Electronic Arts Inc. Need For Speed To Make Internet Connectivity Matter

The new Need for Speed reboot will be an always-online experience







Much to the dismay of fans, Electronic Arts Inc.’s (NASDAQ:EA) Need for Speed reboot will be an always-online game. This spells bad news for fans who live in places where the Internet speed is below average.



Ghost Games, the developer in-charge of Need for Speed’s reboot of the entire series, was always in favor of making it an ultimate online experience, and the move is a key part of the company's vision.

In the most recent issue of Xbox’s Official Magazine, Need for Speed executive producer, Marcus Nilsson, explains how the online experience will be a more reactive one, rather than creating issues for players connected to the game. “We’ve been pretty big with Autolog throughout the years and, as we know, it’s a really powerful feature. This time around we’re going to give it more of a human voice. It will treat your friend’s play as if it is part of the narrative experience."

This is not the first time a racing game would feature a complete online experience. Forza 5 is one such example of a game that looked glamorous visually. But when it came to gaming features, the various connectivity issues led to lags and bad gameplay experience, drawing a lot of negative reviews.

The latest Need for Speed is said to be the most expansive game yet for the entire series. It will also feature an image-sharing system that will automatically do the tasks for the players.


“We also have a new snapshot system as well," Mr. Nilsson said. ”Which is taking pictures of a lot of different moments – [they go] out to the Need for Speed network where people can ‘like’ them, and those likes are being pushed back into the game as currency. So you get progression from sharing your photos. The Xbox One has really good built-in systems to make videos and stream them, which we are also going to use."

The upcoming Need for Speed reboot will launch on Sony Corp.’s (NYSE:SNE) PS4, Microsoft Corporation’s (NASDAQ:MSFT) Xbox One, and Windows PC in November 2015. It will be one of the most customizable and immersive open-world experiences, with a narrative that can keep the players glued to the screen for countless hours. How the always-online experience plays out when the game releases, is yet to be seen.