Need For Speed to receive a 'substantial amount' of DLC - but it'll all be free

EA intends to release a "substantial amount" of free DLC for Need For Speed, creative director Craig Sullivan has revealed, stressing that the publisher has "no plans to charge" for additional content.

[Sir_Simba]

I might buy the complete edition then. It does not seem to be getting positive reviews.

[fallacious]

hoping it drops to $30 in a couple of months

[Sir_Simba]

on pc as soon as they announce the complete edition its gonna cost like £25 or £30

[Blaze929]

it'll be free on EA Access by next Spring - watch.

[deaddragonz]

Im thinking black friday. They always go on sale aling with AC and a few other recent releases.

[LostDjinn]

Good old EA. When the reviews show the game to be a turd it's "free dlc" to get the purchase. When the game reviews well it's "we've monetized bathroom breaks" but it's okay "we need to recoup the dev costs" and "going to the bathroom is totally optional".

Stay classy Ea.

[Elit3Nick]

We've known about the free DLC for a while now, but yeah, I'm not getting it unless it gets something later that makes the game worth it.

[AizenSosuke]

Stay fresh EA with the always-online BS.

[reallyNow]

I think this game is pretty good. DriveClub is definitely a better racing game. But as far as car culture, tuning, and underground racing is concerned, it does a great job. It's basically a modernized Midnight Club.

[MoveTheGlow]

I'm on the fence. I love racing games, I'm more of an arcade guy, and while Driveclub does quite a few things (in quite a few different locations) and does them very well, I have to weigh just playing more Driveclub with taking a chance on NFS as a second option.

The way they mitigate draw distance at night by keeping the lights visible from far away is super-nice. The driving looks wonderful if you're into arcade racing and you're sour that Ridge Racer hasn't been good in years like me.

Plus, the understandable upgrade system paired with no-microtransaction-BS (for now) in-game currency and much more detailed customization of how the cars handle reminds me of classic GT 1 and 2. I loved that upgrade system and the progression from cheap cars to rockets on wheels. It's what's lacking in an otherwise cool game like Project CARS or Assetto Corsa, which have customization in spades as far as handling, but a lack of single-player progression.

But that always-online crap is no good. Aren't we over the whole anti-piracy panic, EA? I've also seen some gameplay where you're just driving from place to place in an open world in order to view cutscenes, which is like a nightmare of mine, not something I'd want to play. I can forgive the 30fps framerate, but apparently it hitches up, too, which I saw in the GB Quick Look. But I really want to paint that Civic Type R like a Pac-Man car and go nuts... Argh. I'm torn.

[UkrainianWarrior]

Ride Racer has NEVER been good..

[MoveTheGlow]

@UkrainianWarrior

lol, "Ride Racer"

[captainexplosion]

They should make daytime DLC.

[MatrixxGT]

Always online requirement is no buy for me. I did not care how much DLC they throw around. If they had went classic underground with online optional and opt manual gearbox I would dive in.

[Dario_DC]

Can't wait for a ton used copies to start turning up everywhere in 2 weeks... Not buying this always online crap...

Edit: Xbox users this will be in the EA Vault in no time, so all you have to do is wait :)

[jokerisalive]

Always Online is a no buy for me. If they want to give us something worthwhile - change the always online requirement via patch. Give us the OPTION to play online if we choose. How about that for DLC???

[Voids]

Yeah man - always online is way too spooky 4 me too.

[reallyNow]

have you played it? no? gtfo. the online is actually pretty cool. i keep randomly meeting people and showing off cars to each other. its a part of the core gameplay.

[Dario_DC]

I've played the last one and that server migration message is the thing I remember the most!
There's no reason what-so-ever for not being an offline mode!
Stop the damage control and protecting these companies when they put in these stupid requirements.
Tell me, WTF are you gonna do with the copy of your game when the servers are taken down?? Maybe they'll patch if, make it offline and if they do, why don't they do it right now??

[reallyNow]

realistically? ill be long done with playing before that happens. when gt7/sport whatever launches NFS is history.

[gangsta_red]

Why? I'll never understand this whole stigma from people who are so against always online games. You are connected all the time every where else why not some games?

[crider771]

Because for a game like this, there's little to no reason for having always online. Especially for single player... Not to mention this game will become a coaster once ea shuts down the servers.

[gangsta_red]

@crider

"...there's little to no reason for having always online."

How do you know this? Maybe the features and designs added has made this game better with being online. Maybe they are trying to emphasis the community and social aspect of the racing community more so than a single player experience.

"Not to mention this game will become a coaster once ea shuts down the servers."

And exactly how long will that be? By the time the servers shut down more than 100% likely we would be moved on to the next racing game.

[MoveTheGlow]

A lot of us single-player focused folks aren't keen on having to wait for servers to do their thing in order to do something that only requires our system's computing power and nothing else.

I mean, Sim City was a disaster no matter what, but one of the biggest disasters was how no one could play it for weeks due to EA's servers not being up to spec. I can guarantee at least 80% of those players weren't the least bit hyped about anything online in that game.

A good current example: Metal Gear Solid V. It wants you to be always online, but the servers took forever to get you logged in during launch and for weeks after. Luckily, you could take the game offline in the options, but that doesn't stop the game from updating and then telling you six pages of online mode updates when you start up the game.

Plus, some people live in locations where fast internet isn't possible, or wireless interference is a big issue. If they just want to play single-player, why do they need to deal with online stuff?

[gangsta_red]

@MoveTheGlow

"...on having to wait for servers to do their thing in order..."

That is a very extreme view and most game server's don't have you wait for long. And how do you know that what the servers are doing your console could do instead?

It doesn't make sense for people to pay for online services like Live and Plus then complain about games that make use of these services that you're paying yearly for.

"Plus, some people live in locations where fast internet isn't possible,"

Well that sucks for them but there are a lot more people that do live in areas with great connections and fast wifi and that is what these big devs and publishers are catering too. The ones that do have the online capacity, do pay for digital games and also DLC.

I think with the high emphasis on online games, DLC and microtransactions the excuse of people with bad connections is now becoming the minority.

[creeping judas]

How many people play their Xboxs and Playstations not connected to the internet these days? I don't think that number would be very high, especially for the people who frequent N4G, I have a feeling N4G peeps are connected 100% of the time. So I'm not sure why we are complaining about always online so much?

The only annoyance I can see is if your internet goes down and you want to play the game.

[WellyUK]

I agree especially when the people complaining about it happen to have the internet anyway so it doesn't matter at all but they seem to think it is when really it isn't at all.

[GearSkiN]

I travel and sometimes I land on bad hotel Internet... Wish the game offers offline play... But still might get it this holiday.

[creeping judas]

@Gear, not bashing here in any way, but you bring your console with you? I remember back in 2011 I spent appx 4 months away from home, and in a hotel for those 4 months. I brought my PS3 with me (didn't want to cart the power brick of the 360) and a small TV with me, and I would play Skyrim after work. But I was also driving so it was a lot easier to cart that kind of stuff around.

[UnR34L_DEAF]

"Not just Cars pack"

Then ok! Add Drag mode like Underground, that what it make most fun.

[GearSkiN]

Beautiful dead world..

[Atomicjuicer]

Offline mode or no buy.