Need for Speed (2015 video game)
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Need for Speed | |
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Developer(s) | Ghost Games |
Publisher(s) | Electronic Arts |
Series | Need for Speed |
Engine | Frostbite 3 |
Platform(s) | Microsoft Windows PlayStation 4 Xbox One |
Genre(s) | Racing |
Mode(s) | Single-player, multiplayer |
Need for Speed is an upcoming open world racing video game developed by Ghost Games and published by Electronic Arts for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. It is the twenty-first major installment in the long-running Need for Speed series, and a full reboot of the franchise. It will mark the second eighth generation installment and it will be the first time a game in the main series will be released as an eighth-generation console exclusive. There will be two editions: the Standard Edition and the Deluxe Edition.
Development
Following the 2010 release of Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit, EA's own developer Criterion Games, developers of the award-winning racing video game series Burnout, was given stewardship of the Need for Speed franchise with 2012's Need for Speed: Most Wanted. In a 2012 interview, Most Wanted executive producer Matt Webster told that while all future Need for Speed games may not be developed by Criterion, the studio would have creative oversight of the franchise moving forward.
After just one year later, during a Gamescom interview with Need for Speed Rivals executive producer Marcus Nilsson told that the newly created Ghost Games studio was now in charge of the franchise; about 80 percent of Criterion was working on Rivals with the remaining group working on a mysterious "new project." A month later, vice president and creative director of Criterion Games, Alex Ward announced that 60 to 65 people moved from Criterion over to Ghost Games UK, seemingly permanently, to work on Rivals and the franchise, leaving about 20 at Criterion.[2]
In April 2013, Electronic Gaming Monthly published a report that a reboot of 2003's Need for Speed: Underground could be the next NFS game;[3] that report was contradicted hours later by Criterion's Alex Ward.[4][5] Initially it was suspected that Criterion would not be developing racing games in the short-term, but Ward clarified that he was speaking personally instead of speaking for the studio.[6] In a 2013 interview with VideoGamer, Ghost's Marcus Nilsson stated that they were working to restore the credibility of the franchise.[7] He also suggested a sequel to 2004's Underground 2 if the conditions were right.[8] Later in the year, at the Eurogamer Expo, Nilsson hinted that the franchise might return to a style of progression in the future similar to the Underground - Most Wanted - Carbon series.[9]
In 2014, Electronic Arts CEO Andrew Wilson announced that there would not be a new Need for Speed game that year, making it the first year since 2001 that a Need for Speed game was not released.[10]
On 21 May 2015, EA announced their next Need for Speed game, with a teaser trailer,[11] following marketing material tease days before.[12] EA later clarified that the new Need for Speed game is not really a spiritual Underground 3 game, but it would still "share a lot of the stuff that made that game great".[13]
On 29 May 2015, EA confirmed that Need for Speed would require an online connection to play, but reassured that "the benefits are nice" for requiring the restriction. Previous Need for Speed games have featured connected online worlds for players to race and inhabit together, although they have not required a player to stay connected to play the game.[14] This was met with criticism from critics, who pointed to 2013's SimCity, which was unplayable at launch as a result of requiring an online connection to play.[15]
References
- ^ a b "November 2015 PS4, PS3, PS Vita New Release Video Games". PlayStation LifeStyle. Retrieved 20 August 2015.
- ^ Crecente, Brian (3 January 2014). "Co-founders of Criterion Games, creators of Burnout, leave studio [update]". Polygon. Retrieved 4 June 2015.
- ^ Ivan, Tom (12 April 2013). "News: Need for Speed: Underground reboot rumoured". Computer and Video Games. Retrieved 20 April 2013.
- ^ Makuch, Eddie (2013-04-12). "Criterion shoots down NFS: Underground reboot rumors". Gamespot. Retrieved 2015-06-03.
- ^ Yin-Poole, Wesley (16 April 2013). "Criterion boss: "After over a decade of making racing games it's time to make something new"". Eurogamer. Retrieved 20 April 2013.
- ^ Crossley, Rob (16 April 2013). "PC News: New Criterion IP 'is not a racing game'". Computer and Video Games. Retrieved 20 April 2013.
- ^ Scammel, David (29 September 2013). "Ghost takes control of the Need For Speed brand". VideoGamer.com. Retrieved 23 October 2013.
- ^ Scammel, David (28 September 2013). "Need For Speed Underground 3: If it can sell 15m copies, we'd make that game, says Ghost". VideoGamer.com. Retrieved 23 October 2013.
- ^ Marcus Nilsson (2013-09-28). Need for Speed: Rivals — EGX 2013 (Q&A session). Eurogamer. Event occurs at 35:23. Retrieved 2013-10-23.
- ^ Pereira, Chris (6 May 2014). "Need for Speed skips 2014; first year without one in over a decade". GameSpot. Retrieved 4 June 2015.
- ^ "Need For Speed reboot is spiritual sequel to Underground – teaser trailer online now". Metro. 21 May 2015. Retrieved 4 June 2015.
- ^ Nunneley, Stephany (20 May 2015). "Need for Speed teaser image released ahead of tomorrow's reveal". VG 247. Retrieved 4 June 2015.
- ^ "EA States Need For Speed Is Not Underground 3". Attack of the Fanboy. Retrieved 4 June 2015.
- ^ Phillips, Tom (29 May 2015). "Need for Speed reboot requires online connection". Eurogamer. Retrieved 4 June 2015.
- ^ "Need for Speed, Always Online Gaming, and EA Possibly Repeating Mistakes". Softpedia. Retrieved 5 June 2015.