Need for Speed Is Finally Back Where It Belongs with Criterion Games

Electronic Arts (EA) has returned the Need for Speed franchise to Criterion Games, away from Ghost Games (EA Gothenburg). But are they the same studio?

[AK91]

Unfortunately the current day Criterion games isn't the studio it once was.

[Blank]

Oh man I can agree with you while the games they Have done after purchase aren’t inherently bad, they seem pretty restrained with certain things forced. I would like to believe that the minds would like to express their art but EA comes in and wants to force some input.

[Gaming101]

This is true, although in terms of sheer talent you can look to see who is working there and compare to who worked at Criterion back in its hay day, and see which developers and creative people were hired on and what experience they bring to the table.
Otherwise we're just speculating as to the talent who will be working at Criterion for their next NFS.

But it's like Yahtzee famously said - let's all laugh at an industry that never learns anything tee hee hee

[ps3rider]

All studios that belong to EA are not the studio they were. EA doesn't give freedom to their studios to do the best.

Simply they are like a company that employs someone to build a site and then the company itself uses the mouse to design.

1. Dead Space by Visceral Games started with the amazing games but ended with the studio closer.
2. Bioware becomes bad and bad over the years
3. They don't want to release bad company 3
4. Anthem fall
5. where Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning remake or a sequel
6. what else

[AK91]

You just punched a hole in my chest reminding me about Kingdoms of Amalur.

Also Ea Turned this

https://www.youtube.com/wat...

Into this

https://www.youtube.com/wat...

[xXMessiah23Xx]

Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning, be happy EA published it. Curt Schilling went bankrupt financing the game. People need to get over the silly EA hate.

[porkChop]

Are you kidding me? They gave us the terrible Most Wanted reboot. NFS Heat is actually a really solid game. Sure it still has the cheesy storyline. Yeah, it's got some flaws. But the gameplay, customization, etc., is all on-point. It's the best NFS we've had in many years.

On top of that, Criterion is a shell. Most of the team either left or were moved to other studios. Putting the NFS franchise back in the hands of a dead studio isn't smart.

[LucasRuinedChildhood]

No, the article is right. Ghost Games' NFS games were conceptually close to what many NFS fans wanted but they just weren't that fun to play and they were poorly made. NFS 2015 is the one that I got furthest into but the rubber-banding ruined the game.

Criterion know how to make fun racing games better than any other studio. Hot Pursuit is easily the best NFS of the last 10 years. Most Wanted is not a good follow up to the original but it's solid for those who loved Burnout Paradise.

Criterion is located in Guildford so recruiting new talent shouldn't be hard if they need to.

[SugarSoSweet]

Couldn't agree more NFS Hot Pursuit on the Last Gen consoles was incredibly fun and this is coming from a guy who is not even a fan of racing games...

[Good-Smurf]

That 2012 Most Wanted was one of the most soulless racing game I've ever played the city looked more like a grittier version of hot wheels playground it didn't look believable and alive at all with blacklist that have no name and faces and the car collecting was too easy just scatter around ready to hop in like nothing to it pretty fitting for hot wheels city and customization done on the fly it was too intuitive and too casual to bother and to be taken seriously.

Handling were terrible like you constantly on ice and the dreaded brake to drift control was restrictive and stiff as hell.
They lost it ever since they done supporting Burnout Paradise,2010 Hot Pursuit tried to be very slick n flashy presentation wise but that's about it the game was shallow in any other area they released a lot of cars in that game and it helped a bit.

[Retroman]

"Need for Speed back in Criterion hands"
Oh hell no. Mostwanted was burnout for speed, Hotpursuit was burnout for speed, Rivals was burnout for speed.
whatever they make in 2021 in some shape or form it will be burnout for speed again.
Ea need to rebuild Blackbox studio get NFS back on track.

[Shalawsorchi]

They are stupid for not making a game like Forza, would be nice with some competition and for those who don’t have a Xbox.

[SolidGamerX]

You don't need an xbox. You can play Forza elsewhere and pretty soon I suspect just about anywhere.

[hudechek]

curious are you talking about stadia? or is Turn 10 and and Playground come out form under Microsoft (i can't see this happening but)??

[BlaqMagiq1]

Yeah modern day Criterion, not golden age Criterion which means there's a good chance it will be crap.

[DarXyde]

Give me a rightful sequel to Burnout Revenge and get out of my sight, EA.

[xXMessiah23Xx]

Criterion used to be great but they are not what they once were. Also I want a need for speed game not Burnout with a need for speed title on it. Im all for a new burnout but not at the cost of Need For Speed.

[C-H-E-F]

Ehh, they made the worst NFS games. Why not just let them make burnout. They literally made burnout games with the NFS title. Ghost finally got the formula right with NFS:Heat