Need for Speed Series Needs a Better Sense of Continuity, “Potentially” Lacks Clear Direction

When one looks at Ghost Games’ Need for Speed Rivals, there are plenty of shades of what consumers recognize best about the franchise: evading cops, driving expensive cars and high speed races. But that series hasn’t always been that way, with titles like Undercover and The Run diluting the core identity of the franchise.

EA executive producer Marcus Nilsson spoke to Joystiq about how the series has “potentially” lacked a clear direction. “That’s something that we, as we get new ownership into it, can react to and try to establish.

“When you get The Last of Us you feel like [it’s] a Naughty Dog game. It’s obviously not Nathan Drake you’re playing, but I still can feel the resemblance – people could argue that’s a black and white offering, I guess. But I want to have continuity. When I pick up the controller, I want it to have a certain feel, I want the car to feel… you know, like an evolution of what I had, but I still want it to feel [like] the same thing.

“Need for Speed is a brand that cannot be driven by different creative ownerships year and year in. When we think about that strategy going forward, we also need to think about what makes sense for the brand in terms of release schedules and everything.”

Need for Speed Rivals will release on November 19th and will be a launch title on PS4 and Xbox One, along with releasing for Xbox 360, PS3 and PC.