Feel the Excitement of Being in the Driver’s Seat through All-New Helmet Cam, Drive-Altering Night Racing and Fierce Competition with Autolog

31 March 2011, Australia & New Zealand – Authentic racing accelerates to the next gear as Electronic Arts Inc. today announced that the latest entry in the critically acclaimed Need for Speed™ simulation racing series, SHIFT 2 UNLEASHED™, is now available at retail stores in Australia and will be available tomorrow in New Zealand.

SHIFT 2 UNLEASHED takes the revolutionary true driver’s experience to the next level with an all-new rendering engine and graphics overhaul, innovative helmet camera, night racing, and authentic degradation of tracks and cars. This game-changing sequel is already being heralded by critics worldwide receiving nine out of ten from both PlayStation: The Official Magazine and Official Xbox Magazine. Official Xbox Magazine even said that SHIFT 2 UNLEASHED is, “the real deal” while Game Informer says, “SHIFT 2 defines the franchise” as a true simulation racing game.

“Our goal with SHIFT 2 UNLEASHED is to put the series at the head of the racing simulation genre by injecting some much needed energy into it,” said Marcus Nilsson, Executive Producer on SHIFT 2 UNLEASHED. “Working with the aid of Team Need for Speed drivers, we incorporated real-world race driving insights to make key improvements and enhancements to the game, while also innovating at the very core of the racing experience. Our introduction of game changing features like helmet cam further blurs the lines between real racing and the in-game experience.”

Exclusively featuring the newly-unveiled Pagani Huayra supercar, players will experience all the violence, energy and excitement of race day in this groundbreaking authentic racing experience. SHIFT 2 UNLEASHED also takes the innovative rivalry-generating Autolog technology pioneered by Need for Speed Hot Pursuit and connects friends and foes together in head-to-head races and player statistic match-ups to add new layers of depth and detail to the intricate customisation and tuning of the simulation series.

SHIFT 2 UNLEASHED is now available in Australia and will be available in New Zealand on April 1 for the Xbox 360® videogame and entertainment system, PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system and PC.

For more information on SHIFT 2 UNLEASHED, visit http://www.needforspeed.com/en_AU/shift2unleashed or become a fan on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/needforspeed and follow us on Twitter http://www.twitter.com/needforspeed