Burnout Paradise art style inspired by rock album?

by Scott Jon Siegel { Jan 14th 2008 at 7:00AM }

We're not going to spring for a paternity test, but just putting these two side by side is enough to convince us that there's at least some relation between Burnout Paradise's slick cover art, and this 2000 album by rock group Karate.

In fact, we're willing to go out on a limb and state that the album art for Karate's "Unsolved" is most likely the genesis of Paradise's radical aesthetic switch. Even the colors bled into the cars' shapes are identical. Now, all that's left to find out is if Paradise's mother hung out at dockside bars.

[Thanks, Greg K]

Tags: art, burnout, burnout-paradise, criterion, ea, ea-games, this-isnt-news

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

BrotherEstapol @ Jan 14th 2008 7:13AM

AHAHAH! Love the reference in the image...

GeeeeeeIiiii Jooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooe!!!

michas_pi @ Jan 14th 2008 7:22AM

Does your mother still hang out at dockside bars?

xGeneral DEATHx @ Jan 14th 2008 7:43AM

...dockside bars?!

fyreblazer @ Jan 14th 2008 1:39PM

I knew I recognized it from somewhere. hahaha.

ThornedVenom @ Jan 14th 2008 8:09AM

Even though the inspirational ressemblence is flagrant, the details differ (such as the portrayed colored landscape, seen through the car) and therefore brings the interpretation to another level.

But still, great find.

paragraph @ Jan 14th 2008 9:10AM

Indeed, i do belive this is mere coincidence, or at best, unintentional inspiration.

It's similer, hell, to a level thats downright spooky, but i'm willing to be that there isn't some sort of consipiricy here ;)

But if something ill befalls the cover, i'm fine with the other box art, the one with the smashed up supercar... makes me feel good :-P

Flit @ Jan 14th 2008 8:22AM

For anyone looking for an indie rock jazz album that is sublime, listen to the pictured Karate - "Unsolved". It's fantastic, one of the best "albums" out there, it must be listened to all the way through.

/music snobbery

Anti-Hipster League @ Jan 14th 2008 8:32AM

Is it actually good, or Kid A good? (As in not good, but said to be good to make people feel better about themselves)

baby sea tuna @ Jan 14th 2008 9:30AM

Lol, "Kid-A good," I'm gonna have to steal that one.

Tony Bowman @ Jan 14th 2008 11:44AM

i agree. that record is fucking fantastic.

Roddie @ Jan 14th 2008 2:23PM

@Anti-Hipster League

Maybe you are unable to appreciate it, but even though I was never really bothered about any of Radiohead's other albums, I find Kid A to be absolute masterpiece. It seems that you need to criticise this album (unprovoked) just to make yourself feel better.

baby sea tuna @ Jan 14th 2008 8:29AM

Haha, I have that album!

...I suppose I'd have noticed the similarities if the copy I had was legit, you know, with a cover and all...

ark_v2 @ Jan 14th 2008 9:07AM

They didn't know and now you will cause them to sue. Good job, Joystiq!!!

Eric @ Jan 14th 2008 9:43AM

So, EA is taking a cue from the Apple playbook?

jdronks @ Jan 14th 2008 10:09AM

Porkchop Sandwhiches!

Cracked up when I read the image, good stuff, 'stiqers

fyreblazer @ Jan 14th 2008 1:41PM

"Bet you won't press that button bitch"

"Check it out..."

NATO_Duke @ Jan 14th 2008 10:26AM

Doesn't look enough alike to me. I am betting coincidence.

upz @ Jan 14th 2008 10:57AM

I smell a lawsuit, and in this rare case I'd say it's justified. Coincidence or not, if you violate someone else's trademark/copyright, you owe them money. Just because you coincidentally invented an iPod in your garage last summer doesn't mean you don't owe Apple money.

dan stabbingworth @ Jan 14th 2008 1:30PM

Sorry, but no. The two are very different. The only similarity is that they both have cars and they both use similar colors. Otherwise, the style, the solidity of the objects, the backgrounds are all different. I mean, the Burnout car is just a few lines to detail the body with the background providing the rest of the shape, whereas the album car is solid.

Take away the color and tell me they're the same. They're not even close.

upz @ Jan 14th 2008 5:50PM

How could you just take away the colors? That's an integral part of what makes the covers what they are. If we're doing that, we might as well take away the Blackberry in the Research in Motion lawsuit. Hell, let's take away the motion sensing remote in the Vii and claim that the 16-bit games it plays are nothing like the ones on Wii.