Editing Need for Speed (section)

==History==
The ''Need for Speed'' series was originally developed by [[Distinctive Software]], a video game studio based in [[Vancouver]], [[British Columbia]], Canada. Prior to [[Electronic Arts]]' purchase of the company in 1991,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0EIN/is_1995_Jan_24/ai_16226827|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120710020126/http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0EIN/is_1995_Jan_24/ai_16226827|url-status=dead|archive-date=July 10, 2012|title=Electronic Arts completes acquisition of Bullfrog Productions Ltd|date=January 24, 1995|work=[[Business Wire]]|publisher=Findarticles.com|access-date=August 9, 2008}}</ref> it had created popular racing games such as ''[[Stunts (video game)|Stunts]]'' and ''[[Test Drive II: The Duel]]''. After the purchase, the company was renamed [[EA Canada|Electronic Arts (EA) Canada]]. The company capitalized on its experience in the domain by developing the ''Need for Speed'' series in late 1992.{{fact|date=November 2023}} EA Canada continued to develop and expand the ''Need for Speed'' franchise up to 2002, when another Vancouver-based developer, named [[EA Black Box|Black Box Games]], was acquired by EA and contracted to continue the series with ''[[Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit 2]]''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.canada.com/vancouversun/news/business/story.html?id=271f8b13-17bd-4640-a9d8-9baea4efd806|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080107084131/http://www.canada.com/vancouversun/news/business/story.html?id=271f8b13-17bd-4640-a9d8-9baea4efd806|archive-date=January 7, 2008|title=Martin Sikes co-founded Black Box Games|last=Andrews|first=Marke|date=January 3, 2008|work=Vancouver Sun|publisher=Canada.com|access-date=August 9, 2008}}</ref> Meanwhile, [[Slightly Mad Studios]] would develop the 2009 [[sim racing]] title, ''[[Need for Speed: Shift]]'', and its 2011 sequel, ''[[Shift 2: Unleashed]]''. 

The UK-based [[Criterion Games]] would develop the 2010 ''[[Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit (2010 video game)|Hot Pursuit]]'' title; a successor to 1998's ''[[Need for Speed III: Hot Pursuit]]''. The game introduced a social platform, titled Autolog, which allows players to track game progress, view leaderboards, share screenshots with friends, among other features.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://help.ea.com/uk/article/what-is-autolog/ |title=Need for Speed Hot Pursuit - What is Autolog |access-date=2015-03-23 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402112718/http://help.ea.com/uk/article/what-is-autolog/ |archive-date=April 2, 2015 |df=mdy-all}}</ref> The 2010 ''Hot Pursuit'' game would be well-received; a remastered version was released ten years later in 2020.<ref name="polygon-remastered">{{cite web|last1=Good|first1=Owen S.|title=Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit Remastered launches with cross-play next month|url=https://www.polygon.com/2020/10/5/21502305/need-for-speed-hot-pursuit-remastered-release-date-ps4-xbox-one-nintendo-switch-pc-criterion-stellar|website=[[Polygon (website)|Polygon]]|publisher=[[Vox Media]]|access-date=2020-10-06|date=2020-10-05|df=dmy-all|archive-date=5 October 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201005210114/https://www.polygon.com/2020/10/5/21502305/need-for-speed-hot-pursuit-remastered-release-date-ps4-xbox-one-nintendo-switch-pc-criterion-stellar|url-status=live}}</ref> As a result of ''Hot Pursuit''{{'}}s critical success, in-contrast to the mixed reception of the Black Box-developed installments since 2007's ''[[Need for Speed: ProStreet]]'', Criterion would become the lead developer of the franchise going forward.<ref>{{cite web | url = https://www.polygon.com/gaming/2012/8/9/3230067/how-the-creators-of-burnout-became-the-stewards-of-need-for-speed | title = How the creators of Burnout became the stewards of Need for Speed | first = Brian | last = Crecente | date = 9 August 2012 | access-date = 8 April 2019 | work = [[Polygon (website)|Polygon]]}}</ref> At [[Electronic Entertainment Expo 2012|E3 2012]], Criterion Games vice president Alex Ward announced that random developers would no longer be developing ''NFS'' titles. Ward wouldn't confirm that all ''Need for Speed'' games in the future would be developed entirely by Criterion, but he did say the studio would have "strong involvement" in them and would have control over which ''NFS'' titles would be released in the future.<ref name="Yin" /><ref>{{cite web |last=Jackson |first=Mike |url=http://www.computerandvideogames.com/355125/criterion-in-control-of-entire-need-for-speed-franchise/ |title=News: Criterion in control of entire Need for Speed franchise |publisher=ComputerAndVideoGames.com |date=June 22, 2012 |access-date=June 26, 2012 |archive-date=June 26, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120626023654/http://www.computerandvideogames.com/355125/criterion-in-control-of-entire-need-for-speed-franchise/ |url-status=live }}</ref> 

In August 2013, following the downsizing of Criterion Games, EA Swedish developer [[Ghost Games]] would become the main studio for the franchise, and oversee its future development.<ref name="VideoGamer.com">{{cite web |url=http://www.videogamer.com/ps4/need_for_speed_rivals/news/ghost_takes_control_of_the_need_for_speed_brand.html |title=Ghost takes control of the Need For Speed brand |publisher=VideoGamer.com |access-date=February 19, 2017 |archive-date=August 29, 2013 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130829084112/http://www.videogamer.com/ps4/need_for_speed_rivals/news/ghost_takes_control_of_the_need_for_speed_brand.html |url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name="Scamell">{{cite web|last=Scamell|first=David|title=The Ghost Of Criterions past.|url=http://www.videogamer.com/features/article/the_ghost_of_criterions_past.html|access-date=October 21, 2013|archive-url=https://archive.today/20131021173734/http://www.videogamer.com/features/article/the_ghost_of_criterions_past.html|archive-date=October 21, 2013|url-status=dead|df=mdy-all}}</ref> At the time, 80% of Ghost Games' work force consisted of former Criterion Games employees.<ref name="VideoGamer.com"/><ref name="Scamell"/> From 2013 to 2019, Ghost Games would develop ''[[Need for Speed Rivals]]'', [[Need for Speed (2015 video game)|the 2015]] franchise [[reboot (fiction)|reboot]], 2017's ''[[Need for Speed Payback]]'', and 2019's ''[[Need for Speed Heat]]''. While ''Rivals'' was positively-received, the 2015 reboot and its follow-ups received more mixed reviews.

In February 2020, Criterion regained oversight of the franchise,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2020-02-12-ea-will-move-need-for-speed-development-back-to-criterion|title=EA will move Need for Speed development back to Criterion|website=GamesIndustry.biz|date=February 12, 2020 |access-date=March 21, 2020|archive-date=June 7, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200607221050/https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2020-02-12-ea-will-move-need-for-speed-development-back-to-criterion|url-status=live}}</ref> with its first release since then being 2022's ''[[Need for Speed Unbound]]''. Meanwhile, several past entries (namely ''[[Need for Speed: Carbon]]'', ''[[Need for Speed: Undercover]]'', ''Shift'', ''Shift 2'' and ''[[Need for Speed: The Run]]''), with the exception of 2010's ''Hot Pursuit'', and 2012's ''[[Need for Speed: Most Wanted (2012 video game)|Need for Speed: Most Wanted]]'', became delisted from online stores. Their respective online servers were shut down on August 31, 2021.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Max_Joker|date=2021-05-31|title=Sun is setting on some older NFS titles - it's not you, it's us|url=http://www.reddit.com/r/needforspeed/comments/np6uig/sun_is_setting_on_some_older_nfs_titles_its_not/|access-date=2021-06-10|website=r/needforspeed|archive-date=June 21, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220621180344/https://www.reddit.com/r/needforspeed/comments/np6uig/sun_is_setting_on_some_older_nfs_titles_its_not/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|date=2021-06-01|title=EA has delisted all of its old Need For Speed games|url=https://www.vg247.com/need-for-speed-classics-delisted-ea|access-date=2021-10-07|website=VG247|language=en|archive-date=November 28, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211128201415/https://www.vg247.com/need-for-speed-classics-delisted-ea|url-status=live}}</ref>