Racing video game seriesNeed for Speedis celebrating its 30th anniversary in 2024, and its designers and developers have taken the opportunity to look back at the franchise’s history. They discussed how theNeed for Speedseries has influenced and been influenced by car culture, the games they personally felt were most emblematic of the series, and the relationships they have built with car manufacturers all over the world as they strive to accurately recreate a wide variety of vehicles within each game.
During a press event attended by Game Rant, vehicle designer Bryn Alban, who has been with the series since2009’sNeed for Speed: Shift, discussed how he has built a positive relationship with a number of car manufacturers over the years. These close relationships have allowed Alban’s team to pursue authenticity with every car added to the games and to introduce vehicles ranging from luxury Porsche and Ferrari to fully kitted out race cars.
Need For Speed And Car Culture Have Become Fully Intertwined
Alban explained that his research process fordesigningNeed for Speedvehiclesinvolves fully immersing himself in car culture, so that he can keep up with the trends as they change. In addition to the manufacturers themselves, he cited the website SpeedHunters as a valuable resource. Describing the process of going from someone who works with car design to someone who has himself become a passionate car fan, Alban said:
“From an authenticity standpoint, that lands squarely on my shoulders. I’ve gotta be the one who brings that to the table. It’s been my bread and butter in my own free time over the past 20 years. I’ve engrossed myself in car culture, and I like to think that brings the authenticity intoNeed for Speedas well.”
Alban went on to say that, over the years, he has noticed a distinctive shift in howNeed for Speedis seen. Now, the games are inextricably a part of car culture, with many automobile and car enthusiasts becomingNeed for Speedfans and vice versa. He emphasized that this has led to fruitful, decades-long partnerships with certain car manufacturers. In particular, Alban citedBMW and Nissanas partners with whom he has worked closely throughout his time developingNeed for Speed.
Need For Speed’sCar Manufacturer Partnerships Will Continue In The Future
TheNeed for Speedfranchise has no intention of stopping working with car manufacturers in the future. Recently, BMW, who Alban described as one of the series' most long-standing partners, created a real life replica of theM3 GTR fromNeed for Speed: Most Wanted. The team was absolutely giddy about this collaboration, with creative director John Stanley grinning from ear to ear as he discussed the “exciting new project.” The project was “a dream come true,” said the team, who seeMost Wantedas one of the most “iconic"Need for Speedgames and truly “emblematic of the franchise as a whole.”
Ultimately, Bryn Alban explained, the relationship between theNeed for Speedfranchiseand real life car manufacturers is not a stable or consistent thing - it can change on a dime “depending on who’s in charge,” said Alban. But, as the series becomes a greater and greater part of the car world, the team is confident that they will be able to continue working with real-life car creators and developers to make and design even more authentic cars. Perhaps, like the M3 GTR, theNeed for Speedteam will even create a few more vehicles of their own that can make the jump from video games into reality in the future.
Need for Speed Unbound
WHERE TO PLAY
Race against time, outsmart the cops, and take on weekly qualifiers to reach The Grand, Lakeshore’s ultimate street racing challenge. Pack your garage with precision-tuned, custom rides and light up the streets with your style, exclusive fits, and a vibrant global soundtrack that bumps in every corner of the world.Content updates to the game come in the form of Volumes - as the game builds towards becoming the Ultimate NFS Experience in one place for the first time.
