While racing simulation hasn’t been a genre watered down by dozens of franchises, a new contender recently entered the ring. Slightly Mad Studios and EA recently joined the racing scene with the new IP Need for Speed: Shift, which was the first in the classic series to move toward simulation. Although the Shift series is a newcomer, EA feels it has enough to offer stiff competition in the next iteration.
Marcus Nilssen, an executive producer at EA, shared his sentiments about how Gran Turismo 5 has done too much to convolute the experience. Nilssen stated the following:
“I think it’s ridiculous, I do, how many of the millions of people who will buy GT5 are going experience all those cars? None!”
Later, he admitted the Polyphony Digital has built a “beast” with Gran Turismo 5, and that it’s the main competition for the upcoming Need for Speed: Shift 2:
I would be foolish not to be concerned about GT5. GT5 is a beast. It’s hard to understand what you should be worried about – it’s so big and they have so many features. I fundamentally think that if you look at Forza 3 and you look at Shift 2, they’re not in the same division. Shift 2 is just so far ahead.”
It’s interesting to hear him mention that Gran Turismo 5 is the bar to reach and Forza 3 isn’t. The GT series has certainly been around a while longer, and it’s hard to compare to something with such a long history of evolution. While the over 1000 cars present in GT5 might be more than most will handle, it’s certainly nice to be able to find a car that you like.
[Source]
