Shift 2 Unleashed loses 'Need for Speed' and adds Hot Pursuit's Autolog

by Christopher Grant on Nov 16th 2010 10:30AM

What better day to announce a new entry in a long-standing franchise than the release date for what is, arguably, the best installment in the series to date. Today, on Need for Speed Hot Pursuit's big day, EA has stolen some of that thunder by announcing Shift 2 Unleashed, the sequel to last year's simulation-style installment.

In doing so, EA has dropped the "Need for Speed" half of the title (though the debut trailer, found after the break, still puts the game squarely in the NFS series, even using Hot Pursuit's n-shaped logo). In its place is Autolog, the excellent, always-connected enhancement that Burnout-dev Criterion brought to Hot Pursuit. EA calls it the "next generation" of the stats-driven friendship killer -- though, with less than half a year between both iterations, let's say we're skeptical of that claim.

The game is being built by racing veterans, and Shift developers, Slightly Mad Studios for Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and PC. This morning's press release says to expect the game in "spring 2011," which is pretty close to the previously reported Q1 2011 window. So, are you more of a Hot Pursuit or a Shift 2 kind of gamer?

Source: EA

Tags: EA, Electronic-Arts, microsoft, Need-for-Speed, need-for-speed-shift-2, pc, playstation, ps3, racing, Shift-2-Unleashed, Slightly-Mad-Studios, xbox

Reader Comments (53)

@PlatinumSkeet
It's not made by Criterion.

If this games not being made by Criterion I don't want it...

@PlatinumSkeet i hate when people say stuff like this. if the game is fun and well made why should i care who developed or published it? Criterion makes great games but so do other developers. don't limit yourself dude.

@kojo87

As a fan of racing games what should i say? NFS hasn't been good since NFS Underground 2. Now the series has had a great game in almost a decade of average or worse racing games thanks to Criterion and throw away what little rep this Franchise got back on a arcade simulation spin-off.

It's like if a Third-Party made a Sonic game and it was everything the fans wanted then throws a spin-off to Sonic team to create. Yeah, genius move on EA. What they should be doing is letting the company that created NFS Shift to create a new racing franchise if they're going to give an effort to that type of racing game.

@PlatinumSkeet

"What they should be doing is letting the company that created NFS Shift to create a new racing franchise if they're going to give an effort to that type of racing game."

Shift is a new racing franchise IP you stupid putz. It just came out last year. You OBVIOUSLY haven't played it, it's very good. It's made by a PC developer with a history of racing sims.

Hot Pursuit all the way!

Unleashed is this generation's "Super".

It's getting old.

@Shockwave

I would say Turbo but, that's so epic it'll never get old...

@Shockwave

Why don't they call this Shift 2: Shifter?

Eh?

Ehhhhhh?

@PreGHz

Because that would cue lots of "Shift 2: SHITTIER" jokes.

NFS: Shift was a great game, although I don't think its fair to compare Hot Pursuit and Shift, seeing as one is an arcade racer, and the other a somewhat-simulator.

@TotallyEpic totally agree. i read that question and my immediate reaction was "um can i say both?" they are very different games. its like asking if you're a Burnout or Gran Turismo player. you probably have a preference but you can definitely appreciate both games for what they are.

@TotallyEpic

I really don't like arcade racers, so I'm glad Criterion isn't touching this. As an owner of the first Shift I can gladly say...

I'm ok with this.

great cg! I'm so impressed.
but arcade's my type.

Agh, everything I've seen so far about the new Hot Pursuit looks awesome, except for one small issue - no goddamn cockpit view. The game would have been a million times better if the feature was there.

@blueskyv201 Cockpit view isn't needed for arcade games, just sims.

@CrashTunoku
I wasn't aware there was a list of requirements. Needed of not, it would add a lot to the game.

@blueskyv201

After play HP for a while, I can say that cockpit view would be unpractical. It's hard to avoid spike strips at 180MPH, imagine doing that with cockpit view.

I enjoyed the 1st one...let's hope it only gets better. Especially the music...I only liked two songs...and GT5 doesn't look that stellar...go Slightly Mad Studios!

I personally like the sound of both

Dear Joystiq,

While ads on your page are okay, I absolutely HATE them at the beginning of and during a video. I couldn't even minimize the stupid ad for shrek dvd collection while watching the video of cars. Please remove these ads.

Thanks,

A concerned reader

@Antilight
It's called Adblock plus

@supersonic124

It's called Adblock doesn't block the video ad that plays before the video. Or does it? I don't know, I'm using Chrome, which as far as I know, there's no easy way to install Adblock.

@Antilight

it doesn't. even so, i have adblock disabled on joystiq.com, because i actually want to support sites that i care about. that said, joystiq: i put up with your page ads, i would appreciate it if you would take them out of the videos.

@Antilight sorry for the long url but you obviously haven't tried very hard to get AdBlock on Chrome
https://chrome.google.com/extensions/detail/gighmmpiobklfepjocnamgkkbiglidom

@Antilight
Yeah there is. Its a simple extension. Look it up.

@kojo87

You're absolutely right, I didn't try very hard at all. I tried a while back an all that was available was Adsweep, and that blew chunks. Thanks for the link, you're a godsend!

@Antilight This.

I've never understood the Need for Speed logo that's been present since the first Shift and Nitro. Is it supposed to be an 'n' combined with a cursive 's'?

Hot Pursuit all the way here! EA HAD to steal a little of Criterion's thunder! They couldn't wait a week or so!

i am a sucker for all of the need for speed games

I absolutely read the title as "Shaft 2," and thought that they'd not only converted the Richard Roundtree vehicle into a game, but that I'd already missed the first one.

C'mon developers, we already -have- sex minigames and violence. We're almost there!

@EgoPoisoning
You just made me think of how awesome it'd be to have a Dolemite or Black Dynamite game

Althought I love NFS and I played every NFS game but with this twisted ideas in EA I rather focus on TDU 2 in 2011 then I'll buy Shift 2 but now I'll wait HP to come in my country.

Chris: It's the other way around. The "N" logo you refer to first appeared in the original NFS Shift. That's the point of the re-launch of the franchise. It was Hot Pursuit that actually followed along and used the same logo, albeit with a bit more color.

@ptcamn actually it appeared in NFS Undercover! What a horrid game...

@ToolroomKnight ahhh reply fail...btw I've been trying to change my avatar for the past day...does it accept GIFs?

for those that have played it, is the original shift worth purchasing on a cheap??

It's a very good game. It has sim fundamentals with arcade action. The cockpit view won awards for it's creativeness. I play it with a force feedback wheel, which makes it even more awesomer. Check out the reviews from last year, everybody was touting how Need for Speed was reborn with the release of Shift.

for those that have played it, is the original shift worth purchasing on a cheap??

I'm 4 Criterion all the way! Shift 2's trailer did look cool though.

Actually it has the Need for Speed sign on the right of the text, so no it does not loose the Need for Speed Title.

Dear Joystiq: They have been using the "N" logo for a bunch of games now. See, "N" stands for "NFS" and not "Hot Pursuit."

As long as it has steering wheel peripheral support, I'll be glad to purchase it. Surprised (and disappointed) that NFS Hot Pursuit is not currently compatible with wheels though NFS Shift and Burnout Paradise are. From http://www.criteriongames.com/faq/

PS3 Steering Wheel Support

Logitech and Logitech-compatible steering wheels will not be detected at all on PS3, some others that are based on the PS3 standard controller will work but you'll have to test them to make 100% sure. We will be considering official support for Logitech's Driving Force GT, G25 and G27 wheels at a later date. Other Logitech Driving Force wheels and other wheels that are Logitech "Class B"-compatible should be configurable to work with the game, but are not officially supported.

@ren0901 That's kinda bizarre and surprising that they wouldn't build that support in. I thought Logitech wheels were the standard for the PS3 considering how they are supported in GT5.

I personally loved Shift, so I'll be getting it, and along with Hot Pursuit today. As long as the games keep the overly "MTV" hyped style (ala carbon, and underground) I'll be fine.

Hey Joystiq!

That little "N" shaped logo isn't just for Hot Pursuit. It's the branding EA uses for all NFS games. Check out the NFS World page and look at the favicon. It's also the "N" logo. So in a way, Shift 2 is not dropping the NFS name.

@Darkwunn

For sure, dude. I loved this game. My main complaint with it was that the higher tiered cars had odd physics--they felt twitchy and floaty instead of sticking to the road. Overall, loved the game though. If you haven't played DiRT 2, and find that for a decent price, get it. That game is amazing--one of my favorite racing games to date.

If they fix the physics of the upper tiered cars in SHIFT 2, I'm sold.

They'll probably put the "Need for Speed" back in the title like Activision did with Modern Warfare 2 because of brand recognition.

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Shift 2 Unleashed

Shift 2 Unleashed loses 'Need for Speed' and adds Hot Pursuit's Autolog

Reader Comments (53)

Posted: Nov 16th 2010 10:42AM SliPaladin said

Posted: Nov 16th 2010 10:34AM PlatinumSkeet said

Posted: Nov 16th 2010 12:34PM kojo87 said

Posted: Nov 16th 2010 1:42PM PlatinumSkeet said

Posted: Nov 16th 2010 2:27PM GordoJones88 said

Posted: Nov 16th 2010 10:34AM KinseySS said

Posted: Nov 16th 2010 10:40AM Shockwave said

Posted: Nov 16th 2010 10:45AM PlatinumSkeet said

Posted: Nov 16th 2010 2:10PM PreGHz said

Posted: Nov 16th 2010 2:58PM GuitarHero666 said

Posted: Nov 16th 2010 10:41AM TotallyEpic said

Posted: Nov 16th 2010 12:22PM kojo87 said

Posted: Nov 16th 2010 6:31PM blustrkr said

Posted: Nov 16th 2010 10:43AM thecotanak said

Posted: Nov 16th 2010 10:45AM blueskyv201 said

Posted: Nov 16th 2010 1:07PM CrashTunoku said

Posted: Nov 16th 2010 1:46PM blueskyv201 said

Posted: Nov 16th 2010 3:03PM GuitarHero666 said

Posted: Nov 16th 2010 10:54AM ToolroomKnight said

Posted: Nov 16th 2010 10:58AM JwintooX said

Posted: Nov 16th 2010 11:02AM Antilight said

Posted: Nov 16th 2010 2:57PM supersonic124 said

Posted: Nov 16th 2010 3:43PM Antilight said

Posted: Nov 16th 2010 4:26PM maveric101 said

Posted: Nov 16th 2010 4:54PM kojo87 said

Posted: Nov 16th 2010 5:00PM ChuckBartowskiX said

Posted: Nov 16th 2010 5:09PM Antilight said

Posted: Nov 16th 2010 9:19PM RO said

Posted: Nov 16th 2010 11:05AM Epoque said

Posted: Nov 16th 2010 11:13AM MGarvey said

Posted: Nov 16th 2010 11:50AM misery said

Posted: Nov 16th 2010 12:19PM EgoPoisoning said

Posted: Nov 16th 2010 5:55PM Crayola Q Pants ESQ said

Posted: Nov 16th 2010 12:21PM wandersnake said

Posted: Nov 16th 2010 12:43PM ptcamn said

Posted: Nov 16th 2010 1:42PM ToolroomKnight said

Posted: Nov 16th 2010 1:42PM ToolroomKnight said

Posted: Nov 16th 2010 1:46PM ToolroomKnight said

Posted: Nov 16th 2010 12:46PM Darkwunn said

Posted: Nov 16th 2010 5:10PM GordoJones88 said

Posted: Nov 16th 2010 12:47PM Darkwunn said

Posted: Nov 16th 2010 1:06PM MLC said

Posted: Nov 16th 2010 1:39PM Z3R0B4NG said

Posted: Nov 16th 2010 1:46PM Meancode said

Posted: Nov 16th 2010 1:47PM ren0901 said

Posted: Nov 16th 2010 4:06PM DustoMan said

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Posted: Nov 16th 2010 4:07PM Golden Gopher 1984 said

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