EA Need For Speed — The Run

Need for Speed website design: AAA-game Internet marketing in it's Golden Era

Web Design

Role: Art Direction, Design & Code
Agency: Work[at]Play
Client: EA Need For Speed
Audience: 100+ million franchise fans

"The Run may not have much else going for it, but in its unusual approach to the genre it at least tries to do something new."

— Reviews were mixed but the project was ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Background

The Need for Speed franchise, developed by teams including EA Canada, EA Black Box, Slightly Mad Studios, and Ghost Games, has sold over 150 million copies and remains one of gaming's most successful franchises. For titles like The Run—EA's cinematic cross-country racing narrative following Jack's 3,000-mile underground competition from San Francisco to New York—these websites became essential platforms for extending the game's story and community beyond the console, helping define how modern game marketing integrates digital experiences with core gameplay.

NeedForSpeed.com, home page concepts 2011

Shift 2 Unleashed

This was one of the first big budget websites I designed. 2010, when Flash and Drupal and Zeldman were "household" names.

HTML, CSS for Drupal theme, website design 2010

Reflection

In partnership with UX & Eng. leads, we designed and developed companion websites for multiple EA Need for Speed titles, working closely with creative teams who provided style guides and initial concepts before giving me creative freedom to architect comprehensive design systems and backends. These sites delivered exclusive player content and pioneering "second screen" experiences that complemented gameplay. They featured developer blog posts, hosted contests, and distributed DLC. What feels routine and expected in today's gaming landscape was actually groundbreaking work during the golden era of AAA-game internet marketing. These projects established the user engagement patterns and digital touchpoints that every major game release considered essential, but at the time, Need For Speed was writing the playbook with substantial budgets and fan expectations.

Hat tip

Thank you David and Lorraine for being visionary, purposeful and trusting. These projects were pivotal for my career and personal growth.