EA reveals Need for Speed casual revamp

The future of the series has been hanging in the balance for weeks, with former chief developer Black Box suffering mass lay-offs last week and auxiliary series developer EA Burnaby reportedly in trouble this morning.

EA has now confirmed to Eurogamer that this year will see three titles released under the Need for Speed banner – two of which will be radically overhauled for the casual market.

Core gamers will be serviced by Need for Speed: Shift, which will be released on 360, PS3, PC and PSP. Developed by GT Legends studio Slightly Mad and handled by former Black Box producer Michael Mann, the game will be far more realistic than recent outings in the series, focusing more on physics and driver behaviour than street culture and modding.

However, casual gamers have two titles to look forward to – Need for Speed: Nitro and Need for Speed: World Online.

The first, currently under development at Boogie studio EA Montreal, will be released on Wii and DS and offers “fast and fun arcade racing” and a “unique visual style”. It is being designed to appeal to both arcade race fans and casual gamers. It’s also said to be unlike any previous instalment to the series.

Lastly, World Online is a free-to-play PC title under development at the series’ traditional developer Black Box as well as EA’s online studio based in Singapore. Featuring licensed vehicles, the game will lead with an Asian release and will adopt the microtransaction business model EA has previously so openly admired.

“This is not so much a proof of concept – it is a full-fledged launch in a market that we are very ambitious toward,” EA marketing boss Keith Munro said of the title. “This ‘Play 4 Free’ action racing game will give Need for Speed fans the most licensed cars, parts and game modes ever in Need for Speed's history.”

Need for Speed becomes the latest EA franchise to get a casual-themed overhaul, with race series NASCAR and hockey outing NHL both receiving similar treatment this year. The publisher has also suggested that more of its sports titles will undergo the same treatment soon.

UPDATE: Apparently, there's also a fourth 'mystery' NFS game in development, which is also being handled by Black Box. "Black Box is currently working on a future action title in the franchise," EA Games marketing exec Keith Munro explained to Eurogamer. "This isn't about quantity, this is about crafting different games for different audiences and their unique tastes in the driving category."