C ::: The interview with Chris Brown

Finally we've reached one guy from the big Electronic Arts who answered lot of things about the newest episode of Need for Speed. Carbon will be released later this year but until that time there will be a lot of new informations. Lets see what Chris Brown told to us!

Why Carbon Canyon is the place of the game?

We felt it was the perfect setting for the next Need for Speed game. It represents everything that Need for Speed is known for – danger, adrenaline, taking chances and racing on the edge.

When NFS: Underground 2 released so many fans said they really miss the daylight driving. Don’t you think they will miss this in Carbon as well? Or do you think "Carbon 2" will be good enough for a later daylight version?

No matter what the setting is, I think Need for Speed has always been able to deliver a really compelling racing experience. There’s alway tough decisions to make when designing the game but I think fans will be really happy with Carbon. There are some amazing new game modes and new customization features that will blow people away!

What will be more important? Tuning, races, driving?

I don’t think that one thing is more inportant than the other in Carbon when talking about tuning, racing and driving. The best drivers will always be rewarded with success in Carbon but you will be able to set up your ride to take advantage of the different race modes.

How hard will be the police in the game? In Most Wanted they were the biggest challenge when so many cars wanted to catch us. Is that changed somehow?

We’ve really tried to build on the cop experience from Most Wanted. We've tried to provide more context as to why the cops would be present in one area of town over another. Geography heat is the big new feature with the cops in Carbon. The more you race in one area of the city, the higher the heat level becomes increasing the likelihood of a cop pursuit after you complete your race

How big is the gameplace compared to Most Wanted?

You can expect to see a city that is slightly larger than Most Wanted.

Please tell us something about the new gameplay modes.

There are probably three key new areas that I think fans of the franchise will find very exciting. The first is our new mode, Canyon Duel, where you and an opponent are going head to head in the ultimate game of cat and mouse. The first run has you following the opponent’s car trying to stay as close as you can without going over the edge or slamming into the cliff face. The closer you are, the more points you accumulate. On the second run the roles are reversed and he is chasing you eating away at your score – make it down to the bottom in one piece with points left and you have proved your mettle. Second, our physics has been a big focus this time around. Last year we had feedback from fans of the franchise that they were looking for more differentiation between the car classes and we have taken it to heart this year. Fans will immediate feel a difference in the handling, acceleration and driving techniques the moment they try out a car from each of the different car classes – Tuner, Exotic and Muscle. Finally, the territory acquisition meta game experience will offer fans a whole new way to play through the game. Tied in closely to the story and building out your crew, dominating the city will engage you for hours at a time.

How complex will be the car customization? Only new vinlys, colors, parts or something special as well?

Visual and performance customization has always been a foundation of the franchise. Without a doubt, players will be able to customize their rides in Carbon. I can’t get into too much detail about it right now, but fans can look forward to experiencing the ultimate evolution in visual customization in racing games. I think the Need for Speed franchise has once again raised the bar higher than any other game to date!

How many cars will we have in the game? There’ve been rumors on the net about 50-100 cars. What is the truth?

You can expect to see over 50 cars in the game this year and a car list that has expanded on where Most Wanted left off. There is a good distribution of tuner, exotic and muscle cars as well as a few surprises that should get people excited when the car list is officially announced later this summer!

Can you tell us anything about the crash model (cars, environment, something else)?

Unfortunately, not at this time.

Will there be some beautiful ladies in the beginning of every race like in NFS: Underground? If yes, how many?

We’re still trying to finalize exactly how the races will start in Carbon. Hopefully we can have some beautiful ladies in there for you!

If you can pick only one thing, what is the most interesting new feature in NFS: Carbon?

Without a doubt, it’s the Canyon Racing! This is by far one of the most intense, adrenaline rushes that a person can have in a car. Not only are you trying to defeat your opponent in these races, you’re actually just trying to survive. This mode is all about racing on the edge, danger and consequences. Combine the outstanding course designs with the innovative new scoring system and I believe we have created one of the most innovative new racing game modes since Drift and Drag were introduced to Need for Speed fans back in the original Underground series

Which already released Need for Speed episode is most like Carbon?

Similar to the way that Most Wanted evolved from the Underground series, you can expect to see the same type of evolution from Most Wanted to Carbon.

Will there be any differences between PC and next-gen console versions? I’m not talking about the graphics but the content itself.

For Need for Speed Carbon, the PC and Next Gen consoles will have the same feature set.

Could you tell us aproximately how much does it cost to develop a new version of the Need for Speed franchise? And how many people are working on the current project?

Unfortunately, I can’t release any finacial details regarding the development of a Need for Speed game. Right now, Carbon has over 100 extremely talented people working hard on the game.

50 Cent will appear in the soundtrack?

We’re still waiting to finalize all of the music in the game this year, so I can’t comment on any specific artists at this point.

Anything more you want to share with our readers?

We really hope that you have as much fun playing the game as we did making it!

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