Burnout dev now controlling Need for Speed series

Criterion Games--developer of the Burnout series of racing games--is now in the driver's seat of the Need for Speed franchise. Speaking to the GameStop-owned Game Informer magazine, Criterion vice president Alex Ward revealed the British developer will be involved with all upcoming Need for Speed games.

"Our stamp's going to be in everything you see in Need for Speed and Burnout going forward in the future. It's not going to be spread anymore across different companies," he said. "Different studios have had a crack at it--it's definitely a Criterion gig now."

Ward did not say if Criterion would develop all future Need for Speed franchise games or if it would only oversee development. As of press time, EA had not responded to GameSpot's request for comment.

Currently, Criterion is at work on Need for Speed Most Wanted, due out on October 30 for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and PC. The game is a reboot of the 2005 Xbox 360 launch title of the same name and has players zipping through an open world, escaping the clutches of police. For more, check out GameSpot's latest preview.

The latest Burnout title to see release was 2011's Burnout Crash on Xbox Live and the PlayStation Network. Ward did not reveal future plans for the series, saying only that he "thinks about it all the time."