Is the best-selling racing brand in the gaming world.

Need for Speed Shift screenshot

EA has announced that the Need for Speed franchise has surpassed 100 million units sold life to date.

The recent release of Need for Speed Shift pushed the franchise over the 100M mark, making it the best-selling racing brand in the gaming world. The franchise has generated over $2.7 billion in life-to-date sales.

"Few video game franchises ever reach the 100M units mark, so this is a huge honour. We have millions of fans to thank for driving us to this milestone," said Frank Gibeau, president, EA Games Label. "With the launch of Need for Speed Shift and the upcoming release of Need for Speed Nitro, we hope to continue to deliver the most entertaining, action-packed racing experiences."

Since the release of Need for Speed in 1994, the franchise has:

- Launched 15 blockbuster titles across more than 14 platforms

- Released in 22 languages in over 60 countries

- Players have raced over 279 billion miles of roads & race tracks

- Generated over 17 trillion user-generated vehicle customizations

- Featured actors, models & musicians including: Brooke Burke (Wild On), Christina Milian (Ghosts of Girlfriends Past), Emmanuelle Vaugier (Two and a Half Men), Josie Maran (Sports Illustrated swimsuit model and actress), Maggie Q (Mission: Impossible III), Kanye West, Yeah Yeah Yeahs and The Prodigy

- Debuted exclusive remix from Snoop Dogg of The Door’s classic song Riders on the Storm

- Sold more games than all new passenger cars sales in the U.S since 1994

EA also notes that if Need for Speed boxes were laid out end-to-end, it would span 173,609 football fields.

For more on the Need for Speed franchise, past, present and future, head over to our exclusive interview with EA vice president of global marketing Keith Munro.