Criterions Need for Speed in 2010

Publisher EA has confirmed that next year’s iteration of its Need for Speed IP will not be a sequel to either Shift or Nitro but will instead be the still mysterious Criterion developed instalment.

Speaking after EA’s recent financial report, EA Games label president Frank Gibeau confirmed: In recent years, we failed to put adequate resources behind the franchise and, as a result, quality suffered.

Next year’s Need for Speed has been under development now for some time at our award-winning Criterion Studio.”

UK developer Criterion is best known for its tremendously successful Burnout series, the most recent version of which was 2008’s Burnout Paradise.

Another obvious conclusion to draw from this is that the successful sim-heavy next-gen Need for Speed: Shift series will be back with us in 2011, possibly alongside another iteration of the Nitro version that was recently released on Wii and DS.