EA Unveils NFS Shift's Innovative Drive Profile System

Racing games have always been about portraying the fun and adrenaline-filled sensations that you get from driving a car right to its limits to ordinary gamers who may or may not have been in a professional racing car up until then.

Electronic Arts' Need For Speed franchise has always focused on this aspect, and now, through its upcoming NFS Shift title, it aims at delivering a fun simulator that will portray some realistic mechanics, focusing on how the driver behaves and what he feels in the car during the race.

In this context, the company has unveiled the new driver profile system, which will track every move of the player during the races, and will extend from the single-player career to the online multiplayer mode, offering and unlocking some interesting new features and challenges. Here are the four key gameplay components of this new system.

1. Personality - a player’s driving style determines whether they are an aggressive or precise driver.
2. Success - as in every race, the ultimate goal is to finish at the top of the podium.
3. Profile points - every car passed, every corner mastered, every opponent taken out generates profile points.
4. Badges - these unique icons bring individuality and style to each player’s driver profile, as each player races and completes top achievements.

As players go through the single and multiplayer modes, the new system will create rivalries with other AI-controlled opponents, trigger specific challenges and unlock vehicles and customization options. Winning races isn't mandatory, but in order to achieve the highest reward, such a thing is recommended. “The new driver profile feature in Need for Speed Shift gives players full control of how they progress through game,” said Patrick Soderlund, senior vice president of EA Games Europe. “In Shift how you drive is who you are behind the wheel.”

Look forward to the racing game in September when it will be released for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, PC and PlayStation Portable. Until then, you'd better get your racing skills polished.