Burnout dev to make next Need for Speed?

Reports say racer hasn't been canned, but developer is in trouble.

A future Need for Speed game will be developed by Burnout Paradise developer Criterion Games, according to reports.

According to Joystiq, the Need for Speed series hasn't been axed, as previously rumoured, but developer EA Black Box has been given the chop, and the NFS and Skate teams have been moved to EA's Burnaby studio.

The latest Need for Speed, Undercover, has suffered from lower than expected sales and poor review scores. Tom wasn't particularly impressed, giving it a disappointing 6/10 in his review. The series has traditionally been a reliable sales success for EA, regularly achieving the coveted Christmas number one spot in the UK.

According to Joystiq's tipster, the three Need for Speed teams within Black Box will be consolidated into one, resulting in fewer releases. While the news is nothing more than a rumour at this point, it seems that change is indeed in store for the Need for Speed series.

We've contacted EA for comment and will update as soon as we have more.