Joystiq http://www.joystiq.com Joystiq http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/http://www.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif Joystiq http://www.joystiq.com en-us Copyright 2013 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/<![CDATA[Need for Speed World pulls up to the starting line on July 27]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2010/07/20/need-for-speed-world-pulls-up-to-the-starting-line-on-july-27/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/07/20/need-for-speed-world-pulls-up-to-the-starting-line-on-july-27/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/07/20/need-for-speed-world-pulls-up-to-the-starting-line-on-july-27/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Anxious to envelop yourself in your Maserati's splendor and hit some hairpin turns at 100mph? Well, you can do that later. Now we want to tell you about this video game.

EA has announced that its MMO experiment, Need for Speed World, will be available for download on July 27 -- a week later than initially expected. Those who pre-ordered the Need for Speed World Starter Pack -- a $20 primer that gives players $20 in SpeedBoost (in-game currency), full access up to level 50 and some power-ups including Nitrous and Traffic Magnet -- get a week's head start and can play Need for Speed World starting today. Those who pre-ordered get further incentive in exclusive cars, double experience points, driver name reservation and permanent VIP status.

Racers looking for a free taste of the game will be able to download a special trial version (that unlocks all game modes and provides free play up to level ten) here as of July 27.

JoystiqNeed for Speed World pulls up to the starting line on July 27 originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 20 Jul 2010 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>delayseaea-black-boxmmoNeed-for-Speedneed-for-speed-worldNeed-For-Speed-World-OnlinepcTue, 20 Jul 2010 14:00:00 EST<![CDATA[EA: Expect a 'major MMO' in 'Spring 2011']]>http://www.joystiq.com/2010/01/12/ea-expect-a-major-mmo-in-spring-2011/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/01/12/ea-expect-a-major-mmo-in-spring-2011/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/01/12/ea-expect-a-major-mmo-in-spring-2011/#comments
EA CEO John Riccitiello mentioned during the company's reduced earnings conference call yesterday that the publisher plans to launch its "major MMO" in the spring of 2011. With no other announced "major MMO" in the works at Electronic Arts, the common wisdom of the Jedi (which can sometimes lead to bad things), points to that being Bioware's Star Wars: The Old Republic's release window. The company refused to elaborate further or acknowledge what game the executive was talking about.

Eurogamer notes that other possibilities are Realtime Worlds' APB or Need for Speed: World Online, but neither has the hype of the Star Wars game. Of course, there's also a chance that EA has some super-secret MMO hidden away like a Sith apprentice.

Update: BioWare confirms release window [Kotaku]

JoystiqEA: Expect a 'major MMO' in 'Spring 2011' originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 12 Jan 2010 11:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>apbeaelectronic-artsjedimmoneed-for-speed-worldneed-for-speed-world-onlinesithstar-wars-the-old-republicthe-old-republicTue, 12 Jan 2010 11:15:00 EST<![CDATA[Need for Speed series sells 100m copies, earns $2.7b life-to-date]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2009/10/21/need-for-speed-series-sells-100m-copies-earns-2-7b-life-to-dat/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/10/21/need-for-speed-series-sells-100m-copies-earns-2-7b-life-to-dat/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/10/21/need-for-speed-series-sells-100m-copies-earns-2-7b-life-to-dat/#comments
 Yep, EA has announced the Need for Speed series has raced past the 100 million sold mark -- thanks to recent sales of Need for Speed: Shift -- and earned $2.7 billion in life-to-date sales, cementing its status as the best-selling racing brand in gaming. Just because it's sold the most doesn't necessarily mean it's the best franchise in terms of quality, however -- so we cooked up the graph you see above!

There are a couple of things to keep in mind as you follow the red line's progress:
  • First of all, we didn't include cell phone entries and tried to focus on the main entries in the franchise
  • The general quality of the series seems to be high, yet starts to dip after the release of Underground 2 in 2004; Shift seems to have brought the series back from the brink of critical mediocrity
EA's focus now is on rebooting the franchise -- the first step was to release a new hardcore sim racer in Need for Speed: Shift. The next move is to release Need for Speed Nitro, an arcade racer for the Wii and DS market, and follow that with Need for Speed World Online, a free-to-play PC racer for the casual audience.

JoystiqNeed for Speed series sells 100m copies, earns $2.7b life-to-date originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 21 Oct 2009 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>businesseaElectronic-ArtsMicrosoftneed-for-speedneed-for-speed-nitroneed-for-speed-shiftneed-for-speed-worldneed-for-speed-world-onlinesalesXbox-360Wed, 21 Oct 2009 14:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Need for Speed: World Online begins testing in March]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2009/02/09/need-for-speed-world-online-begins-testing-in-march/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/02/09/need-for-speed-world-online-begins-testing-in-march/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/02/09/need-for-speed-world-online-begins-testing-in-march/#comments Before Need for Speed officially burns internet rubber, PC gamers in Asia will get an early taste of what it feels like to slip behind the wheel of Need for Speed: World Online. The recently announced free-to-play online experiment will begin testing in Taiwan and Hong Kong in March, well ahead of the game's eventual debut later this year.

EA explains that Need for Speed: World Online will boast "the largest free roaming environment" in the series' history as players "form teams to take on the competition and the police." The Black Box-developed racer is one of several attempts at refueling the property, though we're waiting to see if the game makes it across the finish line or slips on a patch of black ice as it races to North America this Winter.

JoystiqNeed for Speed: World Online begins testing in March originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 09 Feb 2009 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>black-boxeaea-shanghaielectronic-artsneed-for-speedneed-for-speed-worldneed-for-speed-world-onlinenfsracingMon, 09 Feb 2009 08:00:00 EST<![CDATA[EA unveils new Need for Speed trio]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2009/01/30/ea-unveils-new-need-for-speed-trio/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/01/30/ea-unveils-new-need-for-speed-trio/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/01/30/ea-unveils-new-need-for-speed-trio/#comments It seems EA's long-idling racing franchise isn't destined for the scrap heap at all, as the publisher has unveiled three new Need for Speed titles across several platforms. In an interview with Gamespot, EA's veep of marketing, Kevin Munro, insists that "the new brand strategy around three specific genres will keep the game fresh and players entertained." This refreshing and oh-so-entertaining trio of titles includes:
  • Need for Speed: Shift (PS3, Xbox 360, PC, PSP) -- A "hardcore racing simulation" overseen by Black Box executive producer Michael Mann, and Patrick Soderlund, the co-founder of DICE and current senior vice president of EA Games Europe. External developer Slightly Mad Studios will be responsible for putting a realistic spin on the franchise.
  • Need for Speed: Nitro (Wii, DS) -- As you might expect, this one will feature a "unique visual style," courtesy of EA Montreal. Nitro promises to take full advantage of the unique controls on offer for both platforms, but without sacrificing depth. According to Munro, "We do not want to fall into the trap of creating a 'Need for Speed Lite.'"
  • Need for Speed: World Online (PC) -- Jointly developed by Black Box and EA Shanghai Singapore, this free-to-play online racer is set to launch in Asia this Summer, with a North American release slated for next Winter.
You can look for Shift and Nitro on North American shelves sometime during Fall 2009.

Update: Uploaded three screens (Shift, Nitro and World Online) and added source link to press release. Corrected development information for World Online.

JoystiqEA unveils new Need for Speed trio originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 30 Jan 2009 07:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Black-BoxDSEAEA-MontrealEA-ShanghaiElectronic-ArtsMicrosoftNeed-for-SpeedNeed-For-Speed-NitroNeed-For-Speed-Shiftneed-for-speed-worldNeed-For-Speed-World-OnlineNFSNintendoSlightly-Mad-StudiosWiiXbox-360Fri, 30 Jan 2009 07:30:00 EST