A “Need for Speed” is currently climbing the charts on Steam. We reveal what is behind the sudden hype.
The fact that old games make a strong comeback on Steam is actually rare. When it does happen, it usually has a rather clear reason – as is the case this time.
One of the most popular racing game franchises in the world has not really managed to establish itself on Steam so far, but suddenly the player numbers of “Need for Speed Heat” are skyrocketing.
How have the player numbers developed? “Explosive” would probably be an understatement. Since its release, Need for Speed Heat (NFSH) has been floating around with rather low player numbers on Steam.
At launch, it peaked at 6,000 players, while during two major sales, the numbers rose again to 10,000 and 13,000. Normally, the peak numbers for NFSH range between 2,500 and 4,000 players – until now.
For several days now, NFSH has been experiencing an explosive increase in players. Old records have been literally shattered, as already on Thursday evening (29.09.), the number of concurrent players rose to over 36,000.
Meanwhile, this peak has grown again, and it currently stands at over 55,000 concurrent players at peak.
Where does the increase come from? This has primarily two reasons. On one hand, Need for Speed Heat is currently in a “Free Weekend”, allowing players to try the racing game for free. At the same time, a sale is running, reducing the title by a whopping 95% – from its original price of €70 to currently €3.50.
This appears to be prompting many players to at least check out the racing game or add it permanently to their collection.
Or, as a meme in the Steam subreddit summarizes it:
Is Need for Speed Heat worth it? In the end, that’s something everyone will have to decide for themselves. However, the current price of €3.50 should be manageable even if one ends up investing only a few hours into the game. In doubt, it’s worth taking advantage of the “Free Weekend” beforehand to get at least an impression of NFSH.
NFSH currently stands at 84% positive reviews on Steam. Many praise the game as one of the “best ‘Need for Speed’ titles”, comparable to classics like Need for Speed: Underground or Most Wanted.
A major criticism is that the installation of the “EA Origin” software is necessary to play Need for Speed: Heat. This poses an obstacle for many potential buyers and discourages them from purchasing the game.
Have you already checked out Need for Speed Heat? Or does the game go straight onto your “Pile of Shame” that you will never touch again?
At another gaming platform, the lights just went out – Google Stadia is dead.
