The need for speed video games is a video game franchise developed and published by Electronic Arts, and has been in continuous development since the release of the series' first game in 1982. The series is meant to be a representation of the high-octane, high-speed action and excitement of driving in a fast car. The series has developed into a video game franchise with 14 games and more than 30 million copies sold worldwide.
The very basics
The earliest games in the series were developed by EA founder Trip Hawkins in his spare time in 1982. These games were developed with a black and white sprite-based graphics and they were very simplistic in nature. These games were released for the Atari 2600 and the Atari 8-bit family.
The Need for Speed
In 1994, Electronic Arts acquired the rights to the series from Activision, which had held the rights since the release of the first title. Electronic Arts did not continue the original series, instead beginning a new series which was released in 1994. This series did not contain the black and white graphics from the original series, instead using a full color, 3D graphics engine.
In 1995, Electronic Arts released a new installment to the series with the title, "The Need for Speed". This was the first game in the series that had a storyline. In this game, the player is given a mission to challenge a rival car manufacturer. During the mission, the player is framed for a crime and must race to clear their name while also winning races.
Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit
In 1999, Electronic Arts released a new installment to the series called "Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit". This game was the first in the series to have a multiplayer mode where two players could race against each other.
Need for Speed: Underground
In 2002, Electronic Arts released "Need for Speed: Underground", which introduced a number of new concepts to the series. In this game, players can change the "look" of their car by modifying it. Players can also modify their car's color, performance, and number of car to race against.
Need for Speed: Most Wanted
In 2003, Electronic Arts released "Need for Speed: Most Wanted", which was the first game in the series to have a story mode. In this game, you are able to play as three different characters. The game also introduced a new engine called "Morpheus" which allowed for a better-looking game with non-linear gameplay.
Still Speeding
The need for speed video games are a video game franchise developed and published by Electronic Arts, and has been in continuous development since the release of the series' first game in 1982. The series are about car racing, where you can customize your car and make it more powerful. After 2003, the series continued and had twice as many games, but these are known to be early shots and already became the video gaming classic.