When we started the Speedhunters project in April 2008 we really couldn’t have anticipated the success and influence that it was going to be. We’re continually both humbled and astounded by the love coming our way from all corners of the globe. At the same time, we’re now fully plugged in to automotive scenes around the world and have a far greater understanding of what you the Speedhunters audience like and dislike. Creating content for this website has almost forced us to be come experts in the field of auto style.
So with this in mind, we’ve also been hard at work behind the scenes, back at home base, putting pressure on the Need for Speed game producers at EA to get in step with the hottest car styles on the planet. Thankfully, the producers seem to be quite happy to listen to us and recently invited the Speedhunters team to design two limited edition cars for the prerelease of their new massive multiplayer online PC racing game: Need for Speed World.
This opened the door for the Speedhunters to spend a few days sitting with the Vancouver based Blackbox car modeling team to design and detail an AE86 and S15 the way we know they should be done.
These two cars have existed in many racing games previously, but never has anyone been able to get the details just so. In most other games you just can’t slam them enough, dial up the offset and max out the wheel fitment to match the car style we love to feature on Speedhunters.
But with the creation of these two Speedhunters Edition cars for Need for Speed World, we’ve been able to fiddle with the wheel fitment, tire stretch, offset and ride height to our hearts content, resulting in two machines which I’m sure you’ll agree have correct style.
This particular body-kit for the AE86 was first seen in NFS Shift, but we’ve also bolted on a set of overfenders for added toughness. You can also make out the Illest and Fatlace stickers on the rear of the car too!
We went for a set of deep offset Work Equip 03s all the way around and slammed the car right to the ground to get some proper stance going. Tire stretch, wheel fitment and offset are all custom.
Hopefully some of the zillions of kids who play this new MMO racing game this summer will be inspired by the low and mean style of this S15.
Now I don’t want to hear about how this new game compares to your love of competing Sony and Microsoft racing products. The focus of this Need for Speed World is not any kind of hardcore similation like the NFS Shift game series, but instead is pure arcade online fun inside the largest free roam racing world ever created.
The game will run on everything from netbooks to gaming PCs and is meant to bring together thousands upon thousands of players into an amazing Massive Multiplayer virtual racing universe.
And a select few will be able to drive these two low slung Speedhunters Edition cars.
The Speedhunters Edition S15 is a free bonus for those who pre-order the Need for Speed World Starter Pack from Direct2Drive.
The Speedhunters Edition AE86 comes as a exclusive bonus preset car for those who pre-order the game starter pack from the US and UK EA Online Stores.
The main game client will be free BTW so you can try out NFS World MMO racing universe for yourself. The free client gives gamers a taste of the action with access to all races, pursuits and career progression up to level 10.
We are planning to work with the various NFS game production teams around the world to design more cool Speedhunters Edition cars inside future Need for Speed games, so if you like this direction please leave a comment!
BTW we’d also love to hear from you what model and style of Speedhunters Edition cars you want to see created next, both for the action driving games like Need for Speed Online and the track based sim racers like Shift. You want more Japanese classics? VIP style? Hella Flush? Wangan? Shakotan? Euro? VWs? Track Style? Please let us know!
Thanks to Andy Blackmore for his help designing these cars, Carl Jarrett for the screen shots, and Frankie Yip/Alex Tse for their modeling skills. I also need to shout out to the NFS World Marketing and Production crews (bigups John, Jesse and Adam!) for helping to develop and support this new program!
More to come… now let me know what you want to see next!
:Rod
OFFICIAL SPEEDHUNTERS SUPPLIERS
Hmmm ive been wandering if im going to liek this game or not though...Will there be Hondas in this one? I would realy like to see a good fleet of hondas this time around. I know thats a little stupid to be asking so far but The car list seems to be the defining factor if I buy this game or not... As for the shots.. DOPE! Looks sweet. I think it would be cool to see some touge cars like EG'S and S13'S or some sick track GT looking cars and such =D
japanese classics!!!!!! hakosokus and ken&marys please!!!
Sounds like a watered down version of Test Drive Unlimited 2 to me,
and there goes the hellaflush/fatlace fad
it is officially lame now. thanks NFS.
Interesting.. If I could have an old school Mitsubishi Debonair or a Century.. maybe a 250 President
if you guys did a onevia that would be awesome. no one has ever done one for a video game it's always the hatch or silvia s13
It's good to see customized cars in NFS that don't look like UFOs - like those horrible body kit designs from their previous customizable platforms. I used to put all my cars back to stock in Underground after I beat the game cause they were so ugly. Was the same for Most Wanted as well.
And yes, I want more! More iconic car models, I want it all!
Cars look dope for a video game, with strong "drift" styling cues. I dont know about that S15 with a Fatlace sticker and "hella" wheel gap in the rear.. I If I play a game, it's to drift a bit. Just implement the iconic and common platforms from the mentioned genre's and provide users the option to customize the cars in any of those styles. Throw in popular wheel and aero manufacturers, and get the fitment right, (D-Max, Bn Sports, Vertex, 326Power, Volk, Kranze/Weds Advan, BBS, Work, etcc.). Add some rare courses too. Nikko, Bihoku, YZ Circuit, Ebisu.. I'm tired of games emphasizing the inclusion of "the Ring", or Spa. Fix the physics too. I threw up in my mouth when I played shift.
Now you should make it possible to zip tie breaking apart body parts, customize more the interior and exterior and thats probably it for now )
Honestly, as much as I want to remain positive, that's not a correct style at all. But I appreciate you guys trying to gain as much feedback as possible from the fans. Please do a street/track style car. Say for example, an S2000 inspired by the Amuse touge monster or ASM car no. 1.
productiveness!
I can't believe anyone could consider a game with a broken physics engine a "Hardcore" racing game
VW
Sorry, but Need for Speed died after "Need for Speed: High Stakes"
Please Need for Speed, return to your roots.
I still find myself going back to the underground 2's pretty reasonably arcade drift mode. I think they nailed the balance between arcade and simulation in drifting there. There are still plenty of people drifting online in gt5, forza3, even gta4! Lets hope the physics allows drifting.
Japanese sedans from the mid 80s to mid 90s, but ones that haven't been seen in games much. Sorta like MX73/MX83 Cressidas and Laurels. Cars along those lines
please please please please please include an AW11 MR2 somewhere in the game!
I dont know how other people feel but I think the greatest game in the world would be a game where you can race on the streets like this but for god sake have a mode where the driving physics are realistic how hard could that be
Guys, we would like to see you working more with Kazunori Yamauchi on Gran Tursimo 5 DLC for example.
yeah NFS shift a hardcore sim LOL!!!!
It will be really hard to create a bigger free-roam world then TDU2 is now creating with Ibiza and Oa'hu.
But nonetheless I think I iwll be trying this NFS out again but I will have my doubt because I have been dissapointed WAY to many times now.
I am an ex-Blackbox Artist and it is awesome you are finally getting this. With past games, schedules and timings killed off any plans to have new kits and parts for the car team year after year after year. It was so frustrating. Kudos to AndyB, Carl and Rod and Production for this change. I assume this is one benefit to having a team work on alternating projects.
Does Stiggy realize this is a Need for Speed site LOL! Don't forget ModNation Racers is now available!!!
LOL - it kinda looks like my car
but with different colour and weaker stance. haha.
http://www.ziptied.com/Coppermine/albums/userpics/11067/IMG_1906.JPG
Aren't the burnout people doing an NFS game?
i would like to see more vip/4 door drift cars like toyota chaser done both in vip/ drift ....
now i dont mean to compare but that s15 is reminiscent of the late kaido battle game http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xbZ80b_cBb4
but of course NFS does a better job in the in game graphics....
I think you guys should do a DLC for NFS Shift, maybe with an Evo IX or an R34
gotta make a dope jza80!
S15's exhausts are too small
I'd love to drive a RAUH WELT BEGRIFF neun-elfer!!!
this might be a repost but it's not showing up on my computer so i'll post again. if you guys did a onevia special edition car that would be awesome since noone has ever had a onevia in a video game to my knowledge (type X front aero looks great on them IMHO)
The cars are crazy!i would like to see hellaflush,vip style,n vw style
Forza 2's VS KF's looked exactly like it does in real life but these are beat.
other than that, the game looks great i guess. heres to actually good handling
CONGRATULATIONS
I love watching NFS chase all the new trends every year.
>GUYS F+F JUST CAME OUT WE NEED BODYKITS
>OH NO THATS RICE NOW WE NEED LEGAL STUFF AGAIN
>NO WAIT NVM WE NEED DORIFTO
>NOOOO WE NEED REAL TRACKS LIKE TIME ATTACK
>NO WAIT WE NEED STANCE NAO GUIZE
@Vashsash: stop being such a fanboy
for a future NFS game would the possibility of total customization (off set, ride height, camber, maybe even giving like an option to have damage zip-tie fixed, and add over fenders as an option with body kits) be in the cards?
I've never seen Bosozoku cars in a game before, so perhaps you could get us some 4ft spoliers, 6ft star shaped exhausts, ma-hoo-sive bodykits and exterior oil coolers. Now that would be cool. (And a good laugh too.)
Try doin a TRUE Shakotan Celica/Hakosuka
All,yeah , everybody who writes FIRST, SECOND and so on suck )
Please include 4-doors in the game(s)!!
As many X-chassis generations as possible, along with sedans of other popular makes in the JDM Drift/VIP realms.
Very cool. I have always hated the stereotyped street racing games where you bolt on some lame turbo and boring body kits. Hopefully, this will encourage game devs to include total customization.
Very nice set up in the last pic. Wallpaper perhaps?
Love it!!! one thing i can't stand is the limited body kits and "drift style" elements to the NFS series
future cars would have to be all generation of silvia's. with a variety of REAL bodykits! some old school cars. Have a game that starts in the 80's with hakosuka's and S30Zs / ae86s and progresses to the R35's and S15's, JZX110s show the roots of the import world! and return to the roots.. I would love to drive a sweet lambo and be chased by the police.. + physics sucked on all the games. you need to be able to play it with a hand controller and not a super expensive steering wheel / pedal setup. and if you set your car up a certain way it acts the same in all modes of gameplay.
I ordered this 2 days ago just so I could have that Silvia.
Yessssssss! Try to get the NFS guys to put in some features to slam the crap out of cars, mess with offsets, A LOT OF BODY KITS & WHEELS! Everyone wants to create their dream car in a game! Try to get a Soarer/SC in there as well
Thanks for putting in the time to make these beautiful cars!
MMO Drift trains! i can't wait!
Yes i love this direction!!!
I would like to see more hellaflush and slammed japanese classics!
e.g. cars that look like these:
a)phaze 2 honda civic
b)swang & bang 350zs
c)slammed miatas
d)slammed hakosukas with overfenders etc
sorry for double posting...
it would also be super nice to include rx7 fc, nissan 240z, bmw m3 e30!
also making this game for Mac would be sweet too
I want some crazy bosozuku style)))
I was already about to buy the pack, but after reading this, i`m sure of it. Love both cars, i can see speedhunters touch there!
All I'm gonna say is that I'm crazy about small, deep wheels and really stretched tires.
Gran ted that "responding to feedback" is good, however...
Tur gid replications like this will inspire nobody.
Is massive fender gap and bubble tyres what you've gleaned from this site?
Mo st fan-made content looks cooler.
Is this the best a game can look?
Better stick to the real thing, I think.
Will it be anything like forza 3?
that will be a hard game to top.
with a great car list and the drive-train/aspiration and engine conversions
Great cars I like them both. Especially love the deleted wing on the S15. So many times I've played racing games and wished I could just remove the spoiler instead of changing it.
We need no we DEMAND old sckool JDM TE72 TE72 TE72 motor fix style wagons!!!!!!!!!!
Love them both, great work, more needed!
Any plans for NFS:World going to console format........PS3?? PLEASE
Japanese classics! Cressida/Cresta,Laurel,Cedric, maybe NanaMaru Corolla...
Cars like VW everybody can see on the streets.
thats awsome need for speed should create a game to wich we can customize cars to that level and detail and even motor swaps and ext. and should maybe put the fox body mustang in the next game too and the s14!
daamn, the s15 should have big ass overfenders and mad-mike spec wheel fitment.
@ "that guy"... actually, Tokyo Extreme Racer: Drift 2 (PS2) had the Onevia, although it was rare to find and get. Are you sure GT4 never had it? they had the sileighty, but maybe that body-conversion love never transfered to the onevia (which is basically just a hardtop version of the 240sx convertible).
We love you speedhunters!:D
Slammed BMW's !
As a man who played every NFS game since the first one and who especially loves the fifth one (NFS: Porsche Unleashed), I would really like to see some Rauh Welt styling Porsche. Preferably in some sim-oriented installment of this franchise in the future (not arcade, but more like Shift). And something like wangan "Black Bird" for this World Online. After all, you DO have long speedy highways in this game, right?
include oldschool wheels like deep dish BBS RS and raugh welt' porsches
Man, at times i hate i had to quit working on my NFS fansite.
Been to Blackbox a couple times durring the NFS ProStreet times, awesome guys there.
Nice work on those rides!
Greets rob
(Former webmaster http://www.nd4spdworld.com)
Another EA game that will last for a month or two? I hope this game will last more than a year.
well, cars aint a problem, all we need in "Simulator" is a realistic phisyc, but i dont mean a game with many phisycs like one for grip other for drift other for race ... we need a REAL phisyc and the possibility to tune the cars the way u want ... to drift, to grip, to race .... NFS is a shame. Im sure EA have all the tools and money to make a INSANE simulator, they just dont want it, cuz HARD ( for all the kids that buy NFS ) games dont sell much.
oh yeah and more old school 80's and 90's cars that would also be awsome!
ok, zipties would be OFF THE CHAIN. and as much as i hate them, i have to agree, more hondas. also some classic mazda's like the az and the SA22 RX7/\. as for the next speedhunters edition...a full-out vip LEXUS LS430!!!!!! that would be too sick. (btw all the silvia models should be added in from the s12 to the s15 and some s30 Z's. sick.)
This is immensely disappointing.
Not the inclusion of a style that we (well, most of us) can understand, but just the massive potential a game like this has.
Why is that disappointing you ask? Because true to form, NFS will fuck it up. Mark my words. They talk about realistic physics now, but seriously, play LFS2, Rfactor, etc, and then go and play NFS shift and you'll realise what a terrible game it truly is.
Please NFS, stop purely targeting the casual gamer
What I've really been hanging out for all these years, is a proper drift game. Real drift cars, [like true jdm cars, JZX's, 32 4 doors, claasic J-tin] Real drift places, [Ebisu, touge runs, industrial areas, and free roams] and Real modding, just like offset, stance, tuning, S-chassis face swapping,. thats what i want too see.
i almost forgot!!!! we should be able to see the engine wen we customize it, just like in underground and paint it too!!!! a metallic flake engine bay would be sick!!! also throw in some real-life cars as bonus cars, like the Goldmember S13, and JR's mustang!!!!
Japanese stuff all the way!! Drift style, track, u name it! :)))
This is wonderful news and hopefully, EA games will take Speedhunters website as "Styling Bible" and ugly, pointless bodykit designs will be regarded as sins from now on:)))
Now, since Speedhunters and NFS is going this way, you know what would be the best thing ever, Rod?
A fully fledged Speedhunters NFS game series! Just think about it... All that we love here on Speedhunters to be the essence of a NFS game series.
I'm thinkin'... The first releases of the series could be a mix of all the styles we love here on Speedhunters and the next ones, special themes like "NFS Underground"; "Most Wanted" and so on... For the Speedhunters series, you would have "NFS Speedhunters Japan"; "Drift"; "Wangan" you get the ideea....
I doubt that this would ever happen... anyways... it's an ideea...
If this is would be the direction that EA Games and NFS is going for, I say that they are on a true path to success and redemption!
Thank you again Speedhunters and keep up the awesome work!
Respect !!
Damn... That's a lot of comments.
Translating realistic video game physics!?!? That is obviously the most difficult element to translate through to a video game. We end up adjusting the best we can with the provided simulators. The simulation being static across all disciplines based on the detailed tuning setup adjustments would be a best seller like never before seen. If I change from Time Attack to Drift (in a tuning mode where the car can be driven) I may realize the car needs a little adjusting here and there. Press pause, make my detailed adjustments without exiting the current session, unpause, and test.
Im with the rest of the guys. Body kits, over fenders, wingless option, wheels, wheel fitment in fine detail, cool pre-made livery's (and I mean cool!), detailed interior options, and carbon fiber parts options.
I do have additional suggestions. Add a fabrication option to the modifications menu. Give the ability to cut, torch (or whatever) anything anywhere inside or out of the vehicle in any diameter or shape.
Put in your roll cage bar-by-bar to get the look and design you think is cool based on pre-made sections and be able to paint it any color and choose padding.
I could make this long. You get the idea. Fine detail options, sick visual and performance upgrades, vehicle tuning in a driving test mode with a menu to make changes without leaving, and a fabrication section.
Working with manufacturers of consoles, pc's, and the mac wouldn't hurt either. Improving the controller and its ability to translate the little joystick movements to the vehicle would help.
I LOVE SPEEDHUNTERS.COM! It's the best automotive blog, for me, on the planet.
Peace out.
First off, let me just say that I am a big fan of the franchise and have bought the last 5 installments. This new game sounds great but please don't forget the console playing world. Also, if you do put it out for consoles, please make it for both PS3 and Xbox. Now as for feedback/ideas:
- You guys already have your niche, that "those other franchises from the competition", do not. NFS games (to me at least) have always been about two things: customization and good old arcade fun. Don't try to beat the other franchises trying to make a hard core, realistic sim. It takes a ton of R&D and not even they have it down perfect (although they're getting there). What I always loved about NFS is the kinda cool/kinda cheesy plots, the police chases and the awesome looking rides. Keep that. Also, allow for (near) infinite customization of the cars. My personal advice, instead of trying to do GT/Forza, go the GTA way, only car centered, and allow for very, very deep customization
- Tire stretch, drop, camber, etc are definitely welcome, but please also reach some agreements with the body kit manufacturers and expand on the wheel options
- Old school JDM would be cool (Kenmeris, Celicas, etc) but also some VIP style sedans, both old and new. Euro cars: old and new bimmers, mercs
- I second the engine swap comment. Both within the family and "heretical" ones
- Keep the American muscle. Expand it. Put in some rarer ones, likeAMC, Olds and Mercs, Allow for some pro-touring, gasser or pro-stock stances. Also, maybe include some hot rod/rat rod options.
Sorry for the long comment.
Corporate giants ruining trends/games since the age of dawn.
Its great that you guys are trying sooo hard to get with the current trends, but to no avail, you really havent created a game that stuck.
Quick pointers to you so called 'developers'
1. Take time when developing your games...i threw away my copy of NFS:Shift when i realized some of the 4th tiered cars didnt DRIVE at all. Simpler.. DIDNT GO FORWARD.
2. Work on your physics/game engine. Function over form. No matter how much you polish poo, its still poo., yada yada. Sure you could stick label on it and call it an arcade game. But you should at least have a decent gaming engine and have cars that are steerable.
3. Learn from others. Im pretty sure EA have a bank account big enough to buy my pet dog a Lamborghini and a developing team big enough to fit in a really big room.. :/ But, whether it may be the lack of skills or limitations within the system theyre working with might prevent you from creating a great gaming engine.. How is it possible that a group of 4 English/Irish(?) men, create a marvelous racing simulator called LFS. Played by millions loved by lots more.
Yeah, dont even bother pointing out the fact that ive compared NFS to a racing simulator. Its obvious that your target market dont what a crappy arcadey handling system anymore. I wont even bother with that arguement, when there are much more serious problems with the foundation of your previous game. i.e. certain bugging issues.. precedent tells me that i would expect the same thing with this edition of NFS.
Regards,
AngryAnon
I would love to see some: Toyota celsior, Chasers you know the VIP/Drift style. Cars that you dont normaly see in vid games.
Forza for LIFE!!!
I've got the beta for this game. Don't hold your breath.....
Put some 180sx pleaseee!
if you include the ef,eg,ek civics and da,dc2 integras and preludes, i will play this game. i love the idea by the way, ive always wanted to setup cars and mess with the fitiment and stuff. i hope its good
i also just want REAL physics and not that stuff like it is in nfs shift.
that would kick ass. the last nfs games (expect shift) were really bad...
tons of real bodykits and mooooore customization! i also would like to mod the interior and place some defi´s and want to choose where and how much! the interior modding in nfs shift was a good start.
in the other cases i also agree with all of the guys here: good physics, tons of cars no matter what, tons of possibilities for modding and so on
NFS SHIFT was an amazing experience for me. A few complaints that I do have though are:
1) Like you said, not enough options for wheel fitment or stance modification
2) No Japanese spec Toyotas. I WANT JZX100 CHASER JZX90 MARK 2 JZX90 CRESSIDA. PLEASE. PLEASE.
3) Not enough old school wheels. Do you know what it felt like putting American Racing wheels on a Hakosuka for want of some proper old school looking rimmage?
4) No Tsukuba, no Fuji Speedway, no Japanese actual touge. I'm tired of running Ebisu all the time.
Really like NFS:U2 with SHIFT Graphics next:D
oh forgot something: i would like to choose the side of the steering wheel..i dont want to have LHD s13´s and so on like in shift
The game looks like it'll be really impressive looking........
I HOPE it will drive nothing like need for speed shift. If the physics were closer to NFSU 2, You'd have a winning formula..
please please please make it playable....
Just make the game so we can drift in it. The last attemp in SHIFT was literally embarrasing. I still cant believe you guys put that into the game, and then released the game like that. Anyway, Ill be happy if you can take the arcade style racing from GRID, put it into the graphics of SHIFT, and then make it the customizing from Underground 2. Sans SUVs, please.
Will this come out on Mac?
I love to have in NFS a GC8 STi Coupe or 22B and EVO VI and wangan cars and yes MORE touge cars
NFS Shift had the worst physics of any driving game around. Its not a hardcore sim!
Spoiler Delete Option!!! I hate spoilers on street cars, the s15 especially looks tons better without one. As for future cars to include it think a X chassis is a great idea, they are different but popular enough to justify the work of creating one for the game. also bolt-on flares available for all cars! and custom offset/width/tire stretch on wheels, also fully custom ride height! stop telling me i can't lower my car until all handling is destroyed!
LMAO? seriously? NFS: Shift a "hardcore simulator"?
try Forza or Gran Turismo for a REAL racing game
Cressidas and Laurels, please!!! Maybe some special edition Bosozoku styled cars if you want something super unique.