EA has had its struggles in the past with launching games a bit too early, but they seem to have learned their lesson in that regard. Coupled with that knowledge is the fact that the company is trying to be more transparent with gamers and the games currently in development at EA. Just look at how open they've been about Star Wars: Battlefront, the next Mass Effect and of course, Criterion's new game.
There has been significant changes at EA's Criterion studio following the departure of five of its longest-serving leaders.
Matt Webster, VP and GM of Criterion, has left the studio. Webster has been with Criterion for over 23 years, and has been working for EA since 1990. He was part of the initial team responsible for the first FIFA game.
Also departing is executive producer Pete Lake, who first joined Criterion back in 1996 as an artist. He leaves alongside senior technical director Andrei Shires, a 16-year Criterion veteran. Head of studio development Alan McDairmant is also moving on after 17 years with EA, while Steve Uphill, head of content, leaves following his latest 10-year stint with the developer. All five have left to "explore new opportunities outside of EA", and comes after the release of Need for Speed Unbound.
MOST of the OG devs left years ago. They are now at Media Molecule or Hello Games.
Burnout hasn't has a game for over a decade we need to get over it. For most of the last 20 years, Criterion has been nothing but a support studio, providing assistance on the crappy driving sections of Battlefield games. They're dead, long gone.
5 or 6 years ago at E3 they announced a new Criterion racing IP but this bellend of a CEO has destroyed the work John Riccitiello did to try and restore what little reputation EA had.
Im not surprised. The game debut at #17 on the UK game charts. It seems the people they let go were long term and senior employees. NFS unbound felt rushed. It a good game here but EA clearly rushed the title out. There was very little marketing and the game itself is lacking features that were in previous games. EA is to blame for this game failure, not Criterion.
The lack of sales could be the whole urban hip-hop, and cartoony characters designs. Two reason why I didn't buy the game.
Same here. Just not my thing. I’ll play it when it gets on EA pass or whatever it’s called.
The way the game looks graphically would be my issue. Weird cel shade look to it. Big eh
Nothing wrong with the theme its Need for Speed after all. Least they tried something different instead of the standard. I think it looked good. Haven't got it yet though, waiting on a price decrease.
The lack of sales could be ASAP Rocky's pending criminal court case and 0 advertising from EA that the game is out lol
Not to mention the NFS brand no longer carries weight.
It's a name that use to mean you were about to experience the next best racing game after the last NFS game blew your mind, and it kept going for over a decade until the wheels fell off and the franchise lost its way (you can thank EA for that one).
Now, if there's even an ounce of enjoyment in a new game, hardly anyone will want to try it because they got burned by one too many mediocre entries.
Someone will come along to fill the void eventually. Bugbear (creators of Wreckfest) would probably make a great fast paced destructive car game like Burnout.
There is a market for what Burnout did.
Need for Speed Unbound has been revealed as a super-stylized racer featuring A$AP Rocky, with a brand-new high-framerate physics engine and 4k 60fps graphics. It will release on PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC in December.
Hope that one feature from heat is in the game, the one where you can get pretty much every vehicle to 400+
Need to see more gameplay. Announcement trailer and release 2 months later is interesting but something is off...
I think they are spending a large amount of money getting celebrity endorsement for some reason that could be how they advertise it.
Yes barely two months between announcement trailer and release date is very rare. Still looks good though so I’m optimistic.
Blaze.
What we have not seen yet is the Hidden Microtransactions .
don't think Payback will be "Only" loot boxes and pay to win game. have a feeling this will be Another Microtransactions, loot box game.
Fallout managed that kind of release however given its EA expect to see large be amounts of copy and paste
Maybe they have confidence in the game, maybe it's a good nfs game for a change. A game without caveats. I choose to be hopeful.
By confidence i mean they know it's good and game will speak for itself.
Let's hope the game speaks for itself. I'm dying to play NFS again, have not played NFS since The Run....what is Appealing for me is you can turn that Cartoony crap off. not all of it but smoke you can I hear .
@Retroman
They hit rockbottom with Payback and Heat was big step in the right direction. Not the greatest game ever, but the closest to a truly good game NFS have been in a while. So that bodes well for a Unbound. Just hope they don't drop the ball, as they've done so many times before.
I wasn't feeling the graphics or style here but I can see how many would like it. Just feel like it's aimed at a younger demo than me a fan from the 90s/ early 2000s who thinks the franchise peaked during the underground era
For me it peaked at Carbon, I’m not saying carbon was the best game from the early 2000s but I did like the story. Overall I thought NFS 2015 was a step in the right direction, Payback was a step backwards and then I enjoyed Heat but it was to easy. I like the look of Unbound, it gives me Underground Vibes but naturally I need to see gameplay to make a final judgment.
@Profchaos
You are right NFS peaked from Highstakes to Hotpursuit 2, Underground, Mostwanted 2005. Started declining with Carbon . Last Ditch try The Run collapse after that.
Not super convinced on the art style but I’ll wait and see a proper gameplay trailer before making my final decision.
They could’ve also just given us a remake of NFSU 🤷
Two development studios will now operate as one working on the future of Need For Speed
No, no, no, no, no... Burnout Paradise was amazing! Just let them make another one of those.
I just want a new Burnout... One with the style and design mythos of Burnout 3, preferably. Hell, I'd settle for a Burnout 3 HD Remaster complete with functioning online play.
Well done EA if this is indeed a change of heart.
Credit where it's due, I have not been a big fan of EA, but I picked Dragon age over AC and Farcry and I think it was a good call.
it's really not a hard thing to figure out, at least from my point of view. You want to make money, we want to play great games. You make great games and we will give you our money.
Just don't give is a big of Sh%£$"t and expect us to hand over cash
Wheres BLACK 2?
Ill believe it when I see it, the next big game launch better have little to no issues......
Good shake it up with a new Burnout. We're LONG overdue for one!