need-for-speed-shift-2 posts

Electronic Arts announced its latest financial numbers for its quarter that ended on September 30. For that three month period the company brought in $884 million in Non-GAAP net revenue versus $1.147 billion for the same period a year ago. EA recorded a net loss of $201 million for the quarter versus $391 million for the same period a year ago. EA said that non-GAAP earnings of 10 cents a share for the quarter which was above expectations.

EA stuck to its previous guidence for the rest of its fiscal year saying it expects total revenues to be between $3.65 to $3.90 billion for the year that ends on March 31, 2011. The publisher is also sticking to its release schedule for upcoming games with no major changes for its titles for the rest of 2010 and for the first quarter of 2011 which include titles like Dead Space 2, Dragon Age 2, Crysis 2, Darkspore, The Sims Medieval, Bulletstorm, and Need For Speed Shift 2 which EA has yet to reveal any concrete info.

The next Need For Speed game is due out in two week with the release of Need For Speed Hot Pursuit but publisher Electronic Arts already has plans for the next installment of the "arcade" division of its long time racing franchise. In a chat with Eurogamer today, EA's Patrick Soderlund said that the game would be developed by its Canada-based Black Box studio but no other details were announced. Criterion's next project after completing Need For Speed Hoit Pursuit has not yet been announced.

And what about Need For Speed Shift, the racing simulation game that was released in the fall of 2009? Soderlund stated, " ... when the market permits and when we feel ready, we'll come up with Shift versions as well." Need For Speed Shift 2 had been previously announced as coming out in the first quarter of 2011 but there's been no recent updates as to the status of that game.

Electronic Arts is having a love affair with the Need For Speed franchise these days. Later this month the publisher will launch the racing MMO Need For Speed World and in November developer Criterion releases the arcade-themed open world driving game Need For Speed Hot Pursuit. But even more future projects in the franchise could be deep in development.

A LinkedIn profile for a former programmer at developer Slightly Mad Studios, Chris McClure, indicates he word on Need For Speed Shift 2 before leaving the developer earlier this year. Slightly Mad developed the first Shift game which was a more sim-like racing title that was released to solid reviews last fall. Another LinkedIn profile from writer Rees Savidis stated he "helped to develop the fiction and characters for the 2011 instalment in the AAA "Need For Speed" franchise." It's unknown of this is for Shift 2 or yet another future game in the Need For Speed series.

[Via superannuation]