With the release of Spore Island on Facebook and the acquisition of Playfish last November, EA (Electronic Arts) is eyeing on how the company will be able to prolong their “Need for Speed” brand on Facebook with the game, “Need for Speed NITRO”. Although similar in style and design as with the full Nintendo Wii and DS versions, the one on Facebook is a scaled-down edition of the game.
Unlike other social games in Facebook, the Need for Speed NITRO is 100% free. Players are given 30,000 Nitro Bucks to purchase their car, and then the players can join the race. Before starting each race, there is a choice to equip power-ups like wrenches, nitro boost, and police shields, which are totally similar with the console version. In this game, one does not have to spend real cash to pimp one’s ride. There is an option, as well, to choose the location of the race, the track, and the opponent. A player can choose to race with a friend or select from a list of other players in the same class.
Upon finishing a race, the player will earn stars, Nitro Bucks, and power-ups depending on how well the player did in the race. The goal of this game is to earn enough stars to unlock advanced tracks and cars.
You may be wondering why this game is totally free. What’s the catch then? Nothing. This game is particularly for promoting the console versions and gathering marketing information from users through surveys. In addition, by becoming a fan of the game on Facebook, the player will earn additional Nitro Bucks.
