Electronic Entertainment Expo - E3 2009

As everyone’s mind moves from E3 and looks towards the next big games show in Germany we wanted to close off the E3 story with some great news from the judges from the event. As you’ll have seen from all the coverage so far people are pretty impressed with both Nitro and SHIFT but both games had particularly good sessions with the judges.

Need for Speed Nitro was voted Best Racing Game for Wii & DS by the guys at IGN.com where they said: “Nitro didn't have much competition this E3, but rather than taking a "default" spot on our best of E3 it defined the category. Bringing an all new development team, engine, and visual style Nitro is 100% Wii, and it's the start of something great for EA and Nintendo's console. Blazing fast visuals (60 frames per second) mixed with some classic arcade drifting to create a package that's more Burnout than classic NFS. It may be alone in its category, but it would have topped the lot regardless.”

IGN.com were big fans of SHIFT as they crowned it the Best Racing Game for PS3 at E3. In their summary they said: “There was a lot of good competition on the racing front this year, but Need for Speed SHIFT outpaced everything else thanks to its incredible dashboard view. Your vision blurs, kicks and reels with smacks from other cars and the environment, and the engine feedback even while you're racing clean is top-notch. All other racers need to take note at how to handle a realistic driving perspective.”

After E3 the Nielsen group ran a survey to find out which games had impressed people enough for them to become ‘instant buys’ upon their release and both SHIFT and Nitro were in the top ten for the most interesting games at the show beating such games as Beatles Rock Band.

Fresh off a successful E3, Producer Jesse Abney sat down with EA.com to talk about the upcoming Need for Speed SHIFT, shipping this fall on PC, PLAYSTATION 3, PSP, and Xbox 360. Read on to learn more about one of the most ground-breaking entries in the legendary Need for Speed franchise.

Q: What’s the concept behind the game and how did it come about?
A: Need for Speed SHIFT is all about the true driver’s experience. The game 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. Players are rewarded for the way they drive--from moment to moment and from race to race whether you’re online or playing through your career.

Q: How does Need for Speed SHIFT differ from other titles in the franchise?
A: One of the features that Need for Speed SHIFT really delivers is the feeling of being behind the wheel. Yes, first person has been done before in other racing games but not to the level of sophistication that Slightly Mad Studios has created. Need for Speed SHIFT uses real-life forces and several mechanisms to communicate the feeling of actually driving a real race car. The player’s head is affected by G-forces that result from heavy breaking, accelerating and cornering. We’ve also added a depth-of-field effect the shifts the driver’s focus depending whether they are speeding up or slowing down. The subtle details are also very important to reinforce the tension and the emotions of racing. For example, the driver’s grip on the steering wheel changes depending on the situation you are in.

There is also an all-new crash dynamic that is a combination of exciting and disorienting screen effects and audio. When the player hits a static object or opponent car, they should feel somewhat hindered by the experience—I liken it to being shot at or a grenade going off in a modern first-person shooter.

Q: What are some of the premier cars we can expect to see in the game?
A: Need for Speed has a long tradition of featuring some of the world’s top cars. With nearly 70 cars available in Need for Speed SHIFT, there’s a ride to suit every player’s taste and driving style. Some of the premier cars in the game include the Lamborghini Reventón, the Bugatti Veyron, and our hero car, the BMW M3 GT2.

Q: What can you tell us about the hero car?
A: The BMW M3 GT2 is a one-of-a-kind race car that competes in American LeMans Series. Without a doubt this spectacular cover car is one of the fastest, most powerful cars ever to be featured in a Need for Speed game.

Q: What's the one thought/feeling about the game you want people to come away from E3 with?
A: Need for Speed SHIFT is the most intense and immersive racing game ever. From perfectly modeled cockpits to an ultra-realistic physics engine, players will feel every bump as they race around some of the world’s top tracks. Plus, our driver profile system analyzes a player’s driving style to create rivalries, trigger specific challenges and even unlock vehicles and customization options for an even more amazing racing experience.

At E3, Need for Speed SHIFT held a competition to win a brand new BMW M3. Mitchell Francis was the eventual winner but we wanted to show you some highlights of the competition.  Check out our video at NeedforSpeed.com...

While at the Need for Speed Shift NOS Energy Drink VIP party, I had a chance to talk with producer Jesse Abney.

When the Need for Speed Shift team joined forces with NOS Energy Drink, good time were sure to follow.   Highlights of the evening included Need for Speed shift gaming stations, an open bar with Vodka and NOS coctails, and a dance-0ff for a free NOS t-shirt.

We would like to especailly thank the guys from 360Junkies and AnalogHype for coming out.  We also hope that all the winners from NFSDrew's twitter give away had a good time as well.

Jesse has been super busy all day but he took the time out to talk to us about Need for Speed at E3.  Visit NeedforSpeed.com to watch the video.

-John Riciitiello EA's CEO is on the stage 

-The Sims 3 Trailer.  The Sims 3 is in stores tomorrow!

-On Stage: Chip Lange GM of EA's Hasbro Division- Littlest Pet Shop!  Three new adventures to take your pets coming this fall, not to mention all new ---Littlest Pet Shop Online!

-Purchase a Littlest Pet Shop Plush Toy and get a code to activate the pey's online life, connect with friends in a safe online world!

-On Stage: Dyan Williams, Sr. Producer of The Charm Girls Club, for the Wii and NDS.  Four girls on stage to demo Charm Girls Club Pajama Party.

-On Stage: Pat Soderland on the Need for Speed team- Unveiling the all new Driver Profiles in NFS Shift.

-Driver Profiles give players a unique persona based on their performance.

-Brand New BMW M3 will be given away in the E3 booth at the end of the show on Thursday, NFS Shift Tournament will determine the winner.

-On Stage: Drs. Ray Muzyuka and Greg Zeschuk: Dragon Age Origins is going to be deeper, darker and lustier than anything BioWare has ever done before.

 -Will post the trailer here later, check back!  Dragon Age Origins out October 20th.

-On Stage: The Drs. are back.  Mass Effect 2 Trailer.