Fans of classic Need for Speed games were in for a surprise today, and not of the pleasant variety. EA, the developers, and publishers of the popular racing game series have announced that some older Need For Speed titles will be removed from digital storefronts. This includes Need for Speed Carbon, Need for Speed Undercover, Need for Speed Shift, Need for Speed Shift 2: Unleashed, and Need for Speed The Run
Besides the games themselves, players will also no longer be able to access the in-game stores. This means that players will no longer be able to make any purchases. It was also noted that owners of the game will still be able to race online, but only till August 31, 2021. That’s when the developers will no longer offer online services. From September 1st onwards, owners will be able to play their games, but will only be able to access the offline content.
The post on the official Need for Speed Reddit forum notes, "Decisions to retire games are never made easy, but we are now shifting gears to focus on the future of Need for Speed. The development teams and operational staff have put a lot of time and passion into the development, creation, release, and upkeep of the game over the years, and we love to see you play. But the number of players has come to a point where it's no longer feasible to continue the work behind the scenes required to keep Need for Speed Carbon, Need for Speed Undercover, Need for Speed Shift, Need for Speed Shift 2: Unleashed, and Need for Speed The Run, up and running.”
The developers note that they will now focus on newer titles like Need for Speed Most Wanted (2012), Need for Speed Rivals, Need for Speed (2015), Need for Speed Payback, Need for Speed Heat and Need for Speed Hot Pursuit Remastered.
How does this work?
Well, those who have already bought the game will still have it in their library and will be able to play the offline mode whenever they want. However, players will no longer be able to play these games online post August 31, 2021.
How can I buy the games now?
Buying digital copies of the game is no longer possible, However, players will still be able to purchase physical copies of the game. It should be noted that these copies will only be able to play the offline content. The in-game store, as well as online content, will not be available.
Perhaps the biggest example of game delisting of P.T, the 'Playable Teaser' for Konami's then-upcoming Silent Hills game. P.T was directed by Hideo Kojima and Guillermo del Toro and was extremely well received. However, due to the fallout between Kojima and Konami, the game was delisted from the PlayStation Store, and only those
You can check out our review of NFS: Heat here.