The spirit of Need for Speed

Over the weekend, I saw Need for Speed.

Typically, movies based on video games turn out to be a mess, mostly because the cast and crew try to strike a balance between being faithful to the source material, while also trying to make it open to wider audiences who generally have no idea about the game it’s based on. For example, the last movie I saw based on a video game was Prince of Persia back in 2010, and as far as I remember, there were no ostrich races in the 2003 game.

E3 2011: Need for Speed: The Run competes with itself for your attention

Need for Speed: The Run is a departure from the recent Need for Speed titles Hot Pursuit and Shift series. Being developed by Black Box, who also worked on Underground, Most Wanted, Carbon, and Undercover. It’s a return to a more story-driven form. "One of the things we knew we wanted to do for this game was to provide more a blockbuster, action/driving kind of experience – more than just a traditional racing experience," said executive producer Jason DeLong. In between those blockbuster driving experiences, you’ll spend time out of the car on your own two feet. For the first time in the Need for Speed franchise, you’ll feel the need for speed without using a steering wheel.