Need for Speed: World (previously known as Need for Speed: World Online) is a massively multiplayer online racing game published by Electronic Arts and the fifteenth installment of the publisher's Need for Speed franchise. It was co-developed by EA Black Box (rebranded as Quicklime Games during the game's operation) and EA Singapore with Easy Studios and EA Vancouver later taking over operations during its run. It was the first freemium game in the Need for Speed series and was available on Microsoft Windows. World was released worldwide on July 27 2010. However people who ordered a "Starter Pack" had an early "head-start" in the game which started on July 20 2010.