Game Informer has posted an interview with Alex Ward, who has revealed that his studio is now taking command of the Need For Speed franchise.

"Maybe it's been that way in the past, but that's changed this year with what we're doing… Our stamp's going to be in everything you see in Need for Speed and Burnout going forward in the future. It's not going to be spread anymore across different companies. Different studios have had a crack at it - it's definitely a Criterion gig now.

"Going forward now, with Most Wanted and what we'll do in the future [will have], shall we say, a strong Criterion involvement," he explained. "I'm personally involved in how the cars drive, how the game will play out, how connected they are, and what the features are."

It sounds like they'll keep making a game for every other year, and the games made inbetween will employ Criterion tech and experts. Maybe even a second Criterion studio will be opened? (Or an existing one renamed?) Regardless, I could play Criterion games 24/7/365 so I'm way into the idea of a Criterion approved/developed game every single year.

Also, reading between the lines, it seems they're waiting for the next generation of consoles to make another Burnout game.

Has Criterion told what engine they are using with Most Wanted? Last years NFS was using DICE's Frozenbite Frostbite tech so I'm wondering does EA still have the "lets share tech/engines" mentality between their studios across the board.

But this is great news for NFS and Criterion. Let's just hope they don't fuck it up.

@Rappelsiini: Criterion's Hot Pursuit only used Frostbite for the environment (trees, desert, beach, etc.) everything else was their own stuff. Given there's a lot more city to Most Wanted, I would imagine that they'll use Frostbite less? Unless there are destructible bits in the game, then I could seem them using it there.

HELL FUCKING YEAH.

Criterion is The Best racing developer in the world, and beyond that I'd have them with the giant of the industry. Racing might be a niche, but fuck if Criterion doesn't make some of The Best games you will ever play in your life.

I also like EA sharing their tech and support across their companies. Get BioWare using frostbite on everything, get it into Dead Space.

Just give them the Burnout destruction on real world cars! And I will be cool with no more burnout!

This is definitely for the best. Criterion is easily EA's best racing developer, and the only company to do NFS well in a while. The other internally developed NFS games were pretty lacking.

Criterion's games are the only racing games I play any more, and this is awesome for both the studio and franchise. I just hope they'll be allowed to make a straight Burnout game again one day. I need those crashes.

@ShaggyChu said:

@Rappelsiini: Criterion's Hot Pursuit only used Frostbite for the environment (trees, desert, beach, etc.) everything else was their own stuff. Given there's a lot more city to Most Wanted, I would imagine that they'll use Frostbite less? Unless there are destructible bits in the game, then I could seem them using it there.

If they don't use Frostbite 2 for it then they are fools.

Sounds good. Need For Speed was shit for a long time but their games sold well regardless of quality. Burnout was good for a long time but their games didn't sell well, regardless of quality. It seems like this arrangement works out well for both since NFS games will actually be good games now and Criterion can finally get slaes that reflect the quality of games that they make.

@Gill said:

Criterion's games are the only racing games I play any more, and this is awesome for both the studio and franchise. I just hope they'll be allowed to make a straight Burnout game again one day. I need those crashes.

They need to make a classic Burnout... without the effin open world. NFS Hot Pursuit's open world with the long winding roads and all was okay but I just hate that open city crap. It's just not fun to me. But since the new Most Wanted looks more like Burnout Paradise, I'll probably skip it and hope for a Burnout game that is more like Hot Pursuit.

Maybe now they will make a Need for Speed: Burnout. I want them to go back to the crazy Burnout Revenge style, Hot Pursuit was a good game but it felt too tame coming from Criterion. I want traffic checking back!

@plop1920 said:

Maybe now they will make a Need for Speed: Burnout. I want them to go back to the crazy Burnout Revenge style, Hot Pursuit was a good game but it felt too tame coming from Criterion. I want traffic checking back!

Burnout 4 was okay but I'd rather have another Burnout 3-style game ... without the traffic checking. That shit got old fast.

I had to trust any developer with the NFS franchise, Criterion would definitely fit. I think this is great news.

@CptBedlam: 3 was really good too. I also prefer the older burnouts because I like courses rather than open world, but I still really enjoyed Paradise

I will continue to be uninterested in NFS until a High Stakes remake or sequel are announced.

@Brodehouse said:

@sickVisionz I don't know about 'a long time'. They put out three good ones in Underground, 2, and Most Wanted, and then four bad ones, and then Hot Pursuit and The Run (which would be less disappointing if it didn't follow Hot Pursuit). Maybe four years is a long time, I guess.

You just listed 7 games and said 4 of them were bad and that it's been 4 years since a good one. More than 50% of their output is mediocre or worse and they haven't done a good job in almost half a decade. There's no spin to make that seem good or ok imo. Those guys are probably rightfully on the chopping block now or maybe getting guidance on how to make good games by Criterion.

Obviously EA is doing this to lull them into a false sense of security, only to close the place down, because that's what they do, right? Right?

In all seriousness, it is a great move. This will probably mark the end of the Burnout franchise, but Criterion has shown that they will not forget the concepts that made their titles so damn good.

@Brodehouse said:

@sickVisionz I don't know about 'a long time'. They put out three good ones in Underground, 2, and Most Wanted, and then four bad ones, and then Hot Pursuit and The Run (which would be less disappointing if it didn't follow Hot Pursuit). Maybe four years is a long time, I guess.

You just listed 7 games and said 4 of them were bad and that it's been 4 years since a good one. More than 50% of their output is mediocre or worse and they haven't done a good job in 4 years. There's no spin to make that seem good or ok imo.

@DrDarkStryfe said:

In all seriousness, it is a great move. This will probably mark the end of the Burnout franchise, but Criterion has shown that they will not forget the concepts that made their titles so damn good.

Someone didn't read anything other than the title of the thread... *rolls eyes*

@ShaggyChu: I gotta agree, this probably is the end of the Burnout franchise. Burnout Paradise came out and it did so well that EA hasn't put out a real Burnout game since then and developer has been moved to making Need For Speed games. Burnout was a quality series but it never sold what EA wanted it to. Now the Burnout team is basically making Burnout games, but they're called Need For Speed, which was a mediocre to bad franchise that always sold what EA wished Burnout would.

@Brodehouse: The Run was lackluster and Hot Pursuit and Most Wanted were made by Criterion. Non-Criterion NFS games have been mediocre to flat out bad for a long time now.

@ShaggyChu: I read the entire interview. The fact is that EA does not like to have different titles that occupy the same space. The only exception is Medal of Honor and Battlefield, but an argument can be made that they are two different types of game within the same genre.

Need for Speed is an arcade racing title, just like Burnout was. Criterion has not put out a traditional Burnout title since Paradise back in 2008. The downloadable Burnout Crash just featured the over the top crashing that was a staple in the older Burnout titles, and that was it.

what? nooooooo!! damn! ,  i just hope they completely transform need for speed in burnout  and i'm happy :)