Need For Speed brand to work with EA Sports steward as EA re-examines company structure

EA has announced it will take steps to compartmentalise its game labels and usher in a more unified culture among its many studios. As part of the move, the Need For Speed franchise will continue to be overseen by steward of the EA Sports banner Matt Bilbey.

Patrick Soderlund, Executive Vice President of EA Studios, spoke to Polygon this week about what he hopes to achieve with the changes.

"When you've had a franchise that's been going on for 20 years like Need for Speed, I think it was time for us to get a different pair of eyes on it, a fresh look and feel on it," he said. The fresh eyes in question are those of Matt Bilbey, who oversees several EA Sports titles, including FIFA, UFC and NHL.

Soderlund believes that driving games like Need For Speed can learn a lot from sports games, and the combination of several divisions under one label will allow the different teams to interact and influence each other's projects. "It's a way for us to push innovation and push a different creative brain or mindset onto Need for Speed," he said.

The next entry in the series, Need For Speed: Rivals, will be released as a launch title for both the Playstation 4 and Xbox One.