107 replies to this topic

[jaisli]

I can't see this specifically mentioned and thought it might deserve it's own thread.

There are several new Need For Speed Titles on the horizon but the (only) one which interests me is NFS Shift, being developed by Slightly Mad Studios. Several members from the team who developed GT Legends and GTR 2 now work for Slightly Mad, and they insist that Shift will be a real simulation, unlike previous games from this franchise.

As you can see from the screen shots below, they've obviously spent a lot of time developing highly detailed car models with working gauges, real time reflections and impressive lighting. A sneak peak of the title by IGN confirmed a rock steady frame rate with cars that had appropriate weight and noticeable performance differences, even at this early stage. The game also has some novel features including: depth of field shift as the car speeds up, violent camera shaking upon impacts, screen blur after an accident simulating dizziness, and camera angles that move back and forth to simulate G-forces on the driver. Some of these seem rather gimmicky and it will be interesting if these become a largely forgettable idea or something that is quickly emulated by everybody. But considering the people behind it, I have high hopes.

Just like the up coming Super Car Challenge from Eutechnyx, NFS Shift will feature an arcade mode for beginners or casual gamers and a professional mode with more realistic physics modeling for the dedicated sim racer crowd. As this title will be released for the PS3/Xbox360 as well as PC, I guess developers are forced to concede these options to broaden their market share.

Available in September. Video available HERE from Gametrailers.

[MaxScelerate]

Uhuh...

Too beautiful (ie, graph intensive) for the sort of hardware I own so probably won't play it.

But NFS:Porsche Unleashed was quite a great game, advanced the franchise into semi-realistic territory when discarding cars turning on a central axis for a 4-contact-point (wheels) system. Half-assed system, but good enough that the cheap'o plastic wheel I used to play with suddenly became an amazing interface - something I hadn't felt playing, say, gp3.

[Exar Kun]

I was one of the beta testers for GTR, GT Legends and GTR 2 (it's my laps that are in the time trial part of the game) so I really hope these guys are successful with this title.

I assume the Ferrari game bombed somewhere along the line they've been forced to grab a new license to keep moving on. I can't imagine this game will be too much of a sim but as long as there are some decent underlying physics it should be fun. I accept that the grip/power may be exaggerated to appeal to the usual NFS crowds but these guys have enough experience in vehicle dynamics to make something fun.

[jaisli]

Originally posted by Exar Kun
I was one of the beta testers for GTR, GT Legends and GTR 2 (it's my laps that are in the time trial part of the game) so I really hope these guys are successful with this title.

Wow! Well done.

Originally posted by Exar Kun
I assume the Ferrari game bombed somewhere along the line they've been forced to grab a new license to keep moving on

If I remember correctly, the Ferrari based game, "Ferrari Project" was being developed by Blimey Games, which filed for bankruptcy and it's assets were purchased by Slightly Mad Studios. So indeed the engine used for NFS Shift is the engine Blimey had been developing for Ferrari Project. I don't know if that license simply expired in the meantime or defaulted along with Blimey or perhaps even the slow sales of System 3's Ferrari Challenge proved that one marque racing sims are a tough sell. It says a lot that System 3 has all but abandoned Ferrari Challenge (the promised DLC never appeared) and has been working with Eutechnyx on it's successor, Super Car Challenge, due to be released this summer.

You may be right about NFS Shift not being a full sim. Several reviewers who got a sneak peak and tested it were only allowed to try the game in Arcade mode with full assists present. What the vehicle dynamics and physics will turn out to be in professional mode is only guesswork. I have my fingers crossed.

Edited by jaisli, 15 August 2009 - 00:32.

[jaisli]

A new (old) screenshot and two videos. I have to admit, the video appears to make the cars handle in an arcade like fashion but I understand this was played with full assists on so I still have hope...




Game Play with the Zonda on the PS3...

Producer Interview...

[UPRC]

Been a fan of Need for Speed for about thirteen years, but I've grown slightly tired of the series lately. Infusing the series with all that street racing and "coolness" did it for me. I'm glad to see Need for Speed going in a bold new direction, and I hope that this game turns out well.

[AdamB]

I have been a fan of the NFS series, but the last few on the ps3 have been quite a let down. Might have to find a demo of shift first before i go out and bye it.

[BMW_F1]

just for curiosity, do you guys play this with playstation controls or a steering wheel control.. ?
also, does this even feel anything remotely close to driving a real car?

[karlth]

A new (old) screenshot and two videos. I have to admit, the video appears to make the cars handle in an arcade like fashion but I understand this was played with full assists on so I still have hope...

Considering that the tester didn't manage a single turn during that gameplay demo I doubt any conclusions can be deduced from it.

[jaisli]

Well, keep in mind a few things.

1) This game will only be released in September so it's still very much in the Beta phase. I understand a demo will be released at some point, close to the release date.

2) This title will be VERY different from previous titles in the NFS series. It will feature defined tracks rather than free running.

There's a great interview on Kikizo.com which you can read by clicking here. But I'll post certain key points at the bottom as it's a long read.

So no, I haven't actually played this title. I normally play Ferrari Challenge with a little GT5 Prologue and F1:CE thrown in. I use a G25. Personally, I can't imagine how anybody could, or why anybody would want to use the pad to play anything aspiring to be a realistic racing sim. But the reality is, (GT series aside) arcade style racing games outsell pure racing sims by a huge margin and developers are acutely aware of this. The situation is even worse on game consols. So what we see now with NFS:Shift is a almost two games in one. A sim-cade style game in one mode (much like Grid) and a more realistic simulator in professional mode. I suspect this will be a trend for the future as developing the kind of realistic car and track models seen in these shots and allegedly the sort of realistic physics model the game will sport, requires an enormous budget. And EA knows the majority of people who buy it will play in arcade mode.

Kikizo: What's this new engine called, and whose is it?

the guys at Slightly Mad, really it's their engine, they're an external developer and they had a beautiful technology for racing, and they're credited with many members of the GTR and GTR2 franchise.

Kikizo: We've heard this was actually going to be a GTR game released by EA as a GTR game, and then EA felt NFS needed to go into a different direction so it suddenly became a NFS game? Was it developed originally as a different game? Or has that always been the idea?

Well you know, having Slightly Mad Studios on our side and seeing what their tech could do, it certainly just became a really easy win for us, seeing that they had a simulation racing engine, an enthusiasm for that kind of racing... at the time I believe

Kikizo: Again just one last question on this NFS / GTR handover, has taking on the NFS name altered the product? Has there been a trade-off because of the changes to its name?

I guess you just have to abandon the GTR element because what SMS have done is create the next NFS, the only thing I know about what they were doing before was a Ferrari game... but I can offer some answer to that question: SMS have built from their engine and when you have a solid tech platform, all you need is assets because they have their tool pipeline worked out.

Its got a simulation-based physics model which is scaleable, and at one end of the spectrum, is very hardcore non-assisted simulation physics, and at the other end we've been working on SMS to scale back their physics simulator in order to account for that basic NFS fan that loves the experience of car customisation and online competitive racing, but needs a much more controlled physics simulator.

Kikizo: With all of this activity on screen what frame rate are you expecting to achieve?

the render thread's running at 30 frames. Whereas the physics and AI threads are running at a full 120hz,

16 cars on the track fully modelled, fully damaged, fully physically affected

Kikizo: What can we expect in terms of car tuning? Many arcade players can't be bothered with that but some fans are going to thrive on it?

It's something that our fan base really looks forward to, and you get performance tuning in a deeper and far more complex way than we've ever done with NFS, thanks to the enthusiasm of SMS. So not only is their engine pushing times of day but its also pushing weather effects which then affect the surface conditions, requiring that you use a bit more strategy in things like tyres, pressure, aero, down force, suspension and all around general tunes on your car.

Kikizo: You're going to have a wide range of cars, what cars can we expect to see?

this year we have classic era Nissan's and Datsun's and beyond that what we get is many F1 style tracks, so you can expect to see some very exciting announcements. There's functioning pit stops too, and while in today the pits tend to be functional but not really purposeful, you'll certainly see some game modes potentially being announced which take advantage of that element of racing.

[Alan Boiston]

Hey glad you appreciated my Kikizo interview, the game is developing nicely and you can see more on my official site related to automotive gaming, I also had a detailed hands-on a while back, plus a run round the Road America circuit and will be featuring another batch of coverage on the title next week.

In the meantime I can tell you the handling is certainly not arcade based, indeed the early builds handled more like Race Pro, even more realistic than Forza 2 and with exceptional graphics, you can see more of that in my gallery and I'll post the odd update here too of course if you're new to video game racing or the NFS franchise you can see my history of the series here.

Edited by Alan Boiston, 24 June 2009 - 15:34.

[jaisli]

Hi Alan,

Less than 2 months to go now for NFS:Shift. I myself have been a little confused over some of the features. I thought I remembered reading that it will feature private lobbies. But I can't remember where I saw this and I'm going nuts trying to find it. And it seems like the game's self imposed 'rating' system will decide what 'type' of driver you are and put you in the appropriate lobby with like minded drivers. So I'm wondering if private lobbies where never on the table and I was confusing Shift with another title. Or this has since been changed.

Do you remember?

[D82]

NFS series were IMO the best arcade racing games I've played and I'm still playing them. However i have doubts if this one is going to be a good simulation. There are plenty of good racing simulations out in the market, so I would like to play a good arcade game instead of a not-so-good simulation. That's because NFS games were great fun with their straightforward playing style. I for one would prefer the arcade style NFS over simulation.

[jaisli]

Believe me D82, Shift will be NOTHING like any of the previous NFS games. The only thing it shares is the name. And I think that in itself might have been a mistake because people will have certain expectations based on previous titles in the franchise. And if everything I read is true, those expectations will fall wide of the mark.

That said, I want to try shift for myself in professional mode with all assists off before I classify it as a 'sim'.

[D82]

I'm waiting for it. Hope it'll be enjoyable like NFS2, Porsche Unleashed or Most Wanted.

Edited by D82, 23 July 2009 - 13:08.

[jaisli]

Just thought I would give this thread a little bump as NFS:Shift has actually been pushed FORWARD by a week and will now hit the shelves on September 15th!!!

[pingu666]

reading through this thread, im looking forward to it now
hopefully we can play the sim mode with the upgrade options, i did enjoy upgrading the cars

[pingu666]

8)

Edited by pingu666, 18 August 2009 - 21:35.

[jaisli]

New HD video...


YouTube HD video link

Looking Good!

[MaxScelerate]

Porsche Unleashed was (for the time) a good mix of great extravagant arcade racing and an handling that still felt somewhat real, connected. -- If they can manage a present-day equivalent, it might be a great game. From that last preview at least it looks like it could be that, sure doesn't look like a sim, but it still could have sim-like handling.

[jaisli]

With no pit stops, no changing weather, no fuel load variations and no day/dusk/night changes, hard core sim racers will likely scoff at the idea of this being a sim, even if they can get past the NFS name. And FWIW, I have yet to be fully convinced myself. There is always a danger trying to be all things to all people. But I'm still impressed with Ferrari Challenge which doesn't offer pit stops or fuel consumption or tire wear, simply because it does a great job of immersing you into the drivers seat, the physics and FFB are more than credible and the side by side on-line action was exciting, realistic and believable. So I'm hoping for more of the same with NFS:Shift, which should improve upon the physics, variation, visuals and more importantly, properly model tire wear and grip. I think one has to be careful watching replay videos. Just like with Action movies, they are usually target marketed to a certain crowd and ridiculous closing speeds, wild crashes and chaotic action seem to be what impresses and sells to the masses.

[MaxScelerate]

Obviously...

More than fancy crashes, it was the 'passing-the-whole-pack-in-one-straight' bit that left me with that arcade feeling.. Then again, I think I've seen slow-the-pack-so-the-player-could-rejoin algorithm in actions in some good sims over the years, so...

[jaisli]

I have to say, I'm getting quite excited about the release of this game. I had some serious doubts in the beginning. And, well, I still do because there are many unanswered questions about the on-line system. A guy I sometimes race with in Ferrari Challenge recently went to the Cologne GameCon and got to try out Shift and came away duly impressed. He was expecting it to be very arcade like and he found the physics in Pro mode to be quite realistic.

The video below has no sound but it shows a guy driving an MC12 with a G25 at Laguna Seca. A grainy, low quality, YouTube video, originally taken with a hand-held cam of questionable quality, of the game, playing in the background on a monitor is by no means the proper way to judge. BUT, keeping that in mind, I think the visuals are stunning. Aside from the hood of the car and the racing line and HUD, I would be hard pressed to tell this was a video game and not genuine in-car footage. At least seen from this angle under those conditions it really looks THAT good.

Video Here.

[Menace]

Spa

[Alan Boiston]

Yeah its certainly challenging, managed to have a quick go of it and whacked a video on the VVV Gamer facebook page.

[Cenotaph]

I have high hopes for this game. Not exactly an hardcore sim, but if its as fun to drive as gtr evolution im sold! Btw, why didn't they use the current Spa layout? Doesn't seem very logic to recreate an old version of the track.

[Exar Kun]

I have high hopes for this game. Not exactly an hardcore sim, but if its as fun to drive as gtr evolution im sold! Btw, why didn't they use the current Spa layout? Doesn't seem very logic to recreate an old version of the track.

It could be they used all the data they had back from when they made the track for GTR/GTR2. I'm not sure what the deal with ownership would be (as Simbin hold the rights) but they perhaps still held onto the photos/measurements they took back then.

[Pato]

Collision physics SUCK. This video shows a Veyron WALLRIDING at around 0:36!

[HoldenRT]

I'm interested in it as well.

Especially since I am getting a new rig shortly, and will be able to run this maxed out on 1920x1080 (HD) resolution. With a Logi G25 as well.

But after some looking into it, it seems more of the same. Dumbed down, arcadish etc.

The gap is merging between simulations and arcade but it will be a long time before we see a full simulation with the graphics that a title like NFS or Codemasters offers. If I get this game it will be for eye candy only. It won't be for tuning the front bump dampers and trying to gain an extra tenth under braking.

Rfactor with these graphics is my wet dream (probably alot of peoples) but we will be waiting a long time.

[jaisli]

Collision physics SUCK. This video shows a Veyron WALLRIDING at around 0:36!

Yeah--it's pretty ridiculous. But keep in mind:
- during the entire race, the assist lights are flashing like crazy.
- we have no way of knowing what mode this is in--but I would suggest it's in full arcade.
- promo videos like this are a bad way to judge a game.

As HoldenRT points out, hard core sims simply don't sell the same way that arcade style racing games do. It's a pity but it's true. And I think games like Shift are the first of a 'new bread' of racing games that offer arcade style physics and ridiculous things like spider-man mode for the masses, and a professional mode for the more demanding sim racer. I'm not under any illusion that putting Shift into pro-mode will turn it into iRacing. But I'm hoping it will be convincing enough that it's both realistic and enjoyable. So long as the physics model is realistic, the more games can do to immerse you into the feeling and sensation of driving, the better.

You can design and build a hard core sim but the fact of the matter is, nothing is ever going to give you the kind of real life feeling and sensation like actually being in the car. Unless you want to spend a few million EUR on an F1 style simulator. And even that's limited. Just like when talking on the phone, you miss out on a lot of visual queues, even sitting in a nice Visionracer with a big HD TV and 5.1 surround sound in front of you will not allow you to experience the lateral loads, g-forces on your body and many other stimuli that make up part of driving and racing a real car.

So things like the motion blur or over-communicative force feedback, that I once thought were ridiculous and gimmicky, I'm sort of warming up to.

But yeah, driving on the wall is pretty over-the-top.

[Cenotaph]

I think we can argue that GTR Evolution already mixes up Arcade and Simulation very well, even past Simbin games (made by Blimey who are creating Shift) like GTR2 can't be considered hardcore sims, still they are faithful to the sim spirit. I think Shift will have a lot of arcadish feel, but i hope the simulation bit will be at the same level that GTR and Race offer. Not hardcore like what rFactor, LFS, iRacing aim for but with a good balance between fun and realistic driving.

[Lewis]

is there a cars list?

[jaisli]

is there a cars list?

Yup.;)

2006 Aston Martin DBR9
2009 Audi R8 LMS
2008 Audi R8
2008 Audi RS 4
2007 Audi S3
2007 Audi TT 3.2 quattro
2006 Audi S4
BMW M3 E36
BMW M3 E46
BMW M3 E92
2008 BMW 135i Coupé
2009 BMW M3 GT2
2007 BMW Z4 M Coupé
2008 Bugatti Veyron 16.4
2006 Dodge Challenger Concept
2008 Dodge Viper SRT10
Vaughn Gittin Jr’s 2010 Falken Tire Ford Mustang GT
2010 Ford Shelby GT500
2007 Ford Focus ST
2006 Ford GT
2006 Need For Speed Shelby Terlingua
1996 Ford Escort RS Cosworth
2010 Chevrolet Camaro SS
2006 Chevrolet Cobalt SS
2006 Chevrolet Corvette Z06
2006 Honda Civic Si
2000 Honda S2000
2006 Koenigsegg CCX
2008 Lamborghini Gallardo LP560-4
2007 Lamborghini Murciélago LP640
2007 Lamborghini Reventón
2006 Lotus Elise 111R
2007 Lotus Exige S
2005 Maserati MC12 GT1
2008 Mazda MX-5
2006 Mazda RX-8
1995 Mazda RX-7
1994 McLaren F1
2007 Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren 722 Edition
2007 Mercedes-Benz SL65 AMG
2008 Mitsubishi Lancer EVOLUTION
2006 Mitsubishi Lancer EVOLUTION IX MR-edition
2003 Infiniti G35 (V35)
1997 Nissan 200SX (S14)
2009 Nissan 370Z (Z34)
2006 Nissan 350Z (Z33)
2009 Nissan GT-R SpecV (R35)
2008 Nissan GT-R (R35)
2000 Nissan Silvia (S15) spec.R AERO
1999 Nissan Skyline GT-R (R34)
1972 Nissan Skyline 2000GT-R
1992 Nissan 240SX (S13)
2006 Pagani Zonda F
2010 Pagani Zonda R
2008 Porsche 911 GT2
2009 Porsche 911 GT3 RSR
2006 Porsche 911 GT3 RS
2004 Porsche Carrera GT
2007 Porsche Cayman S
2008 Renault Mégane RS
2007 SEAT Leon CUPRA
2006 Subaru Impreza WRX STi
2007 Lexus LF-A Concept
2008 SCION tC
1986 Toyota Corolla GTS (A86)
2008 Volkswagen Scirocco
2006 Volkswagen Golf GTI


Track list:
1. Alpental
2. Autopolis International Racing Course
3. Ambush Canyon
4. Brands Hatch
5. Dakota
6. Ebisu Circuit
7. Glendale
8. Hazyview
9. Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca
10. London
11. Miytomi
12. Nordschleife
13. Road America
14. Rustle Creek
15. Silverstone
16. Circuit de Spa Francorchamps
17. Tokyo
18. Willow Springs


EDIT: YouTube video of a Maserati MC12 at Spa!

Edited by jaisli, 07 September 2009 - 10:09.

[Arrows4Ever]

I can't wait to get my hands on this!!!
See ya on XBOX Live if you want! Tag me: orangeARROWS

Edited by Arrows4Ever, 13 September 2009 - 17:12.

[jaisli]

I can't wait to get my hands on this!!!
See ya on XBOX Live if you want! Tag me: orangeARROWS

I'll be on PSN as of Tuesday night.

[wewantourdarbyback]

Might have to get this, hated the previous NSF games as they seemed repetitive for me and I didn't enjoy the street racing bollocks, but this looks rate up my street.

[jaisli]

Good News!

This is a screen shot from the PC version but I assume the PS3/Xbox360 versions are the same or similar.

So the answer to my burning questions are:

- Private Lobbies? -Yes-
- Select the track? -Yes-
- Select the cars? -Yes-
- Select the distance? -Yes-
- Select the conditions? -Yes-

I don't know what the options are inside the lobby and how race invites work. I assume you can send race invites to those on your friend list. But I don't know if you can 'kick' unruly players from your lobby. Still, if you can make the lobby private to begin with, there's no need. And knowing the above, I'm very happy.

Why EA kept this such a secret is beyond belief. One would think they'd WANT to promote this info. I know a lot of people who were sitting on the fence and didn't pre-order just because they weren't sure of these features and it was something vital to them. But there it is.



I'll be getting my copy today and will post a quick review as soon as I can.

[karlth]

The game is based on the unfinished Ferrari Project which if I remember correctly was developed by the original SimBin guys.

[jaisli]

The game is based on the unfinished Ferrari Project which if I remember correctly was developed by the original SimBin guys.

It would probably be more accurate to say the physics engine is based on that of the unfinished Ferrari Project but otherwise, yes, that's correct. From what I understand the Ferrari License was actually held by 10Tacle, who was not only working with Blimey Studios on this game but also owned a large stake in Blimey. Blimey quickly followed 10Tacle into bankruptcy in late 2008 and most of the key members of Blimey Games resurfaced to form, Slightly Mad Studios. So they had this great physics engine but no car license. And in steps EA.

Time will tell if it was a marketing error to sell this game under the NFS title as it may alienate much of their traditional base who's looking for the next cops and robbers, free roaming story, and possibly turn away potential sim/simcade racers who scoff at the idea of a NFS title being a legitimate hardcore racing game.

[The July Plot]

Ill be picking this up on friday. My gamertag is F1Senna if anyone fancys some online action on Xbox LIVE feel free to add me or post here and ill add you!

[Cenotaph]

Already played it, great fun game, probably best NFS ever, as if that is hard to accomplish.

However, the physics didn't make a very good first impression on me. Not quite up there with the GTR series, im afraid.

[wewantourdarbyback]

as if that is hard to accomplish.

Very true.


However I do have one question, is it more fun to play than Grid?

[UPRC]

Ugh, GRID.

I was actually quite excited for Shift, and I wanted to pick it up for my Playstation 3. Learning that there's no local multiplayer (split screen racing), I was a little bummed out. I love playing racing games with another live human being (who is in the same room as me, not someone who I connect to online).

[jaisli]

I did a review of my initial impressions over on GTPlanet Link here. I'm kind of on the fence myself. And to be honest, I'm kind of leaning toward Supercar Challenge. And I NEVER thought that would be the case.

[Cenotaph]

However I do have one question, is it more fun to play than Grid?

IMO, definitely. I never managed to enjoy even a few seconds on Grid, after playing a few hours on Shift this one is clearly more fun and it grows on you, even if it's not the best example of an accurate sim racer. its not incompetent at physics though, i must make that clear, not at all, but there is some instability in some cars that seems unnatural and it takes time to get the hang of it.

Edited by Cenotaph, 16 September 2009 - 12:57.

[Jackmancer]

I always find the NFS series like fastfood.

Quick, cheap and not really any good.

[zepunishment]

i've been playing it a fair bit and it's probably the best nfs game to date, i'm not too sure about the handling though, too many points where you seem to hit an off camber bit of road causing the car to rail into the barriers... it's a worthy purchase though, fun game.

[GavJam]

Ill be picking this up on friday. My gamertag is F1Senna if anyone fancys some online action on Xbox LIVE feel free to add me or post here and ill add you!

This game has been on my radar for a couple of months and after drooling over those screenshots I'm soooo tempted to pick this up in morn ( especially as on a 4 day weekend, ). If I grab a copy I'll maybe track you down. My tag is GavJam ;)

[jaisli]

I have to say, the more I play Shift, the more I like it. It was actually a bit difficult for me to adjust to the handling model. It's very different. But quite good. You can really feel how it models weight and balance and tire loads. Don't let the crash and bang promo videos fool you. Driving in Pro mode with all assists off is quite challenging but very rewarding. As I wrote in my GTPlanet review, Shift is the heart of a sim, masquerading as an arcade game. Personally, I could do without all the ridiculous in-your-face menus and points gathering that EA probably insisted on. I think it detracts from the game.

I'm afraid in the end, it may not be SIM enough to lure anybody over from iRacing. And not arcade enough to pull anybody from Midnight Club. So EA may have the proverbial red-headed step child sitting in it's lap because, as I feared, they simply tried to give this game too broad an appeal and lost focus.

Last night I played Supercar Challenge and NFS:Shift back to back and they're such an interesting contrast. SCC, totally serious and spartan. Shift, very in your face and full of graphic richness. It's chocolate and jalapeno potato chips: both good in their own way.

I recommend both.

[karlth]

Last night I played Supercar Challenge and NFS:Shift back to back and they're such an interesting contrast. SCC, totally serious and spartan. Shift, very in your face and full of graphic richness. It's chocolate and jalapeno potato chips: both good in their own way.

I recommend both.

Is Supercar Challenge console only?