No plug-pulling for Need for Speed as EA confirms new titles

by Stevie Smith - Feb 2 2009, 13:00

Despite declining review scores attributed to the Need for Speed videogame franchise, and the suggestion that publisher Electronic Arts was preparing to finally pull the plug on its ailing franchise, this week has seen the confirmation of not one, not two, not three, but four new Need for Speed titles.

Perhaps the most notable, at least in terms of resurrecting the critical credibility of the racing series on performance-heavy home consoles, is Need for Speed Shift. While little is currently know about Shift, it will provide the franchise with more of a simulation focus and is being helmed by acclaimed UK-based GTR developer Slightly Mad Studios.

Leaning away from the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, Electronic Arts has also unveiled Need for Speed Nitro, an arcade thrill ride already in production through Canada-based EA Montreal for the Nintendo Wii and Nintendo DS handheld.

The third title, Need for Speed World, is in production at EA Singapore and could well ignite a fresh wave of interest in EA’s long-serving racer due to it being crafted specifically for the online multiplayer market. The likelihood of that interest boost is bolstered by World being presented as a completely free-to-play release.

“The Need for Speed brand is quite powerful,” commented Keith Munro, EA’s vice president of marketing, in outlining the publishers sustained vision for one of its most profitable software franchises. “When we talked to consumers about what the brand meant to them, we realised that it could be stretched to new limits on different platforms.”

While that may well sound like a recession-fuelled excuse for why the Need for Speed plug isn’t being yanked regardless of an all-too obvious quality dip, we’d never be so bold as to suggest it would hold water as a theory (cough).

Speaking with AP, Mr. Munro explained that EA’s new plan for the series will see expanded resources enabling the publisher to extend ambitions by assigning an entirely new studio and development team to the franchise. He added that it will also give stalwart Need for Speed creator EA Black Box “time to retrench” while working on a fourth, thus-far untitled series project.

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