Essential Info Release Date: 18 Nov 2008 (US) / 21 Nov 2008 (EU) - Malaysian release date usually one day earlier than US date Platform: Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, PlayStation Portable, Nintendo DS, Wii, Xbox 360, Mobile phone, Apple iPhone
Official Trailer
Storyline
The game's story mode sets the player in the story as a police officer going undercover into the criminal underground of Tri-city, a fictional city where the game is set. The player's only contact to the police is Chase Linh, played by Maggie Q.
4th September: 1st post re-wrote to include plot, trailer and screenshots, previous updates is below:
» Click to show Spoiler - click again to hide... «
QUOTE
EA's John Riccitiello says that the company was torturing its Vancouver team with a rigorous 12 month development cycle, but that has now been changed for the better.
At the William Blair & Company's 28th Annual Growth Stock Conference, he indicated that he was pretty disappointed with Need for Speed last year.
"I thought it was an okay game, in terms of gameplay. It's not good. But who wanted Pro Street? It was a sort of made up, put numbers on the side of your car and pretend to drive your Ferrari where? Or your Porsche where?"
This year, the company will be releasing Need For Speed: Undercover - a game with a very strong mission structure that Riccitiello compared to The Transporter.
"For those of you who ever saw movies like The Transporter - it's sort of a cult classic among people with a B-movie mentality, which fits me perfectly.
"I liked it. I apologize. For those of you with no taste, and you liked it too, we can go have a Schlitz after this."
He said that the new title is a much richer proposition with a huge, embedded storyline behind it. Thanks to the strong narrative hook, he feels really good about the title.
Riccitiello noted that the Vancouver Need For Speed team had been working for eight consecutive years on a 12 month development cycle.
"Last summer we added head count and split the team in two, so now there are two teams on a 24 month cycle. And this is sort of their first 16 and-a-half month game...Because we didn't do it far enough ago to give us a full two year dev cycle."
Next year's game will be a full two year development cycle, he said.
"We were torturing a very talented group of people up in Vancouver, which makes it harder to be as innovative every year. So, I think we are going to get better from here.
"I'm confident that Undercover is a much better game than Pro Street, and I expect that from this point forward they will do a lot better."
this is great! i spent barely few days wit pro street and nvr played at all ever since.
radkliler
Jun 18 2008, 03:55 PM
With that name....does that mean we playing as cops now?
Cheesenium
Jun 18 2008, 03:58 PM
Hope they keep their promise this time.Better have good story line and ai now.
Prostreet tuning was fun,IMO.
riku2replica
Jun 18 2008, 05:06 PM
yay, new nfs... hoping for better control as nfs:ps sucks big time.
Cheesenium
Jun 18 2008, 05:33 PM
The name sounds like Underwear to me.
Why did they choose strange names?
yeahan85
Jun 18 2008, 07:26 PM
QUOTE(Cheesenium @ Jun 18 2008, 05:33 PM)
The name sounds like Underwear to me.
Why did they choose strange names?
Wasn't the name Carbon much stranger in the franchise 2 years ago? At least it sounds cooler this time.
Cheesenium
Jun 18 2008, 07:29 PM
QUOTE(yeahan85 @ Jun 18 2008, 07:26 PM)
Wasn't the name Carbon much stranger in the franchise 2 years ago? At least it sounds cooler this time.
It's still strange to me but better than Carbon.
I was like:"WTF??? New NFS call carbon?".
My bro also didnt believe me when i told him about Carbon.
SpikeTwo
Jun 18 2008, 08:30 PM
need for speed: wood.
yeah, hoping that this installment will revive the boring series.
T0MMY
Jun 18 2008, 08:42 PM
this NFS sounds nice but hope they keep their promise and no stupid story
Cheesenium
Jun 18 2008, 08:43 PM
QUOTE(SpikeTwo @ Jun 18 2008, 08:30 PM)
need for speed: wood.
Yeah,instead of driving lambo and GTRs,we have to drive some hand crafted wooden cars.
JackX
Jun 18 2008, 08:45 PM
Hmm somehow Need for Speed High stakes and porsche unleased was way more addictive than NFS PS.
yeahan85
Jun 18 2008, 08:57 PM
QUOTE(Cheesenium @ Jun 18 2008, 08:43 PM)
Yeah,instead of driving lambo and GTRs,we have to drive some hand crafted wooden cars.
You meant we had to drive those types of cars in ProStreet?
riku2replica
Jun 18 2008, 09:01 PM
more like flintstone prehistorical car LOL.....
Cheesenium
Jun 18 2008, 09:24 PM
QUOTE(riku2replica @ Jun 18 2008, 09:01 PM)
more like flintstone prehistorical car LOL.....
Who know,flintstone cars might revive the series.
T0MMY
Jun 18 2008, 09:34 PM
seems like they says is something like transporter will we have gun fights?
colinwong89
Jun 18 2008, 09:49 PM
This is the game I hope that the NFS series will turn for the better.
Luftwacko
Jun 18 2008, 10:02 PM
So when are they going to name their game NFS: Oxygen?
linkinstreet
Jun 18 2008, 10:04 PM
Prostreet was actually quite good. But some of the players are not used to track racing. Thus that's why so much hate.
yeahan85
Jun 18 2008, 11:14 PM
QUOTE(T0MMY @ Jun 18 2008, 09:34 PM)
seems like they says is something like transporter will we have gun fights?
Elements of Hitman or Max Payne to be implemented in this game?
JackX
Jun 18 2008, 11:16 PM
Need for Speed : China anyone?
Can race tricycles and cars that "look" like other cars.
old_calculator
Jun 19 2008, 12:07 AM
QUOTE(JackX @ Jun 18 2008, 08:45 PM)
Hmm somehow Need for Speed High stakes and porsche unleased was way more addictive than NFS PS.
these two i think the king of NFS series.Porsche Unleased hv more realistic physics than PS
likito
Jun 19 2008, 12:50 AM
new NFS series . i hvn finish prostreet . hehe~~
Luftwacko
Jun 19 2008, 12:58 AM
QUOTE(likito @ Jun 19 2008, 12:50 AM)
new NFS series . i hvn finish prostreet . hehe~~
I also haven't finish the game... and I probably never ever will. The game is too boring for me to continue playing it. Hope the next NFS will bring back the glory of the old days.
Enclave Recruit
Jun 19 2008, 01:37 AM
QUOTE(Luftwacko @ Jun 19 2008, 12:58 AM)
I also haven't finish the game... and I probably never ever will. The game is too boring for me to continue playing it. Hope the next NFS will bring back the glory of the old days.
NFS franchise lost it's shine after Most Wanted...
EA CEO: We Were Torturing Need for Speed Devs by Maarten Goldstein Jun 18, 2008 7:20am CST tags: Need for Speed ProStreet, Electronic Arts
Speaking at an investors meeting, Electronic Arts CEO John Riccitiello noted his disappointment with Need for Speed: ProStreet, and said that EA had been "torturing a very talented group of people" at EA Vancouver with rigorous 12 month development cycles reports GamesIndustry.biz.
Though Need for Speed: Most Wanted was a recent series highlight, newer games like Carbon and ProStreet were not received as well.
Electronic Arts attributes this to the fact that EA Vancouver had been producing a new Need for Speed game every single year for the past eight years. That changed last summer, when EA split the company into two teams, hired more people, and put both teams on two year development cycles.
Though it won't have the benefit of the full two year cycle, the first game to come out of this changed development philosophy will be this year's Need For Speed: Undercover. The game is described as a mission-based one with a strong story, with Riccitiello likening the general feel of the game to that of the The Transporter movies.
"I'm confident that Undercover is a much better game than Pro Street, and I expect that from this point forward they will do a lot better," Riccitiello is quoted as saying.
I certainly hope so Mr Riccitiello...
EDIT : nvm its the same story on the first post but imho it was kinda obvious wasn't it?
Cheesenium
Jun 19 2008, 08:35 AM
QUOTE(colinwong89 @ Jun 18 2008, 09:49 PM)
This is the game I hope that the NFS series will turn for the better.
Isnt this what we say every year?
swhung
Jun 19 2008, 08:41 AM
Most Wanted is the best NFS installation i can think so far.
M1X
Jun 19 2008, 10:39 AM
Why care about the name? Gameplay please..... Whatever it called NFSNTFS@(*#&(@#&(# as long as the gameplay is fun and have highly replayable value.
skylinegtr34rule4life
Jun 19 2008, 11:13 AM
4 the 1st time, i dont think i will ever get excited with the new announced NFS
D-Zire
Jun 19 2008, 11:44 AM
i've been a big fan of NFS eversince NFS 2...played almost everything series but not prostreet...Most Wanted was fun and carbon was boring...hopefully undercover comes with new playing concept and brings back the entertainment value
claxxion
Jun 19 2008, 12:19 PM
I think carbon was the biggest flop of all the nfs series. It was dark. And nfs most wanted was too dull.
Nfs porsche is still the best one imo. Too bad it cannot be played in xp. Hope this new one is better than the sucky prostreet. Too much simulation would make the game no fun at all to play.
Cheesenium
Jun 19 2008, 12:49 PM
QUOTE(skylinegtr34rule4life @ Jun 19 2008, 11:13 AM)
4 the 1st time, i dont think i will ever get excited with the new announced NFS
Me too.
Disappointed with NFS adi.Every year they promise something but never come true.
Just gonna buy a*hem and see how bad is it.
Enclave Recruit
Jun 19 2008, 12:55 PM
I want some Ferraris in NFS Undercover!!!
Do you realize that Ferrari has been omitted from recent NFS installments. Perhaps there is a licensing issue...
bulibulizaimon
Jun 19 2008, 01:39 PM
Played prostreet for a short time but not loving it as other previous NFS series.. Hope this new NFS will attracting me coz im starting to fall in love to GRID
M1X
Jun 19 2008, 02:55 PM
I start to love mobile game instead... Though, why Porche Unleashed kinda real laggy running on XP? Competible problems? But Hot Pursuit and HP2 sun with no prob around.
2kia
Jun 20 2008, 02:08 AM
QUOTE(Cheesenium @ Jun 18 2008, 03:58 PM)
Hope they keep their promise this time.Better have good story line and ai now.
Prostreet tuning was fun,IMO.
QUOTE(linkinstreet @ Jun 18 2008, 10:04 PM)
Prostreet was actually quite good. But some of the players are not used to track racing. Thus that's why so much hate.
QUOTE(bulibulizaimon @ Jun 19 2008, 01:39 PM)
Played prostreet for a short time but not loving it as other previous NFS series.. Hope this new NFS will attracting me coz im starting to fall in love to GRID
guess most of the NFS players just want some arcade actions and not simulation therefore nfs:ps just not quite 'there' imo.
hopefully nfs:undercover or whatever could bring back the hype n fun!
MarHazK
Jun 20 2008, 03:02 AM
If u guys notices (nfsu fan), Prostreet is easy, carbon and mostwanted quite easy/hard. But NFSU 1 and 2 were hard lol (since after days they were released to public/markets). I hope this one (nfsu: undercover) no longer easy for me....
Why? Prostreet: Easy drift, less challenges. Carbon & Mostwanted: Less challenges, but mostwanted quite ok, but still quite easy/hard tho. (Less tunings) NFSU 1 & 2: More challenges, less speeds, more tunings, and big map, many roads/ways.
hehe
jayhan
Jun 20 2008, 01:36 PM
QUOTE(skylinegtr34rule4life @ Jun 19 2008, 11:13 AM)
4 the 1st time, i dont think i will ever get excited with the new announced NFS
Second that.
I know around June or July the first teaser video or screenshots will come out, but this year i'm not really looking forward to it. Better don't. Stay with GRID first
radkliler
Jun 20 2008, 01:47 PM
QUOTE(skylinegtr34rule4life @ Jun 19 2008, 11:13 AM)
4 the 1st time, i dont think i will ever get excited with the new announced NFS
Bah...I just won't buy NFS games anymore....be it ahem or ori...not worth 20 bucks
chapree
Jun 20 2008, 04:30 PM
Well, I guess you guys already started to throw tantrums...personally, NFS series are yet to disappoint me. Sure, there are lots of shortcoming in the recent incarnation but hey, it still far better than Juiced IMHO muwahahahahahhahahah
Anyway, the NFS Undercover is already confirmed according to NFSunlimited's EA sources. It just lack an official announcement or/and a teaser video. So what should we call the game then? NFSU again? or NFSUC perhaps?
gM | Mutsumi-san
Jun 20 2008, 04:32 PM
NFSUNCLE <3
ulwan25
Jun 20 2008, 05:20 PM
please bring the cop gameplay! i wanna be cop! chasing da rempit guys will be exhausted! and cool
since undercover is the title, it sures sounds like the cops back, and we're gonna do a baaad thing, i don't know how, but EA got ideas.
ready for the gfx??
skylinegtr34rule4life
Jun 20 2008, 05:29 PM
wah looks like a lot of people fall in love with my nfs bashing fest eh
QUOTE(claxxion @ Jun 19 2008, 12:19 PM)
Nfs porsche is still the best one imo. Too bad it cannot be played in xp.
it can be played in XP with enhanced patch but the alphabet/number font will be super fugly as hell as i cant see how much cash balance left
FarCry3r
Jun 20 2008, 05:44 PM
since fuel prices are so high right now, I would recommend them to change it to Need for Speed: NGV, bwahahahahahahahahahaha
coolkwc
Jun 20 2008, 06:11 PM
i hope undercover will retain the Prostreet car mod section, give back the street racing, no cop please and more cars...
dadurtyz
Jun 20 2008, 07:30 PM
yayaya.. prostreet so sucks, i hate it..
i want to see new version of NFS series more fun o not
Luftwacko
Jun 20 2008, 08:42 PM
QUOTE(coolkwc @ Jun 20 2008, 06:11 PM)
i hope undercover will retain the Prostreet car mod section, give back the street racing, no cop please and more cars...
I won't play if there's no cops.
In "Pro"street, they successfully removed the fun by removing the cops.
coolkwc
Jun 20 2008, 08:47 PM
QUOTE(Luftwacko @ Jun 20 2008, 08:42 PM)
I won't play if there's no cops.
In "Pro"street, they successfully removed the fun by removing the cops.
i think prostreet are more tended to simulation rather than fun, thats why the player who love the cops series such as most wanted, carbon will hate it...another reason ppl not like prostreet because they feel can't win the game, damn hard, but not for me...
Luftwacko
Jun 20 2008, 09:00 PM
QUOTE(coolkwc @ Jun 20 2008, 08:47 PM)
i think prostreet are more tended to simulation rather than fun, thats why the player who love the cops series such as most wanted, carbon will hate it...another reason ppl not like prostreet because they feel can't win the game, damn hard, but not for me...
I also hate the game because the cars handle like a fully loaded shopping trolley. It doesn't feed realistic...
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At least it sounds cooler this time. 
