Criterion Games in charge of entire Need For Speed franchise

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It looks like Criterion Games, the producers behind 2010's Hot Pursuit and this year's Most Wanted, will now be the studio responsible for all Need For Speed games in the future. According to the vice president, Alex Ward, "Criterion decide which Need For Speed titles will be released."

This doesn't mean that Criterion will develop all NFS games in the future, but it is a strong indication that EA will let Criterion in charge of the franchise, and in charge of other studios responsible for creating new NFS games. That would include EA BlackBox, which until now has been the major studio behind the franchise.

Warden also says: "Our stamp's going to be in everything you see in Need for Speed and Burnout going forward in the future. It's not going to be spread anymore across different companies. Different studios have had a crack at it – [b]it's definitely a Criterion gig now[/b]." The franchise encompasses Hot Pursuit, Most Wanted, Shift, and Underground, and Ward thinks it would be "amazing in the future if there was one big game that had all of these in it."

What are your thoughts about this? Will a major presence of Criterion be beneficial to the Need For Speed franchise, or do you prefer BlackBox, or other studio, to be in charge?