EA has announced that the Need for Speed franchise has surpassed 100 million units sold life to date.

The recent release of Need for Speed Shift pushed the franchise over the 100M mark, making it the best-selling racing brand in the gaming world. The franchise has generated over $2.7 billion in life-to-date sales.
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Sales of video-game software have been on the decline for six consecutive months, but analysts expect a return to positive growth when sales data for September are reported Thursday afternoon.

U.S. game sales in the month of September will be released late in the day Thursday by the NPD Group. On average, analysts are expecting software sales to grow about 15% compared with the same period last year, according to a tally of forecasts by MarketWatch.

Game sales have been showing declines for the last six months, as the slumping economy and tough comparisons have made the current year a difficult one for the industry.

By the end of August, total industry sales were $9.07 billion, according to NPD data. That's down 14% from sales for the same period last year.
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Want to see which region got what content? Look no further, as PlayStation LifeStyle has done the searching for you and compiled a list of what's new in this week's PlayStation Store Update, for all regions across the globe.
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PlayStation LifeStyle writes:

"This week might just be the largest update the PS Store has ever had. Most of the content will be geared toward the PSP, to ready for the launch of the PSPgo. However the PS3 is still getting plenty of content, namely a few demos and a few downloadable games. Also don't forget to to download the Uncharted 2 demo, which is available in the PS Store now."
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Electronic Arts has teamed up with GAME to create the ultimate videogame driving challenge, the Need For Speed SHIFT UK Championships, offering race fans the chance to win a Nissan 350gt. With heats taking place from 28th August to 20th September, the final rounds took place this weekend.
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Nine Over Ten 9/10 has posted up details on Mission One for the Need for Speed M3 Mission Sweepstakes, held by EA and Need for Speed.

There will be 34 daily winners today and 33 will get a copy of Need for Speed SHIFT, while one lucky winner will walk away with an Xbox 360 console AND a wireless racing wheel.
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Weekly Game Releases - 13th September – 19th September for PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Wii, PSP and DS.
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Electronic Arts Inc. Today announced the track list that will propel players to the finish line in Need for Speed SHIFT when it hits retail stores in the UK on September 18. The SHIFT soundtrack features some of today's most influential hip hop and rock artists including Kanye West, The Prodigy, Kasabian, and MSTRKRFT. Each song was hand selected to provide a pounding score that matches the intensity and bone-crushing power of this year's Need for Speed.
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EA's upcoming 'realistic action racing' game Need For Speed: Shift initially started life as a direct sequel to 2007's Need For Speed: ProStreet, the game's Lead Designer Andy Tudor has told GamerZines.

"Yeah. It [Shift] actually started out as ProStreet 2.

"You'll see the obvious references, like we've got the Tokyo track in there, albeit a bit more mature; there's no balloons or anything like that. The thing with ProStreet was that they couldn't go straight from street racing to a track racer - that would have annoyed a few people. So it was really the first stage of the transition, mixing courses with the street stuff, and this is where they (EA) always wanted it to go.
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Following yesterday's announcement that Electronic Arts has teamed up with retailer GAME to create the Need For Speed SHIFT UK Championships, Electronic Theatre can today reveal the venues at which players will be able to participate. Starting today, August 28th 2009, gamers will be able to put their racing skills to the test as they compete to post the fastest lap times on the forthcoming Need for Speed SHIFT, the latest edition of EA Games' renowned Need for Speed series.
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EA knows that it has a strong product in Need for Speed: Shift; one that might just turn the struggling franchise around. We may agree or disagree once we play it, but the publisher's confidence in the game is there for all to see. It's the kind of confidence we haven't seen in a Need for Speed game for quite a few years. But what's really encouraging to see is that even if Shift is a critical and commercial success, EA doesn't plan to milk it for all its worth by releasing a follow-up title next year.
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Codies man reckons brands survive through having focus.

Codemasters game design manager Ralph Fulton has said the team behind last year's excellent Race Driver: GRID is "flattered" by EA's upcoming racer Need for Speed: Shift.

GRID, a cross between arcade and simulation racing, won rave reviews upon its release last May, including a 9/10 from Tom, and a host of awards.
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Here is another vehicle profile of a Need For Speed: SHIFT car, the Nissan Skyline 2000 GT-R, and a few screens which look top notch.
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Here is another vehicle profile from NFS: Shift, the BMW M3 GT2
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Calling all Seattle-dwellers. Do you want to play Need For Speed: Shift this weekend, a month before the game goes on general release?

Then you should probably think about heading down to this weekend's Formula D event being held at Evergreen Speedway in Monroe, Washington. EA will have a playable version of the game on show, and you'll also get to meet Need For Speed Community Managers Andrew and Drew. Which would be nice, wouldn't it?
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EA has released a vehicle profile of the BMW 135i Coupe being featured in Need For Speed: SHIFT along with some screens.
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EA has released full details about its upcoming racer, Need For Speed: SHIFT. The game will feature 18 authentic race tracks and over 65 pixel-perfect cars including the one-of-a-kind BMW M3 GT2 that will grace the cover. There are also 4 shots on the M3 to chck out.
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PlayStation LifeStyle writes, "In just over a week, PlayStation LifeStyle will be reporting live from the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3). We've been trying to get a handle on the plethora of PlayStation games that will be on display from June 2 through June 4, and it's quite astounding. If you weren't excited about the prospect of new announcements for the PlayStation brand, what if we told you there will be over 75 unique PlayStation games on display - that we know about?! While many are multiplatform titles (though the best still appear to be Sony-exclusive), it is a large increase from last year's showing."
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VG247: "Need for Speed: Shift is obviously gunning for realism. You'd kind of expect the Slightly Mad title, then, to have Gran Turismo in its sights. Apparently not. Shift is going to be about "fun," not "driving in a straight line," producer Jesse Abney told VG247 in London last week."
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It seems that Michelle Cifuentes may be the new Need For Speed model this year.
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