Confermato SHIFT 2

Mediante apposito comunicato stampa (che trovate in calce in lingua originale) Electronic Arts ha confermato quest'oggi che nella primavera del 2011 vedrà la luce SHIFT 2: UNLEASHED (a quanto pare privo del titolo di base Need for Speed), sviluppato da Slightly Mad Studios per PC, PS3 e Xbox360, autori del precedente NfS:Shift.

Oltre alla promessa di una nuova esaltante esperienza di guida, grafica mozzafiato e bolidi che sfrecciano a 200 miglia all'ora, EA accenna ad una nuova inquadratura ripresa da una camera sul casco del pilota, ossia in grado di simulare il movimento della testa durante la gara (compresi i sobbalzi dovuti a un urto). Confermata anche l'implementazioen del sistema Autolog che costituisce uno degli elementi di punta del progetto Hot Pursuit.

AGGIORNAMENTO: siamo adesso in grado di fornirvi il primo trailer del gioco:

Ecco il comunicato stampa:

Guildford, UK – November 16, 2010 – The race to #1 heats up! Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ: ERTS) today announced SHIFT 2 UNLEASHEDTM, the next entry in the blockbuster Need for Speed simulation series. The original SHIFT game was released in September 2009 and has sold through close to five million copies globally. Its success was propelled by the revolutionary true driver’s experience -- a game design that was heralded by critics as more visceral, more physical and more intense than any other title in the sim category. Capturing the physicality and brutality of racing at 200mph has been the leading area of innovation by the award-winning development team at Slightly Mad Studios. SHIFT 2 UNLEASHED builds on the true drivers experience by introducing the driver’s battle, an even more authentic and primal feeling of power and speed which elevates the fundamental competitive race into a struggle for supremacy against other drivers and even the track itself. In SHIFT 2 UNLEASHED, players’ hands sweat and ache as they clutch onto the controller, their pulse races from the break-neck speeds experienced through the first-person cockpit view. Launching in Spring 2011, SHIFT 2 UNLEASHED pushes the envelope with the most authentic and intense racing experience in the genre. The world debut trailer of SHIFT 2 UNLEASHED was revealed today as bonus content for the action racing Need for Speed title, Need for Speed Hot Pursuit.

“SHIFT 2 UNLEASHED is redefining immersive racing by blending the rush of tearing up the track at unbelievable speeds with the emotional experience of competitive battle,” said Marcus Nilsson, Executive Producer, SHIFT 2 UNLEASHED. “We are also working closely with real-world performance drivers to ensure that SHIFT 2 UNLEASHED captures their experience and becomes the benchmark in authentic racing action.”

SHIFT 2 UNLEASHED features an all-new rendering engine with a massive graphics overhaul that puts the player in the heart of the racing action. With an innovative helmet camera view simulating the physical experience of driving at 200mph, the thrilling experience of night racing and authentic degradation of tracks and cars, this is tomorrow’s sim for today’s adrenaline fueled racer. SHIFT 2 UNLEASHED also incorporates the next generation of Need for Speed Autolog - the groundbreaking network that connects friends for epic head-to-head races and compares player stats for the ultimate social racing competition.

Developed by the award-winning Slightly Mad Studios, SHIFT 2 UNLEASHED will be available on the Xbox 360® videogame and entertainment system, PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system and PC. For more information on Need for Speed, 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.