Revamped NFS series launches this year

By Robert Purchese Published 30 January, 2009

Broken up for different audiences.

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.

Head over to our Need for Speed: Shift, Need for Speed: Nitro and Need for Speed: World Online galleries for the first screenshots.

Picture of Robert.

About Robert Purchese

Bertie is Eurogamer's Senior Staff Writer. When he's not hunting down news stories he's often found playing with his kids or gabbling about fantasy games and strange online worlds.

Read more articles from Robert by visiting the Robert Purchese archive page.

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Comments (38) 1 year ago

Comments threads automatically close after 30 days, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • neonemesis #1 3 years ago

    Dumbed down for Wii and DS audiences then? The previous NFS games on Wii haven't been that good anyway so I suppose any change is a good change.

  • DFawkes #2 3 years ago

    Those actually sound quite good, something I'd never thought I'd say in a NFS comments section. I'll be watching cautiously with interest.

  • Tomo #3 3 years ago

    Hmm. I thought they were canning NFS games after the previous one? Instead we're treated to not 1, but 3 piles of dross :/

  • DFawkes #4 3 years ago

    Well that's hardly fair Tomo, we've not played any. I think only 2 of them will be dross, with one of them clearly being up at the heady levels of meh-dom. Though it'd be equally unfair of me to assume they'll be any good given past form. I did like Underground 2 though.

  • asphaltcowboy #5 3 years ago

    'marking down an enthusiastic vote' - so that's what the kids are calling it these days!

  • SBfistfun #6 3 years ago

    Anybody who refers to "car" as "ride" is a right cunt.

  • Cosmopolitan #7 3 years ago

    Looking forward to "vibrant and eye-catching visuals" on the DS. Or not.

  • superjag86 #8 3 years ago

    i'm more optimistic knowing that black box aren't making this one...

  • LeChuckie #9 3 years ago

    This has massive fail written all over it. Trying to crack 3 markets at once when it is hard enough to crack one.

  • TheMoonRat #10 3 years ago

    So, if a game "in no way resembles any other previous Need for Speed game" - then why is it called Need For Speed?

  • Eraysor #11 3 years ago

    The trouble is the NFS brand looks so ridiculous to the more hardcore simulation fans I doubt anyone will buy it over Gran Turismo and Forza. Bring back Hot Pursuit you fools!

  • Burkey123 #12 3 years ago

    meh

  • Steroyd #13 3 years ago

    This has massive fail written all over it. Trying to crack 3 markets at once when it is hard enough to crack one.

    Which one market would that be?

    The wii already has the casual "non" - gamers, PC is what PC does why not try to get just 1 segment of the WOW MMO fanbase and "hardcore" gamers have been complaining that the game has been dumbed down to suit said "casuals"

    It sure as hell better than painting a broad brush over all markets creating a cocktail of a mess, that's for sure.

  • Ged42 #14 3 years ago

    Damn, I'd hoped it would be a return to the driving the world's most powerful (and expensive) supercars through beautiful countryside at improbable speeds whilst being chased by the cops, that made the original NFS so fun.

  • vpin #15 3 years ago

    /takes deep breath

    Fuck's sake please stop releasing shitty NFS games every goddamn year--wow, we are treated to three types this year, and focus on making a stellar drving game every 2-3 years instead, then I'd probably actually consider buying your game.

    /breathes again

  • secombe #16 3 years ago

    Need for Speed: Shift will be made by Slightly Mad Studios of GT Legends and GTR 2 fame

    I'm confuzzled, I thought the team that were Simbin when GTL and GTR2 was made, was now Blimey! who are working on a Ferrari Project?

    EDIT: Blimey! were bought up just before they went under, so no idea what is happening to the Ferrari Project now.
    Edited by 1 at 30/01/09 @ 12:09

  • Trifle42 #17 3 years ago

    I think most are missing the huge news here. SHIFT is being made by Slightly Mad Studios. This is the Blimey Games team, the guys that made GTR/GT Legends and GTR2. Those are some of the best-loved sim racing games on the PC, and now they're working on console games!

  • secombe #18 3 years ago

    I think most are missing the huge news here. SHIFT is being made by Slightly Mad Studios. This is the Blimey Games team, the guys that made GTR/GT Legends and GTR2. Those are some of the best-loved sim racing games on the PC, and now they're working on console games!

    On the other hand, it's a sad state of affairs when the team behind some of the greatest driving sims of all time, are now under the wing of EA and creating Need for Speed games. I appreciate that they wouldn't have survived without it, but it's a depressing state of affairs all the same.

    I wonder what will happen to the Ferrari Project destined for the 360 and PC? I understand that was pretty well developed and looking absolutely incredible.

  • Zomoniac #19 3 years ago

    Anybody who refers to "car" as "ride" is a right cunt.

    Except the bemused 'nice ride' rasta guy in Batman Begins.

  • Zomoniac #20 3 years ago

    Goodness me, does this mean I can actually buy a NFS game after..well a decade of being away?

    I enjoyed Most Wanted on 360, was kinda fun for a while. One nice blip between the chavfests of Underground and Carbon.

  • Trifle42 #21 3 years ago

    @secombe Good point. That one was looking very nice too:

    [link url=htt p://www.worthplaying.com/article.php?sid=53132
    ]http://ww w.worthplaying.com/article.php?...[/link]

    Ah well, it'll be interesting to see how they cope under EA's wing. If they can bring some sim-y quality to the NFS series it would be a very good thing, and EA have talked about trying to maintain studios' identities & not just borg them all.
    Edited by 1 at 30/01/09 @ 12:22

  • steoc4 #22 3 years ago

    On the other hand, it's a sad state of affairs when the team behind some of the greatest driving sims of all time, are now under the wing of EA and creating Need for Speed games.


    I don't know, seeing one of the most respected developers amongst the 'hardcore' minority getting a chance to show what they can do with one of the biggest racing game franchises in existence and having their work enter the hands of many, many more people in a much expanded console market can only be a good thing surely.

    I welcome a game with a solid race engine combined with the sort of features, presentation and polish we're used to from EA.

  • secombe #23 3 years ago

    I welcome a game with a solid race engine combined with the sort of features, presentation and polish we're used to from EA.

    I guess so, as long as the developers are allowed to get on with it and it doesn't become too toned down for a wider audience. EA appear to interfere a little too often for my liking, lets hope they've turned a corner as the press release at least eludes to the fact that it's going to be fairly different.

    Lets just hope the Ferrari Project hasn't been canned, as well.

  • oupe #24 3 years ago

    I had to look up all the titles in the wikipedia but i remember i liked the gameplay in underground, underground2 and most wanted (especially this one) plus a few of the really old ones. I can't remember a lot about chavvy stuff and if i saw it, i would ignore it.

    Please bring back that kind of gameplay/car handling, no sim-racing please. There are other series for that.

    ** In fact: if anyone knows better arcade racers, say so. I could check those out instead. The most important aspect for me is that the cars handle very arcadish and i don't have to think about upgrading, except for the fact that a more expensive part is better.
    Edited by 1 at 30/01/09 @ 13:20

  • glaeken #25 3 years ago

    Most Wanted on the 360 was a very good game. The only real issue it had was the game engine was not as smooth as it should have been and of course the bollocks story. The game play was top notch though.

  • henrys_cat #26 3 years ago

    So they take the game and split it into three parts and release each separately rather than having a Sim, Arcade and Online mode in one game.

    Hope each one's a third of the price...

  • citizenHUNTER #27 3 years ago

    As a more sim racing game fan I've avoided NFS like the plague and whenever I've stumbled upon demos of games such as these I realise why. This NFS: Shift however sounds very promising indeed. I'm not gonna make judgements til we see/find out more about it but considering who's making it and the fact that EA are not really taking a risk with this since they have two more traditional games as back-ups... maybe they will allow this game to be a real sim with the NFS brand attached, no point in dumbing it down if they're making a sister game that's already dumbed down. This could be awesome. With this and of course Race Pro out soon, I'm in driving heaven (on me 360!).

    P.S. PGR is the only arcade racing game I love cos the handling is a bit extreme but it's recogniseable and fun and also very precise. I hope Bizarre Creations make something equally good in their new life.

  • mainaman #28 3 years ago

    Finally big companies realise that arcadey chav-fests are not what everyone wants.Time for Codemasters to smarten-up and stop dumbing down their racers.

  • KrisInFla #29 3 years ago

    Well the car in the "Nitro" screenshot looks like a blown Dodge Charger R/T Dragster which fits alright with the "Nitro" title, but unless the entire game is about drag racing then maybe a different title would be appropriate. "Nitro" in the racing world is short for Nitromethane which is the fuel that the kings of the drag strip burn to achieve those 4.5-second/325 MPH runs, (Top Fuel & Funny Car classes). It should not be confused with Nitrous Oxide which is what NOS and Venom systems inject into the engine. Nitrous is a stable gas that introduces extra oxygen allowing more fuel to be burned, thus increasing horsepower.

    We don't want the racing community laughing at us "poor dumb gamers" who don't know one from the other ;)

    I'm a huge fan of Need For Speed and and other arcade racers and racing sims and look forward anxiously to the new NFS releases. Keep up the great work!

  • KrisInFla #30 3 years ago

    I also would like to add that I will be cautiously awaiting "World Online". I haven't tried a NFS game in online mode since Underground 2, and that was very short lived. I was appalled that the only competitive online car in that game was the Corolla. Then I went through all the trouble of making one, since I stood no chance whatsoever of competing fairly in my favorite car, only to be blown away by cheaters running unlimited nitrous boost cheats! I was so angry that I swore then to never go online again in another NFS game.

    I will bite my tongue though and give it a whirl if these issues can be sorted out along with other crap like people wallsliding around corners with no penalty or slowdowns. If its a good competitive racer where people will drive like they've got a pair instead some ridiculous cheaters paradise then I will happily purchase it. Fingers crossed...

  • gudnikristinn #31 3 years ago

    NFS:Nitro.....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 player’s taste and personality.
    From Gamezone.

  • SleepyBob03 #32 3 years ago

    The best NFS game that they ever made IMO was NFS: Porsche Unleashed. If they can make this new one as good, and as fun as that one was, then it'll be worth buying.

  • FooAtari #33 3 years ago

    I'm going to say with quite a lot of confidence that this is going to be pish.


    The trouble is the NFS brand looks so ridiculous to the more hardcore simulation fans I doubt anyone will buy it over Gran Turismo and Forza.

    If playing GT or Forza is what you define as a hardcore simulation fan you are pretty far of the mark...

  • secombe #34 3 years ago

    I'm going to say with quite a lot of confidence that this is going to be pish.

    Even with the ex-Simbin guys behind the SHIFT version of this? Hopefully, if nothing else, we can expect some pretty decent physics and handling characteristics.

  • Eraser #35 3 years ago

    So they're going to do with NFS: Shift what other companies have been doing with PGR, GT and Forza all along?

  • Eraser #36 3 years ago

    By the way, I do think Nitro will be the best of the three for me. I love arcade like racing without too much fussing around with car setup, car pimping or actually braking for a corner. Let me go back to the original NFS games where you could scream through a corner with 60mph.

  • metalangel #37 3 years ago

    Sorry EA, NFS has only ever had two good games: the original and Road Challenge. The market has superior games for hardcore racing (Forza), street racing (MC:LA), and fun racing (Burnout Paradise) already that you cannot ever hope to top.

  • citizenHUNTER #38 3 years ago

    @ mainaman Agreed. Codemasters have been a big let down. I remember the original Toca or Toca 2 being rather awesome, but played some GRID and it was pointless after 2 minutes, shit handling. The Colin McRae games as well were just nothing next to Richard Burns Rally (ahh, so glad I can still play that on my 360). I'm not enthusiastic about them with their new F1 license, it will look great, play like yet another pants totally-misses-the-point F1 game where you overtake everyone at every corner then crash into the back of someone 50 times cos the AI/handling is rubbish. At least I hope the F3000 cars or whatever they are in Race Pro can give a sim insight into F1 style racing.

  • shawnlee100 #39 1 year ago

    Well that's hardly fair Tomo, we've not played any. I think only 2 of them will be dross, with one of them clearly being up at the heady levels of meh-dom. Though it'd be equally unfair of me to assume they'll be any good given past form. I did like Underground 2 though.
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  • shawnlee100 #40 1 year ago

    KUALA LUMPUR: MCA president Datuk Seri Ong Tee Keat feels support from the delegates has tipped in his favour, brushing off the underdog tag in the three-cornered heavyweight fight for the presidency.“Certainly, I am not an underdog. Currently, I must say that the mood is upbeat. Such a mood you cannot hide, you cannot fabricate because it comes from the people,” he said.KUALA LUMPUR: MCA president Datuk Seri Ong Tee Keat feels support from the delegates has tipped in his favour, brushing off the underdog tag in the three-cornered heavyweight fight for the presidency.“Certainly, I am not an underdog. Currently, I must say that the mood is upbeat. Such a mood you cannot hide, you cannot fabricate because it comes from the people,” he said.KUALA LUMPUR: MCA president Datuk Seri Ong Tee Keat feels support from the delegates has tipped in his favour, brushing off the underdog tag in the three-cornered heavyweight fight for the presidency.“Certainly, I am not an underdog. Currently, I must say that the mood is upbeat. Such a mood you cannot hide, you cannot fabricate because it comes from the people,” he said.
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