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EA’s upcoming Need for Speed reboot requires an online connection

Kris Wouk
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Need for Speed
Image used with permission by copyright holder
Last week we saw the first teaser trailer for EA’s upcoming Need for Speed reboot released. While it was hard to see what was really there under all the shaky-cam, it was enough to get people excited about re-visiting the series.

A recent tweet from the official EA Need for Speed account may dampen that excitement level for some people. In response to a question, the company tweeted that “NFS will require an online connection, but the benefits are nice. More variety and a more rewarding experience with friends.”

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@DeanRheims NFS will require an online connection, but the benefits are nice. More variety and a more rewarding experience with friends.

— Need for Speed (@NeedforSpeed) May 28, 2015

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Another tweet followed, elaborating a bit: “Being connected will allow your friends to be part of your narrative experience, something only possible through connected play.”

While various Need for Speed games have included plenty of online options for years now, they were always optional. This is the first time a game in the series has required that players have an always-on internet connection in order to play.

If you want to know how wrong this can go, just ask Ubisoft. Its massively multiplayer racer The Crew requires an always-on connection, and while people have found plenty else to complain about in the game as well, that is one of its most frequently lamented aspects. If there is a problem anywhere along the line from the game to Ubisoft’s servers, you become unable to play the game, period.

Aside from the fact that we now know an Internet connection is required, little else is known about the Ghost Games-developed Need for Speed. An Xbox Store leak yesterday revealed a planned release date of November 3, Eurogamer reports, and the game will feature five “ways to play,” namely, Speed, Style, Build, Crew, and Outlaw. The game will be released on the PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC.

A full trailer for Need for Speed is coming on June 15 — the same day that the game will be shown at E3 — but in the meantime, take a look at the brief teaser trailer below.

Need for Speed Teaser Trailer - PC, PS4, Xbox One

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Kris Wouk
Kris Wouk
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Kris Wouk is a tech writer, gadget reviewer, blogger, and whatever it's called when someone makes videos for the web. In his…
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