Need for Speed, also known by its initials NFS, is an action racing video game franchise created by Electronic Arts and currently developed by Ghost Games. The series centers around illicit street racing and in general tasks players to complete various types of races while evading the local law enforcement in police pursuits. The series released its first title, The Need for Speed in 1994. The title comes from a famous quote from the 1986 film Top Gun. Since Need for Speed: High Stakes, the series has also integrated car body customization into gameplay.
Need for Speed has been praised for its thrilling cop chases and is the most successful racing video game series in the world. It is also one of the most successful video game franchises of all time, selling over 150 million copies of games in the series to date. Due to its strong sales, the franchise itself has also expanded into other forms of media including a film adaptation and licensed Hot Wheels toys.
The series itself has been overseen and had games developed by multiple notable teams over the years including EA Black Box and Criterion Games, the creators of the Burnout franchise. In August 2013 however, following the downsizing of Criterion Games, it was announced that Swedish developer Ghost Games would gain full control of the Need for Speed racing franchise and oversee all future development of the main series. At the time, 80% of Ghost Games’ work force consisted of former Criterion Games employees.