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[Anime-Vix]

Unfortunate news but not surprising. The game debuted at 17 on the UK game charts and went on sale for $50 shortly after launch in stores. The game itself is actually good but you can tell it was rushed out by EA and was not marketed properly.

There has been significant changes at EA's Criterion studio following the departure of five of its longest-serving leaders.
Matt Webster, VP and GM of Criterion, has left the studio. Webster has been with Criterion for over 23 years, and has been working for EA since 1990. He was part of the initial team responsible for the first FIFA game.

Also departing is executive producer Pete Lake, who first joined Criterion back in 1996 as an artist. He leaves alongside senior technical director Andrei Shires, a 16-year Criterion veteran. Head of studio development Alan McDairmant is also moving on after 17 years with EA, while Steve Uphill, head of content, leaves following his latest 10-year stint with the developer. All five have left to "explore new opportunities outside of EA", and comes after the release of Need for Speed Unbound.

https://www.gamesindustry.biz/five-criterion-veterans-depart-after-need-for-speed-unbound-launch

 

[supernova8]

I mean it was unbound to happen

 

[FeralEcho]

I actually think it's the first interesting NFS since Hot Pursuit in 2010 but I'm just waiting for a sale.I hate the terrible texture streaming problem the game has right now,unless they fixed it?

 

[nush]

They've all signed up for a different studio in the new year.

 

[Denton]

From what I played it is the same soulless, physicsless NFS trash as every entry since 2015, so I am not surprised they want to do something else.

 

[Drizzlehell]

The game itself is actually good

 

[wipeout364]

They may have been planning to leave and wanted to wait till launch. Imagine how much people would have blown up the story if they had left before. You can see the headlines

“NFS unbound in trouble as execs depart before launch”.

“ EA pressure causes execs to leave”,

“EA not happy with NFS unbound direction culls senior staff”.

Maybe they just didn’t want that Drama for Criterion’s first big project in a long time.

 

[Patrick S.]

Nah I'm good. The first couple NFS titles are all time greats, and at some point NFS just lost its identity. I don't need woke shit, rep, bank, hipster dudes and dudettes, cringy story and neon shockwaves coming from out of my car. I'll glady play some NFS 1 on the PlayStation though.

 

[Scotty W]

From what I played it is the same soulless, physicsless NFS trash as every entry since 2015, so I am not surprised they want to do something else.

The franchise has been bad since 2004.

 

[Chronicle]

So they made a shitty game and are now jumping ship as if they had nothing to do with it?

 

[Spyxos]

It is already 50% off in Germany. I played it a little bit in ea play trial. And it was surly not for me.

 

[wvnative]

Everyone says this game was good but I don't see it, imo it's worse than any of the ghost games, it doesn't really feel like criterion made it at all. Too few event types, bullshit difficulty, inconsistent visuals/performance, early game economy railroads you, you can't really play at your own pace. Feels like a beta.

Based on unbound I'd have thought these vets were already long gone, maybe they can go make something good independently. Apparently Webster directed heat which i loved if only it had more content.

 

[Agent X]

A few weeks ago, I said this in another thread here:

Although a lot of old Criterion members broke off and formed or joined other studios, I think there are still enough of the original people there that could give proper direction to a new Burnout game (if it were to happen).

Unfortunately, the chances of a new and good Burnout game being made have declined with this news.

 

[//DEVIL//]

EA is shit . Announce a big game 2 months only before it’s release with zero marketing on it. The game also feels abit rushed which means EA wanted this game before Xmas so badly and sacrificed the team and the dev for this .

EA is shit. I am not even worried about the devs as they probably already contacted by MS / Sony and the rest of the industry will gladly have them. Assuming they don’t form and make their own studio . A big fuck you to EA and they deserve it.

Wouldn’t be surprised they shut down the studio next.

 

[Killer8]

Truth. I'm not sure what people see in it. The drifting feels incredibly poor compared to a 2006 game like Ridge Racer 7.

 

[wvnative]

EA is shit . Announce a big game 2 months only before it’s release with zero marketing on it. The game also feels abit rushed which means EA wanted this game before Xmas so badly and sacrificed the team and the dev for this .

EA is shit. I am not even worried about the devs as they probably already contacted by MS / Sony and the rest of the industry will gladly have them. Assuming they don’t form and make their own studio . A big fuck you to EA and they deserve it.

Wouldn’t be surprised they shut down the studio next.

They won't shut down Criterion, the game reviewed well and had largely positive social media buzz, and NFS is a key franchise and they don't have anyone else capable of producing a AAA NFS currently.

 

[Thief1987]

Just make a remake of the first Underground, is this so difficult?

 

[GraveX1]

Truth. I'm not sure what people see in it. The drifting feels incredibly poor compared to a 2006 game like Ridge Racer 7.

This. I keep trying to get into it but the drifting (both methods) just doesn't feel right. I keep going back to Grid Legends and GT7.

 

[Fake]

The game is OK, but OMG is really hard to digest that cringe dialogue.

I not surprised anw, NFS will never get back to their glory days.

 

[RAIDEN1]

Will we ever get a Burnout reboot? Or has it come to the end of the road?

 

[Fake]

So they made a shitty game and are now jumping ship as if they had nothing to do with it?

Modern devs. They never admit their mistakes, always blame the consumers.

 

[Umbasaborne]

Yes its very good, best one of these in years.

 

[PharaoTutAnchAmun]

Does guys from Criterion will built theyr own studio, and then Sony will buy them and then perhaps the new studio will be great again.

 

[rofif]

These studios hire like 500 people.
Of course some people will depart and some will have experience in other games

 

[kruis]

Nah I'm good. The first couple NFS titles are all time greats, and at some point NFS just lost its identity. I don't need woke shit, rep, bank, hipster dudes and dudettes, cringy story and neon shockwaves coming from out of my car. I'll glady play some NFS 1 on the PlayStation though.

I was thinking of buying the new NFS game since I've always liked Criterion games, watched previews and reviews on Youtube and liked what I saw. And then a reviewer said that the whole soundtrack consisted of rap/hiphop tracks. That's when they lost me as a potential customer.

Fuck this shit.

 

[Rocco Schiavone]

Does guys from Criterion will built theyr own studio, and then Sony will buy them and then perhaps the new studio will be great again.

You know Dangerous Driving??

 

[Big Baller]

What happened with the Underground remasters

 

[wipeout364]

You know Dangerous Driving??

Thanks for the reminder I totally forgot about that game and the team behind it. I think I played that game for an hour, did not like.