EA Expands Need for Speed Into Three Different Game This Year

January 31, 2009 by Chapree

NFS: SHIFT - one of three new NFS coming this year.
Image credit: NeedforSpeed.com

Although the current economy downturn hitted EA Black Box pretty bad - the closing of its Vancouver studios and major staff layoff, it’s good to know that one of its signature franchise - Need for Speed will still be around, despite early rumors that the series will be axed off after its 15 years run.

Not only 2009 will saw yet another NFS release, the franchise will expand into three different products. Keith Munro, EA’s Vice President of Marketing, revealed the new NFS titles in an interview with Gamespot:

NFS: SHIFT. - coming to PC, PS3, PSP and Xbox 360 around fall this year, this racing simulation game will bring gamers back to event-based NFS. The development of this game will involves Slightly Mad Studios (formerly named Blimey! who developed GT Legends and GTR 2), Patrick Soderlund (Senior Vice President of EA Games Europe and Co-Founder of DICE), and Mike Mann (Executive Producer of Black Box).

NFS: NITRO (working title) - coming to Nintendo DS and Wii, the game will be using unique features that are available in both platforms. EA promised that the game will have “deep and challenging gameplay“. Wonder what that means…

NFS: World Online - this game is EA’s second attempt on an online NFS game, first being Motor City Online - back in 2001. The free-to-play MMO for PC is co-developed by Black Box and EA Singapore and also will be launched in Asia around middle of this year.

This announcement by EA is very refreshing indeed. But, we shall see whether the new SHIFT will be able to erase my personal dissapointment with NFS Undercover when it comes out end of this year.

By the way, the full press release is also available at EA Singapore website, if you interested on more details.