Need For Speed: Hot Pursuit Message Board

The Xbox 360 S-compatible 320GB hard drive is getting a new batch of games, forcing out the formerly bundled-in Lego Star Wars III: The Clone Wars.

As of sometime next month, the additional storage space includes downloadable copies of Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit, Ms. Splosion Man, and Pinball FX 2 with the Sorcerer's Lair DLC. As for the prie, that sticks at $129.99.

#needforspeed While Burnout creators Criterion got a lot of credit for revolutionising racing games with their design for 2007's Paradise, they deserve just as much for the multiplayer stuff that makes 2010's Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit a much better game than a lot of people realise. More »

Need for Speed is now under Criterion's rule.

It's probably not too far out of turn to say that Criterion's rendition of Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit was the best thing to bear the name Need for Speed in several years. It's also probably reasonable to say that if you enjoyed Hot Pursuit, you probably felt some twinge of disappointment with the lackluster effort that was last year's Black Box-developed effort, Need for Speed: The Run. Well, you needn't worry about EA playing developer switch-up any longer, as Criterion has officially taken the reins of the Need for Speed series for itself.

The news comes from a Game Informer interview (via Polygon) with Criterion VP Alex Ward, saying, "Our stamp's going to be in everything you see in Need for Speed and Burnout going forward in the future."

"It's not going to be spread anymore across different companies. Different studios have had a crack at it — it's definitely a Criterion gig now," he said. "Going forward now, with Most Wanted and what we'll do in the future [will have], shall we say, a strong Criterion involvement."

Criterion's upcoming update of NFS: Most Wanted drew a number of raves from critics at E3 this year, including our own Jeff Gerstmann. As for Burnout, there hasn't been any major release in the series since the critically acclaimed, but marginally sold Burnout Paradise. Ward, sadly, didn't say anything to G.I. about a potential Burnout sequel, though to be fair, elements of the Burnout games have been seeping their way into Need for Speed ever since Criterion got its hands on the franchise.

I have no complaints personally about this move, as Criterion has yet to really disappoint me with any driving game they've produced. Of course, now we're left to wonder what the hell Black Box is up to now. Skate 4? Helping with NHL stuff? Nothing at all?

Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit is just one of many EA games with deeply integrated Online Passes.

Whether or not you agree with the industry’s near-universal adoption of Online Pass services or an equivalent attempt to push back on used games, you expect the code to work when you buy new.

That hasn’t been the case for some year-old Electronic Arts games, including Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit, as originally reported by users of the gaming message board NeoGAF.

EA is, thankfully, standing behind those games, and recommends users to contact the company. This statement was sent to me last night:

EA Online Pass codes for first-purchase games do not expire as long as EA’s servers support that product. Customer service is our top priority--anyone encountering a problem redeeming an Online Pass for an EA game should contact EA Customer Support at 866-543-5435 for assistance.

It’s an extra, annoying hoop to jump through for a legitimate purchase, but that’s a separate issue.

A NeoGAF member posited that his new copy of EA's Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit contained an Online Pass that was expired, blocking him from accessing online content -- others on the forum came forward with similar stories, suggesting that EA's disclaimer covers this clause and he was out of luck. Since blocking new-game purchasers from using online content seems like an unproductive move (even) for EA, we asked an EA Advisor for clarification on its Online Pass expiration policy.

EA's Online Pass can indeed expire for some new games, blocking buyers out of online content until they download a new pass or attain one from EA directly, EA confirmed to Joystiq. As a rule, no Online Pass should expire, but a few titles will have a time limit on their use, even for new purchases, EA said. Dragon Age 2, for example, has an Online Pass that expires on March 31, 2012, according to EA's EULA description. Re-downloading or getting a new Pass is free, EA said.

This still seems like a strange extra step for EA to infuse in its new games, and we have contacted EA more directly for further clarification. Until then, maybe you shouldn't wait until the holiday tear the shrinkwrap off that copy of Dead Space 2.

In case you were worried, Burnout isn’t dead. IP owner and publisher of the franchise, EA, has been keen on teasing this fact in the past, but now a smidgen of evidence has emerged to support the existence of a new game in the franchise. The Australian Classification Review Board, a service similar to the US’ ESRB, has rated a brand new Burnout title dubbed “Burnout Crash,” a PG-rated joint set to be published by EA.

And, well, that’s all we know for sure at moment. As for speculation, though, there’s a lot of that out there. On the developer front, it’s been suggested in the past that Criterion, now fresh off the release of Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit, could be resuming its work on the Burnout series with this new title. Criterion is of course the studio behind all the Burnout games, and did an especially good job with the last iteration, Burnout Paradise. And while you’d figure that Criterion would just be slated to work on the next NFS title considering the praise Hot Pursuit has received, it's been strongly suggested by EA’s Partrick Soderlund that Black Box is the next in line to give the NFS series a spin.   

High-speed cop chases not exciting enough for you? Hot Pursuit has three content packs coming your way to spice up your Need for Speed life.

Rev your engines.

After yesterday's discovery of new Achievements arriving in this week's Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit patch -- cheevos that hinted at Lamborghini and Porsche DLC -- EA today issued a press releasing detailing three new DLC packs launching over the next three weeks starting on February 22. And wouldn't you know it, two of the packs happen to be themed after the aforementioned luxury car brands; "Lamborghini Untamed" adds three Lambos and 10 new events, while "Porsche Untamed" brings two Porsches and 10 more new events.

Kicking the tires on the three weeks of DLC is the "Armed and Dangerous" pack, which adds two modes: "Most Wanted", described as "an open-world battle where the cops are out to bust a specific racer while the racers battle to protect them, making full use of the open world, weaponry and demanding team tactics," and "Arms Race," which EA details as "every man for himself as racers use their full arsenal of weaponry on each other in ruthless races to the finish." Armed and Dangerous arrives next week for $7, with Lamborghini Untamed and Porsche Unleashed launching in subsequent weeks at the same price.

As detailed on the Need for Speed Blog, folks interested in snagging the forthcoming DLC will have to download this week's patch (version 1.2) first, which, bizarrely, must be manually downloaded on Xbox 360s (via the Marketplace) since the 257MB patch handily exceeds the console's maximum size for an automatic Title Update. Of course, the PlayStation 3 update is automatically triggered upon startup. We're confused too.

A new DLC pack for Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit will deal with the eternal struggle between Porsche and Lamborghini, it seems. The 1.2 patch for the game reportedly brings with it several new Achievements and Trophies, accidentally discovered by one of Eurogamer's readers -- since then, Xbox 360 Achievements has posted a full list of the new Achievements.

It's pretty compelling evidence. The Achievements list cites specific events geared around the Porsche and Lamborghini. Also, this shouldn't be confused with EA's previous marketing stunt to give users DLC for the game which, it seems, is still ongoing.

We've contacted EA for comment and will let you know what we find out.

Staple franchise reboots sold big in 2010.

EA sent out its earnings for fiscal Q3 2011, which ended December 31 of last year, and it was a good quarter for EA ... 's digital distribution initiatives. Net digital revenue is up $62 million year over year, hitting $195 million, while net "packaged goods" publishing revenue dropped $78 million to $91 million in the quarter. Along with a drop in revenue from games distributed by EA, the publisher's year-over-year take dropped $190 million.

Touting its digital domination, EA claimed to be the "#1 publisher in the Apple App Store for both iPhone and iPad and #1 on Microsoft Windows Phone 7" in the West during the quarter. It also touted large shipments of two of its Q3 retail releases, Medal of Honor and Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit, both of which passed five million units shipped to date.

Halo: Reach
Was it just me or did Reach seem to have the quietest launch of any $200 million seller in history? Franchise fatigue has definitely set in for Halo, but it didn't stop Bungie from delivering its masterpiece. What this game lacks in variation, it makes up for in refinement of one of the all-time great first-person shooters. Reach may be lagging behind Call of Duty -- both Black Ops and Modern Warfare 2 -- in the Xbox Live numbers game, but its campaign is so much more epic. The Covenant are classic video game bad guys, and no one does enemy AI like Bungie. No one.

The Steam savings keep on coming as today's deals offer up another bevy of digital wares on the cheap. There are plenty to choose from, including Left 4 Dead 2 at a very reasonable $6.79, the GTA IV collection (which includes both The Lost and Damned and The Ballad of Gay Tony) for $10, and hefty discounts on Need For Speed: Hot Pursuit, Singularity and Transformers: War for Cybertron. Hit the jump for the full list.

Ain't no such thing as driving calm in this Bugatti.

#specialedition A rarely covered perk of working at a major publisher includes getting some pretty sweet editions of your favorite video games. Take for instance this EA Crew Edition of Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit. More »

We just saw Criterion's creative director Craig Sullivan at the launch for Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit a few weeks ago, and so when he showed up on this weekend's VGAs red carpet, we congratulated him on the game and its addictive Autolog feature. "It's been phenomenal," he agreed. "It does change the way people play. People are playing the same event ten, fifteen, fifty times, and you don't get that in racing games. It's a very big deal for us and we're really glad that people are embracing it and having fun."

The social service doesn't do what most implementations have so far done and share stats out to Twitter or Facebook. Instead, it keeps the sharing inside the game, and Sullivan says that's the way Criterion designed it. "You get information about Need for Speed when you're playing Need for Speed," he says. "That was really key to us." Criterion is also seeing in-game comments used more than expected, though it "usually degenerates into a load of swearing."

As for what's next, Sullivan says DLC is the current focus, though Criterion wouldn't mind making either another Need for Speed or Burnout title, or any other genre for that matter. "We made Black before, and everybody wants us to make Black 2. As long as it's fun and it suits the strengths of the studio, we're interested in making any kind of game. We always joke and say we'll make a game about jelly, or make a game about horses, or tennis or whatever it is. If it fun and it fits with what Criterion stands for, then we'll pretty much make anything."

#pc Not only is Need For Speed: Hot Pursuit's first downloadable content package not coming to the game's PC version, the PC version isn't getting any of the consoles' paid DLC extensions, period, according to the game's studio. More »

Despite some quality arcade racers being released in 2010, the genre has had something of a rough year. Racing fans take heart, though, as it appears that Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit is off to a reasonable start. After the NPD revealed that the game ranked seventh in November's sales figures, GamesIndustry.biz reports that Hot Pursuit managed to sell 417,000 copies last month.

Granted, it's not as high as many of the blockbusters we've seen lately but, after the cruelly low launch numbers seen for Split/Second and Blur, the arcade racing genre needs all the good news it can get.

Three new cars coming next week.

So, you've finally managed to topple the impossibly low track times set by your unlawful friends in Need for Speed Hot Pursuit, learning how to handle the game's fastest, most reckless automobiles along the way. The "Super Sports" DLC pack, due out on December 21 on Xbox 360, and December 22 on PSN, will to add 13 new events and three cars to the game: The Porsche 911 GT2 RS, the GUMPERT Apollo S and the Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Super Sport. We bet they're as difficult to drive as they are to pronounce.

The pack will run you $6.99 USD (560 Microsoft Points), which might seem like a bit much for three new cars and 13 new races. Still, think of the joy you'll get when driving the Bugatti Veyron while playing on the law enforcement team, effectively turning yourself into the world's fanciest cop.

#dlc In case the cars in Criterion Games' Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit weren't fast enough, the Super Sports content pack will be out later this month, adding new events and three ridiculously powerful vehicles to the mix. More »

Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit's dev team has been combing the code of the game for some additional features and bugfixes, and both of those are set to peel out in the title in a patch next week. The patch should lay down an EMP on issues with multi-core CPUs, pop a spike strip on some runaway rain and snow effect issues, and set up a roadblock for a few other crashes and problems, stopping them in their tracks.

One issue that won't get fixed: the obsession born from the game's Autolog feature as you tryto beat your friends' times by just a few more seconds. The developers have decided that it's a personal problem, so you'll have to patch yourself on that one.

Do you like Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit enough to watch a trailer for Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit? If so, that moderate, casual fandom could be rewarded with free DLC.

EA is offering a free three-pack of downloadable cars, including the Bentley Continental Supersports Convertible, the Lamborghini Murcielago LP 650-4 Roadster, and the Dodge Viper SRT10 Convertible Final Edition -- if this latest trailer reaches one million views by December 12. We've embedded it after the break in such a manner as to encourage views. We'll stop short of telling you to Rickroll your friends with it, but if we've accidentally planted the idea in your mind, there's just nothing we can do about that.

[Thanks, Alexander]

Go on set to see how they made the live action Pagani Zonda vs Lamborghini Murcielago trailer.

The hottest way to get a speed fix.

#review Need For Speed: Hot Pursuit promises to return one of the most successful racing video game in history to its roots, delivering an easy to understand, but still deep driving experience to gamers of all kinds... including fans of Mario Kart. More »

Call of Duty: Black Ops sales may have dropped 85 percent in the UK last week, but even with that massive dip its record-breaking debut ensured that Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood would stop at second place. 63,000 copies separated the two.

According to Chart-Track, Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood had the well-deserved, largest debut of the franchise to date. The only other top ten premiere this week came from Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit, which raced into third place.

The remainder of spots in the top five are occupied with games that involve feet. FIFA 11 defends its spot at fourth, as Just Dance continues reaping the benefits of its Faustian deal and its sequel does the Charleston in fifth. Check out the full UK top ten after the break.

A portion of a Nintendo Life review… Need For Speed: Hot Pursuit on Wii is a very poor excuse for a racer that feels like a slap in the face compared to its PS3/Xbox 360 cousin. Taking the game in a different direction is fine, but not a single thing here feels as if it was [...]

Amazon has been offering downloads of casual games since last year, but has announced a new initiative today that will see its digital distribution offerings expanded. Now Amazon shoppers can purchase "more than 300 blockbuster titles" from EA, Ubisoft, Atari and Sega and to celebrate this new partnership, Amazon is offering deals on select titles from now through Thanksgiving -- including 33 percent savings on certain EA games now through Sunday, as well as 50 percent off more than 50 different core titles.

If you're hungry for more gaming deals, be sure to check out our Black Friday deal coverage here.

[Thanks, brokeotaku]