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even if the demo is after release of game I am going to wait for demo first. if it was rfactor 2, race pro etc then it be different.

Wow…this is a surprise…..

More proof that they’re only after the casual crowd….

Or you can just download it via any torrent website to try it, that’s what I’ll do before deciding if I buy it or not

That’s awful. Well hopefully some reviews come out before release then. Even if it’s not simulation enough, it looks fun enough to buy if there is some fun to be had there

Just download the torrent and if you like the game buy it, otherwise if u don’t like the game DON’T PLAY the pirated version at all after testing it, simple as that, no need to make an issue of having no demo for NFS Shift on PC. Do what I said and you will have an answer whether NFS Shift Physics is to your liking. I am getting NFS Shift day 1 since I am a Need For Speed Fan and I have bought all Need For Speed Games through good and bad times and now when there is hope that the Need For Speed franchise is moving towards a more simulation experience I am even more excited to buy it. Plus the Graphics are not bad at all .

This is no surprise to me especially coming from EA. I was hoping my earlier post was going to be wrong but I just had feeling since were dealing with a company that seems to always come up short, IMO. What about the playable game demo’s that are being played at different events. I.E. Games Con, E3 ect.

DeadStar:
Just download the torrent and if you like the game buy it, otherwise if u don’t like the game DON’T PLAY the pirated version at all after testing it, simple as that, no need to make an issue of having no demo for NFS Shift on PC. Do what I said and you will have an answer whether NFS Shift Physics is to your liking. I am getting NFS Shift day 1 since I am a Need For Speed Fan and I have bought all Need For Speed Games through good and bad times and now when there is hope that the Need For Speed franchise is moving towards a more simulation experience I am even more excited to buy it. Plus the Graphics are not bad at all .

Haha – thats illegal and no good choice ;) Better is to rent Shift at a video store

I guess for some industries the hope of winning consumer support to part with cash is a myth. Can’t control the users environment in a demo as much as you can put agressive quality control in a video. Demo also has the possibilty of turning customers away and piracy is piracy, those that will won’t buy the game – refer to my first point.

Our consumer base isn’t as stupid as EA wants, nor are we that valuable as moppenheimer points out. Time spent making pointless videos could have been spent on a demo, but lets hide behind professionalism anyway.

I hope they’re putting the extra dev time to good use.
Comments might make them change their mind, we’ll know in a few days.

That’s stupid. How the hell am I supposed to know now if my PC can even play the game decently or not? I’m not shelling out $50 for the game only to find out I can’t run it decent enough to enjoy.

All this does is make me want to pirate it before I decide to get it or not.

And THERE’S the alarm bell. A demo promised all this time and now “Oh, wait, no demo.”

SCCA: You do the sensible thing and keep your money in your wallet would be my suggestion.

I think they realise how it’s going to disappoint and they don’t want to hurt their opening week sales.

What is up with all of the complaining about no demo? There was never a demo for iRacing until now, and everyone jumped on that bandwagon as soon as it was released. Even after the damn modding community they sued who kept 2k3 alive for so long. I don’t remember a demo coming out for GPL, GTL, GTR2, GTR2, rFactor(well, some of them had a trial at games release) and so on either…So why don’t you guys just shut up, and try the demo(if they even release one) after the game has been released, or go pirate the damn thing. Everything I always see in these NFS: Shift posts is about a demo and I’m tired of it already. Find something else to complain about.

“so we kept the entire team working on the game to make sure we release a really great experience.

What a Crock… I guess they think we’re all stupid too! We kept everyone working on the game, that’s why we don’t have time for a Demo, but of course we have time for a new video or two every day and a gazillion screen shots

AaronC:
So why don’t you guys just shut up

Nice.

There is a difference between all the sims you are trying to compare Shift with. NFS has a very bad track record. EA also has a bad track record in recent years. ISI, Pappy and SimBin all have very good track records for producing sims. No one has the confidence to buy NFS blindly.

That’s all I have to say. I will shut up now. :)

I have an idea. If you are worried about Demo.. I think you can give it a test in your local game store (when it hits the shelves) .. if you liked it you will buy it .. I don’t really think there should be demo for every new game.

Meh .. I don’t really care about demo because I’m sure I will like it.

Makes sense from a technical stand point not to release a demo. They’d have to take people away from the development team to make one.

On the other hand, a good demo can make or break a game on release

wow its great to see alot of you guys dont form your opinion till you’ve tried the game. BTW ermax when has EA ever Produce a sim, they may have PUBLISHED a couple sims back in 2001 2002, i thought SMS and Black box were producing this game and EA was publishing it?. Thanks for reassuring me though that alot of these comments should be taking for what they are pessimistic crap.

I also received the same email as Virtualr.net and there was no evidence that there will be or will not be a demo. All that was made clear is that EA hadn’t fully considered it yet…which does put Jesse Abney in a tenable position. And that we might be walking into the greatest media kerfluffle since Eisenhower and end up with another Undercover.

While I can’t speak for Virtualr.net I do know that I’l be reviewing the game at a later date, and expect to be disappointed.

UberSilenus:

While I can’t speak for Virtualr.net I do know that I’l be reviewing the game at a later date, and expect to be disappointed.

I’m sure that will be a completely unbiased and fair review…

Hahah, I knew it.

Shift is as arcade as it looks in the videos, and that’s the reason they aren’t releasing a demo. This sheep flock of a community that believes every line that EA feeds them about this game being realistic (which it hasn’t been in a single preview video released yet) and releasing a demo would make even those people understand they’ve been properly fooled by the hype machine.

The amount of news coverage that Shift has gotten at this site is also a bit fishy, to say the least. I mean, a whole separate news category for Shift along with the more serious sims? While keeping Forza and Gran Turismo in the console category, both which already have way more realistic looking physics than this little hype-machine by EA? I can’t help but to think what kind of a little scheme there is going behind the stages.

Anyway, I don’t personally care how crappy arcade game this will be, I just hate seeing it being marketed as a “realistic simulator” when all it has been so far is a hopped up Grid.

Lesson learned people: Do. Not. Trust. EA. Ever.

i tell my friend my opinion about this game and he gets upset, he already preordered the game and is in love with it, he keeps telling me to shut up because i havent played it yet.

They done alot of marketing on this game huh? its at the point that it may be overhyped.

hypertek:
its at the point that it may be overhyped.

You think?

Preorder the game. Wait for the game to arrive at your doorstep. Play it for a few weeks. You’ll have that demo one of these days… Haha!! Nice one EA, but honestly, I hope your stick shifts get snapped in half. Karma…

:(

Sadly in some countries there is no such thing as video game rentals, nor can you just walk into a video game store to test out a game (certainly not a PC game!).

What I don’t understand is why do all the preview videos for this game contain really bad and overly aggressive driving?

every one shows you how to not enter a corner.

Game companies such as EA talk about game piracy being a major issue affecting game sales.

The problem I have with their statements is demonstrated in the fact we will have no demo in a reasonable amount of time surrounding the release of the product.

In order to be able to form opinion and get a hands on with the release its obvious many of us are forced to pirate the game. I bought Wolfenstein as I thought it would be good. It sucked. I bought frontlines fuel of war surrounding the hype because i thought it would be good it sucked. I bought Far Cry 2 because of the hype.. again it sucked.

The companies do it to themselves by pushing poor products on the community and establishing a reputation of pushing those poor products.

I just do not see why game companies do not go the ISI route. Push the DVD product but allow a digital distribution of the same title with a 2 or 3 day trial.

I strongly suspect i’ll pirate this, dislike it. Uninstall it and not purchase it. Should I like it i’ll buy it. EA and other publishers/dev’s need to realize what makes piracy so attractive.. is the availability and previous track record.

I will rent the game for a day for my Xbox 360 instead of Pirating it instead ( I just hope it works properly on my PC) Also I see some people made up their minds on how crap the game will be just from the videos. Fair play to those people but you can not tell what the game is like before playing it.

Morals/law aside, for some people downloading the torrent would take several days, so pirating is not an option.
I’m bummed about the demo. I want the game but then again EA has shown they cannot be trusted so who knows what the final product will be? Besides, I already have a few other expenses planned, other than shift: RACE ON, DiRT2, some other games and an old Volvo

I will buy the game, if it keeps me one night out the pub, its a win situation.
Its not like a game cost 500€ , I care about the sim aspect of the game,but not to much, i only hope it can entertain me for a while, then in my eyes its a winner.
The same applies for GT5 – Forza3 – Dirt2.
I’m happy that at least we get a few more new race games, been playing the same games for a to long time.

Just had my coffee ;

haha you too EA (who ever said there will be no Demo)

Im out of this “SHIT”

I am disappointed that there will (probably) be no demo. I seem to remember testing a demo of the last NFS title, though I don’t know if it was before or after release.

I find it funny that some think the lack of a demo is intended to fool “us” – the “hardcore” PC simmers. Get real – this is primarily a console title and it isn’t aimed at the traditional PC simmers. If you want a conspiracy theory then assume there is no demo because the game is too hardcore and EA are trying to fool the traditional NFS buyer that its really more arcade than it is.

Bummer, was looking forward to the demo ><
Guess Ill have to try it by other means then……..

People are still saying this is going to be a shitty EA arcade game, fair enough, cause EA sucks…but you are missing something…EA DIDN”T DEVELOP THE GAME.

The ONLY reason there’s so much interest from me and most likely from many other people is because the DEVELOPERS are Slightly Mad Studios. GTR2 was an awesome sim, this is why I have hope in shift because I know if EA had developed it, I wouldn’t even waste my time and would have no interest in the game whatsoever. I have hope in SMS.

Don’t you guys remember these statements…”Professional setting will require a wheel in order to successfully manage throttle/braking and steering inputs” and “Professional setting is more accurate to drive than in GTR2″ I remember when reading them a while back my heart almost stopped I was very excited. Now I don’t know if there true yet, but I’m sure were all hoping that they are. So how can people still say it’s gonna be arcade crap after statements like that? Personally reading a statement like that gets me interested and keen to see if it indeed does have physics like GTR2. Don’t knock it til you try it, only knock it before you try it if EA were responsible for developing it.

DW:
If you want a conspiracy theory then assume there is no demo because the game is too hardcore and EA are trying to fool the traditional NFS buyer that its really more arcade than it is.

That gives me hope!

I love it when people refer to themselves as hardcore :)

BNR32:
Hahah, I knew it.
Shift is as arcade as it looks in the videos, and that’s the reason they aren’t releasing a demo. This sheep flock of a community that believes every line that EA feeds them about this game being realistic (which it hasn’t been in a single preview video released yet) and releasing a demo would make even those people understand they’ve been properly fooled by the hype machine.

erm… WTF are you on about ? Have you been hanging around VirtualR.net lately ?
If you think the majority of people here ‘believes every line that EA feeds them’ or are ‘fooled by the hype’, then you’re reading things backwards mate.
It’s exactly the opposite. This is the reason why people are criticising. Exactly because they are not fooled by the hype. Countless video previews of all aids-on bad driving is not something we’re interested in (us hardcore guys, heh). We want the demo because we want to try before we buy. Surely that is proof enough we are not believing EA or their videos.
Your post is so off the mark its pretty much an exact reverse of the real situation.

Right to the demo (or lack of it)….
Its easy to say that if they hadn’t spent countless hours making pretty videos every day they could have got a demo out. I’m guessing the kids making the vids are not those who are resourceful enough to be constructing a demo version. I think the resources to do that are from a different place. If the dev team are making the vids then shame on them and then the argument stands.
Either way, EA’s statement is full of corporate-speak BS.

““In the last few weeks we’ve received a lot of messages and forum posts about a demo so we’re currently looking into the feasibility of releasing a demo for SHIFT.

Feasability ?? Of course if feasible. How many other game companies out there manage it for their games? I’m sure the makers of Batman: Arkham Asylum were committed too and they got a demo out. They didn’t have a video out every day either. Loads of games manage to have demo’s.
I’m sure EA aren’t too concerned about getting the sim-crowd on board. They are only going for more realism than previous NFS titles because a) its progress and b) SMS are making the game and as sim-guys themselves, what they do rubs, off in the game. Only they couldn’t take it too far because that would scare off the casual racers.

We are committed to releasing the best Need for Speed game so we kept the entire team working on the game to make sure we release a really great experience.

Committed to releasing the best eh ? How is that a reason ? You don’t get a medal for that. EVERY game company has that self same commitment. They all want to release the good stuff because that’s what keeps them in business.
You’re not in an exclusive club here EA so that ain’t gonna wash here.
I see now they are releasing ‘an experience’. Oh the irony in that, because without a demo, experience is exactly what we will be lacking.

We’re really proud of what the guys at SMS and Black Box have created and we can’t wait to get the game in your hands.””

Oh don’t worry you will. Only the way you are going about it, more people will be getting in their hands over their own ADSL lines.

Of course not releasing a demo will cause more people to torrent the game. Why aren’t they aware of this ? Lets get real here, how many really are going to torrent, try then buy ? Even if they like it. Once they have it, what will be the point ? Unless you need some code for multiplayer and that will only be a factor if the game is good for them in the first place.
Without a demo, EA are scoring an own goal. The interest is high on this one and poeple want to know if the game is right for them, will work on their computer etc. Some are going to pirate it anyway, regardless.
Then again, some will buy it sight unsneen too. Some of those will complain and some will not.
But the amount of people who will torrent this game will surely rise now with the lack of a demo. This isn’t a criticism, it’s a fact.
My decision to buy Shift or not was going to rest on the demo. The videos do nothing for me. I want hands on. If that option is off the table, well, buying it sight unseen is not something I plan on.

Bekim:
People are still saying this is going to be a shitty EA arcade game, fair enough, cause EA sucks…but you are missing something…EA DIDN”T DEVELOP THE GAME.

Hmmm. EA has involvment. Believe it. Otherwise in SMS’s hands this would be a much more sim than what it is going to turn out to be. EA make sure its going to satisfy the mass market first and that will have been SMS’s instructions.

Jack_NL:
Just had my coffee ;
F*ck you too EA/SMS (who ever said there will be no Demo)
Im out of this “SHIT”

“we kept the entire team working on the game to make sure we release a really great experience.” > Demo.

F1Racer:

Hmmm. EA has involvment. Believe it.

If as SMS thinks that Pitstops etc is not important!

Man that had to be tough for them to deal with people that don’t know what a good SIM needs!

Skillcoil:

“we kept the entire team working on the game to make sure we release a really great experience.” > Demo.

Ok but what about in the previews here the last day’s in the descreption was word of a demo,
hell last 2 days it said “A demo of Shift is expected to be released any day now.”
I had the impression that came from EA?SMS theirself.

so a bit wired that there is now no Demo at all

Jack_NL:

If as SMS thinks that Pitstops etc is not important!
Man that had to be tough for them to deal with people that don’t know what a good SIM needs!

Eaxctly. You’ve made my point.

No demo, no buy.

isnt there a good soul out there that has the PRESS DEMO ??

When reading what everybody are writing here, I decided to write a few lines myself.

First off, I’ve bought every NFS game ever made (not the V-Rally ones, but I guess those don’t really count). Up until the first Underground game they were really fun arcade games that I could enjoy, even though I prefer sim games. After Underground 1 the franchise just got out of hands, with the obsessive foucs on street racing, styled cars, and so on, so I lost interest, even if I still continued to play the games. Decent enough fun on my XBOX360 at my appartment while my PC with rFactor was only accessible during weekends, I guess.

Anyways. My point in the NFS Shift discussion is that it’s important to remember that the sim racing community (and sim racing fans), only counts for a small percentage of the gaming marked that are interested in racing games. Sim racing really is a niche market. Almost none of my friends that like racing games enjoy rFactor for example. They love game like NFS, Forza and GT, but when they try rFactor, they find it way to difficult to drive, to complicated to use, and they think the grapchics are really bad. I think that most gamers that like racing games is that way. The like games that they think are realistic (like NFS, Forza and GT), because they don’t know any better, and if they try some really realistic games, they give up becasue it’s to difficult to master.

We can’t expect EA to allow SMS to make a game that is so realistic that it wuold turn away the casual gamer, and only apply to sim racers. EA is a big company, and they need big profits. That’s why they can’t release a game the only applies to a small part of the big racing games market.

Lastly, my thoughts about NFS Shift is that it’s probably going to be more realistic than previous NFS games. I guess SMS are trying to but it at about the same realism level as Forza and GT. Most casual gamers can relate to that level, that’s kinda in between arcade and full sim. My friends consider that level to be really realistic, and any more realism than that is more than they like. Most casual gamers prefer about that level of realism, that’s why Forza, GT, and the early NFS titles have become so popular.

I too like those types of games. I’ve really enjoyed both the Forza and GT series, and I’m sure NFS Shift will be an okay game to for some quick fun at my XBOX360 if it turns out about as realistic as Forza and GT. That is really the best sim racers can hope for.

When it comes to sims though, I stick to my PC and rFactor (and rFactor 2 someday ;))

You are not FORCED to do anything.

If you don’t want to buy the game based on the reviews, then wait until a demo does come out, or don’t buy it all. It’s pretty simple really.

I do not agree with how devs and publishers equate piracy to lost sales, for example one pirate download does not equal one lost sale. They completely mis-understand the issue.

However fact is, that’s how they see it. The more a game is pirated the more it justifies to them that they need to include crippling DRM or disregard the PC altogether.

You can try and justify it any way you like but piracy is stealing, end of. If you are going to download it, don’t try and make excuses at least admit that you simply don’t want to pay for it if you can’t test it first.

I’d by lying if I said I hadn’t done it in the past, I have. And yeah, I was just being a thieving twat.

Husky42:
Game companies such as EA talk about game piracy being a major issue affecting game sales.
The problem I have with their statements is demonstrated in the fact we will have no demo in a reasonable amount of time surrounding the release of the product.
In order to be able to form opinion and get a hands on with the release its obvious many of us are forced to pirate the game. I bought Wolfenstein as I thought it would be good. It sucked. I bought frontlines fuel of war surrounding the hype because i thought it would be good it sucked. I bought Far Cry 2 because of the hype.. again it sucked.
The companies do it to themselves by pushing poor products on the community and establishing a reputation of pushing those poor products.
I just do not see why game companies do not go the ISI route. Push the DVD product but allow a digital distribution of the same title with a 2 or 3 day trial.
I strongly suspect i’ll pirate this, dislike it. Uninstall it and not purchase it. Should I like it i’ll buy it. EA and other publishers/dev’s need to realize what makes piracy so attractive.. is the availability and previous track record.

They probably realized that their game is so shitty, people getting a free demo before release would have eaten a chunk of their sales. Oh well, thankfully I never really got hyped about this game so I can easily just brush it aside and wait for Forza 3.

Hmm interesting………. I hope its for the best of the game and not some EA crap..

This is going to be long winded.

Im going to begin by saying I am no hardcore sim racer by no means, but i do race Go Karts in real life and have countless hours on Forza and Race Pro and i do like racing games to be serious and realistic.

Yesterday i had the chance to play Shift (even won myself a key ring and an EA pen, but that is besides the point). Basically it was a competition thing and you had 2 practice laps and then a flying lap. Alas the steering assist, brake assist ABS, SC, TC & racing line were on (physics set at normal) for the purposes of the competition and i wasn’t aloud to take anything off. So, I was in a Nissan 350Z (the prize if you win the comp) on the Brands Hatch Indy circuit, which is a track i have virtual miles on and real time miles on, so i was confident i would be cool with it. I got there early and i think was the 4th to have a go and the best time up until then was a 1:07.xxx i think, and suffice to say, i destroyed that on my first practice lap with a 1:04.xxx, then a 1:03.xxx and then on my final lap a 1:02.995 or something. But that isn’t important!
The car, the track, the feel….well. Even with the assists on, it was brilliant, i mean i felt sooo tied in with the assists on, but it felt good, REAL good. You drop into Paddock Hill bend and you just feel the car wanting to push wide, holding onto that fine level of grip and the back wanting to break free, the weight transfer coming through Surtees and up to Clearways, it was fantastic. Again, an issue as i was having to use a pad and im used to a wheel, but it still felt good. And the cockpits? Man they were amazing, the dials and everything just look beautiful.

Now, it doesnt end there, Seeing as it was early and no one was even interested or even heard of Shift, i got talking to the guy and asked if i could have a cheeky look round the game and maybe have a bash in an Aston or something, NO ASSISTS. Dude not only agreed to this, but even let me in his pink Veyron round Spa (it was savage to say the least), which handled well, but the back end (as you can imagine) was snaky, but could be contained.
All in all i played for like 2 hours on varying tracks and cars, different levels of assists and what have you. i drove:-

V8 Aston Martin Vantage (@ Spa & Indy Brands) – No assists
Veyron (@ Spa) – ” ”
Subaru Impreza (@ Willow Springs? Not sure) ” ” – Against a hard AI apponent

The Veyron was savage, yeah.
The Vantage….stunning. The cockpit was alive, it was like i was there, it felt poised, planted and so SO nice to drive, just what id imagine (key word) a Vantage would drive like.
The Impreza also very nice. Not a lot of tail action or drama as the 4WD system gave me some nice grip, but it felt brilliant. And the AI were challenging to say the least, i took a little too much curb and he pounced and got me and i really had to fight to get my position back, he was no pushover.
Despite the fact i was on a pad didnt ruin the experience, as you could tell the potential, and with the wheel i could imagine it would be even better.

Something that did and didnt surprise is that i was able to do like a 1:00.233 i think with the Vantage (Brands Indy) with all the assists on, and then a 0:58.xxx with everything off, however i think this had a lot to do with the start as the TC just ruined any sort of good start.

I was very optimistic for this game, and cant wait for its release so i can use my wheel and really give it some stick.

Glad thats over.

I thought hundreds of pimped videos were enough to make you people buy this shit?

I think that the “F”-word could be right one to use now… EA, you’re an idiots.

I think the reason there’s no demo is because this game is hard, maybe SMS have delivered GTR2 physics with there pro mode and EA are crapping it because the usual NFS fan base and other console racing fans are going to hate it.

Well that’s what I’m hoping.

Glad to “hear” that Ion, thx for the info :)

A demo of Shift has been announced to be available this summer

Guess I read this phrase a few times too often.
I hope they’re not fooling us and the delay is really for the better of the game (sim-wise). Hmmm….

Sommergemüse:

Haha – thats illegal and no good choice ;) Better is to rent Shift at a video store

Here in my country it is illegal for any store to rent games… it is done for a stupid piracy law that people would copy them. So that is not an option. The one above is …

Every one is just disappointed they aren’t getting to play this game this weekend. It’s no big deal about being no demo soon. Once it’s out there will be plenty of reviews right here or on the many Sim racing forums. That will give us all the info we need. Even if it works with a set up like yours. I’d rather not see the release date moved back to accommodate a demo!

No stores around here rent pc games. lmao that would be awesome though. Rent, install, no-cd crack – $40 game for $3.50 :)

MadCat360:

I’m sure that will be a completely unbiased and fair review…

Everyone by now knows NFS Shift will be a mix of Gran Turismo 5 and GTR2, that’s what I always expected and why I pre-ordered the game.

Some people will never give a second look to the sim revolution happening on consoles, their loss, I’m sure they’ll enjoy what’s left on the PC.

Look at the lengths you are going to just to say you dislike NFS Shift/EA!

There have been plenty of videos showing the games sim credentials, not least the video of the Nissan Skyline on the Nordshcleife, which looked like a sequal to GTL.

And were’s this EA dislike come from, they’re just a videogame publisher, the last two EA games I bought, FIFA 09 and Fight Night Round 4, were both outstanding.

It’s notable that many of those who have been NFS Shifts biggest critics, when push comes to shove, aren’t even going to try the game. I would have thought anyone with a slight interest in sim games, and a PC powerful enough to run it, would be all over this game. It’s not as if the genre is overflowing with new options on the PC ATM.

BNR32:
Hahah, I knew it.
Shift is as arcade as it looks in the videos, and that’s the reason they aren’t releasing a demo. This sheep flock of a community that believes every line that EA feeds them about this game being realistic (which it hasn’t been in a single preview video released yet) and releasing a demo would make even those people understand they’ve been properly fooled by the hype machine.
The amount of news coverage that Shift has gotten at this site is also a bit fishy, to say the least. I mean, a whole separate news category for Shift along with the more serious sims? While keeping Forza and Gran Turismo in the console category, both which already have way more realistic looking physics than this little hype-machine by EA? I can’t help but to think what kind of a little scheme there is going behind the stages.
Anyway, I don’t personally care how crappy arcade game this will be, I just hate seeing it being marketed as a “realistic simulator” when all it has been so far is a hopped up Grid.
Lesson learned people: Do. Not. Trust. EA. Ever.

fz50:
We can’t expect EA to allow SMS to make a game that is so realistic that it wuold turn away the casual gamer, and only apply to sim racers. EA is a big company, and they need big profits. That’s why they can’t release a game the only applies to a small part of the big racing games market.

That’s why SMS have implemented different difficulty levels to cater for those kinds of gamers you are referring to. In the casual setting all assists are on and the physics are different from the Pro Mode. Ian Bell himself said that in the casual settings the cars are given more tire grip among other things in the physics engine to make it alot easier to drive.

It’s pretty much the same thing that Dan Greenwalt keeps saying about Forza 3…you know the whole “anyone can pickup and play whether it be first time racers or experienced drivers”. So even if you have assits off but not in “Pro Mode” it still won’t be the full potential of what the physics are like.

Ion Square: The car, the track, the feel….well. Even with the assists on, it was brilliant, i mean i felt sooo tied in with the assists on, but it felt good, REAL good. You drop into Paddock Hill bend and you just feel the car wanting to push wide, holding onto that fine level of grip and the back wanting to break free, the weight transfer coming through Surtees and up to Clearways, it was fantastic. Again, an issue as i was having to use a pad and im used to a wheel, but it still felt good. And the cockpits? Man they were amazing, the dials and everything just look beautiful.

Thanks a lot for sharing this with us. It makes the days we have to wait even longer. But this is the info we are waiting and hoping for! This gives us the feeling back from when we were a little boy and we couldnt sleep, counting the days to the big moment…

Soon it is gonna be X-mas!

This feels wonderfull!

JAGUAR1977: Look at the lengths you are going to just to say you dislike NFS Shift/EA!
There have been plenty of videos showing the games sim credentials, not least the video of the Nissan Skyline on the Nordshcleife, which looked like a sequal to GTL.
And were’s this EA dislike come from, they’re just a videogame publisher, the last two EA games I bought, FIFA 09 and Fight Night Round 4, were both outstanding.
It’s notable that many of those who have been NFS Shifts biggest critics, when push comes to shove, aren’t even going to try the game. I would have thought anyone with a slight interest in sim games, and a PC powerful enough to run it, would be all over this game. It’s not as if the genre is overflowing with new options on the PC ATM.

Couldnt agree more..

It bothers to see ppl complaining this much when we dont see a NFS of this quality for years!!

+1

I personally cannot wait to play it. Looks like SMS have done a stellar job.

Bring on Sep 15! or in my case Sep 24 :( damn why does Australia get everything last

Looks like fun game, but I really want to try it out before I buy it…

i second Klaas. It looks like a good time. It would be nice to do some ” just fun ” racing if i get to tired to do the iRacing races without losing Safety points :-) but i have to see it first. i dont want to buy a second Grid.

mattabater:
BTW ermax when has EA ever Produce a sim, they may have PUBLISHED a couple sims back in 2001 2002, i thought SMS and Black box were producing this game and EA was publishing it?

EA has never developed a sim. They published the EAF1 games which where sims but developed by ISI. Even though EA doesn’t technically develop Shift they are the ones with the money and have a large influence on the final product. So my comment stands, EA has a bad track record in recent years.

f0xx:

Couldnt agree more..
It bothers to see ppl complaining this much when we dont see a NFS of this quality for years!!

just wait 6 months to a year, they will make a new NFS game, they always do lol

LOL the only thing I have to say about this is “Arrrrr matey!”

“We meet again, simracer!”
“That’s CAPTAIN simracer.”

I like this one

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=85kwy4qMRT0&eurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.xboxfront.de%2Fnews-1911-17833-Need_for_Speed__SHIFT.html&feature=player_embedded

if physics only feel a bit at the wheel like it seem Looks very real, specially grip!

Great vid! Its a must buy

Ehmm, did anyone notice the babe with the flag standing IN the car….

Brilliant video!!

There is another one from the same source (with a Porsche):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ChaGvZ0hH6k&eurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fuser%2FXboxFront&feature=player_profilepage#t=11

For me, no demo = no sale.

The end.

still aids on though, but nice vids, better then those marketing crap vids.

Thank you Ion Square. I read through these comments expecting the usual “f**k you EA” from the supposedly “mature” sim race community, but seeing an informative preview of the game was a pleasant surprise.
I’m pretty optimistic about this game, no thanks to the loads of videos and “professional” reviews. Only a few of them gave me the kind of info I wanted.

Ion Square’s comment is worthy of being a news post here IMO, it’s more interesting than some trailer :)

Those of you so desperate for a demo, quit being so immature and whiney and just have patience. Nobody is forcing you to buy it before reading reviews and comments from other sim racers, that should be enough to decide if you’ll like it. You’ll have plenty of time and information to decide about it after release.

Hmm, I might just pre-order it without a demo because the sim mode is sounding pretty good. The pre-order is cheap from some places…

aliasx:
I like this one
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=85kwy4qMRT0&eurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.xboxfront.de%2Fnews-1911-17833-Need_for_Speed__SHIFT.html&feature=player_embedded
if physics only feel a bit at the wheel like it seem Looks very real, specially grip!

Wow that has to be the best video i’ve seen so far of actual gameplay with the exception of the grid girl standing in the car (as mention by Klaas above).

i dont think ive seen anything showing the game having any type of race qualifying?

That Megane video sold me: aids on, but finally driven with a wheel. Anyone noticed how you can hear the car bottoming out in the fast corners? Nice detail.

Maddmatt:
Thank you Ion Square. I read through these comments expecting the usual “f**k you EA” from the supposedly “mature” sim race community, but seeing an informative preview of the game was a pleasant surprise.
I’m pretty optimistic about this game, no thanks to the loads of videos and “professional” reviews. Only a few of them gave me the kind of info I wanted.
Ion Square’s comment is worthy of being a news post here IMO, it’s more interesting than some trailer :)
Those of you so desperate for a demo, quit being so immature and whiney and just have patience. Nobody is forcing you to buy it before reading reviews and comments from other sim racers, that should be enough to decide if you’ll like it. You’ll have plenty of time and information to decide about it after release.
Hmm, I might just pre-order it without a demo because the sim mode is sounding pretty good. The pre-order is cheap from some places…

Thanks man, glad to know my opinions/preview of the game is appreciated!
Now i do have some more info which i should have posted first time round, but by time id typed that block of text, id lost the will to live a little!

A few, maybe minor details i witnessed in the game i liked:-

The blurring of the screen at high speeds:-
I did notice the blurring of the screen, but less as a distraction, more because i wanted to see it as i like the idea of that effect, and even at 180mph in the Veyron down the Kemmel Straight at Spa, i didnt notice it that much, it just added a nice feel to the game.
The blurring as far as i know (for the 360 version) cannot be turned off, as i did sift through the menus alot.

Gravel traps:-
Now its no new thing, gravel traps should be “sticky” you shouldnt be able to continue through at race pace thats for sure. The ones in Shift are really good, you dont get beached like in real life as that would be no fun, but you do get rather stuck. Another note is that as they use the old Spa track, the Pouhon corner still has that massive gravel trap which i actually went into and flipped the Veyron! Which brings me onto my next point….

Crash blurring/effects:-
This was awesome. I “discovered” after my flip at Pouhon that if the screen goes into black & white and everything goes way out of focus…get this…the car will not move again until the screen has cleared! Just like in real life! I mean, if you glance a wall in real life and the car is somehow still able to move, you wont be moving away to the pits as soon as you know which way is up you will be shaken, sore maybe and will be stunned to say the least, so it will take some time to move off again, and the game does this. I was very impressed.

Demo:-
I asked the guy about the demo and he said it should have come out on August 28th, however they still have some bugs to figure out. He told me that the HUD some times went off, the times are out of wack and they round down instead of up or something. So there is still some work to be done.

Head movements:-
The in car view really gave me a feel of being in the car and that a real person was behind the wheel, under braking, during cornering, going over bumps, everything you would feel in real life is replayed to you via the head movements. Although there is no FFB with a pad, i could tell the tracks were bumpy as the head moved and the car shook.

Comparability:-
There is none. Straight up. Im not sure who said it, but i saw in a developer interview or something that the physics cannot be compared to anything, and its so true, the game feels like nothing ive felt before, its sensational.
Those worried about an arcade racer dont have to worry, with the assists on, it is kiiind of arcade like but with the assists off it could reach full sim potential. But, i cannot be 100% as i didnt use a wheel and only had a limited time on the game with limited settings.

The game IMO is worth all the attention (good or bad) it is getting as it really does seem like a fun, and great game to play.
If anyone has any questions, i’ll try my best to remember stuff and answer them!

EDIT:-
That Megane video looked awesome! I didnt get in a FWD car, but it looked good. a 1:48.xxx doesnt seem like an unreasonable time either :)

I can perfectly live with a demo coming out after release it happens quite often to be realy honnest.
No problem for me here whatsoever.

But if no demo comes out i wil personally post a very angry letter to the EA and i sugeests some of u guys do the same.
Just not gving out a demo of any game is juts unaceptable for any game developer would deserve to be flamed to death for NOT giving out a demo.
Actualy not gving a demo wil result in a lower sales number wicjh could be higher with a demo for the les convinced buyers and make it so good that theeir convinced after 3 hours of play at max.
What aheppend to thse good harted days for you EA what happend to not give us a demo ey??.

Sireously im fine with not having a demo now but not giving a demo wil be the proof that you guys dont give shit about is realisem lovers(aka sim racers).
So please EA even if it is a week after release please give is a demo so we dont have to buy a gam we might not even like is economical crisis if the game i not that good or not to my liking i just wasted lot of money wich could have beighn used to keep myself not hungry for longer.(i mean more money to buy food and pay insurance an stuf)

Maddmatt:
Thank you Ion Square. I read through these comments expecting the usual “f**k you EA” from the supposedly “mature” sim race community,

Who told you it was a mature community ? Or did you just form that opinion yourself ?

I wonder if the downturn in the economy has meant no demo. As Chrisuu01 said, he doesn’t want to buy a game he might not like. What if EA are corporate fat cats who don’t really care if you buy the game and not like it ? What if they only care that they made another sale ?
Seems like if there’s no demo then poeple will either have to not buy it or take the plunge and gamble on liking it.
Of course you can say that no demo means you won’t have people trying it who may not have bought it, going on to buy it. But if they’re not interested in the first place, why would they try the demo ?
I’m not suggesting this is the reason we have no demo, but its not impossible.

F1Racer:

Who told you it was a mature community ? Or did you just form that opinion yourself ?
I wonder if the downturn in the economy has meant no demo. As Chrisuu01 said, he doesn’t want to buy a game he might not like. What if EA are corporate fat cats who don’t really care if you buy the game and not like it ? What if they only care that they made another sale ?
Seems like if there’s no demo then poeple will either have to not buy it or take the plunge and gamble on liking it.
Of course you can say that no demo means you won’t have people trying it who may not have bought it, going on to buy it. But if they’re not interested in the first place, why would they try the demo ?
I’m not suggesting this is the reason we have no demo, but its not impossible.

Or pirate it..

Please gentlemen, it is time to stop posting these negative postings…

Read the two postings from Ion Square. Then read them again.

He is the only one in here who drove the game. He isn’t working for a gamemagazine who has a relation with gameproducers. He is someone of us, who wants to share his experience.

And is he so hard to believe?
Read his words.
Read his experience in real life.
He can’t wait to lay his hands on the game…

That is enough for me to look everyday in here. To look everyday on the complete internet/usenet. To look for maybe a demo or maybe the sign that we can really buy or try the game.

And seeing this last vids: Wow, this game sure is going to blow away all the rest. How I know? I hope Ian doesnt mind I repeat his words, I cant get enough of reading his words saying:

“Comparability:
There is none. Straight up. Im not sure who said it, but i saw in a developer interview or something that the physics cannot be compared to anything, and its so true, the game feels like nothing ive felt before, its sensational”.

Hope we soon meet all online!
I can’t wait to hit the pedal to the metal.

Soon we start our engines, gentlemen…

Greetings from Holland,
from an excited oldtimer (42 years),

Maurice.

Ion Square:
Thanks man, glad to know my opinions/preview of the game is appreciated!

Very Much Appreciated Ion, I never thought the Demo would really make a big deal to me. I preordered the game last week from Amazon with a Same Date delivery as the release date for less than 6 dollars shipping.

Thanks again for some hands on info from a real gamer and not some paid advertisement media hype.

BTW… I thought the demo for rFactor was the pits and I still do, but look at what the game offers.

Ppl dont need to be so negative… I understand EA dissapointed alot but after so many mistakes they did it…. Shift looks very nice and it really is like the producers said, its all about driving experience, those cockpits are literally alive and I dont need to play it to know that.

Already pre-ordered it :)

Thx again for the great info Ion Square

mauricetgol:
Please gentlemen, it is time to stop posting these negative postings…
Read the two postings from Ion Square. Then read them again.
He is the only one in here who drove the game. He isn’t working for a gamemagazine who has a relation with gameproducers. He is someone of us, who wants to share his experience.
And is he so hard to believe?
Read his words.
Read his experience in real life.
He can’t wait to lay his hands on the game…

RKipker:

Very Much Appreciated Ion, I never thought the Demo would really make a big deal to me. I preordered the game last week from Amazon with a Same Date delivery as the release date for less than 6 dollars shipping.
Thanks again for some hands on info from a real gamer and not some paid advertisement media hype.
BTW… I thought the demo for rFactor was the pits and I still do, but look at what the game offers.

Maurice. Thanks man, glad you appreciate my mini review also and im also glad you are looking forward to the game as i certainly am! If you have a 360 then im sure we can race sometime :) (no PC version for me as im a long time Mac user and just spent loads on a Fanatec wheel!)

RKipter, glad you also appreciate my insight, i also pre ordered the game just after playing it actually! I do hope the demo version come out before the release, but what i played was the master version (with a couple of bugs) so im not sure how a demo would fair up.

One thing i forgot to mention was length of races. According to the EA/Shift guy, you have to go through tiers in the Career and the further you progress, the more laps you get. There is even a HMV preorder (UK only i think) where you can d/l a 75 lap endurance race, so im guessing the 2/3 lap previews we see are just that, previews.

I really really hope this game does well, and people can put their pre-justice of NFS behind them. I did and i cant wait for it now. However, if you dont like it, dont blame me! :P

Ion Square:

Crash blurring/effects:-
This was awesome. I “discovered” after my flip at Pouhon that if the screen goes into black & white and everything goes way out of focus…get this…the car will not move again until the screen has cleared! Just like in real life! I mean, if you glance a wall in real life and the car is somehow still able to move, you wont be moving away to the pits as soon as you know which way is up you will be shaken, sore maybe and will be stunned to say the least, so it will take some time to move off again, and the game does this. I was very impressed.

That is a very interesting piece of information. As a real life amateur rally driver I can confirm that while you barely notice minor to mild collisions (well, you might mutter f**k! under your breath), something more major like a roll for example will stop you for awhile. Now, I really start caring about damage after the finish line, but when I rolled my car I needed a few seconds to figure out what happened exactly, if the co-driver was OK, if the wheels were still (more or less) connected to the steering wheel, etc. before I was away again. I cried/kicked myself/got glass shards out of my clothes only after the finish line.

I think some posts (like mine) are being misconstrued as being negative. I am really looking forward to Shift. Regardless of its physics, it looks and sounds awesome. I think the physics will be something I can live. At best it will match GTR Evo and will easily better that of GRID. The latest german video’s, especially the one with the Renault Megane, are brilliant.
Im kinda sold on that Renault vid. Thats good enough for me and I can always go back to rF, GTR-E whenever I need to.

Shift will be the best NFS since Porsche Unleashed.

F1Racer:
I think some posts (like mine) are being misconstrued as being negative. I am really looking forward to Shift. Regardless of its physics, it looks and sounds awesome. I think the physics will be something I can live. At best it will match GTR Evo and will easily better that of GRID. The latest german video’s, especially the one with the Renault Megane, are brilliant.
Im kinda sold on that Renault vid. Thats good enough for me and I can always go back to rF, GTR-E whenever I need to.
Shift will be the best NFS since Porsche Unleashed.

Hear Hear!

Ion Square:

Demo:-
I asked the guy about the demo and he said it should have come out on August 28th, however they still have some bugs to figure out. He told me that the HUD some times went off, the times are out of wack and they round down instead of up or something. So there is still some work to be done.

Last posting from me about Shift until Shift is out.

for the rest a good reading Ion!

Wow. Thanks to Ion Storm for being a voice of objectivity here. I thought I’d take time to respond to all the rants, rants, & rants, but decided it’d be more constructive to post a couple of links from my favorite site, SpeedHunters. It’s proving that large sloth like objects can course-correct.

Cool :

Awesome :

Don’t miss reading the responses there for a bit of honest insight.

Nice : http://speedhunters.com/archive/2009/09/14/need-for-speed-shift-gt-gt-a-honda-and-a-mazda-in-tokyo.aspx

GamesCom PC Display Of Awesome :

Oh ya, demo’s comin’ soon enough…

And : http://www.metacritic.com/games/platforms/pc/needforspeedshift

Thanks VirtualR for keeping my racing, physics & automotive education in check. Anyone in the LA area Weds night who wants a test drive come by the Geisha House 5-9 & invoke VirtualR.

Now burn (this thread down) after reading, it’s stompin on my cabbage patch

No links closed in brackets? Article locked for moderator approvel eh! Well allow me to reiterate:happyevil:

Cool : http://speedhunters.com/archive/2009/09/11/need-for-speed-shift-gt-gt-the-little-corolla-that-could.aspx

Awesome : http://speedhunters.com/archive/2009/09/12/need-for-speed-shift-gt-gt-two-bmws-on-the-nordschliefe.aspx

Don’t miss reading the responses there for a bit of honest insight.

Nice : http://speedhunters.com/archive/2009/09/14/need-for-speed-shift-gt-gt-a-honda-and-a-mazda-in-tokyo.aspx

GamesCom PC Display Of Awesome : http://www.ea.com/blogs/gamescom

Hi nameless

Sorry, post with plenty of links allways need to be approved to fight of spam bots and stuff.

Interesting previews, although Speedhunter’s writing style can get annoying.
One thing I noticed: what’s with the rollcages? They look like from some really bad rfactor mod. The contrast compared to overall 3D modelling is pretty stark.