Need For Speed Hot Pursuit: Criterion DEV Out november 16th

[Number45]

I know this has been mentioned before somewhere (Probably the BP thread), but it's now been semi-officially confirmed:

"We've taken the Burnout team and combined it with our Need For Speed franchise," he said, speaking on EA's efforts to reboot the lagging racing franchise. "So we now have that in our favor because that Burnout team is probably one of the more online-centric and notably high-quality game developers that we have out at Criterion."

Source

I guess this means we won't be seeing the next Burnout for a while then. I haven't played a NFS game before, but I'm much more likely to with Criterion attached.

[Dezm0nd]

How many NFS games are in the works now? I'm sure it's not needed. I hope this isn't the start of the end to Burnout.

[Number45]

Just the one isn't it?

I'm not sure how they're going to work Burnout either. I'd suggest that they might run the franchises in alternate years, but I'd imagine that would involve significant changes to the size of the team at Criterion given it typically takes them a while to finish their games (And with good reason).

[Dezm0nd]

Recently they have NFS Shift (Xbox, PS3) Nitro (Wii, DS) and World Online (PC) which covers all bases.

I'm quite gutted that they're not carrying on with their baby, but I suppose they gotta be working on something which isn't Burnout Paradise DLC.

Ah well, i'm sure we'll see Burnout return before we know it

[Number45]

Ah, I don't follow the NFS stuff. So if Shift is this years version I would imagine the Criterion version is slated for next year, or perhaps even the year after?

More info: http://kotaku.com/5285730/ea-burnout...need-for-speed

"I don't think you can fold Burnout into Need for Speed, because a lot of people like Burnout," he said. "We don't have a plan right now for a separate major launch on Burnout, because the team doing it is working on a revolutionary take on Need for Speed.

Now I'm intrigued.

[Dezm0nd]

Yeah it'd be harsh to criticise(?) it for name alone, Criterion will do themselves proud as always.

[Neon Ignition]

Gar! So if there's no sequel to Paradise in the offing are we to take it that todays 1.9 update is the end of the series for the foreseeable future? If so, great as Criterion are, this is bad news for me. NFS, whoever develops it, is an identityless franchise which is pretty redundant. I'd rather they started from scratch with another developer for a completely fresh restart and focused on Burnout as their primary license.

[dvdmike]

Ah, I don't follow the NFS stuff. So if Shift is this years version I would imagine the Criterion version is slated for next year, or perhaps even the year after?

More info: http://kotaku.com/5285730/ea-burnout...need-for-speed

Now I'm intrigued.

Next year, black box are the year after

[Dazzyman]

Their doing their own revolutionary take on NFS so that means a fresh start. Could be burnout with pimping cars. ID wait for footage before putting it down.

Their reinventing NFS anyway, shift for example is more a sim racer.

[Brats]

Does anyone else think that EA are barking up the wrong tree with their new take on Need for Speed? I know sales were starting to dip, but the thing was still a behemoth in the top ten around Christmas time.

But don't most people just want a decent, smooth update of Most Wanted? I've never understood why they changed from this winning formula with Carbon and Pro Street. Shift just seems to be going further away from that and head to head with both Forza and GT5.

The new Criterion game might be the Most Wanted update, but it seems like the Need for Speed name is going to become hopelessly diluted and the fans are going to get turned off.

[Neon Ignition]

I loved NFS1 back in the day, a simple remake of that would be enough for this franchise for me

[Number45]

I'm worried that the NFS games have their own identity and it will stifle any creativity from the Criterion guys, but at least it seems like they're being allowed to do something different with the franchise. I'm not sure if that will continue if they're forced to do it every couple of years though.

[MikeRox]

Does anyone else think that EA are barking up the wrong tree with their new take on Need for Speed? I know sales were starting to dip, but the thing was still a behemoth in the top ten around Christmas time.

The series shifted off focus starting with Pro Street (or arguably, even Underground). Need for Speed is now just to their racing, what EA Sports is to their sports titles... only with just 1 or 2 a year. Burnout was a title they couldn't really slap Need for Speed on because Burnout itself was such a well known title by then.

I believe sales of Need for Speed Undercover were abysmal and it was more a plummet than a dip.

I actually think that Need for Speed: Shift looks great. Forza/Gran Turismo is the wrong comparison IMO though, it's more Project Gotham (Arcade/Sim hybrid) Lo behold... there appears to be a gap in that market right now with Bizarre being bought out by Activision

Shift is the first NFS title I've been optimistic for since Hot Pursuit 2. If Criterion are doing a Hot Pursuit 3 I'd cream. (I don't particularly want the open sprawling cities as the circuits generally seem to feel compromised)

[averybluemonkey]

Does anyone else think that EA are barking up the wrong tree with their new take on Need for Speed? I know sales were starting to dip, but the thing was still a behemoth in the top ten around Christmas time.

But don't most people just want a decent, smooth update of Most Wanted? I've never understood why they changed from this winning formula with Carbon and Pro Street. Shift just seems to be going further away from that and head to head with both Forza and GT5.

The new Criterion game might be the Most Wanted update, but it seems like the Need for Speed name is going to become hopelessly diluted and the fans are going to get turned off.

I hated what Criterion did to the Burnout series after the second one, really didn't like the route they took with it and probably won't touch anything they do with this franchise. Carbon was very much like Most Wanted though wasn't it (I've only played Carbon - not MW)? Really enjoying Undercover at the moment, they seem to have taken it back towards the Carbon formula after Pro Street which really was a bad idea.

[C']

To be honest, I'm surprised it took EA this long for them to just make Criterion's games part of the Need for Speed franchise. I remember this was predicted way back when they became part of EA.