Tue, Nov 10, 2009 | 03:45 GMT
Criterion-developed Need for Speed set to launch “next year”
During today’s Q2 EA conference call, EA Games label president Frank Gibeau confirmed the existence of a Need for Speed title developed by Burnout creator Criterion Games.
“In recent years, we failed to put adequate resources behind the franchise and, as a result, quality suffered,” he admitted.
Giving the series a good tune-up, as it turns out, is as simple as 1, 2, Here’s hoping that the new game’s a lot like Burnout 3!
“Next year’s Need for Speed has been under development now for some time at our award-winning Criterion Studio,” Gibeau said.
Here’s hoping it crashes and burns. In a good way.
Thanks, Joystiq.
15 
Posted in: EA, Hot, Racing
Tags: burnout, criterion games, ea, need for speed
15 comments
#1
Plainview
10/11/09, 4:52 am
It’s in good hands
#2
chickenbutt
10/11/09, 5:01 am
This might be a Need for Speed game I’ll be getting.
#3
Jadeskye
10/11/09, 5:28 am
i’ll consider my NDA over then!
Yes this has been on the cards for some time, criterion was shifting people around with the need for speed guys for a while, up to around a year ago.
A number of artists got moved around including a lot of the guys that worked on burnout’s car textures and models.
From what i’ve heard from the inside, this game is looking pretty sweet.
#4
Anders
10/11/09, 5:49 am
Didn’t Riccitiello confirm this game back in June?
It’ll sure be interesting, though. Loved (loves) Burnout Paradise.
#5
Nelius
10/11/09, 6:42 am
This is the first NFS i’m seriously interested in since NFS:SE!
#6
Freek
10/11/09, 7:27 am
Sounds good, but it still means NFS remains in a deep identity crisis.
On the one hand it wants to be a sim with NFS:Shift and on the other hand it wants to be an arcady Burnout style game.
#7
Robo_1
10/11/09, 8:03 am
Need For Speed + Criterion = WIN
#8
Blerk
10/11/09, 9:25 am
So…. what about Burnout, then?
#9
Captain Fruitloop
10/11/09, 10:01 am
More bad news for Blur, which was conceived as Acti’s NFS-beater at a time when the NFS franchise was starting to look really worn out.
#10
Freek
10/11/09, 11:06 am
SplitSecond looks to be kicking everybodys ass anyway, next year.
#11
Harry
10/11/09, 11:19 am
I hope this means a return to oldschool NFS. I want supercars and sunlit coastal roads. And blue skies.
#12
Cort
10/11/09, 12:49 pm
Yup, Criterion are awesome. I Platinumed Shift but the physics drove me mad and I traded it in immediately after – and without a moment’s hesitation. Criterion will produce a game with just the right vehicle handling model for this sort of thing.
#13
DrDamn
10/11/09, 1:57 pm
@Freek
I don’t thinks so. Shift filled the gap left by Project Gotham quite nicely. As a series it can goes forward in a couple of ways. EA are sensibly not trying to put everything in one place.
Hopefully the Criterion effort is not an open world thing like Paradise so it can actually do stuff like split screen. I’m not holding my breath though.
#14
LewieP
10/11/09, 5:01 pm
Any news on the Black sequel?
#15
Jadeskye
10/11/09, 11:02 pm
LewieP, no mate, theres no work being done on this as of the last time i checked which was around august.