After the critical and sales failure of Need For Speed Undercover there were rumors that Electronic Arts was thinking about dumping their long running action-driving game series for good. So it was a bit of a surprise when word came out earlier this year that EA was launching not one but three all new Need For Speed games, two of which would appear for the PC.

One of those games is Need For Speed World Online, designed as a free-to-play online game that will launch in Asia first before coming to the US in late 2009. The Need For Speed web site has some more info about the title vis a chat with the game's producer Scott Henshaw. He reveals that the new game will be an open world enviroment that takes elements from the two fictional cities in two previous games; Need For Speed Most Wanted and Need For Speed Carbon. You can also expect to see the pursuit gameplay modes (in other words being chased by "the man") as well as other co-op and team modes.

A new screenshot showing an early look at the game's user interface was also released on the site. Henshaw states, "Instead of a traditional console view of a game, we're using a user-selectable gadget interface designed specifically for the PC." He added, "A lot of gamers now have more than one monitor so you could keep the game window entirely clean and then have all the gadgets sit in the other monitor." Sounds promising.