EA lift lid on Need for Speed: Shift
New versions of racing series out this year
EA's Need for Speed series suffered something of a crisis of confidence in its latest incarnation, prompting speculation that the series could be culled entirely. We can confirm that Need for Speed will be returning, in a new outing called Shift, the publisher promising to revamp the franchise.
Core, casual and 'Play 4 Free' versions of the game will be created, with Shift heading to the PC, Xbox 360, PS3 and PSP, while Need for Speed: Nitro makes for the Wii and DS.
Both new titles will be released in the autumn, we hear, while Need for Speed: World Online is also on the way, and will be released via the net in the far-east this summer, before reaching the West in the winter.
"The urban underground was a manifestation of style in some past Need for Speed games for sure, but Shift focuses less on these style cues and more on mirroring the driver experience, that athleticism of being in a wickedly-intense race, and what it really feels like to be behind the wheel," beams EA's Keith Munro on Shift.
Nitro, meanwhile, promises to be an entirely new experience from past iterations of the series, complete with unique visuals and a different take on gameplay. We'll be taking a look at all this on Monday, so watch this space.
