Criterion leading Need for Speed series

EA's Need for Speed racing series has bounced around from developer to developer over the past few years, but things are now stabilising with Criterion leading the franchise.

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EA's Need for Speed racing series has bounced around from developer to developer over the past few years, having previously been made chiefly by EA Black Box, but things are now stabilizing with Criterion leading the franchise. The creator of Burnout and maker of the upcoming Need for Speed Most Wanted won't specify exactly what its role is, but vice president Alex Ward has said the series is "definitely a Criterion gig now."

"Our stamp's going to be in everything you see in Need for Speed and Burnout going forward in the future. It's not going to be spread anymore across different companies," Ward told Game Informer. "Different studios have had a crack at it--it's definitely a Criterion gig now."

Yes, that is a cheeky little Burnout tease there, but Ward wouldn't share any plans.

"Going forward now, with Most Wanted and what we'll do in the future [will have], shall we say, a strong Criterion involvement," he explained. "I'm personally involved in how the cars drive, how the game will play out, how connected they are, and what the features are."

The studio declined to clarify whether it'll be directly making every NFS game itself or not, so in all likelihood there'll still be multiple developers on the series, but under the watchful eye and gentle guidance of Criterion.

The new Most Wanted is coming to PC, Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 on October 30. Beyond that, and beyond Criterion's involvement, there's the slightly silly prospect of a Need for Speed movie coming from Steven Spielberg's DreamWorks Studios.

From The Chatty
  • reply
    June 25, 2012 9:30 AM

    Alice O'Connor posted a new article, Criterion leading Need for Speed series.

    EA's Need for Speed racing series has bounced around from developer to developer over the past few years, but things are now stabilising with Criterion leading the franchise.

    • reply
      June 25, 2012 10:05 AM

      There's been around 4 NFS games since Burnout: Paradise right? I know Criterion was the developer for NFS: Hot Pursuit and none of the others but can we please get a new Burnout please! I love running from cops as much as the other guy but I really would love to make Degenerate eat some new guardrails!

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      June 25, 2012 10:28 AM

      Does this include NFS: Shift, or is that dead?

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        June 25, 2012 11:30 AM

        Good question. I have tried and tried again to get into NSF: The Run and the last Most Wanted and I just couldn't do it.

        NSF: Shift and Shift 2 however were great (except the stupid drifting - unable to perform on PC wheel at all)

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          June 25, 2012 12:08 PM

          So is EA Black Box getting shifted to another franchise, or are they done? I don't renember if they had any other franchises besides Need For Speed.

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      June 25, 2012 11:52 AM

      All Need For Speed and No Burnout Paradise makes Baron emo.

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