Need For Speed

Last week was THQ’s turn to boast about their financial earnings and today it was Electronic Arts’ turn.  Overall earnings for the company were ok (they only lost a measly $82 million) but most gamers could care less about things concerning percentages and millions of dollars earned/lost as most simply care about when the games are coming out.

For the past few years the Need for Speed series has been in an identity crisis of sorts with arcade games in the street racing genre while other installments have been attempts at giving the franchise a racing sim vibe.  While the first few installments of Need for Speed’s take on street racing were solid the series has quickly become a former shadow of itself and is far from the glory days of Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit 2.

A few months ago a rumor popped up that involved Criterion, the makers of the Burnout franchise, taking over an installment of the Need for Speed franchise. At the time many simply brushed the rumor aside as it seemed odd that EA would have Criterion work on an installment of the series especially since Burnout Paradise was just released at the time.