope for Shift but I want to start seeing some road cars soon!

'slightly mad'... lol, slightly 'gone bust'. try again!

so no more cops ever? :(

This looks great so far. I hope that finally a console racer will have a great in-car view that is actually usable. PGR4 was worse than PGR3 in this respect (unreadable dials, too-low position), and Race Pro is a big disappointment in the graphical area.

@crispyduckman
NFS Porsche Unleashed on PC is my favourite. I believe that it's not known, considering I don't think the whole NFS franchise was this popular back then, was it? Most of the Fast'n'Furious kids don't even know there were some before Underground.

anyway, on topic, kinda... I knew there wouldn't be anything on the PSP version. They do this every time! I wouldn't care much if it was the "casual" version, but they actually plan on getting a hardcore racing simulator on the PSP?? That's scary and intriguing. And of course we won't get any info on it until the day before it's release.

The devs have the skill and talent to make a decent sim.

But sadly I don't think they will be given free reign and EA will keep them in check ending up with another GRID like turd of a game

/ rubs eyes

This looks and sounds to good to be true.

Strange that this article can be written without even mentioning the lovely GRID...

@coojam
Grid is great, but all out arcade handling. This may bear the NfS name but the dev credentials and the text of the preview indicate this will be much more sim like. Apples and oranges.

So......

This is basically what Race Pro should've been? Awesome.

If they really want to reinvent the series, why not go back to the original? Long, multi-stage point to point races on real roads through gorgeous scenery, and some closed circuits for fun. Road legal sports cars, other traffic, and a petrolhead section of stats and model history. All the Fast and Furry-arsed crap is done far better by Midnight Club.

If they give us a demo this time that'll be an indication that they don't think it's crap

Essentially we may as well forget "Need for Speed" at the start of the game title, it's not a NFS game and was never originally intended to be.

Long term you wonder how it will work, sure the first release will sell in big numbers due to the NFS tag, but the traditional NFS fans are likely to feel alienated by a reasonably serious 'sim' with proper physics...and the actual people who would otherwise be interested in such a game will probably overlook it due to the arcadey origins of the NFS brand.

I just hope EA don't get cold feet at the last minute and seriously water this down, if they stay true to their triple release concept, there is no reason why the individual games shouldn't be suitably different and appeal to entirely different people...at the end of the day, if they end up similar people aren't going to buy both anyway.

NFS Most Wanted 2 please.

crispyduckman: Porsche Unleashed is one of the best driving games of all time. Not only because of the fantastic handling model but because of the dedication to just the one brand. It was a fantastic feeling to try out all of the old models before trying to tame the brutal modern ones and I also seem to recall that the game was one of the first - if not THE first - driving game to introduce the ability to buy used cars. In all the game was simply a fantastic effort. I wish that EA would pick up that game structure again, the didication to one brand (take your pick; Lamborghini, Maserati, Jaguar, BMW).
I haven't played a NFS game in ages. Tried a couple of them but thought the street style was awful and that the new NFS games in general were lightyears behind previous efforts.

"the inverse of milking" - man, I've got too much imagination.

NFS tag put me off this, comments made me more hopful, but why oh why oh whywhywhy isn't there a giant new rallysim?

whywhywhy isn't there a giant new rallysim? +1

I guess devs think we just want to tune cheap jap cars and stick spoilers on them.
then we can drive said shit heaps around the same old tracks over and over again.
bring back the real rally games FFS!

GRID or GTFO.

I also read the title as Need for Speed: Shit :P

so its EA's take on G.R.I.D then... woopdeewoo

Can EG just change it so it reads:

Need for Speed: Shit
Stating the obvious

Anyway, I too have noticed that all non-sim racing games are just buying a Japanese tuner/American Muscle/token European (the only game where they've ever had a proper showing is TDU, and that doesn't fall into the category I'm making) and covering it with hideous bodykit, and then racing people who call you a 'buster'.

Midnight Club: LA is jolly good fun but we don't need a dozen other variants on the same formula (Juiced, NFS: You is a gangsta, etc etc etc) any more, thanks.