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New video takes you to San Paro for a closer look at APB
This morning marks the official headstart for those All Points Bulletin players who pre-ordered, and if you haven't had the chance to check out Realtime Worlds' upcoming action MMO for yourself, then this video is for you. It gives us a great look at the setup of social districts and action districts, and even goes so far to explain how their system attempts to keep the gameplay balanced between the criminals and enforcers in each district. Also included in the video is a look at the character creator, which is entirely too awesome in our opinion, and chunks of gun-toting gameplay footage. Whether or not this will entice more people who were on the fence about All Points Bulletin to give it a shot (no pun intended) will remain to be seen. The game certainly doesn't seem to be having too many problems grabbing headlines, although not all of it would be seen as positive. Nonetheless, the video offers an interesting look into an upcoming MMO. Check the video behind the break if you're curious for more.
Kane & Lynch 2 multiplayer pits cops against robbers
The multiplayer component of Kane & Lynch 2: Dog Days won't simply be a "Fragile Alliance." Oh no -- it'll be flat-out war between "Cops and Robbers," in this team-based mode where up to four heavily armed crooks attempt to make off with four million bucks -- in just four minutes. Yep, it's the video game equivalent of Heat. %Gallery-93743%
Criterion details Burnout Paradise DLC that never was
You gotta give it up to Criterion Games. Throughout the lifespan of Burnout Paradise, the developers at Criterion worked their buns off to give us all kinds of juicy DLC, from a new island to explore, a new game mode, right down to motorcycles and many, many car packs. Now, the company has prepared a lengthy diatribe documenting some of the updates that never got off the ground. For one, did you know that Criterion initially planned to have motorcycles vs cars? Yep, sure was planned -- and did you know that Criterion wanted to create a whole series of islands, not just the one? The devs even wanted to give players the ability to go to the moon, complete with lunar challenges for Freeburn addicts. Also: the planes thing wasn't an April Fool's joke -- the dev actually wanted to add them (and other vehicles) into the game. Overall, it's a pretty great read, if only to show you just how committed the studio was to the game and raising the bar for DLC in general.
Joystiq Review: Burnout Paradise Cops & Robbers
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-44220%
Burnout Paradise: Cops and Robbers is a steal at $10
It looks like Criterion has finally figured out how much to charge for its upcoming Cops and Robbers DLC. The multiplayer-only premium DLC for Burnout Paradise will release this Thursday and will cost $9.99 / €9.99 / £7.99 / 800. The expansion not only adds the CTF-inspired online mode, but will also add 33 new international police cars to your Junkyard.At $10, Cops and Robbers looks to be a much better value than all of Criterion's previously released DLC. The price is (finally) right -- let's hope the trend continues for the upcoming Big Surf Island.%Gallery-44220%
Criterion has too much fun playing Burnout Paradise: Cops and Robbers
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 ...
Cops and Robbers coming to Burnout Paradise April 30 [update]
Update: We've heard back from EA, and a company spokesperson said no details on pricing are available right now. EA will reveal those details "soon." We admire Criterion Games' dedication to its racer, Burnout Paradise. Countless updates have added tremendous value to the game, and on April 30, the next update will be rolled out for one and all to enjoy: Cops and Robbers.There's no word on a price as of yet, but we've put in word to Criterion Games for clarification on that. We'll be sure to update you as soon as we hear back.%Gallery-44220%
Crash TV provides early glimpse of Burnout Paradise's cop cars
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-44220%
Burnout Paradise teases 'Cops and Robbers'
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.
Cops and Robbers DLC adds 8 new Trophies
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-49268%
MMOGology: Grand Theft MMO
On Tuesday, April 29th, 2008 Rockstar Games released Grand Theft Auto IV (GTA IV), one of the most anticipated games of 2008. Based on early reviews (all of which have been unanimously positive) it looks like the latest installment in the series has exceeded expectations. Everything about GTA IV appears to have been kicked up a notch. The graphics are more realistic, the gameplay has been refined and tightened, and the characters and storyline have more depth. While this type of evolution is to be expected, one of the most interesting new features about GTA IV is that you can play it online. Unlike previous versions of the Grand Theft Auto series, this one will allow Xbox 360 and PS3 owners the ability to play with up to sixteen friends online. While sixteen players doesn't exactly qualify as "massively multiplayer", it's a step in the right direction for those of us eagerly anticipating a GTA-style MMO. It seems like a natural progression for Rockstar to bring their venerable series to the massively multiplayer arena. After all, you've got a built in, recognizable franchise name based around the most classic multiplayer concept known to man – cops and robbers. I think every child has played a real life version of this game at some point in their lives (although perhaps more G rated). It's one of those universal themes that everyone instantly "gets", and yet, no MMO developer has cashed in on the concept. The time seems ripe for Rockstar to join Blizzard in the money printing business.So how realistic is it that Rockstar might be producing a Grand Theft Auto MMO? Is such a game already in development? I did a little digging and I'll show you what I've been able to find thus far after the break. I'll also fill you in on a few MMOs with similar concepts that you might be able to play as early as this time next year.
Rockstar founder calls GTA MMO "the Holy Grail"
In case you haven't seen it, Crispin Boyer of EGM sat down for an interview with Rockstar founder Sam Houser to talk in-depth about all things Grand Theft Auto. In addition to some tasty preview bits, Boyer raked Houser over the coals a little bit, trying to glean from him what the future of the franchise might be. In terms of multiplayer, Houser didn't shy from expressing his enthusiasm for the idea of a GTA MMO. Specifically, he said such a title, "is very, very doable and is a very, very compelling proposition." In a subsequent question he refers to a mainstream subscription-based MMO on a console as "the Holy Grail."The problem, as Houser sees it, is in combining the GTA gameplay with the idea of a persistent world. Without the right constraints, the game might amount to little more than a city of a couple thousand players all shooting at each other with rocket launchers, instead of an interesting, compelling MMO experience. From the tenor of his comments, it doesn't seem like Houser and Rockstar currently have any specific plans for an MMO just yet, but we imagine they're going to be paying very close attention to Realtime Worlds' All Points Bulletin when it comes out later this year, as its 'cobs and robbers' gameplay is the closest to GTA we've seen yet.
Secret message: Halo 3 in March of 07?
Our mother grabbing brethren at Joystiq have posted one of our favorite things: wild speculation! In the Cops and Robbers ad (embedded above) Joystiq noticed two interesting tidbits. Sure, the ad is cool in that "Jump In" sort of way, but there may be more to it than that. Close scrutiny of the license plates on the cars reveals two significant things. The first plate reads, "GOW 1106." Of course, we all know that Gears of War (GOW) came out this month, otherwise known as 11/06. The second plate reads, "HA LO307" (slide the video over to the 0:49 mark to see it). Is Microsoft dropping a hint about Halo 3 dropping in March of 2007? Well, no, probably not. More likely, it's referring to Halo 3 in 07. Either that, or the plate is simply leet speak for Halo Bot. These license plates were probably designed merely as Easter eggs for the dutiful observer and nothing more. Still, it's fun to dream, isn't it? Of course, we might see the Halo 3 beta by March (please?).
