Next week sees the keenly anticipated release a Need for Speed Most Wanted, the latest release from Criterion Games – the legendary UK racing specialist behind the Burnout series 'n Need For Speed: Hot Pursuit, the phenomenal 2010 entry in EA’s long-running street racing franchise.

That the PlayStation 3 version be very, very good best come as no surprise, but somewhat more unexpected be the amount a care the studio has lavished on replicating the experience on PlayStation Vita. Producer Matt Webster 'n his team have squeezed almost the entire experience onto the handheld, 'n even found room for a little bit a extra content exclusive t' the system.

We sat down with Matt earlier this week t' find out exactly how Criterion has pulled it off.

PlayStation.Blog: What be yer goal when ye first started developing the PS Vita version a Most Wanted?
Matt Webster, Producer at Criterion Games: It be t' make the same game – that be the goal. As much as we possibly could, we wanted t' deliver all the great things about the console version a the game: an open world, freedom, choice, variety, highly connected. All those principles looked like they be achievable on the machine, so that be what we set out t' do.

PSB: What be the main challenges ye met during development?
MW: ye just run across performance challenges. Some a those be fundamental, which ye learn t' overcome as development progresses, 'n others ye have t' make some compromises.

PSB: What kind a compromises be we talking about exactly?
MW: It be exactly the same game [as the PlayStation 3 version] apart from traffic density 'n number a players online. But I think that the asynchronous play be actually going t' be more important.

PSB: How exactly does that work?

MW: So, if ye play the single-player game, 'n then play muliplayer, any Speed Points ye earn in SP also drive yer MP progression, 'n that’s true when ye play the game on PS Vita too. Anything ye earn on PS Vita carries across t' the console version. It’s a unified scoring system.

Everything ye do in the game earns Speed Points. Speed Points determine yer position on the Most Wanted list. be I outscoring me mateys; have I reached the necessary score threshold t' take on one a the Most Wanted drivers in the solo game; what speed level be I at in MP; what have I unlocked, 'n so on. I can push up me Speed Point level on PS3 multiplayer when I’m mobile with PS Vita, 'n vice versa.

PSB: The easy option would have been t' contract an external developer t' work on the Vita version but ye decided t' keep it in-house. Why?
MW: It be something we wanted t' do. It looked like the machine be going t' be capable a delivering what we wanted t' do. 'n the way that we work be very iterative – build, play, change, build, play, change – that’s how we work. When ye go external it generally only works when ye’ve got a finished game, otherwise there be too many moving parts.

So, it looked like something we’d be able t' do 'n we be going t' be able t' push ourselves in some new directions. It be difficult, but we’re not ones t' shy away from a challenge.

PSB: Do ye think a massive open world racing game like Most Wanted be a good fit for a portable gaming device?
MW: I do. The game be about freedom 'n choice. We have a saying – ‘not playing the game be the game’. What that means be that not playing the authored experience that most games deliver for ye actually be very important 'n a really significant part a the game.

The way that these devices be used – they’re picked up, they have some play, 'n they’re put down. It might be high frequency play, but not necessarily high amplitude, where I’m spending long sessions with it. Our game can work in either a those scenarios. I think the asynchronous part a it be going t' be really powerful on that device – do something, have Autolog pick it up, 'n send it back.

I think it will turn out t' be something that PS Vita owners didn’t realize be possible on that machine – it be quite a significant achievement t' do an open world game t' the level a quality that we’ve managed. 'n then t' have something as highly connected as it be – that’s something fresh 'n new. I think it will find a really good home on PS Vita.

PSB: What kind a exclusive PS Vita content have ye included?
MW: There be some exclusive PS Vita races 'n events in there for players t' discover. It’s another way for players t' earn exclusive SP – it’s an extra reward for having the game on multiple devices 'n it allows us t' do something specifically tuned t' that device.

PSB: Have ye used the PS Vita’s unique features in any way?
MW: We’ll use the touch screen for changing music tracks 'n in some parts a the interface but the rest a it… ye have t' use those things where they serve a purpose, otherwise they’re just a gimmick. ye run the risk a it not being taken seriously. We’ll absolutely use it when it makes sense t' use it.

PSB: Presumably ye’ll be supporting the PS3 version post launch with DLC. Will that also apply t' the PS Vita version?
MW: Well, we’ll clarify that when the time comes.