Rumor: Need for Speed series has been canceled -- or has it? [update]
by Griffin McElroy 
{ Dec 14th 2008 at 4:30PM }
We tend to handle rumors without named sources with a bit more trepidation than others, but the cancellation of EA's 14-year-old racing franchise isn't completely outside the realm of possibilities. After all, the gaming industry juggernaut has sailed through fairer economic waters, and the latest installment in the supposedly canceled series, Need for Speed: Undercover, currently holds a Metacritic rating of 65 -- which also happens to be the exact number of people who purchased the game. We'll let you know when we hear more.
Update: We've received a tip from someone a purported EA employ who wishes to remain anonymous. According to this source, the Need for Speed series isn't shutting down -- but EA Black Box, the development team behind recent entries into the series, "most likely" is. The source explains that EA not only scrapped their plans to open up a new studio in Vancouver, but that they also decided to close Black Box, moving the NFS and Skate teams to their much larger Burnaby studios.
The source further details the fate of Need for Speed -- he claims that one of the next entries into the series will be developed by the EA-owned Criterion Games, and will likely use the engine of their racing series, Burnout. He also claims that there are three different teams within Black Box that are responsible for developing Need for Speed titles (which is how they're able to release a new NFS title every year) -- though these three teams will likely consolidate into one, leading to less NFS releases, more continuity between said releases, and, ultimately, drastic downsizing for the NFS teams.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
WRE @ Dec 14th 2008 4:34PM
Good.
Cash @ Dec 14th 2008 4:43PM
I second that. I'm pretty sure we have enough need for speed games out already. Given the sales of Underground, it's obvious that the title is suffering from franchise fatigue.
Markez (Anti-Panda Death Murder Squadron) @ Dec 14th 2008 4:47PM
I use to love this series so much, but I think they went a little overboard with all the street car BS. The one I had on the cube, which I believe was NFS Hot Pursuit 2. That ruled, this Carbon, Underground crap, well, it's crap.
ill trooper @ Dec 14th 2008 5:04PM
Markez, you are HIGH... NFS:Underground and NFS:Underground2 were fun games. The racing, the soundtracks, the drifting, the paint-jobs, the rims, that was fun. Online also, which I think was a first in the series. I couldn't get into Most Wanted or Carbon, they had lost me by then.
Burnout Paradise has picked up the torch and driven off with it, smashing through a billboard as it went.
Jakka ( The Order of Haters of Balance) @ Dec 14th 2008 5:06PM
Yeah, but that means they'll now pick on Burnout and ruin any chances of 'getting back up' the series had...
DBoyFlex @ Dec 14th 2008 6:01PM
Hot pursuit 2 was awesome. Most wanted was fun, but lacked a few games modes from hot pursuit that would have made it even better. I have not been interested since then, and if they are only going to be making crappy games anymore, this is for the best. Maybe on the next gen system, they will release a multigame disk with most wanted, hot pursuit 2, and any other great NFS game to sort of end the series. I would buy that.
offday @ Dec 14th 2008 7:12PM
I agree too. The last good Need for Speed was Underground. All of them following that one were crappy to mediocre.
Kye says: Ich bin keine Grammatik Nazi! @ Dec 14th 2008 7:16PM
Ill trooper I agree and disagree.
The NFS series went downhill years ago...
As did the burnout series.
Marty @ Dec 14th 2008 7:36PM
Bah, this isn't good. EA ran the series into the ground - it's their own fault the games weren't doing good.
There are lots of people out there who would love to see a GOOD NFS game hit the shelves in the future. Scrapping the franchise is just plain dumb, in my opinion.
Make a good game and people will buy it, EA. Don't screw the whole thing up and then take your ball and go home when people don't play with you.
BlaqueBeird @ Dec 14th 2008 8:17PM
I've got to say, I liked Most Wanted and Carbon. Sure, some modes were gone or changed, but is that really why most people play it? The point of NFS has always been to go fast in awesome cars, and last time I checked, there are still some pretty awesome cars. They don't need to keep changing stuff though, trying to add a story and all that, because that's not why I played it. I played to go fast in a car that looked and felt great. EA doesn't need to scrap the series, they need to go back to the original style, even before Porsche Unleashed, and just make a good racing game, because that used to be all that was required. And it worked.
Foetoid @ Dec 14th 2008 8:26PM
NFS: Underground 3 needs to happen. I would buy that no worries.
XGM @ Dec 15th 2008 1:04AM
Agreed, this new one was pretty bad. However Burnout Paradise was quite fun, so I hope they can turn the franchise back on track.
eNrique @ Dec 15th 2008 1:50AM
IMO, Films like fast and furious killed the series and a part of the driving genre.
Or it might be that i just hate tunning and everything that revolves around it.
LordChimp @ Dec 14th 2008 4:35PM
If they would have released what fans wanted, this wouldn't be going on. They should have stuck with the Hot Pursuit series and not this garbage they been spewing out.
Popcorn @ Dec 14th 2008 4:55PM
The last good NFS game was Hot Pursuit 2 (which also had a killer soundtrack).
DBuck_Eye @ Dec 14th 2008 5:42PM
I had a fun time with the Underground games. And Most Wanted was bad, but it wasn't great. After that, yeah garbage.
Hashbrown Hunter @ Dec 14th 2008 6:17PM
Hot Pursuit 2 was so much ridiculous fun that when I tried to play it earlier this week on my PS2 I realized it was so scratched up it wouldn't even read the disc. I played the shit out of that game and I'm hoping to go somewhere and try to get it fixed and play it again.
Massmass @ Dec 14th 2008 6:35PM
Wholeheartedly agree.
My favorite was Hot Pursuit on PS1 with Hot Pursuit 2 a close second.
Imagine, a game that focuses on one concept and does it well. Instead of shoving other "concepts" up its ass in an attempt to give "depth".
Make a good racing engine, make intelligent cops/robbers WITH offline AND online multiplayer options and you might just give the series the kick in the ass it needs. Forget about customization of cars and all that bull. The series is more ARCADE racing than SIMULATION. The sooner they remember that, the sooner they'll make money on it again.
propanol @ Dec 14th 2008 4:36PM
What next, EA cancels development on Madden series (soon to be picked up by Activision) as well?
Hashbrown Hunter @ Dec 14th 2008 6:19PM
On this week's 1UP Yours they actually speculated that EA may be toning down on their Sports lineup because of it not meeting their sales expectations. I wouldn't be surprised if it really did happen. EA is going to go through some massive changes over the next year or so, and I think it will be for the ultimate good.
Moptimus Slime @ Dec 14th 2008 6:25PM
the only games I'd be sad to see halted would be Tiger Woods PGA Tour and the NHL series
all the others can burn in hell
Haggard @ Dec 14th 2008 6:26PM
I think in general these kind of generic, supposedly mass appeal franchises are dying. Console games are quite expensive for most people, so people want games that are either really really good, or will last them a long time (or both). Therefore hardcore tastes are becoming mainstream (CoD4, Halo 3, GTA4, Gears 2, Fallout 3).
All of these have sold several million each, whilst NFS seems to not even have broke 1mill. Then again, people keep buying Madden..
offday @ Dec 14th 2008 7:14PM
If Madden ever got canceled I would throw a huge party, but that would also be the day that hell freezes over so having a party probably wouldn't be very practical.
lochack @ Dec 14th 2008 4:37PM
The only NFS game i ever bought was for the panasonic 3DO when it first came out.
ill trooper @ Dec 14th 2008 5:09PM
I have that game! That was mind-blowing at the time. Fun game.
pat1202003 @ Dec 14th 2008 4:36PM
I wouldn't be surprised if it was true. Lately the series has lost it's need for speed.
SoCoolCurt (PSN: KillaKornbread - XBL: SoCoolCurt) @ Dec 14th 2008 4:40PM
havent been a fan of arcade racers for a long time (more into simulation style racers) but i do have some fond memories of NFS from back in the day. i honestly cant say that it will be missed though, fond memories or not.
Hashbrown Hunter @ Dec 14th 2008 6:22PM
NFS was one of the premier arcade racing games back in the day. But once Most Wanted hit it started to go downhill. MW wasn't bad, but Carbon was half-assed and ProStreet was the same, even though it had a lot of potential. I'm surprised more people didn't buy Undercover because I was actually thinking about picking it up. I heard it wasn't too bad and was better than ProStreet.
dustandechoes91 @ Dec 14th 2008 4:41PM
good. Those games used to be so amazing until they went for quantity over quality.
ice~ @ Dec 14th 2008 4:42PM
Eh, the series has been going down hill anyway
Dishwasher @ Dec 14th 2008 4:44PM
Good now bring back Road Rash.
Markez (Anti-Panda Death Murder Squadron) @ Dec 14th 2008 5:39PM
Amen to that, I loved Skitchin as well. I don't really think there's a current game around like either of those two gems.
Rafael @ Dec 15th 2008 10:05AM
now that would be SICK !!!!
they should do that !
Fx.Dr @ Dec 14th 2008 4:45PM
And nothing of value was lost.
The series hit its peak at Most Wanted. Every title since felt like a step backwards.
Poisoned Al @ Dec 14th 2008 4:52PM
I feel it I peaked at the first Underground.
Kevin949 @ Dec 14th 2008 5:09PM
Seconded (Poisoned AI)
tifosiotaku @ Dec 14th 2008 5:13PM
Poisoned Al, are you really retarded, or do you play one on the Internet?
The series peaked with Porsche Unleashed and Hot Pursuit 2, and fell the fuck off with Underground and never recovered.
Hashbrown Hunter @ Dec 14th 2008 6:24PM
@ tifosiotaku:
The only reason people like you didn't like Underground is because of it's underground style. It was less about the chase and more about the skills and it was also a ridiculously fun and fresh take on NFS.
Poisoned Al @ Dec 14th 2008 8:07PM
@tifosiotaku
Yes, I'm obviously retarded for finding a game you didn't like fun. I mean I have a different option to yours so I must be wrong and stupid.
Oh wait, no, actually it means you're a c**t!
vulgardaclown @ Dec 14th 2008 8:26PM
tifosiotaku i agree, but i do think undergound was good, as was MW and whatnot, but i think they should have started a new series for the undergound racer games, instead of killing the NFS name.
bknight @ Dec 14th 2008 4:49PM
EA needed to do this.
NFS series has been getting worse every year.
Maybe is EA want to reboot the series in 2 or 3 years this will give time to create a quality arcade racer.
Superstar90 @ Dec 14th 2008 4:58PM
I thought Most Wanted was really good, but all the others after Hot Pursuit 2 were trash, especially ProStreet.
Mr Khan @ Dec 14th 2008 4:58PM
Activision would do well to heed this as a warning, this is what happens to annual franchises that aren't sports games
Shmil @ Dec 14th 2008 5:20PM
racing isn't a sport?
Moptimus Slime @ Dec 14th 2008 5:41PM
Not the NFS brand of racing at least
Bobby S. @ Dec 14th 2008 5:00PM
Hey I actually enjoy Undercover, I don't care what anyone says about the "old golden days" but Undercover is a pretty good game in my opinion.
Yes flame on people . . .
Hashbrown Hunter @ Dec 14th 2008 6:27PM
I was actually sort of interested in what people thought of Undercover, and a couple of my friends and family said it was actually closer to the true nature of NFS which is just pure, unadulterated fun. Glad to here it's worth checking out.
(And by the way, Midnight Club: LA is also worth checking out!)
Bobby S. @ Dec 15th 2008 12:51AM
I also like Midnight Club: LA.
I enjoyed the NFS games before most wanted simply because the cars were just not my style.
Honestly, I do NOT like ricers. I don't enjoy upgrading a Honda Civic Si with nos and all other junk.
I do enjoy driving away from the cops with a GT2, R8, S5 and etc. just like the older days of NFS where you ran away and drove with performance/super cars.
Thats why I actually enjoy NFS Undercover. I think people get into NFS U with the poor mentality of "NFS sucks ever since Most Wanted".
Neuromancer @ Dec 14th 2008 5:00PM
My favorite was NFS4: High Stakes. That game was awesome. Everything since then has been a step backwards.
Moptimus Slime @ Dec 14th 2008 5:00PM
good, more Dev help for the Burnout series. Though I doubt anyone working on the next Burnout wants or needs any help from the people who fucked up the NFS series