World Starter Pack FAQ

There's been several questions posted since the announcement of the [url=http://www.nfsunlimited.net/news/view/18382]Need for Speed World Starter Pack[/url] and as a result EA has released a lengthy FAQ with all the top questions answered. Read below.


[b]What is the Starter Pack?[/b]
Need for Speed World is a free-to-play online racing MMO. Players are able to download, install and play the game for as long as they want without spending any money. Players will be able to progress to driver level 10 but once they've reached that level, they will not be able to progress past it. They will be able to continue to play, for free, for as long as they want. In order to progress past level 10, the player must purchase the Starter Pack. In addition to being able to progress past driver level 10, players will also receive a bundle of items including:

- $20 USD worth of SpeedBoost. This is $20 in virtual currency you can spend as you like in the game.
- Bundle of Power Ups (available to all newly created drivers in an account)
- One exclusive vehicle(available to all newly created drivers in an account)


[b]Players who purchase the Starter Pack will not have an unfair advantage over those playing for free.[/b]
Our mission with Need for Speed World is to offer a large variety of playing styles for players who choose to pay as well as those playing for free. The experience of both groups of players must be fair and, above all, fun! We will never introduce a mechanic that provides a distinct advantage for those who purchase over those who choose to play for free. Further, the matchmaking system in use in Beta 6 is intended to match players into races against opponents with similar skills and cars. This philosophy applies across the whole game. It's our mission to continually improve and evolve the experience with you as our primary source of input.


[b]The term Starter Pack implies that this is the first of many packs that we'll have to buy. Is that the case? [/b]
No, the Starter Pack is a one-time purchase and once purchased you will not need to spend any more money. We will support Need for Speed World with regular free content updates, available to all players.


[b]If I choose not buy this pack, what's left for me to do after I reach driver level 10?[/b]
There will be lots to do in Need for Speed World for players who have not purchased the Starter Pack. Continue racing with your friends and/or anyone else playing the game, customize your cars, participate in Community events for the chance to win prizes etc... We invite you to play the game free for as long as you like from launch until we can either convince you with awesomeness or you give up on us. We'll keep tuning the experience and adding new ways to play based on your feedback.


[b]What do I get if I pre-order the Starter Pack?[/b]
In addition to the item you receive as part of the Starter Pack (see above), you'll also receive:

Guaranteed access to the remaining betas
A one week head-start (July 13-19) on playing Need for Speed World before it goes live with increased XP rewards
The ability to reserve your driver name before anyone else
VIP status on display in your driver profile
Depending on which retailer you pre-order the Starter pack from you'll receive an exclusive car:
- SPEEDHUNTERS Edition Toyota Corolla AE86 exclusively from the EA Store or EA Store UK
- SPEEDHUNTERS Edition Nissan Silvia S15 from Direct2Drive or Direct2Drive UK
- Limited Edition Volkswagen Scirocco from GameStop or Gamesload Germany
- Special Edition Mazda MazdaSpeed3 from Best Buy, Impulse, Metaboli UK, Nexway UK or GamersGate UK


[b]How much does the Starter Pack cost?[/b]
The Starter Pack costs $19.99 (USD), 14.99 GBP, 199 SEK or 19.99 EUR depending on where you live. Again, it's a one-time purchase and you get a lot more than $20 worth of goods in the pack.


[b]Where do I pre-order the Starter Pack?[/b]
The Starter Pack is available as a digital purchase from the EA Store or the retailers listed below:

Europe:
- [url=http://www.eagames.co.uk/game/need-for-speed-world]EA Store[/url]
- [url=http://www.direct2drive.co.uk/9489/product/Buy-Need-for-Speed%E2%84%A2-World-Download]Direct 2 Drive[/url]
- GAME UK
- Metaboli UK
- Nexway UK
- [url=http://www.gamersgate.co.uk/DD-NFSWUK/need-for-speed-world-starter-pack-uk]GamersGate UK[/url]
- [url=http://www.gamesload.de/need-for-speed-world/]Gamesload Germany[/url]

North America:
- [url=http://eastore.ea.com/store/ea/buy/productID.194104000]EA Store[/url]
- [url=http://www.direct2drive.com/6/9475/product/Buy-Need-for-Speed-World-Download]Direct2Drive[/url]
- [url=http://www.gamestop.com/Catalog/ProductDetails.aspx?sku=D004052]GameStop[/url]
- [url=http://games.bestbuy.com/store/bbygames/en_US/pd/productID.196340300]Best Buy[/url]
- [url=http://www.impulsedriven.com/nfsworld]Impulse[/url]


[b]Will I be able to buy the Starter Pack in stores?[/b]
Currently the starter pack is available as a digital purchase only.


[b]How can I pay for the Starter Pack?[/b]
Please check with each digital retailer partner to find out more about their respective payment options.


[b]How long do I have to pre-order the Starter Pack?[/b]
The pre-order offer expires July 19, 2010 so if you are interested in pre-ordering the Starter Pack do it soon.


[b]I don't live in North America or Europe. Can I still pre-order the Starter Pack?[/b]
Need for Speed World will be available in the English and German languages at launch and will only be offered by participating digital retailers in territories that support those languages. The client will be available as a free download for anyone via http://world.needforspeed.com.