EA has announced that Need For Speed SHIFT will release across Europe on September 17th, with a North American release following five days later on September 22nd.

SHIFT is the next title in the multi-million selling Need For Speed series that eschews the former games’ focus on arcade racing in favour of simulation.

“With Need for Speed SHIFT, we set out to create a racing game that pushes the genre and delivers something never before seen in a Need for Speed title,” said Patrick Soderlund, Senior Vice President at EA Games Europe. “By focusing on the driver’s experience through the first-person view, we are able to capture the high-speed intensity and gripping emotions of racing.”

Need For Speed SHIFT is being developed by UK developers Slightly Mad Studios for Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and PC. The studio previously developed the award-winning GTR series. A PSP version of SHIFT is also currently in development at EA’s Bright Light studio.

The first gameplay trailer for Need For Speed SHIFT can be downloaded now from Xbox Live Marketplace.

UPDATE: EA has confirmed that Need For Speed SHIFT will release in the UK on September 18th, a day after its release across mainland Europe.

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