Need for Speed: Rivals will "ultimately be the same" on current and next-gen

Need for Speed: Rivals will be released on both current and next-gen systems, and according to Ghost Games, there won't be that much of a difference between the two versions: notwithstanding prettier graphics.

Speaking with Digital Spy (thanks, OXM), creative director Craig Sullivan said while the graphics will look different, and next-gen will provide for more dynamic weather and gameplay, the versions will ultimately be the same.

"There will be other little bits and pieces that we can't talk about yet, and maybe the amount of players," he said. "But ultimately the games will be the same, it's just there will be slight tweaks and modifications for the next-gen versions.

"With the power of next-gen, we can have stormy days. You can drive and the lighting dynamically changes, we have thunder and lightning going off, and rain splattering off the cars, the floor's wet and cool. Visuals are going to be way better, they already are. You've seen the games out there, they're really good. We're at the forefront of that.

"The video sharing stuff is really cool. It was always something you had to do in software on current-gen, now it's a lot easier on new consoles to do that, and it's less intensive on a development team to support that, so you're going to find, ten times, a hundred times more video of people playing being pumped onto YouTube and sharing with your friends.

"You might find that you're playing through and something unexpected happens, and the development team didn't design it in, it's just one of the systems running. It's two or three things converging on each other at the right place at the right time. Being able to share those experiences with people is really cool. That's the package we're going into.

"I think that's there to support where games are going in the future. There's a trend for more open world, more freedom, less choreography; people are creating games that are very organic and are very different."

Graphics, dynamic weather and gameplay aside, Sullivan doesn't see support for current-gen consoles going away anytime soon.

"I don't see us abandoning those machines very soon because there's so many of them out there, right?" he said. "Some people, hey, they don't have the money to go out and buy these shiny new machines straight away. They might have to wait a little bit. And you know, 360s and PS3s are still pretty good machines.

"I don't think we're going to be in a mad rush to stop making games for those consoles yet."

Need for Speed: Rivals is slated for release on PC, PS3 and Xbox 360 in November, with PS4 and Xbox One versions undated, but expected around launch.

Gamescom attendees will be able to try the game out in Cologne next month.