Need for Speed: World

Need for Speed: World was the fifteenth installment in the long-running racing video game Need for Speed franchise published by Electronic Arts. This iteration was co-developed by EA Black Box (rebranded Quicklime Games before closing in 2013) and EA Singapore. It was the first freemium MMORG in the Need for Speed series (though Motor City Online was originally conceived as a Need for Speed game) and was available on Microsoft Windows. World was released worldwide on July 27, 2010. However, people who ordered a "Starter Pack" had an early "head-start" in the game, which started on July 20, 2010.

Also known as: Need for Speed: World Online · NFS World Online · NFSWO
Released: 20 July 2010
Platforms: Windows
Genres: MMO Racing Simulation
Developers: —
Publishers: Electronic Arts
Series: Need for Speed
Modes: Multiplayer
Perspective: First person Third person
Engine: EAGL
Country: Canada
Age ratings: ESRB E10+
Entry: #15 in Need for Speed
Composers: Mick Gordon

About

Need for Speed: World (previously known as Need for Speed: World Online) is a massively multiplayer online racing game published by Electronic Arts, and the fifteenth installment of the publisher's Need for Speed franchise. It was co-developed by EA Black Box (rebranded as Quicklime Games during the game's operation) and EA Singapore, with Easy Studios and EA Vancouver later taking over operations during its run. It was the first freemium game in the Need for Speed series and was available on Microsoft Windows. World was released worldwide on July 27, 2010. However, people who ordered a "Starter Pack" had an early "head-start" in the game, which started on July 20, 2010.

Need for Speed: World, along with other EA free-to-play titles Battlefield Heroes, Battlefield Play4Free, and FIFA World, went offline on July 14, 2015. However, fan preservation efforts resurrected the game as an unofficial freeware title; the first known fan-run servers went online in 2017.

Keywords

vehicular combat
street racing
online
artificial intelligence
drifting
free-to-play
day/night cycle
race cars
vehicle combat
platform exclusive
pre-release public testing
leveling up

Media

The articlegameplay, story, development, reception

Gameplay

World has a similar gameplay style to 2005's Most Wanted and 2006's Carbon, focusing on illegal street racing, tuning, and police chases, and added some elements to the game such as "power-ups" (somewhat similar to Mario Kart). World was set in a fictional city which combined the cities of Rockport from Most Wanted and Palmont from Carbon into its map design, with redesigned graphics and new locations added to the map to connect the two cities. The game featured over 100 licensed cars consisting of multiple different variations of some. Manufactures ranged from Alfa Romeo to Volkswagen and there were over thirty manufacturers in the game.

Initially, after reaching a certain level, the player would not be able to progress further in the game and would cease to earn any more experience points or cash. To continue the game, the player had to purchase a "Starter Pack". Without it, the player was allowed to continue playing the game but would cease to earn experience and cash. On September 8, 2010, in celebration of the game reaching 1,000,000 registrations, the game was made completely free-to-play and the level cap was removed.

Development

The game was first announced to be free-to-play. In October 2009, World was opened to public beta-testing limited to residents of Taiwan. There have been seven closed beta sessions in total. Except the first one, all were available worldwide to residents who sign up, meet admission criteria, and get accepted.

The main part of the game's map was completed on October 26, 2010, when the final three areas (Downtown Rockport, Kempton, Fortuna) and the Turnpike bridge were added to the map.

Reception

Need for Speed: World received mixed reviews from critics according to review aggregator website Metacritic.

The highest praise of the game came from GamingXP, which commented that "The game feels like a combination of previous Need for Speed games except the single player has been cut off. Add some role-play elements and you have a racing MMO." PC Format gave a somewhat mediocre review in their October 2010 issue, concluding that the game "feels like a missed opportunity." Eurogamer commented that "It's a real shame that the MMO aspect of World is effectively a needlessly elaborate lobby." In November 2012, World surpassed twenty million registered users.