Before having a heart attack: we’re talking about lifetime sales of probably the most famous car racing/driving franchise ever. And yes, according to Electronic Arts, since the release of the first Need for Speed game 15 years ago back in 1994, over 100 million copies were sold. HUGE!

“Few videogame franchises ever reach the 100M units mark, so this is a huge honor. 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.”

And if you love some statistics (I know I do), Electronic Arts has released a bunch of very cool info regarding the Need for Speed franchise. Therefore, since launch, the franchise has:

– Released in 22 languages in over 60 countries
– 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 Doors’ classic song Riders on the Storm
– Sold more games than all new passenger cars sales in the U.S since 1994**
– If Need for Speed boxes were laid out end-to-end, it would span 173,609 football fields

Unfortunately, the franchise has been crawling lately and it might be the release of NFS: Shift and the upcoming NITRO that will decide if the over 100-million selling franchise will still be kept alive. Either way, these are definitely some great numbers!