Need for Speed ​​​​Vehicle Designer talks about relationships with car manufacturers

Racing video game series Need for Speed is celebrating its 30th anniversary in 2024, and its designers and developers have taken the opportunity to look back on the franchise's history. They discussed how Need for Speed series 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 automakers worldwide as they strive to accurately recreate a variety of vehicles within each game.




During a press event attended by Game Rant, vehicle designer Bryn Alban, who has been with the series since 2009 Need for Speed: Shiftdiscussed 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 strive for authenticity with every car added to the games, and to introduce vehicles from luxury Porsches and Ferraris to full-on racing cars.

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Need For Speed ​​​​and car culture have become completely intertwined

Alban explained that his research process for design Need for Speed vehicles means fully immersing himself in car culture, so he can keep up with trends as they change. In addition to the manufacturers themselves, he cited the SpeedHunters website as a valuable resource. Describing the process of going from someone who works in automotive design to someone who has become a passionate car enthusiast himself, Alban said:


“From an authenticity standpoint, it falls squarely on my shoulders. I have to be the one to bring it to the table. It's been my bread and butter in my spare time for the last 20 years. I've immersed myself in car culture, and I like believing it brings the authenticity in
Need for Speed
also.”

Alban went on to say that over the years he has noticed a distinct change in how Need for Speed seen Now the games are inextricably part of car culture, with many cars and car enthusiasts becoming Need for Speed fans and vice versa. He emphasized that this has led to fruitful, decades-long partnerships with some automakers. Alban specifically cited BMW and Nissan as partners with whom he has worked closely throughout his development Need for Speed.

Need For Speed's Collaborations between car manufacturers will continue in the future


The Need for Speed franchise has no intention of stopping working with car manufacturers in the future. Recently, BMW, which Alban described as one of the series' longest-standing partners, created a real-life replica of the M3 GTR from Need 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, which sees Most wanted as one of the most “iconic” Need for Speed games and truly “emblematic of the franchise as a whole.”

Ultimately, Bryn Alban explained, the relationship between Need for Speed franchises and actual automakers aren't a stable or consistent thing — it can change on a dime “depending on who's in charge,” Alban said. But as the series becomes a bigger and bigger part of the automotive world, the team is confident that they will be able to continue working with real car creators and developers to make and design even more authentic cars. Maybe, like the M3 GTR, it Need for Speed the team will even create a few more custom vehicles that could make the leap from video games to reality in the future.


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