the next Need For Speed: Undercover

[GMT 389]

There's a new Need for Speed title in the making, and it really feels like EA learns from mistakes:

well then, since NFS: PS totally quit the street racing scene and screwed up with tuning, all the way back to a serious racing game, the sells figures kinda not met the estimations from EA.

This, according to Frank Gibau from EA, happened because the game didn't met the expectations of the gamers (surprise surprise, something we didn't know that it happens to EA titles)

The result:

The next Need for Speed will be back to the roots of the NFS tuner games, means:

- illegal street racing as in previous titles

- free roaming environment as in previous titles

- new game mode: Highway Battle

well, nothing more on the new nfs so far, but I think this is a very very intersting news to tell.

Is EA really learning? (if I take a look at recent news about EA, it feels like they changed their phylosophy)

[Psycho_Teddy 25]

Oh goodie, more illegal street racing games to promote the tuning of little Johnny's 1995 Honda Civic DX so that he can wrap it around a pole at 120MPH. Seriously, these sort of games need to stop. The whole point of Pro Street was to encourage kids to take it to the track instead of the street (remember the stupid announcer guy saying "_____ used to street race but now he's done the right thing and taken it to the track.")... What a bunch of hypocrites... Bad show...

[ilikehotdogsalot 308]

I lost track of these after Need for Speed Hot Pursuit...

[skyliner22 16]

Pro street is of what they call professional street racing where the people are able to actually watch these races at tracks. Its a different approach but seems very interesting. I got so bored of the whole tuner thing after NFSU2. Most Wanted with the police chases made it a lot better. I bothered not to buy carbon though since it went back to NFSU2 but with exotics and muscle. EA tried something new with Prostreet but apparently most people prefer playing nearly the same game just with a few updates on cars and a different title.

All i know is EA can never touch Polyphony with its epic GT series!

[JanYpe 17]

Originally posted by: ilikehotdogsalot I lost track of these after Need for Speed Hot Pursuit...quote>

That's still the best one as far as I'm concerned. I want completely mad Lamborghini's, not a Dodge bloody Neon.

[Godzillaman 21]

NFS series has gotten screwed over. If you want an arcade racer, get Flatout 2 or 3. Both are amazing!

[Psycho_Teddy 25]

Maybe they should rate these street racing games mature. It's obvious that 15 year old boys can't handle video games like this.

[ilikehotdogsalot 308]

Originally posted by: Psycho_Teddy Maybe they should rate these street racing games mature. It's obvious that 15 year old boys can't handle video games like this.quote>

I disagree.

Most of my friends and I, who are 14, can handle GTA, and war games without going out and killing everyone in sight. Most people know better, there's only a select few who have mental or emotional issues that would do something crazy. . .

[Psycho_Teddy 25]

Well, I understand your point, and I think that there are some areas of society that video games affect more than others. I don't think games like GTA and other violent video games cause an increase in murders, thefts, or rapes, but the premise of street racing has become more mainstream and accepted as a "normal" behaviour in young kids. Hell, I'll admit even I was guilty of a few small highway races when I was 16 or so.

[GMT 389]

Originally posted by: Psycho_Teddy Well, I understand your point, and I think that there are some areas of society that video games affect more than others. I don't think games like GTA and other violent video games cause an increase in murders, thefts, or rapes, but the premise of street racing has become more mainstream and accepted as a "normal" behaviour in young kids. Hell, I'll admit even I was guilty of a few small highway races when I was 16 or so.quote>

I don't see the reason for little boys in their ricers wrapped around poles in streetracing video games.

I mean, seriously, illegal street racing is almost as old as cars are, it's just that with the boom the (import) tuning scene has gone through within the last let's say almost 10 years, it's a more spread out phaenomenon as it was before.

You can also go out and point the finger on the fast and the furious trilogy for encouraging such a behavior, but then again, these movies wouldn't exist without the scene they represent, so it's almost like the egg or chicken question, but with the difference that it's known what was there first.

this sounds wired, i know...  let me explain:

we can argue wether street racing games/movies encurage ppl to do it, or that these games/movies exist because ppl do it. fact is that the idea of illegal street racing existed before the games/movies. but it's also fact that the promotion from the movies/games helped to extend the scene... it's a vicious circle in a certain way. that's why I compared it with the egg or chicken question.

but that's not what I wanted to go to...

It's more like that gamers (like me), because of the nfsu series, are more into tuning streetracing than into the serious racing scene (speaking about the nfs series) and that's what they wanted, but didn't got, and therefore nfs ps doesn't meet EA's estimated sales figures.

So EA learned and put the nfs series back to the streets / street racing scene

of course the game will never ever meet the standards that polyphony's GT sets up, and there're a hell of a lot of other pure racing games on the market, but few tuning/streetracing games that are worth buying (since nfs ps screwed it up, there's only one recent title left: juiced2), but the tuning scene has become almost as much a subculture as hiphop or skating, so there're always many people who buy a "real" tuning game

EDIT: they'll buy it because the tuning is a comparatively expensive lifestyle, and it's much more fun to race the streets with an awesome rendered nissan skyline than with a real one who might get totalled in the crash.

my 2 cents...

[Psycho_Teddy 25]

The problem is not necessarily the existence of the street racing scene itself, but the fact that these games bring such activities into the mainstream. It used to be that events like these were far and few between, but now they are everywhere. Impromptu races are happening everywhere, hell, just take a listen outside your door at about ten at night, you'll hear just about every rice burner in the county screaming down main street. Polyphony and several others have proved that you can make a successful racing game based on legal forms of racing for over a decade. There is no reason that EA can't or shouldn't follow suit. If they failed, then by God, try again.

[Jazzmaster 716]

Originally posted by: Psycho_Teddy Oh goodie, more illegal street racing games to promote the tuning of little Johnny's 1995 Honda Civic DX so that he can wrap it around a pole at 120MPH. Seriously, these sort of games need to stop. The whole point of Pro Street was to encourage kids to take it to the track instead of the street (remember the stupid announcer guy saying "_____ used to street race but now he's done the right thing and taken it to the track.")... What a bunch of hypocrites... Bad show...quote>

 

Well, once you start these games, there's always a girl--yes, always-saying along the lines of "keep all the racing in the game, but on the streets obey the laws of the road, and where your seatbelt."  I'm perfectly fine playing these games without the twinge to take my parents' Audi A4 out for a race and chase scene.  Not to mention, some of the cars in NFS are virtually impossible (or at least fairly difficult) to get your hands on in RL; Lamborghini Murcialago LP640, Porsche Carrera GT, Koenigsegg CCX, Pagani Zonda F, BMW M3 GTR, Lotus Elise, Ford GT (not even made anymore), need I go on?  It could be possible that some are "worse" for kids--Need for Speed Underground involves nothing but racing, but games like Hot Pursuit, Most Wanted, and Carbon involve the police so the illegal aspect becomes a bigger part of the game (*cough* sergeant Cross).

Many like me disliked Pro Street because it didn't have the great tuning options, free-roam or, dare I say, cop chases.  To be honest, the bold combination of street racing and cop chasing that came out in Need for Speed: Most Wanted took the game to a new height; Most Wanted was probably the best game in the series.  I still love to drive the R8 in Carbon (I just love the way the engine sounds, it's freaking sweet), but the sound of a new NFS has peaked my interest.  Persay, they have so many Need for Speed games--especially compared to Sim City--that I'm not to suprised either.

Two things I really want are

1.)Online gaming compatible with the Nintendo Wi-Fi connection for the Wii version

2.)The ability to tune more high end cars; they always make the absolute best cars avaliable in quick race/online only and not avaliable for tuning...

-Yoshi

PS

If they failed, then by God, try again.quote>

shhh...you'll jinx the next Sim City

[skyliner22 16]

I must say i am tired of people reffering to Japanese cars as rice. Yes those civics that are tuned based on aesthetics than performance are annoying but you dont compare those to the actual street racer cars. Besides its not all on import's fault. Lately American muscle has been brought back with the introduction of the new versions of old school models. On top of that drifting has become a very popular scene, yes it is dangerous. Car culture these days has been absorbed into the urban scene and is inevitable. Although what i have noticed, living in a city where imports dominate there are fewer. Seems like what Infineon set up with amateur Wednesdays where anyone can hit the track for a small fee. Instead of complaining and doing nothing of these illegal races, there should be areas set up where it is legal. That is the problem, the demand is there but there is nowhere to race. If the demand is filled then there will be less races on the streets. I myself wouldn't mind tackling the track and learning some racing techniques.

Here is a definintion of ricer: More contemporary use of the term rice burner, along with the prefix rice, has taken on an alternate pejorative meaning for an automobile that has been modified to give impression of high performance, but does not necessarily have any high-performance capabilities.

So please in the future do not compare a Civic with body kits and a large exhaust to a 240SX with a RB26DETT engine swap.

[Psycho_Teddy 25]

Originally posted by: skyliner22

Here is a definintion of ricer: More contemporary use of the term rice burner, along with the prefix rice, has taken on an alternate pejorative meaning for an automobile that has been modified to give impression of high performance, but does not necessarily have any high-performance capabilities.

So please in the future do not compare a Civic with body kits and a large exhaust to a 240SX with a RB26DETT engine swap.quote>

I'm sorry, but I have no respect for any modified car with less than six cylinders, it's pointless.

[skyliner22 16]

Ugh this is just going to turn into a Muscle vs. Import thing. If you don't like Japanese cars, fine but don't go around making a big deal about them. Besides street racing a lot of times involves the classic drag with muscle cars especially found in sideshows.

[GMT 389]

Originally posted by: Psycho_Teddy The problem is not necessarily the existence of the street racing scene itself, but the fact that these games bring such activities into the mainstream. It used to be that events like these were far and few between, but now they are everywhere. Impromptu races are happening everywhere, hell, just take a listen outside your door at about ten at night, you'll hear just about every rice burner in the county screaming down main street. Polyphony and several others have proved that you can make a successful racing game based on legal forms of racing for over a decade. There is no reason that EA can't or shouldn't follow suit. If they failed, then by God, try again.quote>

you're kinda contradictory.

on the one hand you say street racing games are a bunch of bull... and encourage ppl to immitate, but then on the other hand you say games like GTA don't encourage ppl to re-enact what they did in these games.

that ain't consistent at all. either you're on the pro-political correctness side and say we don't need no games that encourage bad/wrong behaviour, or you give a damn about political correctness and see the difference between virtuality and reality.

So, if you say street racing games make people racing the streets, you can't claim that ego-shooter games don't make people shot someone else.

anyways, ain't it better that young folks play street races on their pcs instead of actually racing the real streets?

and those who think they have to participate in illegal street races, they do it anyway, no matter if there's a game with an illegal street racing theme or not. (just as I said already: the game represents the scene and not vice versa)

it's just the political correctness overkill that makes people believe that games should set a good example in everything, because they might just influence someone's behaviour.

But, after all, political correctness is for real life and not for fictional/virtual life, so...

[amal81 3]

All said and done...Its good to know that EA are trying to learn from their mistakes. NFSPS was utter crap...

The best NFS till date have been NFS Porsche Unleashed and NFSU2.

[GMT 389]

copy that. porsche was great fun back then, and nfsu2 was simply the best tuning game ever, the more sad it is that EA screwed it up with mw, c, and ps. hopefully the new NFS will be more like nfsu2 than mw or c...

Otherwise, there's no reason to buy it, cuz normal racing games aren't few, and the top of the line was, is and will ever be gran turismo...

EDIT: Gran Turismo in terms of  realistic handling and look and representation of a real racing league.

well, and if it comes to free roaming environment, Burnout Paradise and upcomming Midnight Club LA rock the market

and when it comes to (visual) tuning, there's nothing better than Juiced2 right now...

so I really hope that the next nfs goes back to where it came from when the underground series hit the stores

[skyliner22 16]

I'd have to say Most Wanted was more fun than NFSU2. NFSU2 after unlocking all the cars got rather boring. While in Most Wanted the cop chases made the free roams even more fun.

[GMT 389]

yes, it was more fun with the cop chases and stuff, but looking at visual tuning only, nfsu2 was the peak of the series

[The_Dalai_Llama 15]

I think NFS needs a nice, long break. That's all I have to say.

Besides, I prefer a more realistic racing experience that Gran Turismo and Forza brings.

[Psycho_Teddy 25]

Originally posted by: GMT

Originally posted by: Psycho_Teddy The problem is not necessarily the existence of the street racing scene itself, but the fact that these games bring such activities into the mainstream. It used to be that events like these were far and few between, but now they are everywhere. Impromptu races are happening everywhere, hell, just take a listen outside your door at about ten at night, you'll hear just about every rice burner in the county screaming down main street. Polyphony and several others have proved that you can make a successful racing game based on legal forms of racing for over a decade. There is no reason that EA can't or shouldn't follow suit. If they failed, then by God, try again.quote>

you're kinda contradictory.

on the one hand you say street racing games are a bunch of bull... and encourage ppl to immitate, but then on the other hand you say games like GTA don't encourage ppl to re-enact what they did in these games.

that ain't consistent at all. either you're on the pro-political correctness side and say we don't need no games that encourage bad/wrong behaviour, or you give a damn about political correctness and see the difference between virtuality and reality.

So, if you say street racing games make people racing the streets, you can't claim that ego-shooter games don't make people shot someone else.

anyways, ain't it better that young folks play street races on their pcs instead of actually racing the real streets?

and those who think they have to participate in illegal street races, they do it anyway, no matter if there's a game with an illegal street racing theme or not. (just as I said already: the game represents the scene and not vice versa)

it's just the political correctness overkill that makes people believe that games should set a good example in everything, because they might just influence someone's behaviour.

But, after all, political correctness is for real life and not for fictional/virtual life, so...quote>

No, it's not contradictory.  Murder, rape, and other practices in GTA are so far condemned by our society that it is a rarity to see someone actually go out and practice what they see there.  However, the street racing scene is a different story.  Street racing, as seen in the eyes of young society, is the "cool" thing to do, just like drinking, smoking, etc, etc.  You're comparing apples to oranges here, my friend.

[skyliner22 16]

Originally posted by: GMT yes, it was more fun with the cop chases and stuff, but looking at visual tuning only, nfsu2 was the peak of the seriesquote>

I suppose so but, i felt that Underground's visual tune up was wayy too much especially because you needed all that to get ur reputation up to race in more advanced races. I liked Most Wanted's tune up better it made the cars look like street racers but didn't over do it. I mean some of those bodykits in NFSU2 was really ugly. I liked the door idea though too bad its only for magazine covers.

[GMT 389]

the whole tuning thing was closer to the scene that it is in mw, c and ps, and this is what I hope will be back in the next title (it was not just about the specs but also about the look, something that totally got lost since nfsu2, tho it's one of the major aspects of the tuning scene...)

of course some of the parts were too exaggerated,but that's something that wont happen with licensed parts)

they came to far off the scene with all the high gloss exotic supercars and stuff. it's not the feeling of tuning and street racing anymore, it has become more like a racing with uberexpesive sponsored showcars.

now with evolving D1 its all anew again, yet another different visual and technical style to play around with... let's see what happens.

btw: your avatar is for sale. 40k €

[amal81 3]

NFS PU was great because of not only a vast collection of tunable cars from the Porsche stable but it had a very good nostalgic feeling when driving/handling older 356s and 911s.

One of the very good things in NFSU2 was the music. It had one of the best collection of tracks/artists ever since NFS started putting popular music in their games. We seldom talk about music of an NFS game but it was a major factor in liking me that game.

Secondly it did not have cop chases. I like game without cop chases. If I had an option to turn them off, I would do that in a heart beat.

Thirdly why can't people behind GT and PGR convert their best selling franchise into a PC game?

[GMT 389]

Originally posted by: amal81 NFS PU was great because of not only a vast collection of tunable cars from the Porsche stable but it had a very good nostalgic feeling when driving/handling older 356s and 911s.

One of the very good things in NFSU2 was the music. It had one of the best collection of tracks/artists ever since NFS started putting popular music in their games. We seldom talk about music of an NFS game but it was a major factor in liking me that game.

Secondly it did not have cop chases. I like game without cop chases. If I had an option to turn them off, I would do that in a heart beat.

Thirdly why can't people behind GT and PGR convert their best selling franchise into a PC game?quote>

the soundtrack was one of the better ones, that's true.

The cop chases was kinda annoying, especially in carbon after the races, but then again, a good addition for realism. Illegal races make you face the law: getting busted 3 times and the car is gone. hell, I lost my bestlooking car (at least up to the date it happened) in carbon to the cops. (kinda reminds me of CA laws where you gotta whatch how your car meets the bulldozer if the cops bust you doing streetraces)

as for pc versions... me, personally, I'm no big fan of pc racing games (nfs are the only racing games I own for pc), but you are right, there might be people who'd rather see a pc version of GT... then again, Polyphony is a playstation-only producer as far as I can tell from the game lists, so I don't think they step to the pc anytime soon. Maybe a third-party subdivision of a subdivision of a subdivision converts a GT to pc one day... or the next...

[patriots_1228 51]

hmm...does anyone bother to watch the scene where the half naked lady tells you not to preform the stunts you do ingame in real life?

or does NFS appeal to gay gamers more than I thought?

[JanYpe 17]

Originally posted by: patriots_1228 hmm...does anyone bother to watch the scene where the half naked lady tells you not to preform the stunts you do ingame in real life?

or does NFS appeal to gay gamers more than I thought?quote>

 

She talks?

[Yeah_Right 2]

i have all the NFS games, excluding pro street. I think EA should stick to what they do best. Street racing!

[GMT 389]

Originally posted by: Psycho_Teddy

Originally posted by: GMT

Originally posted by: Psycho_Teddy The problem is not necessarily the existence of the street racing scene itself, but the fact that these games bring such activities into the mainstream. It used to be that events like these were far and few between, but now they are everywhere. Impromptu races are happening everywhere, hell, just take a listen outside your door at about ten at night, you'll hear just about every rice burner in the county screaming down main street. Polyphony and several others have proved that you can make a successful racing game based on legal forms of racing for over a decade. There is no reason that EA can't or shouldn't follow suit. If they failed, then by God, try again.quote>

you're kinda contradictory.

on the one hand you say street racing games are a bunch of bull... and encourage ppl to immitate, but then on the other hand you say games like GTA don't encourage ppl to re-enact what they did in these games.

that ain't consistent at all. either you're on the pro-political correctness side and say we don't need no games that encourage bad/wrong behaviour, or you give a damn about political correctness and see the difference between virtuality and reality.

So, if you say street racing games make people racing the streets, you can't claim that ego-shooter games don't make people shot someone else.

anyways, ain't it better that young folks play street races on their pcs instead of actually racing the real streets?

and those who think they have to participate in illegal street races, they do it anyway, no matter if there's a game with an illegal street racing theme or not. (just as I said already: the game represents the scene and not vice versa)

it's just the political correctness overkill that makes people believe that games should set a good example in everything, because they might just influence someone's behaviour.

But, after all, political correctness is for real life and not for fictional/virtual life, so...quote>

No, it's not contradictory.  Murder, rape, and other practices in GTA are so far condemned by our society that it is a rarity to see someone actually go out and practice what they see there.  However, the street racing scene is a different story.  Street racing, as seen in the eyes of young society, is the "cool" thing to do, just like drinking, smoking, etc, etc.  You're comparing apples to oranges here, my friend.quote>

Whatever.

And yes, it is contradictory. You can't say games have an influence on one's behaviour and then in the same moment say games don't have any influence on one's behaviour, just to fortify your negative opinion on games with streetracing content.

To point out your contradiction: You say streetracing is "cool" (well, I actually think the streetracing is an unfortunate side-effect of the "coolness" of the tuningscene, kinda like the dark side) and therefore games with streetracing content promote such illegal actions. But all this ghetto-gangster bullspit is "cool" aswell (*caugh* HipHop *caugh*), so games like GTA:SA, following your explanation, must promote such an illegal behaviour aswell. But here you say this is wrong.

of course, you can't compare rape (whereever this comes from, I don't know any game with rape content), murder and violence with racing, that's obvious.

Then again, we're talking about a game after all, so if people can't draw a line between real life and games, and feel like re-enacting what they saw in the games, they're poor humanbeings that really need professional help. But this is something you have to look at as a whole an