NFS: Undercover revealed

[McLaren]

http://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/riccitiello-we-were-torturing-vancouver-studio

EA's John Riccitiello says that the company was torturing its Vancouver team with a rigorous 12 month development cycle, but that has now been changed for the better.

At the William Blair & Company's 28th Annual Growth Stock Conference, he indicated that he was pretty disappointed with Need for Speed last year.

"I thought it was an okay game, in terms of gameplay. It's not good. But who wanted Pro Street? It was a sort of made up, put numbers on the side of your car and pretend to drive your Ferrari where? Or your Porsche where?"

This year, the company will be releasing Need For Speed: Undercover - a game with a very strong mission structure that Riccitiello compared to The Transporter.

"For those of you who ever saw movies like The Transporter - it's sort of a cult classic among people with a B-movie mentality, which fits me perfectly.

"I liked it. I apologize. For those of you with no taste, and you liked it too, we can go have a Schlitz after this."

He said that the new title is a much richer proposition with a huge, embedded storyline behind it. Thanks to the strong narrative hook, he feels really good about the title.

Riccitiello noted that the Vancouver Need For Speed team had been working for eight consecutive years on a 12 month development cycle.

"Last summer we added head count and split the team in two, so now there are two teams on a 24 month cycle. And this is sort of their first 16 and-a-half month game...Because we didn't do it far enough ago to give us a full two year dev cycle."

Next year's game will be a full two year development cycle, he said.

"We were torturing a very talented group of people up in Vancouver, which makes it harder to be as innovative every year. So, I think we are going to get better from here.

"I'm confident that Undercover is a much better game than Pro Street, and I expect that from this point forward they will do a lot better."

Credit to BADNED.

 

[DKX]

Can't wait to see if this NFS game will live up to the successful ones i.e the old ones, Underground or Most Wanted

 

[McLaren]

Can't wait to see if this NFS game will live up to the successful ones i.e the old ones, Underground or Most Wanted

I wouldn't consider neither of those titles as the successful old ones. I would more or less consider NFS II, III, or HP2 as the successful old ones.

 

[Turbo Lag]

Every year they say their 'new' NFS game will be alot better than their old one's...but it never exactly happens. It just seems to get worse and worse.

 

[the Interceptor]

I wouldn't consider neither of those titles as the successful old ones. I would more or less consider NFS II, III, or HP2 as the successful old ones.

Thank you! I immediately felt 10 years older when I read DKX's statement!

 

[CyborgGT]

I thought Most Wanted was awesome; far better than the Underground games, at least.

 

[DKX]

Underground is fun for a little while but Most Wanted and the Older ones are fun no matter what

 

[Dave A]

Sounds odd classing Most Wanted as one of the older Need for Speeds, I wouldn't consider anything on the PS2 onwards as one of the older ones when I'm talking about the good old days of NFS, but that's just me.

I think EA needs to get away from this idea of creating a plot, the game doesn't need a plot it needs winding country tracks (looped and/or a-b), police chases, fast cars, decent music and a decent race structure. We don't need to see a cut scene where Don keys the side of your car so you have to beat him in a race for revenge. We just need the classic fun back and the race itself to be good. Too much focus seems to be on a story and script, and I wouldn't mind if the racing was still great and fun, but it's not maybe something to do with focusing on the wrong aspects. Maybe.

 

[McLaren]

Sounds odd classing Most Wanted as one of the older Need for Speeds, I wouldn't consider anything on the PS2 onwards as one of the older ones when I'm talking about the good old days of NFS, but that's just me.

I think EA needs to get away from this idea of creating a plot, the game doesn't need a plot it needs winding country tracks (looped and/or a-b), police chases, fast cars, decent music and a decent race structure. We don't need to see a cut scene where Don keys the side of your car so you have to beat him in a race for revenge. We just need the classic fun back and the race itself to be good. Too much focus seems to be on a story and script, and I wouldn't mind if the racing was still great and fun, but it's not maybe something to do with focusing on the wrong aspects. Maybe.

I agree 100% on the story. The only reason I have some kind of hope for this, is because the EA employee has stated that the story is somewhat like The Transporter story, which thank god, is actually an enjoyable one.

 

[Joey D]

Meh I would rather see a Gumball/Bullrun sort of "story" to the game, at least we'd get the high end super cars back without stupid looking aerokits. I don't know though, I've give every other NFS a try and I always say it's the last one...but I always keep buying them.

 

[breakpoint]

I actually think the story plot is going to work out. If you look at games now they are all ( mostly all) going towards a very well written plot line. Just look at GTA:IV, its story line was a ton better than most of the movies i have seen in a long time. It had everything a great movie should have from character development to plot twists. I am a big fan of the Transporter series ( first one was the best but the Audi and the girl in the second make it very watchable.... ) and i would love to see the NFS series go in a very well written story something like the Transporter type feel and objectives and such. Anything can beat out the last steaming pile they tricked me into purchasing while promising me a ton of lies.

 

[Loon]

Cool, can't wait. I'm never disappointed with these games because the let me do exactly what I want to do, drive cars. That's all I really care about, is driving cars I never would IRL, and have the ability to mod them however I like.

I seriously can't say that after playing any of the NFS games I've set the controller down, or backed away from the computer and said that just sucked.

 

[breakpoint]

I seriously can't say that after playing any of the NFS games I've set the controller down, or backed away from the computer and said that just sucked.

....the underground series

 

[Loon]

....the underground series

Loved it, when I had that(those) game(s) my older brother had just got his own Civic and was doing the whole ricer thing with it. Underground allowed me to do exactly the same thing which meant I was sorta like my big brother, and nothing is cooler than that.

 

[Wolfe]

I kinda like what I hear in terms of "we're sorry, we'll do better," but I won't believe it until I play it. I also like the idea of a plot-driven game as long as the plot is good, and has more of an impact on the game than simply setting the backdrop (like in recent NFS titles).

However, this is exactly what they should be doing:

...winding country tracks (looped and/or a-b), police chases, fast cars, decent music and a decent race structure.

 

[McLaren]

Meh I would rather see a Gumball/Bullrun sort of "story" to the game, at least we'd get the high end super cars back without stupid looking aerokits. I don't know though, I've give every other NFS a try and I always say it's the last one...but I always keep buying them.

I'd love that, actually. 👍

 

[Muzaffar]

EA's John Riccitiello says that the company was torturing its Vancouver team with a rigorous 12 month development cycle, but that has now been changed for the better.

That doesn't take long........

With that being said, I couldn't care less if the game is "better" than the last cause its all the same! EA is ruining the NFS name far enough. Vancouver needs to do what Bungie and Turn 10 (or whoever that company was) and quit their contract with EA. I mean a 1 year development cycle? No wonder their game sucks!

Sounds odd classing Most Wanted as one of the older Need for Speeds, I wouldn't consider anything on the PS2 onwards as one of the older ones when I'm talking about the good old days of NFS, but that's just me.

I think EA needs to get away from this idea of creating a plot, the game doesn't need a plot it needs winding country tracks (looped and/or a-b), police chases, fast cars, decent music and a decent race structure. We don't need to see a cut scene where Don keys the side of your car so you have to beat him in a race for revenge. We just need the classic fun back and the race itself to be good. Too much focus seems to be on a story and script, and I wouldn't mind if the racing was still great and fun, but it's not maybe something to do with focusing on the wrong aspects. Maybe.

👍

But anyways, onto the game. I never watched The Transporter before, and if the game is anything like the movie, its an EPIC FAIL. I don't see why they have to make a story line on a racing game, sure it was fun when they do it in Underground, but this is just getting old. 👎 In the end, I will buy the game just because I can........ (if they release it on the ps2 that is)

 

[breakpoint]

Transporter an epic fail? What? For the amount of money that was spent on that movie to be made it was a blow out. Did you notice that on the Transporter 2 it had allot larger budget? The reason why is because of the success of the first movie. Jason S. has been one of my favorites since i seen lock stock and two smoking barrels. Jason Flemyng did a pretty good job in transporter 2 with the whole russian thing, pretty believable, even looks kind of russian and he is from London. You are the first person i have heard who has said the movie just sucks, it wasn't the best movie but it was good enough to buy IMO. How about the movie crank muz, did you like it? Now if you didn't like crank i just can't help you anymore because you are too far gone That movie was great and it had non stop action. My old boss said it made him sick feeling watching it because the camera never stopped moving...lol.

 

[Muzaffar]

Its not my type of movie I guess.....
But I wasn't really referring to the movie, I was referring more to NFS in general. IF NFS had all those stunt sequence and all the action scene like in The Transporter movie, its really way of in terms of what NFS is going to be. I mean, what if almost half of the game is by all the action cut scenes? Also what if the game has more story line than actually racing? That is why I really doubt what the next game is going to be......

 

[breakpoint]

I think when talking about the game having a story line like Transporter i don't think its meaning doing the stunts and all like in the movie. I took it as having a good fast paced story line. After all its not a stuntman game. SO you wouldn't like to have a deep story to go with the racing? If GTA:IV didn't have such a great story i wouldn't of even finished the game. It would have just been the same ol' run over them, shoot her, pick up a talking shadow and take her to a back alley and...well you get it

 

[Muzaffar]

I think when talking about the game having a story line like Transporter i don't think its meaning doing the stunts and all like in the movie. I took it as having a good fast paced story line. After all its not a stuntman game. SO you wouldn't like to have a deep story to go with the racing? If GTA:IV didn't have such a great story i wouldn't of even finished the game. It would have just been the same ol' run over them, shoot her, pick up a talking shadow and take her to a back alley and...well you get it ;)

Well actually, that was the fun part about the game!
But yeah, if its just the storyline, than I guess it doesn't totally spoil the game. The most important thing about the game is the racing aspect, I wish they don't get too carried away with the storyline and just concentrate more on the car physics and modeling. (The ProStreet physics was just 👎) Just like how the GTA has the combat skills in the game almost perfect, without it it would pretty much suck like Driver 3.

 

[breakpoint]

Well the NFS series has never been too concerned for physics in my book. Thats why i got really excited when reading about pro street coming out because they were talking about the damage modeling and physics and all. I got it the day it came out and thats the same day that EA got a sweet letter from me. I know they prob don't even read them they get so many but it was worth a shot. My wife and I went to hooters a month ago and the service was worst than horrible so when i got home i emailed hooters and gave my receipt number and all and look what i got in the mail, a gift card for hooters for the amount i spent that day! Yay! If you go into hooters with your gf or wife you get crap service, if your not with any females you get wonderful service, she also crapped her way out of any type of tip.

 

[Ardius]

I actually think the story plot is going to work out. If you look at games now they are all ( mostly all) going towards a very well written plot line. Just look at GTA:IV, its story line was a ton better than most of the movies i have seen in a long time. It had everything a great movie should have from character development to plot twists. I am a big fan of the Transporter series ( first one was the best but the Audi and the girl in the second make it very watchable.... ) and i would love to see the NFS series go in a very well written story something like the Transporter type feel and objectives and such. Anything can beat out the last steaming pile they tricked me into purchasing while promising me a ton of lies.

Racing games have so far not worked very well with the "lets make a story plot" theme, they should just not bother, its a pointless waste of time and usually loses focus of what makes racing games actually fun.
Yes, it adds more to other games, but thats because everything has been done to make other game genres new and refreshing, e.g. FPS, RPG or RTS games.

However, driving/racing games have so far not done everything to make it refreshing and we keep getting new racing games with new ideas in them which make it more fun. Adding story plots is not one of these, they usually are pretty rubbish (standard rookie lives the "dream"/beat his rival/whatever) and don't add anything to the experience, I'm not playing TOCA:Race Driver 1 to see what happens to the main character, I just want to drive new race series and cars/tracks.

GTA 4? Thats a free-roaming game with driving as a main gameplay aspect...not a racing game. So a plot is obviously going to work there because you have other elements to the gameplay, so it makes sense and the plot has something to work on rather than "hey, look, race".
I see a connection between GTA4 and The Transporter....but not NFS...perhaps you're thinking of Chase HQ?

Like everyone has said, NFS needs to return what originally made it fun, not trying to "be hip". Plot lines for racing games need to be left till we get someone who can write actual involving plots with race drivers, not the usual up-start to world champion crap, but seeing as we are never going to get that, it should just be left to other game genres.

I got it the day it came out and thats the same day that EA got a sweet letter from me.

Wow, an EA fan? How does it feel to look up to a corporation that destroys the most awesome game developers and ruins their game series? And, then has the cheek to say "oh sorry, we made a mistake, promise it won't happen again".

 

[breakpoint]

Wow, an EA fan? How does it feel to look up to a corporation that destroys the most awesome game developers and ruins their game series? And, then has the cheek to say "oh sorry, we made a mistake, promise it won't happen again".

Obviously you didn't read the entire post to get the sarcasm there...

 

[Moglet]

This sounds interesting, I've always found The Transporter a good film for kicking back and getting brainless to, they really require no thought at all, they're designed to just be full on action films!

As long as they fix the god awful 'handling' that could be found in Pro Street I'll be happy...

 

[homeforsummer]

....the underground series

I quite enjoyed Underground. I only played the first one but to say back then I really did only play racing sims and not arcade games the fact I enjoyed it said a lot to me. To be fair, I only bought it because we'd had an audit at work and the game didn't have a box, so I got it for 20p in a staff sale But still, I really had fun with that game, and it encouraged me to get Most Wanted when that came out - and I enjoyed that too.

The only older NFS I played was Hot Pursuit II, and again that was quite fun but not a patch on Underground and MW. I never bought Carbon or Pro Street because I played demos of both and didn't enjoy them as much as the earlier titles.

As for plots, well MW had a very basic plot (beat this guy, then this guy, then this girl, then this guy etc till you reach the top of the 'blacklist') which neither added nor detracted from the game. If anything it helped a little with giving you a reason to upgrade your car and try and get more exotic cars.

 

[Greycap]

I seriously can't say that after playing any of the NFS games I've set the controller down, or backed away from the computer and said that just sucked.

I can. Just played ProStreet last week and it had the most disconnected feel I've ever experienced in a racing game. Considering that my gaming history includes Ridge Racers and even the Porsche Challenge that says quite a lot. Never again.

To bring NFS to the roots they would have to ditch any attempts to make it realistic and make it fully fun instead. We've already seen that they can't get the realism right, could as well get rid of it altogether.

 

[suzq044]

Cool, can't wait. I'm never disappointed with these games because the let me do exactly what I want to do, drive cars. That's all I really care about, is driving cars I never would IRL, and have the ability to mod them however I like.

I seriously can't say that after playing any of the NFS games I've set the controller down, or backed away from the computer and said that just sucked.

ProStreet. I played it for MAYBE an hour, and haven't picked up the game since.

the cool part about ProStreet was the damage & smoke, correct? - why not apply that to the street-racer appeal that this game originally had?
MostWanted, I still play; Occasionally I'll pick up Underground 1 &/or 2
Carbon tried; but it didnt feel very finished; there was SO much more to MostWanted, comparitively.

My message to EA/NFS would be to try to EVOLVE the product, not just make a brand new one every time you put one out, with the "Need For Speed" franchise attached to it.

 

[breakpoint]

Yeah, i went out and bought it the first day because of how they were talking about the changes they had made it sounded great. I just sold it at gamestop for a whopping 9 dollars. I never sell games to places like that because you get ripped off worst than a pawn shop there. But, i knew i would never play the game again so it got sold for a 4 pint pack of guinness, was a good trade

 

[CAMAROBOY69]

I will just copy and paste the same thing I have been saying for many years about the NFS series.

If any developers are listening....PLEASE PLEASE just re-make Need For Speed: Hot Pursuit 2. Thats all I have been asking for out of the series since the underground conversion. If they truly want to go back to their roots this is the game they need to remake. I dont even care if they just re-make the exact same game. It was the best of the series. Pro street is probably the 2nd best game of the series but its still not like Hot Pursuit 2. The intense police escapes with helicopters, the spin around camera view on each major jump. Those were the days!!