In EA’s financial results call yesterday, EA let slip some details about its plan for the next year or so, in the process announcing a follow-up to last year’s Need for Speed Shift, and putting back Crysis 2 to next year.
NFS: Shift 2 is planned for the fourth quarter of the fiscal year 2011, which pegs it for a early 2011 release. Whilst there are currently no other details available, Â a former Slightly Mad Studios staff member’s CV that surfaced last month suggests that the sequel is at least being crafted by the original’s developers. The game is expected to come to PC, PS3 and 360.
Crytek’s Crysis 2 also made an appearance in the call, but unfortunately it was with the news that it has slipped into next year, sometime before April. Oddly, it was only a couple of months back that the game was brought forward from the holidays to autumn, but hey, at least we have the multiplayer reveal to look forward to at Gamescom in a couple of weeks.
Amphlett
Crysis 2 brought forward from the holidays? Don’t you mean ‘Christmas’?
freezebug2
Need for speed Shift 1 is a great game and I look forward to this second installment but I am a little puzzled by this. The next game being Hot Pursuit developed by Criterion and not even released yet, and they are going back to an older game for a version 2…strange.
CNWLshadow
I think what they’re doing is having Shift as more of a simulation with events taking place on more traditional race tracks. Hot Pursuit is their more “street racing” open world game with the traditional NFS customisation and police chases.
It makes sense Shift was a good success, and with Criterion working on the new game, then they should have two really strong branches in the series.
Grey_Ghost13
They’ve got two devs working on one each and releasing on alternate years, just like actic’nts did with COD.
Can’t wait for Hot Persuit 2, the first on the PS2 was one of my favs for a long while. And I liked shift and will end up playing both.
cam the man
NFS Shift would have been a great game if it never slowed to a crawl at times. And I can remember a few times when I was going along a straight, on one of the US tracks, the front of the car would shoot upwards for no apparent reason.
BadBoyBoogie
Does seem a bit strange having two NFS games released within 6 months of each other, although admittedly by two different development teams. Not that I’m complaining though as I enjoyed the first Shift and am really looking forward to the Criterion developed Hot Pursuit. :)
JoshHood
I think they can justify it because they are two very different games. I’m really looking forward to Hot Pursuit for example, but Shift does nothing for me.
scavenga
Waaaah, but I was looking forward to Crysis 2 so much, waaaaah! :´[
Dang it all to heck.
skibadee
not happy about this as well was looking forward to it.
cc_star
So are there going to be alternate versions of NfS. One year, the simulation Shift type approach and the next something developed by Criterion.
Kind of makes a mess of the NfS brand, unless this distinction is made clearer. Also, where does this leave Burnout, I was hoping they’d start work on a new one as soon as Hot Pursuit goes ‘gold’
I may be in a minority but I wasn’t particularly impressed by the Crysis 2 showing at E3, it just looked really generic in comparison to other FPS showed at the event, almost like an FPS from 5 years ago with updated graphics.
Zoddi
wasn’t meant that Shift 2 will get an early 2012 release?
For myself i liked Shift but with a second part it’s going down like all others.
BIGAL-1992
And I was looking forward to Crysis. Bought the maximum Edition for it. Now I’ll have to choose between that and Killzone 3.
JoshHood
I still don’t get why Shift wasn’t launched as it’s own brand, rather than under NFS – they don’t have a more sim-racing name.
beeje13
Crysis delayed? YES! now i can buy nfs hot pursuit on release, as well as crysis .
I could do with one or two more delays to be honest, like hawx 2, the first one was delayed till march, maybe this one wil…?
xdarkmagician
If Crysis2 isn’t ready I understand the delay, but why on this earth would a dev/pub delay anything until spring of 11. EA must be hoping games like Gow3, DX3, GR future, KZ3 and the other great to decent shooters get delayed. Crysis2, was a must buy for alot of people that were tired of the generic CoD style fps’s out this fall, including myself, but if I have to choose between DX3 or Crysis2 next spring, Crysis2 will loose.