14 DAY TRIAL // Electronic Arts is set to ramp up the promotion effort for its Need for Speed franchise by putting together a Team Need for Speed of drivers that will be featured in promotional appearances for the games in the series and will also bring some real racing creed to the videogame.
Included in the Team Need for Speed are: Vaughn Gittin Jr. (Drift/USA), Matt Powers (Drift/USA), Edward Sandström (GT Racing/Europe), Patrick Söderlund (GT Racing/Europe) and Mad Mike Whiddett (Drift/USA, New Zealand, Japan).
EA says that more drivers might be arriving in the future and that all those who are part of the Need for Speed Team are embodying both the adrenaline and the rebellious spirit that run the series. Drivers tied to Need for Speed will race on April 9 in the Streets of Long Beach event and on April 10 on the Nurburgring Nordschleife.
Keith Munro, a vice president of marketing at Electronic Arts, stated, “Team Need for Speed launches an aggressive initiative designed to bring the core brand values of Need for Speed into the real world. By partnering with these tastemakers and by creating these specific programs, Need for Speed goes beyond the game into the real world of automotive lifestyle culture.” One of the drivers, Mike Whiddett, said that “I love the pure creativity and insane competition of drifting and partnering with Need for Speed is perfectly aligned with my personal and professional passions.”
At the moment, Electronic Arts is preparing to launch Need for Speed World, which it describes as being a MMO-like experience that takes the best elements of previous games in the series like Hot Pursuit and Carbon. The game appears to be free to play and will initially arrive on the Asian market. Burnout developer Criterion is also apparently working on a new standalone title in the Need for Speed series.