Criterion reinvents Need for Speed Hot Pursuit for the connected generation.

Criterion Games announced today that the award-winning development team is making the latest installment in the renowned Need for Speed franchise. Inspired by the classic game of the same name, Criterion will reveal Need for Speed Hot Pursuit for the very first time today at the Electronic Entertainment Expo in Los Angeles. Launching in November 2010, Need for Speed Hot Pursuit brings the franchise back to its roots with intense cops vs. racer chases. Criterion also ups the ante with the introduction of an all-new online network called Need for Speed Autolog where players compare racing stats and automatically get personalized gameplay recommendations from their friends– a feature that is poised to transform online racing for the connected generation.

Need for Speed Hot Pursuit players will experience the thrill of the chase and the rush of the escape as they play through full careers as both a cop and a racer – solo or connected. The high speed busts and heart-stopping getaways are all connected via Need for Speed Autolog. This network not only connects friends for epic head-to head pursuits and races, but also enables players to compare performances and stats, thereby setting the stage for the ultimate in social competition.

Craig Sullivan, Creative Director of the game said, “At Criterion, we’ve been playing Need for Speed since it was first introduced on 3DO. We are honored and excited by the opportunity to reinvent the franchise for today’s connected audience. Our goal has been to create cops vs. racers pursuits that are so fun, fast and exciting it really brings to life the adrenaline and intensity of the high speed cop pursuit experience with your friends”.

Developed by Criterion Games, Need for Speed Hot Pursuit will be available on November 19th 2010 on the 360, PS3 and PC. Need for Speed Hot Pursuit will also be available on the Wii and is being developed by Exient.

EA today announced that Need for Speed World, the massively multiplayer online action racing game, will go live on July 20, 2010.

Need for Speed World thrusts gamers into an enormous, socially-connected white-knuckle Need for Speed experience featuring an all-new power-up system and deep RPG style progression.

Beginning July 20th, Need for Speed World will be available as a free client download at world.needforspeed.com. The free client gives gamers a taste of the action with access to all races, pursuits and career progression up to level 10.

Players looking for the ultimate experience can purchase the Need for Speed World Starter Pack which includes a credit for £14.99 worth of SpeedBoost, full access up to level 50, a bundle assortment of power-ups like Nitrous and Traffic Magnet to help you get started, and an exclusive limited edition vehicle – all for MSRP £14.99. Owners of the Starter Pack also get the added benefit of being able to purchase items like power-ups, double XP periods and even rental cars starting at just a few cents.

Players who pre-order Need for Speed World will have a one-week headstart to the game on July 13th, with increased Rep (XP) gain for the duration of the headstart event and guaranteed access to all upcoming Need for Speed World beta events. Finally, players will also be able to reserve their driver names in advance of the game going live and have VIP status permanently displayed in their driver profile. Pre-orders are available now at eastore.ea.com or at participating digital retailers nationwide.

Need for Speed World brings together best in class action racing with an unparalleled social experience. Players can compete against any one of their friends, family or pick from thousands of top ranked players to challenge in intense online battles and police pursuits across 150 miles of sprawling open world. Need for Speed World combines new content with the most popular cities from Need for Speed Most Wanted and Need for Speed Carbon to create the biggest, most exciting race world ever released in the Need for Speed universe.

Look out for our hands on impression very soon!

EA today announced an entertainment program that brings together the top street, drift, GT racing, time attack cars and drivers.

Dubbed ‘Team Need for Speed’, these individuals embody the spirit of the Need for Speed franchise – the adrenaline and rebelliousness of driving the world’s coolest cars. Together, this collective of racing influencers will carry the Need for Speed brand into a variety of events, films, competitions and more.

Team Need for Speed consists of an all-star roster of drivers renowned for their skill on the track and passion for the automotive lifestyle including Vaughn Gittin Jr. (Drift/USA), Matt Powers (Drift/USA), Edward Sandström (GT Racing/Europe), Patrick Söderlund (GT Racing/Europe) and Mad Mike Whiddett (Drift/USA, New Zealand, Japan). Additional drivers will be announced in the future. The season kicks off this week as three of the Team Need for Speed drivers hit the track. On April 9, Mad Mike Whiddett and Matt Powers compete in the ‘Streets of Long Beach’ Formula D event and on April 10, Patrick Soderlund and teammate Edward Sandström will compete in the VLN Series’ Stunden-Rennen race at the Nurburgring Nordschleife in Germany.

“Driving for Team Need for Speed is a great honor,” said Mad Mike Whiddett, Team Need for Speed driver and champion drifter. “I love the pure creativity and insane competition of drifting and partnering with Need for Speed is perfectly aligned with my personal and professional passions.”

The Team Need for Speed program also features a 12-part film series about the Team Need for Speed drivers and their cars directed by renowned automotive filmmaker, Will Roegge. Need for Speed is also expanding its Formula D sponsorship with the Need for Speed Lounge where attendees can meet the drivers, Mad Mike Whiddett and Matt Powers, and play the latest Need for Speed games.

Keith Munro, VP of Marketing for EA said, “Team Need for Speed launches an aggressive initiative designed to bring the core brand values of Need for Speed into the real world. By partnering with these tastemakers and by creating these specific programs, Need for Speed goes beyond the game into the real world of automotive lifestyle culture.”

With over 100M units sold, Need for Speed is the best-selling racing game franchise in the world and is known for delivering unparalleled white-knuckle racing, creative customization and street style. Last fall EA published Need for Speed SHIFT, the highest rated Need for Speed game in years, featuring an intense first-person crash dynamic and a signature cockpit view that delivers a true driver’s experience. Need for Speed World is a massively multiplayer online action racing game that is currently in the beta process and will be available this summer on the PC.

Black Box, a studio of EA, today announced that the closed beta for Need for Speed World, the massively multiplayer online action racing game has begun.

Over the course of the next few months, thousands of players worldwide will have the opportunity to claim one of the limited slots in the PC beta test by enlisting at world.needforspeed.com. Need for Speed World testers will be the first in the world to get an insider’s look at this hotly anticipated racing MMO, and their constructive feedback will go straight back to the development team to help add polish, finesse and tuning to the final product.

“Need for Speed World is the world’s first MMO racer – a completely new entertainment experience for speed junkies all over the world,” said John Doyle, Need for Speed World Senior Producer. “We have expanded Need for Speed’s classic adrenaline fueled racing with an all-new power up system and deep RPG style progression to create a truly massive, socially-connected white-knuckle Need for Speed experience.”

Need for Speed World brings together best in class action racing with an unparalleled social experience. For the first time in a racing game, players will be able to compete against any one of their friends, family or pick from thousands of top ranked players to challenge in intense online battles and police pursuits across 150 miles of sprawling open world. Need for Speed World takes the well known and popular cities from Need for Speed Most Wanted and Need for Speed Carbon to create the biggest, most exciting race world ever released in the Need for Speed universe.

Need for Speed World will be available this summer on the PC. More information and details on the beta test can be found at world.needforspeed.com or follow us on Twitter at NeedforSpeed.

EA yesterday announced the all-new Exotic Racing Series pack for Need for Speed SHIFT.

On March 18th, gamers will have access to seven phenomenal new cars and an amazing new track in the game. Highlighting this exclusive pack of cars are the McLaren MP4-12C and the legendary BMW M1. Players won’t find more brilliance, innovation, or drama than in these magnificent machines, where each is a potent mix of race car and road car. The Exotic Racing Series pack will be available worldwide on the PS3 for $10.00 or the 360 for $10.00 or 800 Microsoft Points.

Over 50 exciting new events have also been created specifically for these cars including time challenges, endurance and sprint races. The challenging and spectacular new Riviera track boasts four unique layouts, each with daring corners, multiple blazing straight-aways and a few hairpins that will push these cars to the limit. Players that complete the package will receive an additional 125 Microsoft gamerpoints or 5 PlayStation Trophies as a reward for undertaking various exciting challenges.

The Exotic Racing Series pack cars include:
1. Alfa Romeo 8C Competizione
2. BMW M1 Procar
3. GUMPERT apollo
4. Honda NSX
5. McLaren MP4-12C
6. Maserati GranTurismo S
7. Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren Stirling Moss

EA today announced that, after a seven year hiatus, the venerable automaker and elite racing brand Ferrari is returning to Need for Speed. On February 16th, players of Need for Speed: Shift will be able to download a content pack that delivers 10 extraordinary Ferrari cars including the 430 Scuderia and the ultra-rare FXX and F50 GT. Now, Need for Speed Shift players will feel the rush of being in the driver’s seat, realizing the true driver’s experience of being behind the wheel of a Ferrari car.

The Ferrari Racing pack is the latest downloadable content for Need for Speed SHIFT and will be available worldwide today on the 360 for 800 Microsoft Points.

In addition to 10 new cars, the Ferrari Racing Series will also extend Shift’s career mode with 46 new Ferrari specific challenges designed for the Ferrari cars to participate in including hot laps, eliminators, endurance races and a world tour. Completing the perfect Ferrari package are an additional 125 gamerpoints as a reward for undertaking various exciting challenges. All Ferrari cars can also be taken online where players can prove who has the skills to master these high-performance Italian racing machines.

The Ferraris available include:
1. 1996 Ferrari F50 GT
2. 2005 Ferrari F430 Spider
3. 2005 Ferrari FXX
4. 2005 Ferrari Superamerica
5. 2006 Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano
6. 2006 Ferrari F430 Challenge (Online/Quick event only)
7. 2006 Ferrari F430 GTC (Online/Quick event only)
8. 2007 Ferrari 430 Scuderia
9. 2008 Ferrari California
10. 2008 Ferrari 16M Scuderia Spider

In an earnings call last night, EA’s CEO, John Riccitiello has outlined some of the new major titles to be released in the next year.We already know some of them like the new Medal of Honour game along with an MMA title.  Other slips or announcements if you will included a new take on the Madden game, a version of Sims coming to consoles, a revitalised Need For Speed, Dead Space 2, Crysis 2 and a new MMO.  Rumours and speculation are being banded around about this MMO and the concensus is that it will be Star Wars: The Old Republic.

All of these releases are due within EA’s next fiscal year which starts on 1st April 2010 and ends in March 2011.

We will endeavour to bring you all the news about these games as they unfold.

EA today announced an all-new Team Racing pack for the critically-acclaimed Need for Speed SHIFT. The content pack takes online racing to the next level with an action-packed new race mode and five renowned racing cars – all for free. The Team Racing pack is the first downloadable content for Need for Speed SHIFT and will be available worldwide on December 1st on the 360. The pack will be released for the PS3 on December 3rd in Europe and on December 10th in North America.

The Team Racing mode brings a fresh new challenge to SHIFT by completely redefining online racing. In this mode, two teams of up to six racers will battle against each other for online supremacy. Individual driving strategy and playing it safe won’t work as team tactics and 200 mph split-second decisions are required to push your team to the podium.

As part of the new content, players will also get access to these legendary racers:
• 1967 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray 427
• 1967 Shelby GT-500
• 1969 Dodge Charger R/T
• 1971 Dodge Challenger R/T
• 1998 Toyota Supra Mark IV

A lot of people have moved on to the great Forza 3 but if you still have this around then it would definitely be worth the download and getting a few laps in with it.  Check out our review for Shift here

In a conference call, last night, EA confirmed that the dev for next year’s Need For Speed will be Criterion of Burnout fame.We have all heard the rumours to this but now it is officially confirmed, Criterion will now drive the franchise forward after the successes of Shift and Nitro this year.

Fran Gibeau, speaking at EA’s quarterly earnings call last night announced that the next Need For Speed has been in  development for a while now and will be released next year.

“Next year’s Need for Speed has been under development now for some time at our award-winning Criterion Studio,” he said.

“In recent years, we failed to put adequate resources behind the franchise and, as a result, quality suffered.”

So how will this next version of the franchise play.  Will it keep on with the fresh approach to sim racing or will Criterion go to its core root and create something more in Burnout tradition?

It has to said that the Need For Speed franchise has had a bit of an overhaul this year to save the franchise.Three variations of the game were announced with the Need For Speed: Shift title released on the PS3 and 360 moving more towards the simulation arena and hit the mark pretty well.  See our review here.  The other was to try and create a more arcadey, traditional feel with the wii version, titled Need For Speed: Nitro.

Now that the title has appeared we have had a go on this title and I must say it will definitely appeal to the more casual racer b ut keeps the original Need For Speed ethic and a defnite break from the precision that is sometimes required in Shift.

The controller set ups are good and responsive and can handle different variations for the wheel, remote, remote plus nunchuck etc until you find your niche.  Up to four controllers can also be setup for frantic multiplayer fun with friends and family.

The game itslef appeases in many good way and can be played either through arcade or career mode.  Career mode has a similar setup to Shift where you attempt to win races and other tasks to earn stars and unlock other cities to race through.  Starting out in Rio you unlock cities like Dubai, Cairo, Madrid and Singapore, racing city cars, performance cars and then supercars.

The initial gameplay is great but cn soon become repetitive as you have to go through all the races again to gain the extra stars and unlock the extra cars to go through the single player again to complete the single player element.  Although there are the traditional races there like circuit races, elimination, drag and drift racing and also time attack and speed trap challenges it will give you initially a lot of fun.  Need For Speed in this instance wouldn’t be Need For Speed unless you had the cops chasing you and they are back again to add another element into the mix.  These can be shrugged off with pick ups on the tracks that you can collect as well as wrenches for instant repairs and other pick up.  This does give a little feel of the Mario Kart series and is definitely something to think about.

The arcade modes are also fun but in short bursts. Compete with up to 4 players to see who are the kings of the track in a variety of different events explained above but the beauty is that everything is unlocked from the outset giving you a good track variety and a choice of over 40 cars.

Graphically the game has a cartoony feel with all the cars being enlarged, brighter which adds to the element that this game is more casual than it is for the hardcore.  The varied customization options help to save the game from total repetitiveness. You spend a good chunk of time playing around with the designs–even though the cars are rated in terms of speed, acceleration, handling, strength, and drift, you can make only aesthetic changes to them. You can choose from dozens of colours and stickers, or customize your own. Placing them on the car is simply a matter of pointing the Wii Remote on the spot where you want them to go. Different brushes can be unlocked throughout gameplay, so those who believe strongly in their artistic abilities can also free-form paint all over their car if they so wish. But the best part of the whole process is a quirky design concept that works brilliantly for this type of game: you have the option to customize how the trackside buildings appear when you’re racing. Again, you can pick from dozens of graffiti designs and stickers, which will first appear on the showroom walls so you can get a feel for what you’ve picked. During the race, your designs will appear on the buildings around you, but only when you take the lead–a sort of triumphant tribute to your personal style.

Overall, the game is fun to play but there is not enough variety there to keep you racing for hours on end.  There seems to be not enough variety to motivate you enough to keep progressing and you may soon get bored.  For the casual racer that want to step in and have a little fun with friends and family then this game is a gimme but with a price tag that will go into the £30 + range you may feel that the justification is not there and may wait for a pre-owned copy.