Criterion Gains Full Control of Burnout and Need for Speed Franchises

Criterion has fully taken the reigns of the Need for Speed and burnout franchises.

“Our stamp’s going to be in everything you see in Need for Speed and Burnout going forward in the future,” Criterion vice president Alex Ward explained to Game Informer.

“It’s not going to be spread anymore across different companies. Different studios have had a crack at it – it’s definitely a Criterion gig now.

“Going forward now, with Most Wanted and what we’ll do in the future [will have], shall we say, a strong Criterion involvement.

“I’m personally involved in how the cars drive, how the game will play out, how connected they are and what the features are.”

History has had it that development for Need for Speed and Burnout was alternated between UK-based Criterion and other studios owned by EA.

Whether Criterion will be developing all future Need for Speed and Burnout games or not isn’t entirely clear but it looks like Criterion will be in charge of which Need For Speed games are released.

In respect to future plans, Criterion said “it would be amazing” if in the future there was “one big” Need for Speed that had all the sub-brands – Shift, Most Wanted, Underground and Hot Pursuit – in it.

“I think something big will have to happen soon to enable us to do some of the things we want to do.”