Feel the Rush of Besting Your Friends with Criterion's
Groundbreaking 'Autolog' Social Network
GUILDFORD, England, Oct 25, 2010 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- Criterion Games, a studio of Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ:ERTS) today
announced a demo for Need for Speed(TM) Hot Pursuit. This demo will
give gamers early access to this holiday's hottest action racing title.
Starting October 26 for a limited time*, players can experience the
intensity of friendly competition, using Need for Speed's
revolutionary social network, Autolog. This new in-game
technology makes personalized recommendations to gamers based on what
their friends have been playing. Autolog is a brilliantly simple
feature that challenges each player to set the best race time amongst
their friends. Play alone and reign supreme against the game's AI or
invite just one friend to join, and unlock a second track in the demo.
Playing with friends or frenemies, players kick off an addictive
competitive loop where the compulsion to be the best and earn bragging
rights is irresistible.
Need for Speed Hot Pursuit ships on November 16, 2010 and is
already earning accolades from critics worldwide for pioneering a new
innovation within the racing category. "Need for Speed Hot Pursuit
could redefine online racing forever," stated GamesRadar in their summer
preview of the game. In Europe, Eurogamer noted that, "Friends, data and
photos continuously stream into view, all offering new gameplay
opportunities and challenges."
"Need for Speed Hot Pursuit is blowing the roof off social
competition and bringing excitement back to the racing genre," says Matt
Webster, Producer at Criterion Games. "We're putting players and their
friends at the heart of the gameplay experience by automatically
tracking and comparing each person's performances. This demo will give
gamers a snapshot of Need for Speed Autolog and how we're amping
up the energy of intense pursuits, competitive racing and online
connected play - nothing is more powerful than beating your friends."
In the Need for Speed Hot Pursuit demo, players will be able to
chase as a cop in the Dark Horse Hot Pursuit event, speeding
through the coastal highway and mountainous ridges of Seacrest County.
At the heart of the demo is a social network called Autolog that tracks
cop and racer performances while playing solo and uses those statistics
to generate fierce competition between friends. Once players add a
friend to their Need for Speed friends list, the second event
will unlock called Roadster's Reborn, where gamers can compete as
racers to set the best times. When they download and play the demo they
will also earn 500 bounty award points in the full game for both Cop and
Racer careers**. Accruing bounty will allow players to unlock events and
exotic cars and progress through their careers in the full game.
The Need for Speed Hot Pursuit demo will be available for
download October 26 on Xbox LIVE(TM) Marketplace worldwide and the
PlayStation(R)Network in North America and on October 27 on the
PlayStation Network in Europe. The retail game will be available on
November 16 in North America and on November 18 and 19 in Europe on the
Xbox 360(R) videogame and entertainment system, PlayStation(R)3 computer
entertainment system and PC. The Limited Edition can be pre-ordered now
on all platforms to gain exclusive content at no extra cost, with
participating retailers worldwide (while supplies last). Need for
Speed Hot Pursuit will also be available on the Wii(TM) and is being
developed by Exient.***
For more of the latest news and information on Need for Speed Hot
Pursuit, please visit http://www.needforspeed.com
or become a fan on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/needforspeed
and follow us on Twitter http://www.twitter.com/needforspeed.
* Demo ends on November 9, 2010
** Use of Bounty Point from the demo requires full game and use of the
same EA Account used to play the demo.
*** Autolog not available on the Wii
About Electronic Arts
Electronic Arts Inc. (EA), headquartered in Redwood City, California, is
a leading global interactive entertainment software company. Founded in
1982, the Company develops, publishes, and distributes interactive
software worldwide for video game systems, personal computers, wireless
devices and the Internet. Electronic Arts markets its products under
four brand names: EATM, EA SPORTSTM, EA MobileTM
and POGOTM. In fiscal 2010, EA posted GAAP net revenue of
$3.7 billion and had 27 titles that sold more than one million units.
EA's homepage and online game site is www.ea.com.
More information about EA's products and full text of press releases can
be found on the Internet at http://info.ea.com.
EA, EA SPORTS, EA Mobile, POGO and Need for Speed are trademarks of
Electronic Arts Inc. The names, designs, and logos of all products are
the property of their respective owners and used by permission.
Microsoft and Xbox 360 are trademarks of the Microsoft group of
companies. "PlayStation" are registered trademarks of Sony Computer
Entertainment Inc. Wii is a trademark of Nintendo. All other trademarks
are the property of their respective owners.
SOURCE: Electronic Arts Inc.
Electronic Arts Inc.
Jino Talens, 650-628-9111 (Sr. Publicist)
jtalens@ea.com
Dana Sissons, 604-456-5004 (PR Manager)
dsissons@ea.com
Peter Nguyen, 650-628-3607 (PR Director)
pnguyen@ea.com
Tammy Schachter, 650-628-7223 (VP, EA Games Label PR)
tschachter@ea.com
Copyright Business Wire 2010