Black Box Returning For NFS 2011
Hopefully it'll be out right on time.
Published: 15:05, 04/11/2010 by Josh [JoshHood].
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Speaking to Eurogamer, EA’s European vice president Patrick Soderlund – you know, the one with a PSP2 – has revealed that Need for Speed veterans Black Box over in Vancouver will be developing the next big action title in the series for November next year.
Whilst the studio’s last console NFS title was Undercover back in 2008, they have since worked on the follow-ups to Skate, and the PC MMO Need for Speed World, which was released earlier this summer to decidedly average reviews.
In the interview, Soderlund discusses this year’s Criterion-developed title, Hot Pursuit, saying that the developer is “not neccessarily” working exclusively on NFS now: “What happens to Criterion in the future, we’ll see. Obviously they’re a brilliant studio we’re going to put against something that makes sense for EA and them. We’re not ready to talk about exactly what that is at this point.” He does confirm at least that the Burnout series is by no means dead. “The way we look at it is Burnout is an IP EA owns,” he continued. “I hope to see more Burnout games in the future. But it’s about prioritising what we want to do. At this point we haven’t made a decision to whether Burnout does this or that, but it’s not dead for sure, no.”
Soderlund also revealed that the Need for Speed franchise is splitting in two, with the annual “mass-market” arcade game every holiday season, and then entries in the more realistic Shift series “when the market permits and when we feel ready.” Shift 2 is currently pegged for a release early next year.
Also talked about in the interview is the GT5 delay (“I can’t lie, that could potentially be good for us,”) a potential sequel to Mirror’s Edge (“We’re absolutely continuing to support Mirror’s Edge as an IP,”) and teases that due to the company’s new two-year release strategy, any 2011 Medal of Honor game might come from another studio (“I can’t comment. That’s something you’re going to have to wait until we announce whatever information we have on that brand.”) You can read the full interview here.
Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit launches later this month for PS3, 360, PC and Wii, and you can read our recent hands on just here.
Source: Eurogamer
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04/11/2010 at 15:09
Member since: Aug 2009
I thought Black Box did the first Shift?
04/11/2010 at 15:13
Member since: Dec 2009
Nope. Slightly Mad Studios handled the first Shift for EA.
04/11/2010 at 15:20
Member since: Forever
Indeed, SMS are doing Shift 2 as well.
04/11/2010 at 18:49
Member since: Aug 2009
I stand corrected, hmm Undercover was a bit meh??? Have to wait and see what they can do with the new one!
04/11/2010 at 15:16
Member since: May 2010
Can EA please do a true and spiritual successor to Burnout 3 instead of carrying on this carcus of a series?
04/11/2010 at 16:58
Member since: Mar 2010
You mean Criterion? And Paradise was by far the best Burnout game.
04/11/2010 at 19:10
Member since: Apr 2010
This comment is hidden.
04/11/2010 at 20:19
Member since: Nov 2009
The only thing missing was a classic Crash Mode with predefined starts and intersections…
05/11/2010 at 09:25
Member since: May 2010
No…i meant EA and you would probably say paradise as it has more in common with need for speed than need for speed does now :P
04/11/2010 at 15:19
Member since: Jul 2009
Road Rash. Road Rash now! Road Rash forever!
04/11/2010 at 15:51
Member since: Forever
All anybody wants EA to do is a current gen Road Rash and SSX…
04/11/2010 at 15:54
Member since: Jul 2009
ssx yes! or a hd remake of tricky….. bollocks to it, id like just a ps2 version placed on the store
04/11/2010 at 16:04
Member since: Jul 2009
Sadly, Road Rash and SSX sales have been poor over the past few years, whereas mediocre NFS games have sold quite well. Maybe if we buy as many Road Rash and SSX games still on the market the smell of money changing hands will waft up the nose of some EA suit.
04/11/2010 at 15:25
Member since: Oct 2008
no one else see blackbox right on time reference?
great title thingy :)
04/11/2010 at 15:28
Member since: Jun 2009
I got it, but it should really be more along the lines of “riiiiiiggghht onnn timmmmee”! :)
05/11/2010 at 12:43
Member since: Aug 2010
Walk right in walk walk walk right in. Gonna get up gonna get up gonna get up etcetera etcetera….
04/11/2010 at 15:28
Member since: Jun 2009
I thought i read something back earlier this year (or whenever) saying that black box were closing their studios?? Or am i going mental??
04/11/2010 at 15:38
Member since: Forever
Last year they moved from their previous studios to be with EA Canada I think.
04/11/2010 at 15:51
Member since: Jun 2009
Ah, that would explain a lot (as i seem to recall that the info said that either Skate 2 or 3 would be their last game). Thanks Josh! :)
04/11/2010 at 15:35
Member since: Oct 2009
The last black box NFS was undecover, and that was terrible. Hopefully they dont go and ruin shift.
04/11/2010 at 15:50
Member since: Forever
BBS aren’t making Shift2, SMS are
04/11/2010 at 15:45
Member since: Jul 2009
C’mon Criterion make BLACK 2 xD that game was brilliant on PS2 destructible environments – Epic.
04/11/2010 at 15:48
Member since: Forever
Taking a leaf out of Activision CoD book, Criterion and Black Box Studios (think Infinity Ward & Treyarch) will produce alternate alternate entries into the Need For Speed series and they will be arcade-y in style. These are locked down for an annual pre-Christmas releases with no deviation.
Slightly Mad Studios will be making a serious sim-style entry into the NfS series as and when its ready (ie. not locked into a pre-Christmas annual release) this will come under the Shift brand and EA want that to rival GT & Forza (but obviously be multi-platform)
04/11/2010 at 16:26
Member since: Forever
Pretty much, yeah. I’d like to see other studios have a try at NFS though, rather than just Criterion and Black Box. Same with Medal of Honor actually.
04/11/2010 at 19:17
Member since: Apr 2010
This comment is hidden.
04/11/2010 at 15:54
Member since: Dec 2008
Black Box song is “Ride On Time” not “Right On time”, a common mistake. Subheadline FAIL :)
04/11/2010 at 16:27
Member since: Forever
Indeed it is – the lyric is still “right” though ;)
04/11/2010 at 20:52
Member since: Dec 2008
Not if you’re an italian DJ who can’t speak english it’s not.
04/11/2010 at 16:20
Member since: Mar 2010
They better be making Most Wanted 2. Anything else is unaccepatble.