Need for speed gets "serious".....confirmed!

[Hereward]

Need for Speed: Shift (PS3, Xbox 360, PC, PSP) -- A "hardcore racing simulation" overseen by Black Box executive producer Michael Mann, and Patrick Soderlund, the co-founder of DICE and current senior vice president of EA Games Europe. External developer Slightly Mad Studios will be responsible for putting a realistic spin on the franchise.

Quote from PS3 fanboy.

 

[Robin]

I don't know whether to laugh or cry!

Wasnt that the problem with ProStreet? That it was trying to be a simulation and the fans of the series where really put off / found it too difficult which is why it did terribily?

If by 'hardcore' they mean like Race Pro / Gran Turismo levels of simulation then they are going to face stiff competition from already established brands. That and the traditional NFS crowd will likely be put off yet again... I can just see kids playing it for 5 mins saying its too hard and throwing it in the bin!

Why can they not see that they need to remake NFSHP2? They could stick to arcade but just bring back to pure racing, no story, no girls, no open world (yes I did say that!). I guess a new studio increases its chances of not being another flop.

As for the name I guess it was a case of all the other single syllable race sounding names being already taken!

Oh and that picture looks so much like GRID is scary!

Robin.

 

[Hereward]

Ahh well heres the twist.....well heres 2 twists, theres actualy 3 NFS games being worked on! but check the systems list on them, heres the full quote

Need for Speed: Shift (PS3, Xbox 360, PC, PSP) -- A "hardcore racing simulation" overseen by Black Box executive producer Michael Mann, and Patrick Soderlund, the co-founder of DICE and current senior vice president of EA Games Europe. External developer Slightly Mad Studios will be responsible for putting a realistic spin on the franchise.
Need for Speed: Nitro (Wii, DS) -- As you might expect, this one will feature a "unique visual style," courtesy of EA Montreal. Nitro promises to take full advantage of the unique controls on offer for both platforms, but without sacrificing depth. According to Munro, "We do not want to fall into the trap of creating a 'Need for Speed Lite.'"

Need for Speed: World Online (PC) -- Jointly developed by Black Box and EA Shanghai, this free-to-play online racer is set to launch in Asia this Summer, with a North American release slated for next Winter.

Right so thats the first twist but for those who havn't realised whos making the "serious simulator" have a read of this, it's the second twist and might make a few eyebrows raise!

NFS: Shift is a far more serious take on racing than previous titles. Which you'd expect, with Slightly Mad - new custodians of GT Legends and GTR 2 devs Blimey! - working on it.

quote from Kotaku

could be fantastic....could be a disater, but worth keeping an eye on especialy with Slightly Mad working on it!

Final quote from euro gamer and comes from the horses mouth so to speak

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!"

 

[Quiet_Storm]

I think Pro Street did horribly because it wasn't open world like the previous games, not neccessarily the difficulty which I found were still pretty arcady. This one looks very interesting, though. Maybe the NFS series will finally go back to it's Porsche Unleashed days!

 

[Robin]

With simulation esque people behind yes this has a chance of being successful but why brand it with the NFS franchise? Why not release it as an independant title because people think arcade when they think NFS. I agree with Kotaku, that it could be fantastic or could be a disater.

Thinking about it I see it just being like the original Toca Race Driver, a sim with a story (which no doubt EA will insist they do). That title was quite good.

I also read about the other 2 NFS games and I thought gosh EA is really a game pumping factory! Undercover wasnt even out like 3 months and already its old news.

The Need For Speed Online thing sounds good, its probably going to be like TDU but on a simipler scale. The Nitro game is probably going to be a port of the PS3/360 versions with some special platform specific features.

On another note I just found out Simbin has an exclusive PS3 title coming which is currently under wraps, that would be yet another title competiting with this game.

EDIT - Just found more info on the slightly mad studio website..

Need for Speed SHIFT – Fall 2009

Shift into high gear! Designed to deliver a true driver’s experience that reflects contemporary motorsports, Need for Speed SHIFT is built by racers for racers. Need for Speed SHIFT delivers an authentic and immersive driving experience developed by Slightly Mad Studios in collaboration with executive producer Michael Mann at Black Box and senior vice president Patrick Soderlund at EA Games Europe. Slightly Mad Studios includes developers and designers that worked on the critically acclaimed games GT Legends and GTR 2. Need for Speed SHIFT replicates the true feeling of racing high-end performance cars like never before. Players are thrust into the heart of the action with immersive and exciting features including a stunningly realistic first-person cockpit view camera and an all-new crash mechanic, providing an unrivaled sensation of the speed and feeling of racing a car on the extreme edge of control.

Soderlund is also part of a racing team that recently competed in the 4th edition of the TOYO TIRES 24H Dubai 2009, the first major race event of the year. His team ranked #5 in the high-profile race. Soderlund and the SHIFT development team are committed to bringing the on-the-track experience to players across the world.

Need for Speed SHIFT will be released on PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment system, Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system, PSP® (PlayStation® Portable) and PC in fall 2009.

Need for Speed NITRO (Working Title) – Fall 2009

Developed by EA Montreal, Need for Speed NITRO for Wii™ and Nintendo DS™ will have players of all skill levels hooked from the moment they get into the action, while arcade racing fans will be exhilarated by the deep and challenging gameplay. EA Montreal has already established a strong track record of developing for these platforms and will bring their unique creativity and innovation to the Need for Speed franchise.

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. This evolutionary take on arcade racing, bringing back the best features found in Need for Speed games, comes exclusively to the Nintendo platforms this fall.

Need for Speed World Online – Winter 2009 in North America, (Summer 2009 in Asia)

Co-developed by Black Box and EA Singapore, Need for Speed World Online takes the race into the largest open world in the history of Need for Speed - designed exclusively for the PC. Beginning in Asia, this Play 4 Free action racing game will give Need for Speed fans access to licensed cars, parts and multiple game modes. Players will prove their racing supremacy through the sophisticated online matchmaking features and fully customize their profile and their ride.

Robin.

 

[jswilli1]

I have always been a fan of the NFS series dating back to the first one on 3D0 (which I still have). Alot of people did not like Prostreet and I went on the word and did not buy it until the price dropped to $29. I personally liked Prostreet, it was great for what it was. However I did not like the way you could "cheat" in the game particularly with the 5 sec car(s) on the drag strip. I won't go into Undercover, ouch. When GRID was released I was excited when I played the demo, that was as far as I got because I was into GT5P and I didn't like the steering controls in the game. EA would do great with Shift if they combined both a "Hardcore Racing Sim" with an optional story line arcade mode, Heck GT5P has an Arcade mode but no story line. Bottom Line is EA needs to clean up their NFS image and deliver a game worth buying (@ $60) not just pump out another worthless title. With a street date of Fall 2009 I would hope the game has been in development for awhile, like 1 to 2 years? Another gripe of EA is their continued effort to milk everyone on the DLC on the PSN.

 

[Pepsi0]

A realistic NFS! That's impossible to think of.

 

[Tornado]

A realistic NFS! That's impossible to think of.

*Ahem*

 

[danjama]

Can anyone say GRID?

Their way late

 

[JoshB1984]

*Ahem*

Don't forget NFSII, They've simulation modes

 

[Tornado]

But the physics engine was still arcadey (a bit too much, made all the more apparent by the perfection that was NFS III).

 

[Speedster502]

I mean out of all the images they could have shown, why show us a image very similar to one of the first pictures released from Race Driver Grid of the Zonda interior, huh thats funny that picture is of a Zonda interior. However, it does look good. If that isn't stupid cinematics then it does look very good, possibly better than Grid. Let's hope that everything else follows in shape and we might actually have a good Need For Speed on our hands.

 

[peter_vod69]

They should just do a 15th Anniversary edition of the Original Need For Speed. Redo the graphics and sound obviously, but keep the R&T data, do some proper, sim handling, do some HD versions of the video clips, and bob's your uncle. That was a fantastic game.

I'd be happy enough tooling along the Alpine roads in a C4 ZR1 vs a 993 or 512TR.

 

[Moglet]

Wasnt that the problem with ProStreet? That it was trying to be a simulation and the fans of the series where really put off / found it too difficult which is why it did terribily?

I thought the problem was that the cars handled like total arse? They straightened up every time you so much as let go of the steering slightly which made precise maneuvres impossible. That and the fact that the cars didn't accelerate when you pressed down on the throttle in a corner, no matter how powerful they were. If I want to understeer into a wall then I will, I don't want a game stepping in to try and make me a better driver!

 

[MagpieRacer]

Could this be the game Lewis Hamiltons face will be stuck to?

 

[BayConRong]

If I want to understeer into a wall then I will, I don't want a game stepping in to try and make me a better driver!

I 've been replaying prostreet on my Wii for 2 days and I've got the same impression as before:

It's too easy and you know the AI is artificial compared to real sims even if the game intentionally caused the cars to goof up occationally.

but that's the Wii so maybe the experience is different on other platforms.

 

[Watevaman]

I'm interested, I guess. I mean, I can always try it out and if I don't like it I won't buy it.

 

[Mad94d]

It looks good to me, I'd like NFS to go back to their old realistic ways.

 

[Quiet_Storm]

I also want NFS to go back to their old ways but I have to be honest. I do enjoy playing NFS: Underground, Most Wanted and Carbon when I just want to relax in bed while playing some driving games. They're lots of fun even if they are Arcade style racing games.

How suprised would you guys be if this game ends up having physics that completely blows away all other games, even the PC sims? Hey, it could happen!

 

[danjama]

It should use the FC physics, they are hot!

 

[Quiet_Storm]

Far Cry? What does that have to do with racing? Oh...so we can realistically knock down trees and barriers if we were to lose control and go off the road! Genius!

 

[danjama]

Sorry i'm not an FPS person really, but nice idea lol

I meant this:

https://www.gtplanet.net/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=199

 

[CyborgGT]

*EDIT* - repeated info moved here from the PS2 board. Ignore.

 

[Robin]

They should just do a 15th Anniversary edition of the Original Need For Speed. Redo the graphics and sound obviously, but keep the R&T data, do some proper, sim handling, do some HD versions of the video clips, and bob's your uncle. That was a fantastic game.

I'd be happy enough tooling along the Alpine roads in a C4 ZR1 vs a 993 or 512TR.

+1 👍

Thats what Ive always wanted them to do! I bought the original NFS-SE when it came out and in my book its still hands down the best NFS (closely followed by HP2). It had great cars, interesting point to point road tracks, police, interior view, traffic, good physics and lots of info on each car including videos.

For example a road course would be split into 3 sections, the first you would be in the plains / fields at the base of the mountain, next you would be going up the hill and the final stage you would be near the top and it would be snowing etc.. the environments changed!

It would look amazing in next gen graphics!

The Game's Intro.. so 90's!


Robin.

 

[Delirious]

Throw in some cheesy cop one liners and chases and we got ourselves a game!

(But really Shift sounds awesome can't wait to see more!)

 

[marmar]

http://ve3d.ign.com/articles/news/44363/Need-for-Speed-SHIFT-NITRO-World-Online-Details

wow .. I can NOT believe .. EA making NFS a sim ... thats amazing .. theres a screenshot too .. "cockpit" .. CHECK IT OUT ! OMG!

 

[BayConRong]

read the AUP this pretty much falls under "make sense".

 

[Pepsi0]

Could this be the game Lewis Hamiltons face will be stuck to?

No...how would that even work anyway? They're making a sperate game for him: which will be named along the lines of Lewis Hamilton F1, so Shift has nothing to do with it.

 

[daan]

Merged 3 NFS: Shift threads and moved them to the NFS forum.

Yes, I know this is the PS2 forum, but the whole NFS forum will get moved to the Gaming in General* forum shortly.


* All NFS games are multi format so that's probably the best place for it.

 

[homeforsummer]

Does Shift look like it could turn out to be a Grid clone?

No, for two reasons:

- Judging solely from that screenshot, it looks a thousand times better, and the whole game isn't smeared in a vaseline-like "Bloom" effect.
- I've always enjoyed playing NFS games (though I admit I haven't played one since Most Wanted), wheras I didn't enjoy Grid when I played it at all. So if NFS remains as enjoyable as previous titles, it immediately betters GRID.