1990s
The Need for Speed
1994 · Racing · 3DO
Overview
The Need for Speed debuted on 3DO as a collaboration with Road & Track magazine — a realistic driving simulator featuring licensed exotic cars, speed camera warnings, and documentary video segments about each vehicle.
Deep Dive
The Need for Speed was designed to demonstrate what CD-ROM storage could provide for racing games: licensed vehicles with accurate performance data, video segments from Road & Track, and visual quality beyond what 16-bit hardware could achieve.
Developer Story
The Need for Speed was developed by EA Canada in partnership with Road & Track magazine. The 3DO version was the original; later ported to PlayStation and PC.
Did You Know?
- The Need for Speed's collaboration with Road & Track was among the first examples of a gaming publication partnering with a game as a content provider.
- The original 3DO version included a 'Road & Track mode' with video commentary — content abbreviated in subsequent ports.
