EA’s New Need For Speed: Shift…Good or Bad Idea?

Did EA Games make the right choice developing a game not consistent with their arcade roots?

by braddor

©2009 Bradley Wint

NFS: Shift is geared towards to the sim-head, NFS: Nitro fulfills the needs of arcade lovers and NFS: World Online is an online MMO style racer where real life people can match up and compete to be king of the streets.

My attention hovers around SHIFT though, because of the audience it targets. I am a gear head myself, so seeing a game that was sim-oriented coming from an exclusive arcade line is quite interesting. It’s also on the spotlight because it’s coming out for the big systems including the PS3, Xbox 360, PSP and PC.

EA taking this game into the sim market is a totally new concept for the game, so it makes us all wonder, “Will this game be a success?” I will list out what I believe are Pros and Cons, and come up with a conclusion.

Positives

Since EA Black Box was formed, it is fairly safe to say that Need For Speed went down the drain and never followed in the glory of its predecessors. However, EA Black Box won’t be developing SHIFT this round.

A gaming development firm called Slightly Mad Studios (SMS) has been entrusted with the development of this new simulation-based title. SMS is a combination of staff from the recently bought-out company, Blimey! Games. These guys worked on epic racing titles such as GTR, GTR2 and GT Legends while they were once a part of the SimBin (Race Pro) development team.

These guys have solid experience in the graphical and physics department when it comes to racing games. They have proven it in the past, and once again are showing their true colors with the recently released batch of beautiful high-definition untouched screen shots (both for Ferrari Project and NFS: Shift.)

• Need For Speed: Shift – Console only teaser

The developers mentioned that they are making the game on a 90% sim/10% arcade basis, which does sound promising considering that it is still a Need For Speed title. I guess if they tried to enter the marketing promoting it as a full blown sim, they may have not received near as much support as they have did as of recently.

Secondly, one of the questions to ask is “Do current NFS Fans still want an arcade racer?” and the answer is yes and no. 10 years ago, fans like me enjoyed the simplicity of just choosing a car and track, then hitting the course for some full-out racing action.

Fans these days, want a complete racers with a good story line, uber-visuals, tons of customizable features, very good physics and much more. The needs of fans have evolved into a very wide mix, a mix very different from what the “older” NFS fans preferred.

This evolved taste can be an advantage because EA could simply decide not to force itself to create an arcade game like the originals, but create a racer that satisfies the needs of today’s casual/semi-serious racers.

Finally, SHIFT can be a success because of the niche it targets. Rather than trying to be an all-in-one game, EA split up the NFS titles into games that targeted folks who like simulation, arcade and online match making racing.

Having games focusing on separate markets gives EA an advantage to develop titles more honed to the needs of the consumers. So rather than having an all-in-one title that lacks any properly developed promised features, you can choose a more detailed game that fits your priority.

•Developers Interview with Patrick Soderlund and GameSpot

Negatives

On the flip side, EA could be setting themselves up for a little trouble. The mere fact that they promote this game as a near-sim can lead to a lot of criticism, especially by ardent Gran Turismo and Forza fans.

In my mind, there is really no doubt that SHIFT will sell, but I think it’s in a spot where critics will come down on its handling. After reading the numerous previews, a few felt that the cars did things a bit out of the ordinary in terms of handling of the vehicles.

Knowing how narrow minded some fans are, they may be quick to accuse this game of not fulfilling what was promised by EA. This might be one factor that could hamper initial sales.

The second and final point being that Need For Speed has such a bad reputation. With the release of Undercover, many wonder if EA could turn around their act and create something good. Some wonder if these eye-candy pics are just going to lead us to buy a game that might turn out to be a disappointment.

Conclusion

Personally, I think no matter what the scenario is, NFS: Shift will sell extremely well. Undercover was a disappointment, but it ranked in as one of the best selling games according to the NDP sales charts.

Also, the positives about this game are very appealing and are really a step above the rest. Considering the level of focus being put on this game, I think it will be the turning point for EA in a positive direction.

Even with the thought that some fans are true to games such as Gran Turismo, Forza and other high end sim-titles, I highly urge them to step out of their comfort zone and take a look at what EA is developing. Also to the fans who felt disappointed in past NFS titles, this installment actually seems very promising, so let’s stick around one more time.

©2009 Bradley Wint

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Bradley Wint is the owner and Editor of OXCGN Affiliate Community Site Autogaming.net. If you’re a serious racing fan, then make sure you visit their site and check out the awesome racing news and join up in the fun.

Filed under: 3rd Party Games, Console gaming, Editorial, New Game Information, OXCGN Affiliates, Xbox 360, Xbox 360 News Tagged: | EA Black Box, EA NFS Shift, Need For Seed Shift, Need for speed nitro, Need for speed shift, NFS world online, shift, Slighty Mad Studios