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Trophies: Need for Speed Undercover
1 Platinum3 Gold1 Silver45 Bronze Difficulty: Moderate Online Trophies? Yes Time to Completion: 30 hoursDLC Trophies? No View Trophy List Read More About the Game %Gallery-30062%
Need for Speed: Undercover DLC released, PS3 only for now
Need for Speed: Undercover is getting some much-needed extra fuel, both premium and unleaded. Electronic Arts has announced a pair of DLC packs for the ill-received sequel, including a free Challenge Series and a premium collection of customized "boss" vehicles.The Challenge Series promises a handful of new cars, as well as 60 events across a pair of new game modes, including "Highway Wars," a mix of highway battles and sprint racing, and "Highway Checkpoint," where drivers will maneuver through traffic to reach checkpoints and beat the clock. The $5 Boss Car pack, on the other hand, gives players access to every boss car in the game, from Carmen's Shelby GT500 to Nickel's Dodge Viper SRT10. Interestingly, the downloads are currently only available for the PlayStation 3, though EA notes that both packs are "coming soon" for the Xbox 360 and PC. Until then, drivers are urged to turn off their ignition and wait patiently for their turn at the pump.
GDC09: Upcoming EA iPhone game list fully revealed, screens and info on Tiger
Just before the deluge of GDC 2009 news started this week, Travis Boatman, VP of worldwide studios at EA Mobile, confirmed the upcoming release of a veritable smörgåsbord of EA franchises coming to the iPhone. Today, we have confirmation from Meghan Rathman (representing EA) of the exact titles on the way to the iPhone/iTouch as well as a handful of screens from Tiger Woods PGA Tour. Unfortunately, according to Ms. Rathman, the rest of the games in development are "still too early" and don't have screens. Considering the turnaround time on iPhone/iTouch games though, we're willing to bet you'll see those shots by the end of the week pretty soon!The full list of games we received from EA is as follows: Tiger Woods PGA Tour, The Sims 3, FIFA, Madden NFL Football, Spore Creatures, Mystery Mania, Wolfenstein RPG, American Idol, Connect Four, Battleship, Need for Speed, RISK, Monopoly and Clue. Differing from reports at the GDC Mobile event earlier this week, we're seeing the addition of The Sims 3 and Need for Speed. In turn, we're losing the first SSX in two years, Red Alert, NBA Live 10, American Idol, Star Trek. But hey, Tiger Woods!The press release from EA on Tiger Woods PGA Tour tells us that the game is of the "touch" rather than of the "shake" variety, comes with achievements and offers a way to compare achievements with your friends. Of the key features listed, notably missing is "playing against friends wirelessly," though it does promise the ability to "affect your ball spin direction" using your finger. Those are comparable features, right? We'll keep on EA and let you know as soon as we find out more on their upcoming iPhone/iTouch assault.%Gallery-48706%
Need For Speed SHIFT careening to release in September
Development on Need For Speed SHIFT must be really speeding along if EA is willing to cement a September release date already. The first game in the new Need For Speed lineup will be available in Europe on September 17 and North America on September 22 -- close enough to Christmas to be giftworthy, but outside of the usual Q4 gamesplosion. Very sneaky. We tried SHIFT out for ourselves recently and came away impressed, so this is definitely one to mark on your "worthwhile games of 2009" list. %Gallery-43521%
EA Montreal to announce new game on March 12
EA has notified press that it intends to demonstrate a new game from its Montreal studio (along with other forthcoming projects) next Monday, March 9. The Canadian studio, currently hard (we hope) at work on one third of EA's new Need For Speed trio, namely the Wii-bound Need For Speed: Nitro, is expected to formally announce the project on March 12. Extending this post would only lead to rampant and inevitably spurious speculation, so we'll just let you take a guess at what this mystery title could be.%Poll-26968%
Need for Speed: World Online begins testing in March
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.
Electronic Arts announces Need For Speed: World Online
There aren't a lot of racing MMOs to choose from, which is why Electronic Art's announcement of Need For Speed: World Online is something of a fun surprise. We don't really know anything about the title other than that it's a jointly-developed free-to-play game from Black Box and EA Shanghai. Oh, and it's coming out in North America this winter, so we won't have to wait much longer to find out more.At least this answers the question of what Black Box was going to be up to after having more than half of its staff laid off recently. We're glad to see the developer behind titles like Skate 1 & 2 and the NFS franchise has something to work on. And of course we'll be keeping our collective eyes on this title as more information develops in the coming months.[via Joystiq]
Another (secret!) Need for Speed game in development
Thought three new Need for Speed games wouldn't be enough? EA seems to agree, confirming to Eurogamer that a fourth, secret addition to the series is also in development. Being secret, not much is known about the title, though it's fair to assume it'll have its own gimmick, separate from the other three. With Shift, Nitro and Online, EA have covered every console, so this fourth Need For Speed could land anywhere. Keith Munro from EA's Marketing division is quick to say that developing four games simultaneously is in no way a result of the economic crisis, stating that work began "long before" the crunch began. "This isn't about quantity, this is about crafting different games for different audiences and their unique tastes in the driving category. I would say that our strategy is the inverse of milking; it is an intentionally non-traditional approach." We're not sure exactly how "inverse milking" works, but it sounds quite uncomfortable for the poor cow in question. This seems a lot like regular franchise milking, though we'll reserve judgment until we get to see all four titles in action.
EA unveils new Need for Speed trio
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.
Rumor: Need for Speed: Undercover patch on the way
In the wake of recent rumors that the entire Need For Speed series has been canceled -- rumors followed by the closing of developer Black Box -- Kotaku reports that "inside sources" are claiming a patch is soon headed to Need for Speed: Undercover. Details are fuzzy, though sources claim that the patch will focus on gameplay and performance issues and will include "improvements". Hopefully, the performance tweaks include a fix for the game's awful framerate. The patch is expected to arrive on all platforms in the coming weeks.
EA games roll onto Steam
EA has accepted the warm embrace of Steam and will begin using the digital distribution service. Following reports that Spore was crawling out of the primordial ooze to Steam, Valve announced today that several of the latest EA titles are available now, with many more coming over the next couple weeks. Available now: Spore Spore Creepy & Cute Parts Pack Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning Mass Effect Need for Speed Undercover EA Sports' FIFA Manager 2009 Coming Soon: Mirror's Edge Red Alert 3 Dead Space Sister site Big Download contacted EA to find out if older PC games would become available, but the publisher wouldn't comment. Also, in case you're wondering, EA games on Steam apparently don't install or use third-party DRM set-ups. According to Valve "the only DRM it uses is Steam itself."[Via Big Download]
Rumor: Need for Speed series has been canceled -- or has it? [update]
The latest episode of Electric Playground brought with it a shocking (yet somewhat believable) report -- they claimed to have learned from an unspecified source that Electronic Arts is canceling the development of new titles in the Need for Speed series. When they asked for a comment from EA, a spokesperson responded with a statement that neither confirmed nor denied the report.We tend to handle rumors without named sources with a bit more trepidation than others, but the cancellation of EA's 14-year-old racing franchise isn't completely outside the realm of possibilities. After all, the gaming industry juggernaut has sailed through fairer economic waters, and the latest installment in the supposedly canceled series, Need for Speed: Undercover, currently holds a Metacritic rating of 65 -- which also happens to be the exact number of people who purchased the game. We'll let you know when we hear more.Update: We've received a tip from someone a purported EA employ who wishes to remain anonymous. According to this source, the Need for Speed series isn't shutting down -- but EA Black Box, the development team behind recent entries into the series, "most likely" is. The source explains that EA not only scrapped their plans to open up a new studio in Vancouver, but that they also decided to close Black Box, moving the NFS and Skate teams to their much larger Burnaby studios. The source further details the fate of Need for Speed -- he claims that one of the next entries into the series will be developed by the EA-owned Criterion Games, and will likely use the engine of their racing series, Burnout. He also claims that there are three different teams within Black Box that are responsible for developing Need for Speed titles (which is how they're able to release a new NFS title every year) -- though these three teams will likely consolidate into one, leading to less NFS releases, more continuity between said releases, and, ultimately, drastic downsizing for the NFS teams.
Top 5 selling PSP games of all time
Gamasutra just published a comparison report between software sales on the PSP and the DS in the United States. Not surprisingly, the DS is faring better -- the PSP has released 396 titles with an average of 133,000 units sold per title while the DS has released 653 games with an average of 163,000 copies sold per title. In terms of the average number of games per hardware unit sold, the ratio is 4.8 on the DS and 4.2 on the PSP.The NPD Group also provided the data on the top 5 selling games on each device. Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories takes first place with 2 million copies sold. We suspect the Rockstar sandbox title sold unusually well due to a combination of the popularity of the GTA franchise and a certain little exploit. Lastly, every title on the list are comparatively ancient (the newest game is GTA: Vice City Stories, released back in the end of 06), which doesn't bode well for the PSP. Wanna know what other games made the list? They are available for you right after the jump.
Video: NFS takes on the fuzz, goes Undercover
Embedded after the break is the latest Need for Speed: Undercover trailer "Cop Chase" and, from the title alone, you can deduce that there are cops, chases and cops participating in a chase. Surprising though is that the trailer is actually pretty decent and succeeds in its purpose, piquing our interest and getting us interested in the latest NFS iteration. We're not sure if this trailer is representative of the entire Undercover experience, but here's to hoping it is. Thumbs up to "Cop Chase".
Cops and Robbers race online in NFS Undercover
Jiggers, fellas! It's the cops! Need for Speed Undercover, EA's latest attempt at pulling its arcade racing stable out of a seemingly never-ending tailspin, will allow players on both sides of the law to size each other up in a new multiplayer mode called Cops and Robbers. According to EA, the new mode will allow two teams of up to four players each to compete against each other to deliver -- or prevent the delivery of -- a package to a safe house. Additionally, the Xbox 360, PS3 and PC versions will support up to eight players in sprint and circuit multiplayer races as well. Of course, it remains to be seen if Undercover will do enough to remind us why we once cared about this franchise, or if, as our recent impressions found, it will just feel like Most Wanted with a new coat of paint.
EA uncovers NFS Undercover game mode
In anticipation of the release of Need for Speed: Undercover, Black Box and EA just revealed an all new Undercover online game mode called "Cops and Robbers". Just as it sounds, Cops and Robbers pits two opposing teams of four against each other (one cops, one robbers) in an attempt to earn the most points. Robbers have the mission to pickup various packages and drop them off at specified destinations, while the Cops team tries to prevent the package delivery. Once the round is complete, players will swap sides and play as either the Cops or Robbers. Hmm, sounds innovative!
Even NPC agents are running from Jita's lag in EVE
Despite being the most notoriously lag-choked solar system in EVE Online, the teeming trade hub of Jita remains a central destination for all things bought and sold in New Eden. Jita is very much a victim of its own success though, as we said before: "Not a day goes by without an EVE pilot, somewhere, cursing Jita and calling for the system to be nuked." The Need for Speed initiative launched by CCP in 2007 aims at improving both server and client performance, and their latest announcement -- the removal of agents from Jita -- is the latest effort they're using to combat lag. This writer feels you're just begging to have your mission probed out, or you might have a masochistic streak by dealing with Level 4 aggro coupled with Jita lag, but that's not for us to decide.Apparently a number of mission runners use agents in Jita, but according to CCP Wrangler, these players will soon be receiving EVE mails "informing them that the agents are relocating and the date of the downtime when the move will take place. From that point the agents will cease to offer new missions but they will accept ongoing missions, and of course they will resume their normal activities after the move." We'll see how well removing mission runners from the fabric of Jita's lag will improve the situation, but this might be a step in the right direction. The relocation of agents is likely one of a number of steps CCP Games will need to take to deliver smooth gameplay to a playerbase that keeps growing every year, making lag issues more pressing. On the topic of being relocated, have any of you ever gotten stuck in Jita and needed to be moved by a GM?
Uncovered: New Need for Speed Undercover trailer
Though the above Need For Speed: Undercover trailer is excitedly labeled as the debut of gameplay footage (!!!), what little (albeit pretty) racing action it boasts is quickly pushed aside by an ex-cop meat head and Tom Cruise channeller. Ever the innovative and unorthodox rebel, "G-Mac" keenly points out that he doesn't like rules, man, but thrills.We're going to chalk this trailer up as a failure, lest its intention was to instill a desire to punch the game in its unshaven, pretentious face. Best you read our hands-on instead. Gallery: Need For Speed Undercover
Apple positions iPod touch as a gaming device
Today might be remembered as the day that Apple finally, officially entered the handheld gaming market. During the "Let's Rock" event this morning in San Francisco, Phil Schiller took the stage to do an extended demo of a few upcoming games for the iPhone and iPod touch. He first demoed Spore Origins, a game that only recently has arrived on the iPhone's App Store, made by EA as a mobile version of the popular PC/Mac game. Real Soccer, above, was shown off as well, and finally EA's Need for Speed rounded out the pack.It's a shame that Apple chose to spotlight games from giants like EA rather than some great games from actual iPhone developers, like the much-loved Aurora Feint or the upcoming Rolando. But the most interesting thing about the presentation today wasn't even the games they showed off -- it was the fact that Steve himself called the iPod touch one of the best gaming devices on the market. Apple appears to be positioning the iPod touch as not just a music player with a multitouch screen, but an actual gaming and media device for this holiday season. That would be a smart move -- with a few more quality games in the App Store, Apple could move the touch away from its own product lines (the other iPods and the iPhone), and step up to start taking on older gaming handhelds like the PSP and DS.
PAX 2008 hands-on: Need for Speed Undercover, rollcage edition
From the depths of the M.C. Escher nightmare of Dead Space we slid into the sweet embrace of a high-octane car. Need for Speed: Undercover knew that it needed to impress people with something besides picture-pretty cars racing along at high speed through city streets, so it wrapped itself inside a glorious steel gaming cage. A gaming cage that looked like something they'd use to teach driver's ed out of in the future. Find out all about this must-have, but can't-buy gaming accessory after the break.%Gallery-30062%
