Need For Speed Undercover: News

Need for Speed Undercover Title Update Released!

Feb 11, 2009 12:00:00 AM

When the game team started working on the patch around Christmas we spent a lot of time talking to the guys on the forums and the fansites to find out what people wanted us to look at the most. The clear message from this was that people thought the frame-rate and difficulty were the key fixes so this is what we focused on.

When he spoke to me last week Scott said that, while patch was mainly focused on improving the frame-rate, his team worked particularly hard to get as many other fixes into it as possible. A great example of this is the new difficulty system for expert gamers. If you've played the game a lot you'll notice that the difficulty level ramps up much earlier than previously making the game much more of a challenge.

For more info and to download the PC Title Update, check out NEEDFORSPEED.COM

Need for Speed Franchise Races Into New Genres

Jan 29, 2009 12:00:00 AM

REDWOOD CITY, Calif. - January 30, 2009 - Fifteen years; more than 40 countries; close to 100 million games sold. Need for Speed^TM has helped to define automotive culture for millions of fans with its embrace of the car lifestyle and its cool rebellious attitude. Today, Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ:ERTS) unveiled the details of what is in store for the franchise over the next 12 months, as the property expands to new platforms, new categories and new media.

Need for Speed is committed to providing unique and customized experiences for all types of racing fans by establishing three independent series; simulation, action and arcade racing. Each series will be developed by a highly-specialized team dedicated to delivering the ultimate racing experiences to car enthusiasts around the world - whether they be interested in adrenaline action, arcade fun or authentic simulation.

"We recognize racing videogame fans are very passionate and unique -- they want customized gameplay experiences. Whether it's more of a realistic driving game with accurate car physics or over-the-top cop chases, we are making different games for different audiences," said Keith Munro, vice president of marketing, Need for Speed. "Each game provides a deep, engaging and rich racing experience. We're giving players the option to choose the best racing title that suits their style of gameplay."

Need for Speed SHIFT - Fall 2009

Shift into high gear! Designed to deliver a true driver's experience that reflects contemporary motorsports, Need for Speed SHIFT is built by racers for racers. Need for Speed SHIFT delivers an authentic and immersive driving experience developed by Slightly Mad Studios in collaboration with executive producer Michael Mann at Black Box and senior vice president Patrick Soderlund at EA Games Europe. Slightly Mad Studios includes developers and designers that worked on the critically acclaimed games GT Legends and GTR 2. Need for Speed SHIFT replicates the true feeling of racing high-end performance cars like never before. Players are thrust into the heart of the action with immersive and exciting features including a stunningly realistic first-person cockpit view camera and an all-new crash mechanic, providing an unrivaled sensation of the speed and feeling of racing a car on the extreme edge of control.

Soderlund is also part of a racing team that recently competed in the 4^th edition of the TOYO TIRES 24H Dubai 2009, the first major race event of the year. His team ranked #5 in the high-profile race. Soderlund and the SHIFT development team are committed to bringing the on-the-track experience to players across the world.

Need for Speed SHIFT will be released on PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment system, Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system, PSP® (PlayStation® Portable) and PC in fall 2009.

Need for Speed NITRO (Working Title) - Fall 2009

Developed by EA Montreal, Need for Speed NITRO for Wii^TM and Nintendo DS^TM will have players of all skill levels hooked from the moment they get into the action, while arcade racing fans will be exhilarated by the deep and challenging gameplay. EA Montreal has already established a strong track record of developing for these platforms and will bring their unique creativity and innovation to the Need for Speed franchise.

Gamers can build up their boost as they drift and drag behind their opponents and use it strategically to change the course of the race, but watch out for the cops! Offering a fresh and unique visual style, the game features a variety of licensed cars which can be fully customized to let the game reflect the player's taste and personality. This evolutionary take on arcade racing, bringing back the best features found in Need for Speed games, comes exclusively to the Nintendo platforms this fall.

Need for Speed World Online - Winter 2009 in North America, (Summer 2009 in Asia)

Co-developed by Black Box and EA Singapore, Need for Speed World Online takes the race into the largest open world in the history of Need for Speed - designed exclusively for the PC. Beginning in Asia, this Play 4 Free action racing game will give Need for Speed fans access to licensed cars, parts and multiple game modes. Players will prove their racing supremacy through the sophisticated online matchmaking features and fully customize their profile and their ride.

EA and Black Box will have more news about the Need for Speed franchise in the months ahead.

For more information on the Need for Speed franchise, please visit: www.needforspeed.com

Download Exclusive T-Mobile Need for Speed Undercover Wallpapers!

Dec 16, 2008 12:00:00 AM

EA brings Need for Speed to life in next summer's biggest drift and time attack racing event

Nov 5, 2008 12:00:00 AM

Las Vegas - November 5, 2008 - Today at the SEMA show in Las Vegas, Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ:ERTS) announced Need for Speed™ Live, a unique festival and competition that celebrates car culture. This first-time event will be open to the public and will be hosted next summer at the world famous Brands Hatch Circuit* located near London, England. The weekend-long experience will be a showcase of entertainment, videogames, music, car shows and displays designed to appeal to fans of racing games, proud owners of hot vehicles, fans of exotic cars and motorsports enthusiasts.

Need for Speed Live will invite some of the world's top drifters and time attack cars from across Europe, North America and Japan to gather in one location to compete in a battle of the continents. Need for Speed Live will also include demonstrations by some of the world's most famous race and exotic cars in a manufacturer time attack exhibition.

"For over 14 years, Need for Speed has been at the forefront of automotive culture and this Live race event brings the spirit of Need for Speed games to life with all of the energy, adrenaline and sexiness that the franchise represents," said Rod Chong, Creative Director for Need for Speed Live." Need for Speed Live will definitely push each driver and their cars to the limit as they contend with dramatic elevation changes and harrowing fourth-gear 100 mph drifts."

Download New Need for Speed Undercover Wallpapers

Oct 7, 2008 12:00:00 AM

PAX 2008 Hands-On: Need for Speed Undercover rollcage edition

Sep 2, 2008 12:00:00 AM

From the depths of the M.C. Escher nightmare of Dead Space we slid into the sweet embrace of a high-octane car. Need for Speed: Undercover knew that it needed to impress people with something besides picture-pretty cars racing along at high speed through city streets, so it wrapped itself inside a glorious steel gaming cage. A gaming cage that looked like something they'd use to teach driver's ed out of in the future. Find out all about this must-have, but can't-buy gaming accessory after the break.

This photo-realistic driving game looks sexy enough when you've got the sleek Maggie Q. featured in your cinematic cutscenes, but if you cram it inside a metal rollcage complete with 5.1 surround sound, the Microsoft driving wheel with the pedals, a custom shifter, and an uber-comfortable racing car seat, then you've created something we covet. Unfortunately, they're a tad too freaking bulky and heavy to slip unnoticed into our geekpacks. This is a bit like showing us Madden NFL 09 in the middle of a football field... of course it makes things look better.

Read More...

1Up First Look Preview

Aug 22, 2008 12:00:00 AM

Need for Speed is no stranger to change. To its credit, Electronic Arts has shuffled and reshuffled the deck virtually every year since the 1994 debut of what would eventually become the world's preeminent action-racing franchise. And it did so again in 2007's Need For Speed: ProStreet, tossing out the underground ambience, the suicidal police chases, and the play-along storyline in favor of a quasi-simulation experience based on sanctioned events and a more subdued, authentic ride. Though we generally liked ProStreet here at 1UP, many critics and fans were harsher.

Given all that, it should come as no shock that the next NFS installment, Need For Speed: Undercover (due to drop this fall), will be a far different animal than its immediate predecessor. We recently had a chance to view an early version and even take a brief turn behind the wheel at EA's Black Box studio in Vancouver, Canada, and we came away thinking this'll be one highly stylized and very big game.

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GameTrailers Interviews Maggie Q

Aug 22, 2008 12:00:00 AM

IGN Hands On

Aug 22, 2008 12:00:00 AM

August 20, 2008 - After EA's Studio Showcase, the press received the red carpet treatment at a swank location in downtown San Francisco. Surrounded by glasses of Champagne and plush couches, EA unveiled Need for Speed Undercover by Black Box Studios.

The Need for Speed series is one of EA's biggest franchises, so it's surprising that there hasn't been any new info since the release of Carbon last year. It was all part of its strategy to go big with the announcement of the latest title. As you'll see in the coming months, presentation is a huge part of Undercover.

The game feels immediately familiar and easy to get a hold of for anyone who has played Need for Speed before. The gameplay hasn't changed drastically; Black Box knows that its fans still want a title that straddles reality and an arcade racer. What was noticeably different was the tuning of the physics; making any maneuvers using the hand-brake feel very natural.

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The Chase is On in Need for Speed Undercover

Aug 20, 2008 12:00:00 AM

Leipzig, Germany - August 20, 2008 - Black Box, a studio of Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ:ERTS), today unveiled new details of Need for Speed^TM Undercover, the intense action racing game scheduled for release worldwide this November. Need for Speed Undercover has players racing through speedways, dodging cops and chasing rivals as they go deep undercover to take down an International crime syndicate. The new game heralds the return of high-intensity police chases and introduces the all-new ‘Heroic Driving Engine' -- a unique technology that generates incredible high-performance moves at 180 miles per hour during breathtaking highway battles.

"Need for Speed Undercover puts you at the center of a big-budget Hollywood movie with all of the drama, action and dazzling chase scenes, right on your gaming console. The unique Heroic Driving Engine will give you ultimate control over the hottest cars and push you to use every ounce of skill to outrun the law and take down criminal adversaries," said Executive Producer Bill Harrison.

A mix of stunning computer graphics and live-action movies will immerse gamers in the rich world of the Tri-City Bay Area. The city's open-world environment features over 80 miles of roads, including an enormous highway system that sets the stage for heart-pounding highway battles. These high-speed, high-stake chase sequences will push players to the limit as they fight off cops and opponents while whipping through traffic at 180 miles per hour.

An intelligent new A.I. mechanic delivers a realistic and high-energy action driving experience. Going back to the franchise's roots, Need for Speed Undercover features more aggressive and intelligent cops whose sole purpose is to take down the player quickly and by any means necessary. Need for Speed Undercover also features the series' signature car customization, real-world damage and realistic driving physics. The game includes some of the hottest licensed cars such as the Audi R8, BMW M6 and Lexus IS-F.

Need for Speed Undercover is being developed by Black Box in Vancouver, B.C., and will be in stores in North America on November 18 and in Europe on November 21.

The game will be available for Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system, PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment system, and Wii^TM as well as the PlayStation®2 computer entertainment system, Nintendo DS^TM, PSP® (PlayStation® Portable) handheld entertainment system, PC and mobile.