Ghost Games
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Need for Speed Rivals floors it to Xbox One, PS4 'later this year', PC and current-gen consoles Nov. 19
Recently renamed developer Ghost Games and the fellow racing fanatics at Criterion Games have banded together for Need for Speed Rivals: a new game that represents the franchise's first drift into the next-gen console world (which is not to be confused with the 2005 handheld spinoff). Powered by Frostbite 3, Rivals aims to utilize the power of the Xbox One and PlayStation 4 to give players "the freedom to seamlessly go from single player to co-op to multiplayer" when it releases "later this year." [Update: This story has been updated for accuracy, removing mention of a release window for the next-gen versions from an outdated release draft.] Need for Speed Rivals transports players to the fictitious Redview County, an open-world environment where players can take on the role as either street racer or police officer. Like Most Wanted before it, racers aim to become the most infamous person behind the wheel, while cops attempt to work together to drive the area's high-risk inhabitants off the road. Players can personalize the experience with custom license plates, paint, liveries decals and rims, and performance upgrades. Current-generation consoles will also join the rivalry – powered by its own version of Frostbite 3 – on November 19. A PC version is also in the works.%Gallery-189208%
Rumor: Watch Dogs designer leaves Ubisoft, heads back to EA
Jamie Keen, lead game designer on Ubisoft's upcoming open-world action game, Watch Dogs, is rumored to have left the company. According to his altered LinkedIn profile (pictured below), Keen has taken a new position with EA at Ghost Games, the Gothenburg, Sweden studio rumored to be working on a new entry in the Need for Speed series.Aside from his work on Watch Dogs, Keen also worked on Far Cry 3 as a writer while at Ubisoft Montreal. Before his time at Ubisoft, he did a stint at EA where he served as a producer on Battlefield: Bad Company.Ubisoft has not officially provided comment on the matter.
EA Gothenburg is now Ghost, don't be scared
EA's studio in Gothenburg, Sweden, is now Ghost, and along with a new name it now has a pretty snazzy website. Ghost is rumored to be working on a Need for Speed game with EA producer Alan Baker at the helm. Former DICE executive producer Marcus Nilsson leads the Ghostly team."Ghost is a unique proposition in the AAA development space; all the agility and creativity of a 'start-up,' while working with industry giants like Criterion and DICE guarantee we have the tools and support to execute our creative and technical visions," Ghost's website reads. Seriously, design nuts and art nerds, check out the site. It's super pretty.
