Need for Speed Shift – New Details Revealed — VirtualR

Need for Speed Shift – New Details Revealed

Posted on May 14th, 2009 in Need for Speed Shift – 24 Comments

GTSurgeons have revealed some supposedly internal-info on EA`s upcoming Need for Speed Shift title.

While some of the facts below have already been confirmed, most of these details include fresh info.

Physics model of NFS: Shift is based on those of “Ferrari Project”
Professional setting is more accurate to drive than in GTR2
Eero Piitulainen of Richard Burns Rally has developed totally new tyre-physics model which is mainly responsible for new physics
Difference between 3 physics-models is in assist levels, while lowest setting will provide around 10% of more tyre grip for beginners
Lots of efforts has gone into handling development so the game can be driven with controller
Professional setting will require wheel in order to successfully manage throttle/braking and steering inputs
Shift will feature different car classes – from Golf GTI up to Zonda F
All cars can be upgraded and tuned from inside-out
Most tracks are licensed European and American circuits with few non-existing tracks
There will be few city-circuits
Cockpit is the most important visual feature of the game
Head-physics is the key difference point to other titles

Physic-wise, Need for Speed Shift starts to sound really promising. If done right, the 3 different physic models can really make the game enjoyable both for the usual Need for Speed crowd as well as simulation enthusiasts. The fact that the pro-mode requires a wheel should be seen as a good sign and physics guru Eero Piitulainen will hopefully not sell out his soul either.

The list suggest that most circuits in the game will indeed be real, contrary to what has been shown so far. Keep in mind though, this info is not confirmed by an official source. GTSurgeons have an impressive record in revealing new details about upcoming Gran Turismo titles though, so they most likely do have some good inside-contacts.

Developed by Slightly Mad Studios (former Blimey! Games) and distributed by EA, Need for Speed Shift is expected to be released in September 2009 for the PC and all major consoles. A demo of Shift has been announced to be available this summer.

Via GTSurgeons

http://www.flickr.com/photos/scuderiaecosse/ Scuderia Ecosse

Interesting.
I’m looking forward to seeing the professional setting in action. Thats quite a claim:”Professional setting is more accurate to drive than in GTR2.”
Jucke

Well it sounds very promising. Wait and see…
ap

Sounds impressive
‘ Professional setting is more accurate to drive than in GTR2
Sodapop

Okay I have now officially become more excited for Shift than I am for GT5: more of the same, gimme your money. Let’s see if EA doesn’t mess this one up.
gtrNL

I never had any interrest in the game, until this claim:
‘Professional setting is more accurate to drive than in GTR2′

If they make this true, I’ll buy it.
If they don’t, I’ll (il)legally download it, just to piss them off.
XaliaS

Sounds like EA are actually putting their mega bucks to good use by recruiting not only good game resources; engines and driving models, but also the very people with the proven expertise to make them work.
Gabkicks

Since Eero’s working on it, I wouldn’t be surprised if the tire physics were actually very good and the cars handled realistically enough to please sim racers. He worked on RBR which was great, as well as the Driver’s Republic Alpha. I’m looking forward to trying shift now. :D
martymini

what can i say?i grow up with the earlier nfs,and i still
collect them(i actually play pro street in some rainy monday whit my friends!!!),but 4 years ago,with the first gtr i turned to realfeel sims…that news sound like a miracle!
eiwfihaaa

i haven’t been this excited about a driving game. for a long time (since test drive unlimited, and what a bloody dissapointment that was!). It’s obviously not gona be to the same sim standard as rfactor/iracing/rbr/gtrevo BUT. It sounds like its gona have a good mix of sim, or enough to make it enjoyable, backed up with some nice multiplayer hopefully.

i can’t WAIT. hopefully this info will be confirmed soon. Remember EA were the publishers for the F1 games back in the late 90′s/early 00′s, F1 challenge etc… and they really were an arguably decent alternative to the Geoff Crammond Grand Prix series games. I’ve got way more belief in them then codemasters anyway. You just know f1 2009 is gonna be utter shite.
i cannot wait. for this. my god.
Raikku

Are physics same in pc and console versions? Have to remember that you can use G25 with PS3 and personally i maybe buy(if i buy it at all) Shift for PS3 rather than for PC.
dknine

# Physics model of NFS: Shift is based on those of “Ferrari Project”
# Professional setting is more accurate to drive than in GTR2
# Eero Piitulainen of Richard Burns Rally has developed totally new tyre-physics model which is mainly responsible for new physics
# Cockpit is the most important visual feature of the game

well this really looks promising imo, i really hope they can make it all true, then this could be a very nice drive.

i’m deffinetly positive about this and will deffinetly try the demo, hoping the demo has the “sim” features.
logos

@Raikku

If Shift is moddable, the PC would be better choice.
Also the PC is open platform, which gives much more flexibility when fine tuning the FFB or some settings in the setup files of the sim.
deggis

Never even heard of this GTSurgeons site, but I went there and found the source for this info.

http://gtsurgeons.com/forum/index.php?topic=292.msg9904#msg9904

It is in Croatian language, so use Google translator:

http://translate.google.com
dadada1

ap: Sounds impressive ‘ Professional setting is more accurate to drive than in GTR2

I would imagine its going to feel more like race 07. Realism fans will be in uproar
kuato

If this NFS game handles anything like Race07 it will exceed everyones expectations.
Piddy

Has Eero been working only on tyres for all this time??? Surely some of his other physics work made it in? Come on Eero get back to DR and show us some pure physics in action. ;)
Tifose

if any of that is true i would say EA trying to make it’s first racing SIm wow!!!
ermax18

Tifose, don’t forget the EA F1 games which used ISI’s engine and like all ISI games was modable. This is where SimBin (SBDT) originated with the GTR2002 mod for EA F1 2002. I loved the Geoff Crammond games and then GTL. But it wasn’t until the GTR2002 mod came around that I really got hooked on simracing.

Personally the best NFS to date was NFS:PU.
Sensekhmet

Hmmm… mixed feeling here, as RBR tires on tarmac feel like utter crap to me: blocks of plastic instead of elastic, deforming rubber tubes filled with air. But loose surface tires rock.
http://www.stenyak.com stenyak

Sensekhmet:
Hmmm… mixed feeling here, as RBR tires on tarmac feel like utter crap to me: blocks of plastic instead of elastic, deforming rubber tubes filled with air. But loose surface tires rock.

Fortunately, Eero was fully aware of how “shitty” the tarmac tire model in RBR was, and already mentioned in some interview a few obvious areas he felt should have been improved. But he wasn’t given time, and so had to leave a so-so tarmac tire model in order to get other things finished before release.
Sensekhmet

I fully understand Eero’s dilemma, RBR has a LOT of unfinished/unimplemented stuff. It’s basically a sim that was never finished properly, and I say this as an RBR fan and Wally’s Plugin racer.
Gaiajohan

This sounds really great! Looking forward to it!
JimmyB

How things change…

Really looking forward to this. I just hope it’ll run well on my PC.
lovretta

deggis:
Never even heard of this GTSurgeons site, but I went there and found the source for this info.
http://gtsurgeons.com/forum/index.php?topic=292.msg9904#msg9904
It is in Croatian language, so use Google translator:
http://translate.google.com

here is a WHOLE text from that link translated, contains also some Ferrari project info.

“Our Voss was very kind and he asked his friend – who actually works on NFS:Shift about game details.

Here is what we have found out – and everything is pretty impressive:

- there are going to be all kind of cars, from Golf GTI and similar, to the Zonda F. All can be upgraded and customized, both interior and exterior. Cocpits are very important to them and will be done in great detail. has Biggest emphasis has been put onto head-physics, and “cockpit experience” presents the biggest advanatage for this NFS.

- there are going to be licensed tracks from Europe and America, with additon of some fantasy tracks. There is not too much city tracks, instead of them, emphasis is put on real world tracks.

- Shift physics is much better and detailed then that of GTR2. Few years went into physics engine developement. Eero of RBR has created completely new and much better tire model. All cars have correct data and parameters. Difference between three physics models is just in the assists level used and on lowest setting tires have bit more grip, to make it easier for newbies (around 10%). Alot of work went into controller so the player is able to drive powerfull cars with gamepad. Supposedly in PRO setting wheel would be required, because fine control of accelerator and wheel is going to be hard task with gamepad.

- game is being finished currently

- Blimey’s well known Ferrari Project is been implemented into Shift – both games use the same engine, and Blimey hopes that Ferrari project is gonna see the light of day, which is supposedly finished, but due to 10Tacle Studios bancrupcy, and all the licensing issues things went very complicated. Someone needs to buy licences from 10Tacle and their shareholders, but currently they are refusing to sell them.

Thanks Voss and we expect to see some more news…”

This is whole text except the last line. I did my best with this translation… They mention some info about Ferrari project as well. Don’t take the ” “ferrari project implemented” line literally, it was written like that i wanted text to be true to the original – the line only says that two games share physics engine.