Back in July of last year, Criterion Games mentioned that it had been experimenting with airplanes as a potential Burnout Paradise add-on; however, with new info claiming that an announcement regarding this is due on April 1st, there's suspicion that such an update could be nothing more than a really long-running April Fool's joke. This information comes from the FAQ section on Criterion's website, where it was specifically stated to "check for an exciting announcement on April 1" for more on the inclusion of planes.
Now, there are a number of ways we can read this quoted sentence. We can take it for face value and what it says directly, or we can assume that there's sarcasm and allusion in the type. Preferably, we'd like to think Criterion is serious about making plane crashes in Paradise City a reality, but the proposition of planes in Burnout is hard to believe. Associate that with April Fool's and, well, it's really hard to believe. It seems the real joke is on us trying to figure out which is which. We've contacted Criterion and EA to see if we can get a straight answer.
[Thanks, Joey B.!]
Reader Comments (28)
Posted: Mar 17th 2009 7:22AM PoisonedAl said
They could do what they did with the bikes. You never see the rider get knocked off and rag-doll under a bus.
In my mind, the whole 911 thing goes a bit far. Of course it was horrible, but does it mean anything with planes in gets neutered or censored?
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In my mind, the whole 911 thing goes a bit far. Of course it was horrible, but does it mean anything with planes in gets neutered or censored?
Posted: Mar 17th 2009 3:45AM spin cycle said
I don't think they'd add much fun anyway.
Now, maybe something like an island would be good...
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Now, maybe something like an island would be good...
Posted: Mar 17th 2009 4:19AM (Unverified) said
well we all know that criterion is working on that crazy new 3D glasses thing for burnout paradise since they spilled the beans in the newest episode of Qore so anything possible.
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Posted: Mar 17th 2009 4:23AM Optimaximal said
Yes, because games have had a good history of implementing planes and the buildings they can be crashed into...
There's humour, then there's not - Rumour-rang or not, I don't really want Burnout to be pulled on account some sensationalist newspaper baselessly branded it a terrorist simulator.
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There's humour, then there's not - Rumour-rang or not, I don't really want Burnout to be pulled on account some sensationalist newspaper baselessly branded it a terrorist simulator.
Posted: Mar 17th 2009 4:29AM kedward71 said
To be an April Fools' Day joke, it has to start on the morning of April 1st and finish by noon on the very same day - at least in England, where Criterion are based. Therefore I highly doubt that this is a "really long-running" April Fools' Day joke...
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Posted: Mar 17th 2009 5:40AM Anticrawl said
No quesiton, my birthday is April 2nd and spending a part of that day crashing planes into cars and other planes sounds hilariously fun. And I can do it all while wearing my new Gunnar Halogen glasses. Sweet.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eAaQNACwaLw (This video is not about Obama, but globalism.)
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eAaQNACwaLw (This video is not about Obama, but globalism.)
Posted: Mar 17th 2009 7:13AM HydrophobicFish PSN ID Hydrophob said
I don't think it'd go over really well...
I know that Criterion is in no way trying to do anything more than add a fun add-on to their great game...
But planes crashing isn't really culturally acceptable in America. Just like nukes in Japan. Traumatic history with those things happening has kinda made them taboo in those two societies.
By no means am I accusing Criterion of anything bad. At worst, it's cultural insensitivity. Which when has Europe ever been culturally sensitive of America (or vice versa especially. ;) )
Of course, we all could be wrong to some extent, maybe you can't crash the planes... but then would it really be a burnout game if there aren't OHMYGODMETALGEAR crashes?
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I know that Criterion is in no way trying to do anything more than add a fun add-on to their great game...
But planes crashing isn't really culturally acceptable in America. Just like nukes in Japan. Traumatic history with those things happening has kinda made them taboo in those two societies.
By no means am I accusing Criterion of anything bad. At worst, it's cultural insensitivity. Which when has Europe ever been culturally sensitive of America (or vice versa especially. ;) )
Of course, we all could be wrong to some extent, maybe you can't crash the planes... but then would it really be a burnout game if there aren't OHMYGODMETALGEAR crashes?
Posted: Mar 17th 2009 7:27AM PoisonedAl said
With a date like that, I would call BS. However, it wouldn't be too hard to add planes into Burnout, especially if they don't bother using crushable models.
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Posted: Mar 17th 2009 10:36AM (Unverified) said
You know...there is video of planes in Paradise City? I mean, it'd be one thing to just say you are trying to get them in and make it a long joke, but going to the effort of making video of them actually flying around...well, that's quite a bit of effort for a joke.
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Posted: Mar 17th 2009 10:36AM Snake Robot Podium said
Paradise = Nirvana
Clearly Criterion's next update will allow us to alter our consciousness and transcend PLANES of existence.
Also, make car go boom.
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Clearly Criterion's next update will allow us to alter our consciousness and transcend PLANES of existence.
Also, make car go boom.
Posted: Mar 17th 2009 10:36AM Ignatius said
Why do people keep referencing the September 11th attacks?
Just. Stop. Okay, it was a tragedy, people lost their lives, we were attacked. Okay.
This is no reason to censor the ability to do things like fly planes. If you're too sensitive to even ALLOW people to fly planes because of the ABILITY to perhaps fly them into buildings that might just LOOK like the World Trade Center buildings.. we might as well just outlaw flight simulators.
See what Germany's doing with video games? Anything that might be too violent is banned, why? Because they don't want to revisit their past. The more and more your sensitivity is an issue to everyone else, the less freedom we're going to have. Deal with it.
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Just. Stop. Okay, it was a tragedy, people lost their lives, we were attacked. Okay.
This is no reason to censor the ability to do things like fly planes. If you're too sensitive to even ALLOW people to fly planes because of the ABILITY to perhaps fly them into buildings that might just LOOK like the World Trade Center buildings.. we might as well just outlaw flight simulators.
See what Germany's doing with video games? Anything that might be too violent is banned, why? Because they don't want to revisit their past. The more and more your sensitivity is an issue to everyone else, the less freedom we're going to have. Deal with it.
Posted: Mar 17th 2009 10:39AM Grubermeister said
If this is an April Fool's joke, THEY'RE DOING IT WRONG. If not, then WHEEEEEEEE!
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Posted: Mar 17th 2009 10:42AM Berzerk said
As nice as it would be to have planes, I don't think the majority of the map is suited to have planes. The world is "realistic" with no floating rings or power-ups, so unless they have an entire new island with canyons and tall buildings and such, flying around is going to be kinda boring.
Unless, of course, you're forced to fly 20-30 feet of the ground...
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Unless, of course, you're forced to fly 20-30 feet of the ground...
Posted: Mar 17th 2009 12:11PM (Unverified) said
Well, planes were mentioned (and a picture shown) in an Edge article on Burnout Paradise (and it's DLC) a while back. Can't remember the details, though. I don't think it's a joke.
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Posted: Mar 17th 2009 11:32PM (Unverified) said
When Criterion HAD a forum, this was discussed many times, and the lads at Criterion replied that they were NOT going to implement planes in Paradise City, although they had experimented with them and there is a video on YouTube of a biplane flying over the city
I'm still waiting on the new Island ...
April Fool
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I'm still waiting on the new Island ...
April Fool
Posted: Mar 18th 2009 2:55AM (Unverified) said
I think the joke is that it is releasing april 1st, not the whole plane thing.
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