EA Gives the Need for Speed Franchise Back to Criterion Games

[ELmarcotuff]

Hope to see another hp2010, or a hp2020, dont need all the crazy customization to be a good game. Look at driveclub, or gran turismo. Dont need a story either, it's a racing game, who cares.

 

[Daniel]

It's important to note that a decent number of people moved from Criterion over to Ghost a few years ago. By the looks of it, the creative forces aren't going to largely change outside of people leaving or joining either studio.

Highly doubt this is going to result in wide-scale changes to the future of the franchise.

 

[z06ongt4]

Well so much for choosing manual transmission as an option again. Seeing as Criterion doesn't deem to know how to put in a Manual option in one of their games...

 

[GiordySays]

Tbh brits know how to make good racing games

 

[TorqueHappenS08]

Man just when NFS got the formula right with heat......smhhhhhhhh

 

[T0MMY3688]

Nothing much will change I guess, we had Criterion staff moved to Ghost years ago and now they got moved back to Criterion. Seems like a studio name swap with extra steps. Should be beneficial to move back to the UK since they are struggling to find talent back in Gothenburg anyway.

 

[ZedNinetySix]

Everybody gansta until we realise that there are almost none of the original developers left in Criterion Games who put Burnout on the map of legends for instance...

 

[TomBrady]

I would never want to move to Sweden either or any country with insane laws against free speech

 

[ELmarcotuff]

Everybody gansta until we realise that there are almost none of the original developers left in Criterion Games who put Burnout on the map of legends for instance...

Points have been made

 

[Silver Arrows]

It seems Criterion will also be handling the rest of Heat's post-launch support.

Probably explains why K.S. Edition cars haven't been released.

So that's why Firestorm in Battlefield V hasn't been touched in months. Which is about all the questions I've had since this announcement. And an incredibly sad thing.

Everybody gansta until we realise that there are almost none of the original developers left in Criterion Games who put Burnout on the map of legends for instance...

I would never want to move to Sweden either or any country with insane laws against free speech

What is it about NFS threads that bring the absolute worst, most asinine posts out of people?

 

[FoRiZon]

I would never want to move to Sweden either or any country with insane laws against free speech

OK Boomer

How's that relevant to the discussion?

 

[Rustyhole]

Criterion without Fiona and Alex is like Metallica without James. Without them, Criterion is just another dev. Give NFS to 3fields or let them do Burnout.

 

[T0MMY3688]

Criterion without Fiona and Alex is like Metallica without James. Without them, Criterion is just another dev. Give NFS to 3fields or let them do Burnout.

3fields has made their own Burnout with Dangerous Driving, it just looks really low budget.

 

[Phaceless_Ph]

Say goodbye to street racing and customisation lol

 

[Rustyhole]

3fields has made their own Burnout with Dangerous Driving, it just looks really low budget.

Obvious answer is to give them a budget!

 

[ZedNinetySix]

Everybody gansta until we realise that there are almost none of the original developers left in Criterion Games who put Burnout on the map of legends for instance...

What is it about NFS threads that bring the absolute worst, most asinine posts out of people?

 

[Castrol96]

Criterion Games is not what it used to be.

 

[TokoTurismo]

Nvm

 

[Sage Ages]

3fields has made their own Burnout with Dangerous Driving, it just looks really low budget.

That's because it is low budget.

 

[ELmarcotuff]

What is it about NFS threads that bring the absolute worst, most asinine posts out of people?

I think it's just nfs in general that brings out the worst in people.

 

[LeGeNd-1]

So many people freaking out about this. As many people has said, Ghost was basically comprised of Criterion staff who worked on HP2010 and MW2012, and now they're moving back again. It's just a change of name above the doors (or when you start the game). Nothing is really gonna change. The B2D handling in Burnout Paradise was carried over to HP2010/MW2012, and then adapted for 2015/Payback/Heat and will still be used as base for whatever NFS in the future.

 

[Flashfire926]

It's not the same Criterion games that gave us Burnout 3, Revenge, Paradise, Black, and Hot Pursuit.

Only a select few of the original staff are left. That being said, A lot of Ghost was made up of former criterion employees anyways. Relocating to the UK, adding most of Ghost's development team to Criterion (which is 90+ as of 2017) seems like a good move. They'll have more manpower, and more potential talent in the area.

Heat is the best game in the series since HP2010, and in my top 5 of the series as well. I'm interested in what theyre doing next.

 

[Flashfire926]

3fields has made their own Burnout with Dangerous Driving, it just looks really low budget.

To be fair, 3 fields is comprised of just 7 people. I don't think it's fair to expect a AAA racing game from them.

 

[FoRiZon]

Related news back from 2013.

 

[HyperSpeeder]

Won't change anything. Most of Ghost's staff was former Criterion, including Craig Sullivan (who left in 2017). Now they're just being consolidated back into Criterion. That's part of the reason why they promised to keep supporting NFS Heat.

IIRC this game has a 72 Metascore, which is better than NFS15 and Payback... But not Hot Pursuit, which to my surprise has 86! I know there's people from way back who really don't like tuner-style NFS, but general public doesn't view NFS as "exotics on country roads" anymore. Also it's pointless to have Speedhunters as contributing blog if the game doesn't feature any customization nor car culture.

I've always thought NFSIII was better than the remake... So the possibility of new NFS with old formula doesn't excite me. It could work if they went for a TDU-style approach but with the current assets they have it's far more cost-effective to just continue the tuner series.

 

[T0MMY3688]

I know there's people from way back who really don't like tuner-style NFS, but general public doesn't view NFS as "exotics on country roads" anymore. Also it's pointless to have Speedhunters as contributing blog if the game doesn't feature any customization nor car culture.

I've always thought NFSIII was better than the remake... So the possibility of new NFS with old formula doesn't excite me. It could work if they went for a TDU-style approach but with the current assets they have it's far more cost-effective to just continue the tuner series.

I don't think it needs to change everything just to bring back the "exotics on country roads", at this point all we lack is country roads since Payback brought back exotics like Pagani and Koeniesegg then Heat brought in even more supercars (with its variants like HP2010) to the point that the game felt lacking in tuners and muscle cars.

But I would like to see it bring back "be the cop" mode again, cop mode with car customization might makes it a bit more fun. Different types of bull bars and auxiliary parts to select your tools (call in road blocks or EMP).