Shift your gaze toward this new Need for Speed trailer

by David Hinkle { Jun 17th 2009 at 12:15PM }

The latest trailer for Need for Speed: Shift not only provides us with footage of beautiful cars in motion (including the game's cover star, the BMW M3 GT2), but also gives a bit more insight into the Driver Profile feature. The Driver Profile is something EA hopes will help the game stand out, with the goal being to shape how other drivers perceive you, according to your style of driving. Considering our basic driving abilities, we expect competitors to be in a constant state of mirth.

Tags: driver-profile, ea, need-for-speed, need-for-speed-shift, racing

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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

Frivolous @ Jun 17th 2009 12:19PM

"EA hopes will help the game stand out, with the goal being to shape how other drivers perceive you" uh, SSX Tricky?

Neuromancer @ Jun 17th 2009 12:45PM

SSX, now that's a name I've not heard in a long time.

Ray42 @ Jun 17th 2009 1:32PM

The "Need for Speed" series will be back, and in greater numbers.

Marty @ Jun 17th 2009 12:20PM

If the Driver Profile system works well, you can expect all the other drivers to swerve away from me in fear at every corner. Erratic driving FTW.

Chad Vanderbilt (Moptimus in Disguise) @ Jun 17th 2009 12:24PM

3 racing sims in a single generation would be overkill to some, here we have 3 coming out this year

Why?

Neuromancer @ Jun 17th 2009 12:46PM

It's like throwing spaghetti against the wall to see what sticks.

NOOK @ Jun 17th 2009 1:01PM

I could live with 3 new racing sims every month.

Mike @ Jun 17th 2009 1:52PM

Please don't include NFS games in the sim genre, thank you.

Jerk Face @ Jun 17th 2009 12:27PM

I'm pretty intrigued. There's a lot of racers coming out this year, as mentioned above, but this one is at least on my radar. Sometimes a slightly-less-than-sim racer is just right. Need For Speed: Pro Street comes to mind.

Hashbrown Hunter (OneGiantCluster.blogspot.com) @ Jun 17th 2009 2:55PM

Shift is looking like what Pro Street should have been. I was excited for Pro Street when it was first announced and then I played a demo and instantly despised it.

I'm cautious about Shift, but it looks like EA is righting its wrongs. But I'll still wait on people's opinions before running out to the nearest Best Buy or something.

Storm Eagle @ Jun 17th 2009 12:27PM

Fear my ability to drive your car into the wall, using your wreckage to guide me cleanly around the turn!

wulfferine @ Jun 17th 2009 12:27PM

Maybe a Need for Speed worth getting. Not getting my hoops up though.

Kenneth @ Jun 17th 2009 12:37PM

I like the new graphics and everything theyve done with it

Looks a lot better now. Hopefully they took the bad acting out too.

Still not as good as Need For Speed: Pure Green
http://theabutton.com/?p=255

Kenneth @ Jun 17th 2009 12:37PM

oh and why isnt the M6 the cover star

Alex @ Jun 17th 2009 12:40PM

I'm more excited by this than the other racers coming out, though Split/Second has potential. To me, this seems to be the spiritual successor to the Project Gotham Racing series, and to me that's a good thing.

Neuromancer @ Jun 17th 2009 12:47PM

Scientifically speaking, there is no way this game will be as good as Grid.

NOOK @ Jun 17th 2009 1:03PM

You mean "won't look as good as GRID", don't you?

Drving-wise, GRID was as terrible as Juiced 2 was.

Neuromancer @ Jun 17th 2009 1:06PM

I'm going to have to disagree, I thought it handled great.

mars @ Jun 17th 2009 1:29PM

yeah seriously GRID was amazing and one of the most overlooked gems of this generation. Great online, great graphics, (the handling was a little wierd but you get used to it) and fun gameplay.

JamboGT @ Jun 17th 2009 1:30PM

Haha, seriously?

Tyler @ Jun 17th 2009 4:42PM

I just picked up a 360 Racing Wheel and started Grid and Dirt's career over. I'm having a blast! I love those games and the wheel! I'll be picking up Dirt 2 and Forza 3 this year for sure.

Captain Planet @ Jun 17th 2009 12:48PM

Need For Speed: Hot Pursuit 3, where art thou?

=(

Heavytoka @ Jun 17th 2009 12:55PM

That's what I'm hoping Criterion Games will do with their version of NFS they are developing.

maveric101 @ Jun 17th 2009 8:33PM

oh man i had some great times in Hot Pursuit 2. me and my friend would run around this one track for forever in multiplayer (ps2). there was another track with a tree trunk that crossed above the track, and if you slid just right off the hill before it, you could jump the tree. good times.

cimino15 @ Jun 17th 2009 12:49PM

Looks like they're trying a little too hard to combat Forza 3...which kinda sucks, cause Need for Speed always had that more arcady/unrealistic feel to it, and didnt take itself as seriously as a racer as Forza did, like Burnout.

Kdiggy @ Jun 17th 2009 12:59PM

For-za? Never heard of it.

There are some rumors floating around that GT 5 may still be announced at TGS. *fingers crossed*

Captain Planet @ Jun 17th 2009 1:43PM

Because sarcasm is so hard to understand on the interwebz, I hope you're joking about not hearing about the Forza franchise.

Anyways, GT5 was announced way back in 2006 buddy. Welcome to the future McFly.

Kamal @ Jun 17th 2009 1:02PM

Is it just me or the floaty purple effects reminds also reminds you of a Bizarre Creations title?

nakedatthecomp @ Jun 17th 2009 1:10PM

hmm... I've never cared much for NFS before, but this one looks like it could be a decent amount of fun!

TheLionOfAzzalle @ Jun 17th 2009 1:10PM

Looks great so far. This and Forza are gonna be monsters...

SpydaKat 17 @ Jun 17th 2009 3:23PM

Wow. You know you're hated when you give a constructive comment and still get voted into oblivion.

Hashbrown Hunter (OneGiantCluster.blogspot.com) @ Jun 19th 2009 1:50PM

I think when people see his name they just instantly press the - button

SirCut @ Jun 17th 2009 1:14PM

I don't know, looks kinda cool. For some reason seeing the wrecking stuff brought back glorious childhood memories of that Nascar Racers cartoon that use to come on Fox.

mcbexx @ Jun 17th 2009 1:20PM

I am tired of racetrack/lap based and open world racers.

Give me something oldschool like NfS:Porsche, where I need to get from A to B, with traffic, beautiful tracks and vistas and throw in some police chases á la Hot Pursuit.

s256 @ Jun 17th 2009 2:05PM

I miss the diversity of the A to B courses of the old NFS titles. Porsche had some nice stages - I played III and Most Wanted the most, though.

Pdriver @ Jun 17th 2009 1:41PM

Interesting. It would be neat if you could ban certain driver types from joining your online game (i.e. wreckers).

chowley @ Jun 17th 2009 1:59PM

Have to say im now really looking forward to this. Love the idea of the driver profile.

Oh what id do for another SSX or Destruction Derby.

Darkwun @ Jun 17th 2009 2:07PM

Bring back Destruction Derby!!!!!

Moving back on topic though, this doesn't look toooooo bad but split second and forza still have the majority of my attention racer wise...

Barry32171 @ Jun 17th 2009 2:27PM

This looks pretty interesting... More so than Pro Street. My favourite NFS has and always will be (unless something new comes along and beats it) Most Wanted. Got it for PC, PSP, and PS2 (running on my PS3). Loved that game! And, yes, please developers, bring back more A to B races, along with out-running the cops... Guess I'm going to have to go pull out NFSMW and Underground2 for a bit of a drive.

Knight Marquise @ Jun 17th 2009 2:41PM

I agree w/you 100%.

My favorites were also Most Wanted and Underground 2. I don't really care for sim racers, so I'm rather saddened to see NFS franchise going this route.

Phil1017 @ Jun 17th 2009 3:29PM

THANK GOD BLACKBOX STUDIO WAS DEAD! BLACKBOX STUDIO ALWAYS RUINED NFS SERIES! NOW NEW STUDIO MADE THIS GAME LOOK BETTER THAN NFS PRO STREET!

REMIND OF EVERYONE, NFS PRO STREET WAS MADE BY BLACKBOX STUDIO. THIS GAME IS NOT MADE BY BLACKBOX STUDIO, IS THAT CRYSTAL CLEAR? THEN LET THE POSITIVES TALK UNTIL THIS GAME COME OUT.

googleadam @ Jun 17th 2009 4:38PM

WHY ALL THE CAPS!!!

oops I was doing it too :P

Phil1017 @ Jun 18th 2009 1:16AM

why all the caps? lol. because im very EMPHASIZED! :-)

Richards | PSN: F4WMR @ Jun 17th 2009 4:10PM

I have to say EA is really stepping it up with the 09-10 sports editions. It'll be hard to balance Gran Turismo and this title together. I'm really draw to this for the sheer "action" it will package into the whole in-car view which I'm essatic to see.

googleadam @ Jun 17th 2009 4:38PM

I'm afraid to say this, but DamN! that looks fine! They look like they stepped up the game a lot from Shift.

Although, because you've left bitter tastes in my mouth from previous games, im gonna have to rent this first...

TreND @ Jun 17th 2009 6:27PM

that looks really good

i wasnt expecting for it to be but it might be better than i thought

even if it isnt GT5 i think i will give it a try.. i really like the head movement from the inside camera...

captain underpants and the bringdown gang @ Jun 17th 2009 7:17PM

*Waits for the inevitable: "GAWKER did it before you guys, DURR DURR DURR" comment*

Who cares if kotaku did it before joystiq? I read both because they provide unique insights. and lets face it the Joystiq vs Kotaku community war is just hilarious.

regardless, I can't wait to try this one out, I'm not really a fan of racing sims though. I am interested to see, however, Need for Speed: burnout, (basically Burnout paradise with more customization than you can shake a fist at is what I'm hoping to see)