need for speed
Latest
Breaking Bad star behind the wheel in Need for Speed movie trailer
Aaron Paul's first gig after Breaking Bad is a starring role in the upcoming Need for Speed film, based on the hit video game series from EA. He'll be joined by Kid Cudi and Michael Keaton, to name a few. Much like yourselves, we have opinions on things like this, so we've gone ahead and remixed the trailer by overlaying our thoughts in a separate video, embedded past the break. We can't guarantee it's any better than the stock Hollywood trailer above, but it's got wood grain interior, leather seats and a moon roof.
Need for Speed franchise strives to feel more cohesive
EA executive producer Marcus Nilsson told Joystiq he wants the Need for Speed franchise to have more continuity, and for its various games to feel more connected to one another. Looking back on the uneven history of Need for Speed games (remember that one where you took down an international crime syndicate?), Nilsson said the brand has "potentially" lacked some clear strategy for where it's going. "That's something that we, as we get new ownership into it, can react to and try to establish," Nilsson said at Gamescom, referring to Need for Speed: Rivals developer Ghost Games, which has taken on the racer franchise from Criterion Games. That goal becomes complicated when there's a movie in the mix, though Nilsson said there is "inspiration going back and forth" between Hollywood and EA. "But what I'm saying in the future is that there'll be probably be a much more handheld approach between where you see each product of Need for Speed going, like you can understand what's happening. "Why does it have to be: okay, Need for Speed this series is black, Need for Speed that year is white. Whatever I do, I want to know [what I'm getting]."
Here's a first look at the Need for Speed flick
Dreamworks offered a sneak peek of its Need for Speed film at E3, complete with Aaron Paul, flashy cars and flashy car crashing. The question remains: which NFS universe is it set in? Underground? Hot Pursuit? Underground 2? Are they even separate NFS universes? Maybe we'll find out in 2014.
EA to show Star Wars plans at E3
In an E3 conference not so far away, EA will offer a first look at its upcoming Star Wars games. The ink has barely dried on the exclusive contract with Disney in the wake of LucastArts' demise, but with next-gen consoles around the corner, it's no surprise EA is keen to offer a glimpse of what's to come. The news was spilled on EA's The Beat blog by Labels President Frank Gibeau, who name-checked Battlefield 4, EA Sports games, and the Need for Speed franchise as part of the company's E3 showcase of next-gen games. Around the time the post went up, Need for Speed's Facebook page uploaded a new screenshot (below the break) of what's very likely the next game in the racing series. The shot was tagged with the description "Have no rules, show no mercy." The screenshot completely negates any possibility of it, but we're gonna call it anyway. At E3 next month, prepare to meet Need for Hyperspeed. You heard it here first.
Michael Keaton joins Need for Speed movie cast
The world's second original Batman has joined the cast of Dreamwork's surprisingly still forthcoming Need for Speed movie adaptation, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Michael Keaton will play the role of a "reclusive and eccentric" race organizer and host, one that invites drivers from around the world to participate in some sort of underground supercar thing.Keaton joins Kid Cudi and Aaron Paul, among others, as those confirmed for the movie's cast. Still no word yet on who will play the car, but our fake sources tell us that Paul will likely be blasting around the country in a talking Volvo station wagon voiced by either Ellen McLain or Jennifer Hale.
Kid Cudi joins cast of Need for Speed movie
Dreamworks' Need for Speed movie is rounding out its cast, adding hip-hop artist Kid Cudi (real name Scott Mescudi) to a lineup including Aaron Paul, Dominic Cooper and Imogen Poots (real name). Paul, who plays the lead in the Need for Speed film, is best known for his role as Jesse in Breaking Bad. Cooper played Howard Stark in Captain America: The First Avenger and Poots is best known as Tammy from 28 Weeks Later.Joining Mescudi and the rest of the cast is The Wire's Ramon Rodriguez, American actor Rami Malek and Australian actor Harrison Gilbertson, The Hollywood Reporter says. The Need for Speed film is set to hit theaters on February 7, 2014.
Need for Speed's Autolog app available now
EA and Activision both have been making a push lately for add-on iOS apps for their biggest console properties: Activision's been pushing a Call of Duty Elite app, and EA's got one related to Medal of Honor Warfare as well. And here comes EA again with another app dedicated to a big console franchise. The Need for Speed series of racing games has a stat-tracking system called Autolog, and there's now a dedicated iOS app to browse and follow up on stats and awards earned with that system. By downloading the free app, you can browse through your friends lists and see what everyone is up to, check out your own profiles and see whatever stats or awards you've earned, hear about Need for Speed news, and even check out a map from the latest game, Need for Speed: Most Wanted, that's been all annotated with stat and other in-game information. It's pretty impressive: EA and the developers at Criterion have been building out the Autolog service quite a bit over the past few years, and this app provides a pretty direct line right into everything that the service is tracking. Very cool indeed. I expect even more tie-in apps like this in the future -- online services like this are a big driver for these big publishers' console games lately, and releasing iOS apps is just one more way for big fans of the series to engage with the games and the franchises.
Need For Speed: Most Wanted races onto iOS today
There are plenty of racing games available for iOS on the App Store, but few carry the name recognition of Need For Speed. Today, Electronic Arts released its latest game in the popular series, Need For Speed: Most Wanted (US$6.99, universal). Its arrival coincides with the console versions of the title, but this mobile version loses surprisingly little in translation. It has all the fit and polish of its larger-budget counterpart, no doubt thanks to the involvement of developer Firemonkeys, a team comprised of talent responsible for Firemint's exceptional Real Racing series on iOS. Need For Speed: Most Wanted features a bevy of 35 customizable real-world cars to drive at suitably breakneck speeds that are conveyed surprisingly well even on older devices like the iPhone 4. Of course, the game looks best on the third-generation iPad (or newer) where it supports the device's Retina display, or in widescreen on iPhone 5. No matter which hardware you choose, you'll find pitch-perfect handling and plenty of arcade-style challenge.
Breaking Bad's Aaron Paul playing lead in Need for Speed movie
It looks like Dreamworks' Need for Speed movie is on the fast track to production: Aaron Paul, who plays Jesse Pinkman in AMC's Breaking Bad, is slated to play the lead. Paul has won two Emmys for his role in Breaking Bad, and has also starred in The Last House on the Left and HBO's Big Love.Scott Waugh, a veteran stuntman and director of Act of Valor, is directing the movie, George and John Gatnis are writing the screenplay, and EA vice president Patrick O'Brien is one of the producers."The film adaptation will be a fast-paced, high-octane film rooted in the tradition of the great car culture films of the 70s while being extremely faithful to the spirit of the video game franchise." the press release reads. "In Need for Speed, the cars are hot, the racing is intense and the story keeps players at the edge of their seat."While we don't want Paul to be typecast, it'd be pretty cool if he drives an RV for part of the movie. Or even just a blue car. Can you give us that, Dreamworks?
Galaxy Note II coming to T-Mobile on October 24th, say leaked documents
Samsung's Galaxy Note II is happily filling hands in Korea and the UK without so much as a release date announced stateside. We may now have one, thanks to the folks at TmoNews, who appear to have snagged an internal document which suggests the phablet will arrive at the Magenta carrier on October 24th. Coincidentally (or not), Samsung is holding an event the same day, marrying with our previous speculation that it'll be unveiling the various carrier editions of the 5.5-inch beast there. Our suspicions are flagged, however, at the mention that Need for Speed: Most Wanted will come pre-installed, a game that isn't slated for release until October 30th -- not that we haven't seen similar release partnerships from the Note crew before. Although we can't confirm the legitimacy of this leak, we can suggest you start building up that grip strength just in case.
Need For Speed: Most Wanted gameplay video is in hot pursuit
This gameplay trailer for Need for Speed: Most Wanted shows a full race in which the driver navigates the city of Fairhaven to outpace his opponent (yes, similar to Criterion's Burnout series). Need for Speed: Most Wanted is scheduled to launch October 30 for PS3, Xbox 360 and PC.
NFS: Most Wanted's Kinect support detailed, lets you talk to your car
Need for Speed: Most Wanted's Kinect functionality is tied to the game's mods. A gameplay video earlier this year teased support for the Xbox 360 add-on, and today Criterion outlined how it works with the equipment and upgrades you fit your car with.No, there are no invisible steering wheels, and yes, it's voice-controlled stuff. Just as you would in a real car, by saying commands like 'Mods, Nitrous, Burn Nitrous' you can equip your vehicle with whichever mod you need, while you're on the go. No, we don't know if the car talks back, but we'll all find out when the game comes out on October 30.
Something Need for Speed is being produced at EA Gothenburg
EA producer Alan Baker is based out of EA's recently opened Gothenburg, Sweden studio. He is also, apparently, working on the Need for Speed franchise as a producer, as Videogamer discovered. Whether that means a Need for Speed game is in the works at EA's Gothenburg studio is another question altogether, and one that doesn't have a clear answer just yet.Baker lists user interface and Autolog as his production responsibilities, and only says he's "working on the best racing franchise ever" – not that he's heading up production of another NFS franchise entry. In fact, Criterion VP Alex Ward said back at E3 that the NFS franchise is, "definitely a Criterion gig now" – a reference to this year's Need for Speed: Most Wanted – and that "it's not going to be spread anymore across different companies."When EA opened its Gothenburg studio back in March, its responsibilities were announced as, "focused on making a new generation of games using the Frostbite 2 engine." The currently-in-production NFS: Most Wanted doesn't run on the Frostbite 2 engine, but EA's previous NFS entry, The Run, did. The mystery continues, but it's certain that something Need for Speed is being worked on at EA's Gothenburg studio. We've asked EA for more and will update this post if the company says anything.
Latest Need for Speed: Most Wanted video hints at Kinect support
A recent gameplay video walkthrough for Need for Speed: Most Wanted includes a pack shot for a Kinect-supported Xbox 360 version. Since Kinect integration for the game has yet to be revealed, we've contacted EA for more information. In the meantime, feel free to check out the gameplay video.
Need for Speed World celebrates its second anniversary
It seems like only a scant few months have passed since we covered the launch of Need for Speed World, EA's street racing MMO. But NFSW celebrates its second anniversary today, kicking it off with a double XP boost for everyone as well as a free Chevy Camaro ZL1 for all registered players. In honor of the occasion, the dev team invited us to a group interview session culminating in a race-off during which we got to show just how hot (or not) our racing skills were. Lead Producer Marc de Vellis and Lead Designer Melvin Teo were on hand to answer our questions and talk about how the game has grown over the past two years. They enthusiastically discussed the ways they've developed NFSW as a result of community feedback, both in terms of game features and in terms of community interaction. Read on for a look at what changes they've made to keep their virtual drivers coming back for another lap.
Need for Speed film debuts on Feb. 7, 2014
Dreamworks' film adaptation of the Need for Speed series has been given a fixed point in time: February 7, 2014, according to Deadline. (And provided nothing derails that fast track the project was put on last month.)The movie, directed by ex-stuntman Scott Waugh, (whose last name sounds like the noise a person would make while performing stunts), is not directly based on any specific game in Need for Speed's long history as a franchise. We're not willing to say we're optimistic for the film, but we do appreciate the continued excuses to use our beloved Mystery Science Theater 3000 silhouette.
Need for Speed now officially Criterion's baby
Criterion VP Alex Ward revealed that the company took over the Need for Speed series in an interview at E3 with GameInformer. Noting that the franchise will see "strong Criterion involvement" going forward, Ward said that he will be "personally involved in how the cars drive, how the game will play out, how connected they are, and what the features are.""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," he said.Regarding the variety in Need For Speed titles and features (such as Hot Pursuit, Shift, and Most Wanted), Ward added, "I think it would be amazing in the future if there was one big game that had all of these in it. That would be amazing."
Dreamworks is making the Need for Speed movie
Back in April, we heard that EA, script in hand, was courting several film companies (Paramount, Warner Bros. and Sony, specifically) over the prospect of making a movie based on the Need For Speed franchise. As it turns out, Dreamworks has taken the bait and will be fast-tracking the project for a 2014 release, the company announced today.The screenplay, penned by brothers George and John Gatins, is not based on any specific game in the franchise, but rather the series as a whole, which means that the movie will have cars in it and be called "Need for Speed." It'll be directed by Scott Waugh, who directed Act of Valor and did a whole bunch of stuntman work. Production is slated to start early next year, and you can tell EA what cars you'd like to see in the film by posting on its Facebook page. Might we be so bold as to suggest the Nissan DeltaWing?
Need for Speed: Most Wanted is a secret return to Paradise
It makes sense for EA to call its new racing game Need for Speed: Most Wanted. It's spent multiple titles and a lot of money shoring up the Need for Speed brand on all kinds of platforms, and while the Most Wanted series (known for racing from an underground perspective) isn't the strongest, it's about time EA released another game bearing that title. And after the success with Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit in 2010, it's not surprising that Criterion's been given the task of making it.But just a few seconds with this game reveals a deeper truth: This is really a secret message from Criterion to its fans, funneled through EA's branding channels. Need for Speed: Most Wanted is an open-world racer in a beautiful city. It's full of various events, environmental features to find, and a social backend that's full of information and ways to connect and compete with fellow players.In other words, it's Burnout Paradise 2.%Gallery-157681%
Report: 'Need for Speed: Most Wanted' listed on E3 booth schedule [Update: Yup!]
That mysterious Need for Speed game mentioned during EA's fiscal 2012 investors call may become slightly less ethereal during E3, as TwitchTV's booth schedule lists "Need for Speed: Most Wanted" as one of the games it'll be showcasing, according to IGN.If that name sounds familiar, that's because it should: The original Need for Speed: Most Wanted (above) was released on nearly every system in existence way back in the ancient caveman days of 2005. It's possible that this may be the Criterion-developed Need for Speed game the rumor mill was churning over a couple weeks ago, but that's just rampant speculation on our part.It's also possible that TwitchTV could merely be showing off the Game Boy Advance port of the original or something, we're going to go ahead and assume that isn't the case since we don't live in a Far Side cartoon.Update: We have also received the schedule in question and can confirm that Need for Speed: Most Wanted is indeed among TwitchTV's on-site programming for E3, along with "TBA" titles from Ubisoft, Capcom and Warner Bros.
