Riccitiello confirms Criterion NFS game News
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Tom Bramwell
Electronic Arts boss John Riccitiello has said that Criterion is working on a "revolutionary take on Need for Speed", while EA COO John Pleasants has confirmed DICE is working on Battlefield 3.
Riccitiello had been clarifying that Burnout and Need for Speed wouldn't merge when he told Kotaku, "We don't have a plan right now for a separate major launch on Burnout, because the team doing it is working on a revolutionary take on Need for Speed."
Meanwhile, EA COO John Pleasants, speaking at an investor conference, said, "I've had the luxury of looking at Battlefield 3 over at DICE in Sweden... Of course, that's not in the [current] fiscal year, but that is a product that is looking very good."
BF3 was perhaps inevitable, while confirmation of Criterion's Need for Speed validates all those rumours from the back end of 2008. Riccitiello also paid tribute to Criterion's Alex Ward. He's "one of the people in the industry I would analogise to the great filmmakers," Riccitiello said.
"He is a true creative visionary. We had a great fight about what the next Need For Speed would be like. Of course, he gets to win because it's his call. It's not that I'm without an opinion on it."
In the meantime, the studio's commendable support for the excellent Burnout Paradise continues with today's release of Big Surf Island.
There's no word on how far out Criterion's NFS game is, but we have Slightly Mad Studios' Need for Speed: Shift to look forward to on 18th September first, and the Wii/DS Need for Speed: Nitro, while there's also no word on the fate of Black Box's own secret NFS game.
Is there anyone left at EA not working on Need for Speed? We should be told.
Are you excited about Need for Speed: Nitro on Wii?
View Eurogamer readers most anticipated games
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Need for Speed: Nitro
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Latest Screenshots
19 August, 2009 [0]
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Comments: 1-19 of 19 in total
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designerheadache
11/06/09 @ 07:23
+1
The Burnout Guys are easily the best devs EA have. The sheer amount of work thats gone in to Burnout Paradise is staggering.
They are probably the only people EA have capable of turning around such a flagging franchise. |
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Doctor_What
11/06/09 @ 09:15
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He's "one of the people in the industry I would analogise to the great filmmakers," Riccitiello said.
He's tempremental, will throw his toys out the pram when he doesn't get his way, has zero social skills, and makes all his staff work themselves to death? Yep, that's about right. |
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YourMessageHere
11/06/09 @ 09:23
-1
What's the betting this John Pleasants bloke is actually talking about BF1943 or BF Heroes or Bad Company 2 and simply doesn't know the difference? I'd not trust anyone talking at an investors conference to know anything about anything other than finance.
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shamblemonkee
11/06/09 @ 09:41
0
When it comes ot Riccitiello he seems to know his stuff, i like what he's done to EA for the mos tpart.
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Triggerhappytel
11/06/09 @ 10:18
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Boo, I would rather Criterion focus on a new Burnout instalment than have to make Need for Speed. Besides, I thought EA were taking it down a sim-like route, with Shift and all?
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Ziggy_badMonkey
11/06/09 @ 11:31
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He's "one of the people in the industry I would analogise to the great filmmakers," Riccitiello said.
Bloody hell...I laughed so hard I nearly passed a kidney stone. If JR had any idea what Ward is really like I would hope he'd give him the boot. Obnoxious, Egotistical and the way he speaks to and treats staff is a joy to behold! (having worked with him in the past) The sooner people like Ward are removed from positions of power the better it would be for all development teams in the industry. Criterions pas success was due to collaboration not the vision of one man (or excuse for one) Most of the Burnout team left after Paradise anyways with only maybe 10 people left from the original burnout after having had enough of the aforementioned Alex Ward. The Art Director left as well as one of the Creative Directors (and the entire world art team) and I believe all the members of the audio teams from Burnout & Black have moved onto greener pastures. Not got much faith in them producing anything groundbreaking...Criterion as it was is dead.......
Edited 1 times,
most recently on 11/06/09 @ 12:33
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Doctor_What
11/06/09 @ 12:14
+1
@ Ziggy_badMonkey:
I know exactly what you mean. Ward was singly responsible for making Criterion a bloody miserable place to work. Lots of decent, incredibly talented people were let down by a complete twunt in charge who would do everything in his power to make everyone's life a misery. Riccitello (or Fiona Sperry, head of the UK studio) please, for the sake of Criterion, get rid of Ward or put a muzzle and a leash on him. Let the teams do their jobs and get Ward to stop verbally abusing everyone who works below him. |
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Ziggy_badMonkey
11/06/09 @ 12:53
0
@ Doctor_What
What gets my goat is that EA prizes itself on a workplace where verbal and physiological bullying is taken very seriously but for some reason AW has been allowed to get away with stuff that would seriously damage EA's corporate image. I have seen some of this first hand and it is downright disgusting that he is still employed no matter what his track record as CDirector. Some of the most talented people in the industry at sometime worked at Criterion but there's only so much you can take. Fiona (as well as senior management)is well aware of his working practices and attitude but continues to ignore it. |
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0
Fiona (as well as senior management)is well aware of his working practices and attitude but continues to ignore it.
Presumably because she was married to him. Maybe she won't be so tolerant in future, from what i've heard. I find it very hard to speak to people that still say 'oh he's good at what he does though isn't he.' No. No he isn't. |
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ExplodingClown
11/06/09 @ 16:45
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I'd buy a new Need for Speed game if it had Burnout's damage modelling and dropped all that 'You Da Man Now Dogg' crap.
This Ward guy sounds like an utter cunt, though. |
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DiscoDoktor
04/10/09 @ 10:29
+1
Doctor_What .......is not the online Game Designer who uses the name Discodoktor who worked at Criterion. I am.
I find it distressing that this poster who is obviously pretending to be me would be so thoughtless towards me. I have great respect for Alex and what he has done for UK games development. He has proven to many gamers that he is a great Designer and Creative Director. I have too have throughly enjoyed all of his games. I loved working at Criterion and EA. Please can that coward poster think twice before prentending to be someone else. |
Comments: 1-19 of 19 in total
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