I'm too lazy to quote people all the time, so I'll just post my responses.

Yes, the rice factor in NFS: Underground will be of the new type. Meaning TFATF style. However, since A LOT of people (not me) are into this stuff... the game will most definately sell well. As a marketing move to make more money EA is doing good.

Another point is this:
racing games, for some reason, never really went too good on the PC. Sure there is Colin McRae series (even though each one has MAJOR flaws), and smaller great titles such as Rally Trophy (best rally game ever, IMO). There is also the HUGE NFS line... which only has ONE good game: Porsche Unleashed. IMO, the other ones suck. I've played them all. However, there is ony smaller game that is better than ANY racing for the PC, EVER! Live For Speed. Download it now, play it. Then buy it. There is also stuff like Generally but that's just for fun... not real simulation. Another reason for the lack of good racing games for the PC is the age factor. Most adults already own a real car, and don't really a driving/racing sim, while the people that own consoles are ususally younger people that don't yet own a car. I've owned about 5 consoles, now I'm 16, and I've sold them all (in the process of selling my PS2 to buy a barton/pc3200/slk800 - you know what will come later ) . They just stopped appealing to me. The PC has taken me over.

Admit it folks, you just feel more at home at a PC when your left hand is on the left side of the keyboard navigating around the WASD keys whilst your right hand is resting on the mouse. It just feels better that way.