Carbon Come
EA's next Need for Speed is heading out of the city and into nature.
Published: June 22, 2006
E3 is good for plenty of things, like seeing games announcements long before the games themselves are ready, but even in this realm of nebulous introductions and next-to-nothing reveals, EA's Need for Speed Carbon announcement was nothing more than a roaring engine, some swirling fog, and a pair of headlights shining from the dark as part of a short montage of upcoming EA releases. Visiting EA's booth at the show did nothing to clear things up, merely showing the same hi-octane cacophony in their 360 degree video wall.
Finally, though, EA has decided to spill it, offering up the first tidbits on what exactly the game entails. Not surprisingly, details are scant, but at least we'll know when the game is hitting and a pleasant little gem: it's a PlayStation 3 launch title (okay, launch window title, we don't know if it's going to hit day and date).
The November release is good news, though this means the game is hitting just a year after the last game, leading one to wonder what kind of technology is under the hood. We've got it on good advice that EA is finally putting that RenderWare engine they picked up after purchasing Criterion to good use, though the official word hasn't been made on what the game will be running on. If it's true, this'll be the first appearance of RenderWare on the PS3, and given the holy-sheeyite-this-is-running-on-PS2 visuals that were kicked out in the last generation, we're excited indeed.
“We pride ourselves on our ability to reinvent the franchise and continually uncover new and exciting trends in car culture. Canyon Racing is a real test of a driver’s skill and we think it provides a fantastic game play opportunity to lean into,” outlines Larry LaPierre, the game's executive producer.
Yeah, that's right canyon racing. Don't worry, the Underground turn that the series has taken hasn't been completely ditched; the game will start in the city where "you and your crew must race in an all-out war for the city, risking everything to take over your rivals’ neighborhoods one block at a time."
Taking a page from Need for Speed Most Wanted, the eventual attention of the cops will necessitate the move to the bacon-free environs of Carbon Canyon, where hardcore drift races will take over. Along the way, EA is promising "the next generation of customization giving you the power to design and tweak your crew’s cars in every way using the ground-breaking new Autosculpt technology," and while everything that can be trademarked with a goofy name by EA invariably will be, it's still intriguing.
We'll know more as we get closer to the release, and as soon as we can get some fancy-schmancy media of the game, we'll make sure we let you know. Check back early and often to get the poop.
Finally, though, EA has decided to spill it, offering up the first tidbits on what exactly the game entails. Not surprisingly, details are scant, but at least we'll know when the game is hitting and a pleasant little gem: it's a PlayStation 3 launch title (okay, launch window title, we don't know if it's going to hit day and date).
The November release is good news, though this means the game is hitting just a year after the last game, leading one to wonder what kind of technology is under the hood. We've got it on good advice that EA is finally putting that RenderWare engine they picked up after purchasing Criterion to good use, though the official word hasn't been made on what the game will be running on. If it's true, this'll be the first appearance of RenderWare on the PS3, and given the holy-sheeyite-this-is-running-on-PS2 visuals that were kicked out in the last generation, we're excited indeed.
“We pride ourselves on our ability to reinvent the franchise and continually uncover new and exciting trends in car culture. Canyon Racing is a real test of a driver’s skill and we think it provides a fantastic game play opportunity to lean into,” outlines Larry LaPierre, the game's executive producer.
Yeah, that's right canyon racing. Don't worry, the Underground turn that the series has taken hasn't been completely ditched; the game will start in the city where "you and your crew must race in an all-out war for the city, risking everything to take over your rivals’ neighborhoods one block at a time."
Taking a page from Need for Speed Most Wanted, the eventual attention of the cops will necessitate the move to the bacon-free environs of Carbon Canyon, where hardcore drift races will take over. Along the way, EA is promising "the next generation of customization giving you the power to design and tweak your crew’s cars in every way using the ground-breaking new Autosculpt technology," and while everything that can be trademarked with a goofy name by EA invariably will be, it's still intriguing.
We'll know more as we get closer to the release, and as soon as we can get some fancy-schmancy media of the game, we'll make sure we let you know. Check back early and often to get the poop.