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Codemasters: Natal won't replace traditional controls in racers

by David Hinkle { Aug 11th 2009 at 8:30PM }

Codemasters wasn't too impressed with that Project Natal-enabled Burnout demo, apparently, and thinks gamers won't trash their controllers and steering wheels for racing games when Natal is unleashed on the public. Speaking to Videogamer, Codemasters' Ralph Fulton -- who is currently hard at work on DiRT 2 -- said, "The complexity of control for a racing game, certainly for a core racing game like ours, requires a controller."

Fulton points to the need for feedback and precision, claiming that Project Natal just won't do either justice. That's not to say there isn't a place for Natal in racers, as Fulton thinks it could add some functionality on top of traditional controls, though he fails to provide us with any ideas of his own. Until we get our hands on the final product, we're just going to have to watch those chase scenes from Ronin over and over again with a pair of fuzzy dice strapped to our TV.

Valve wants to see a 'compelling game' from Natal (so do we!)

by David Hinkle { Aug 7th 2009 at 4:00AM }

Project Natal has been the talk of the virtual town since its unveiling back at E3. A few developers have dished on the possibilities, but theoretical physicist-employing Valve has kept silent. The reason behind that silence, Destructoid reports, is because Valve is waiting to see something "compelling" before diving right it.

Okay, we'll admit that Block Breaker and Burnout Paradise looked pretty fun on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon and at E3, but Valve certainly has a point. Talking with a virtual kid is kinda cool, but we can see the novelty wearing off quickly. And how much Block Breaker can one honestly play before having a heart attack?

Unlock Legendary cars (for free!) in Burnout Paradise: Big Surf Island

by Andrew Yoon { Jun 15th 2009 at 12:14PM }

Don't want to pony up the $8 to download Burnout Paradise's premium "Legendary" cars? Well, here's a cheaper alternative: buy Big Surf Island for $13, as it includes special toy versions of all four DLC cars. You can get a cute mini version of the hovering 88 Special (pictured above), Bootlegger, Manhattan Spirit and GT Nighthawk by completing various tasks around the new Burnout island:

Toy Hunter Cavalry Bootlegger - Jump from all 15 Island Mega Jumps
Toy Jansen P12 88 Special - Hit all 45 Island Billboards
Toy Carson GT Nighthawk - Complete all 24 Island Road Rules (Timed & Showtime)
Toy Hunter Manhattan Spirit - Hit all 75 Island Smashes

We'll admit that we were too cheap to pay for the Legendary DLC, but with a little bit of skill, we'll be able to drive our own Ghostbusters-inspired car in no time.

Gallery: Burnout Paradise: Legendary Cars

Report: Battlefield 3, Criterion-developed Need for Speed underway

by Ludwig Kietzmann { Jun 10th 2009 at 4:15PM }

During a William Blair Growth Stock Conference presentation, EA's COO (John Pleasants, FYI) noted the existence of two unannounced titles -- neither of them particularly surprising if you've been keeping up on your spurious internet rumors. The first, Battlefield 3, is said to be in good shape and, even better, in good hands over at developer DICE. Unfortunately, it appears fans of frenzied first-person shootery will have to wait until the next fiscal year before returning to the field.

According to G4TV's Patrick Klepek, the second title is yet another Need for Speed game, this one developed by the team behind Burnout. Pleasants allegedly praised the team for being "online-centric and notably high-quality game developers that we have out at Criterion." There's little else to go on at the moment, but we're certainly intrigued by the collision of those two racing franchises. There will be collisions, right?

Source -- Need for Speed
Source -- Battlefield 3

Big Surf Island will wash $12.99 out of your wallet

by Andrew Yoon { Jun 8th 2009 at 5:15PM }

How much will you pay for 15 new events in Burnout Paradise? Criterion is hoping the answer is $12.99 (£9.99), because that's what it's charging for the upcoming Big Surf Island DLC pack, available this Thursday. Interestingly, those who use Microsoft Magic Money™ get a slightly cheaper option at 1000

.

It's certainly not as costly as some on the Joystiq team feared, but it's also far from an immediate impulse buy. While we understand Criterion wants to "make money" and "feed the family," we lament the long-gone days of free Burnout DLC.

Gallery: Burnout Paradise: Big Surf Island

Burnout Paradise: Big Surf Island hangs ten (and then some) in debut trailer

by Kevin Kelly { May 22nd 2009 at 11:25AM }

We warmly invite you to watch this first video of the upcoming Burnout Paradise DLC, Big Surf Island, in action, but please don't try any of these stunts at home. That's just silly. No one lives in a ginormous fun park! Now, if you'll excuse us, we're off in search of a colossal doughnut to launch our car through. Preferably with sprinkles.

Big Surf Island will be available for PS3, Xbox 360 and PC on ... oh, right, we promised Criterion we wouldn't spoil it. Just watch the video ...

Gallery: Burnout Paradise: Big Surf Island

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Big Surf Island adds 15 events, 10 freeburn challenges to Burnout Paradise

by Andrew Yoon { May 15th 2009 at 3:45PM }

With Cops and Robbers out of the way, Criterion is free to finish up the last of the announced Burnout Paradise premium DLC -- Big Surf Island. This is the first new locale to be introduced into the ever-evolving racing game, and it'll add 15 events and 10 online freeburn challenges to the game. Criterion is promising big air for the expansion, and completionists will want to look for all 45 Billboards hidden on the island. For comparison purposes, the original game featured 120 events and 350 freeburn challenges.

These early details come courtesy of an early look at the DLC's Trophies. (Check out the new Trophies after the break.) One particularly intriguing achievement involves getting a whopping 4.5 seconds of air time in a single jump. Who needs Burnout Planes when you have massive jumps like that?

Our very own Randy Nelson got some hands-on time with the DLC pack, but he can't report on the details quite yet. Expect a full preview on May 28.

Gallery: Burnout Paradise: Big Surf Island

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Joystiq Review: Burnout Paradise Cops & Robbers

by Andrew Yoon { May 5th 2009 at 1:45PM }

Gamers are in the middle of a love/hate relationship with Criterion. Costly and often-underwhelming "premium" DLC has tarnished the goodwill earned by Burnout Paradise's free Cagney and Bikes updates. The $10 Party pack was a misstep for the series, but does Cops & Robbers steer the game back in the right direction? The answer, thankfully, is a resounding "yes."

At its core, Cops & Robbers is a simple retooling of the game's already-existing online Marked Man mode. However, some key tweaks make it a much more focused and entertaining experience. While the $10 price point will give some sticker shock, the addition of more than 30 repainted vehicles makes it an easier buy than Criterion's "Toys" and "Legendary Cars" packs.

Gallery: Burnout Paradise: Cops and Robbers

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Criterion has too much fun playing Burnout Paradise: Cops and Robbers

by Andrew Yoon { Apr 24th 2009 at 12:55PM }

A lot of Burnout Paradise's "premium DLC" packs have left gamers out in the cold. The "Party" DLC didn't add much to the Burnout experience. The movie-inspired DLC cars were fun, but a bit pricey. However, Criterion may have crafted a truly worthwhile add-on with its upcoming "Cops and Robbers" pack, available next week.

The latest episode of CrashTV (after the break) shows the Burnout team enjoying three rounds of their upcoming multiplayer expansion. Essentially, "Cops and Robbers" is the Paradise version of Capture the Flag, with cars trying to capture a floating collection of gold. The gold will spawn at random points on the map, and teams will have to reclaim the treasure and drive back to their designated checkpoint. Expect tons of Takedowns.

The team at Criterion looks to be having a lot of fun with this new expansion -- maybe too much fun. As generally grumpy people, we always keep a suspicious eye on people that appear to be happy. We're watching you, Criterion ...

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Crash TV provides early glimpse of Burnout Paradise's cop cars

by David Hinkle { Apr 16th 2009 at 4:01PM }

The folks at Criterion Games don't just sit around crashing virtual cars all day, you know. Well, okay, maybe they do a little, but they also produce a video show called Crash TV, which provides a behind-the-scenes look at everything the company is doing with its game, Burnout Paradise. In the latest episode, Criterion previews some of the cop cars coming in the Cops and Robbers DLC pack. We've embedded the latest episode of Crash TV after the break, which shows off around 15 new cop cars in total, so click through and get your 7-minute dose of cop car goodness.

Gallery: Burnout Paradise: Cops and Robbers

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Burnout Paradise teases 'Cops and Robbers'

by Jason Dobson { Apr 15th 2009 at 11:00AM }

We're not exactly sure what they stole, but judging by the teaser trailer for Burnout Paradise's looming Cops and Robbers mode, criminals will have their jobs cut out for them outrunning the Paradise City fuzz.

As a latest move to "change the way people think about and experience" the chaotic racer, much of Cops and Robbers' details remain behind bars, including the premium DLC's as-yet-unannounced release date. Still, if nothing else, this early look shows that Paradise City's police force is more than equipped to keep pace with lead foots on the wrong side of the law.

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Cops and Robbers DLC adds 8 new Trophies

by Andrew Yoon { Apr 3rd 2009 at 5:30PM }

Looks like Cops and Robbers, the next bit of premium DLC being prepped for Burnout Paradise, is finishing up. A set of eight new Trophies were just added to the game, bumping up the number of Trophies to a whopping 88. From what we can gather from the list, Cops and Robbers looks to be a Burnout interpretation of Capture the Flag, with both Cops and Robbers racing each other to pick up Gold and deliver it to their base. Undoubtedly, takedowns will be a vital part of this online multiplayer mode.

Criterion hasn't officially announced a release date or price for this upcoming mode, but this Trophy leak has us thinking it'll be sooner than later.

[Thanks, Mason!]

Gallery: Burnout Paradise: Cops and Robbers

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Burnout Paradise planes could be an April Fool's joke

by Majed Athab { Mar 17th 2009 at 3:00AM }

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.!]

Burnout cars spotted on Godfather II's streets

by Jason Dobson { Mar 8th 2009 at 10:45PM }

It seems the Don has been spending some time in Paradise City, returning from his extended vacation with a pair of the city's more recognizable rides. Eagle eyes at Polish site Play PC recently discovered similarities between two cars in both Godfather II and Burnout Paradise, namely the latter's Hunter Cavalry and Carson Opus.

Whether or not the cars in the upcoming EA sequel are the exact same models as those in Burnout, or just strikingly similar, isn't exactly clear. In any case, the Don's chop shop looks like it sanded off most of the details from Burnout's rides. When you're the Don, image is everything; we just hope the new paint jobs are as bulletproof as they are green.

[Via N4G]

Split/Second debut trailer is highly destructive

by Griffin McElroy { Mar 7th 2009 at 12:30PM }

As promised, last night's episode of GameTrailers TV brought our first non-fuzzy look at Pure developer Black Rock Studio's upcoming racing title, Split/Second. Keighley's ominous warning seems accurate -- it appears to be trying to give Burnout a run for its money. However, rather than participating in high-speed (probably illegal) street racing for your own amusement, it looks like Split/Second will be placing your automotive exploits in front of an enraptured televised audience.

Split/Second will also add a neat gameplay element hinted at in the trailer -- it looks like players will be able to "trigger" destructive events on the track in order to impede their opponents (or themselves, if they're not on top of their respective games). Watch the trailer if you want an example. The developers promise further info about the game next Wednesday -- til' then, you can check out the trailer here!