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Criterion's classic film streaming service arrives April 8th
Criterion's curated selection of films will be available for you to stream again in a few short months. The standalone Criterion Channel service will arrive on April 8th in the US and Canada, and you'll be able to stream the movies on desktop, Apple TV, Amazon Fire, Roku, iOS and Android.
'Burnout Paradise' is back with a $40 4K remaster March 16th
Burnout Paradise was one of those rare racers that transcended its genre and was just a killer game. If its recent 10th birthday had you feeling nostalgic, then we've got good news. Come March 16th, you'll be able to hit the streets of Paradise City once again, to the complete original soundtrack, and replete with all 150 cars and eight main expansion packs -- including the "Big Surf Island" premium DLC -- in Burnout Paradise Remastered.
'Star Wars Battlefront II' adds tactical weight to space combat
As my T-65B X-Wing glides into view, I survey the scene up ahead. TIE fighters chase after nimble A-Wings, a flurry of green laser fire in their wake. A group of X-Wings circle an Imperial Cruiser, unloading proton torpedoes in a desperate attempt to lower the Empire's defences. To my left, I spot some TIE Interceptors headed toward my fellow X-Wings. Instinctively I barrel forward and harry them before a well-timed missile turns my ship into space debris. My heroics were short-lived, but I'm soon able to pick a new vehicle and rejoin the fray, gaining my revenge on the TIE Bomber that so casually stopped me before.
'Danger Zone' turns the best part of 'Burnout' into a full game
It's been nine long years since we had a proper Burnout game. But when Paradise launched back in 2008 it didn't come with the franchise's trademark Crash Mode, the arcadey feature that tasked players with hurtling themselves through an intersection to cause as big of a car accident as possible. That debuted in 2002's Point of Impact, returning in Takedown in 2004 and Revenge a year later before it was scrapped for an inferior clone in Paradise. Well, today there's some good news: the latest project from former Burnout developers is Danger Zone, a game that sounds an awful lot like Crash Mode: The Game.
'Star Wars Battlefront II' invites you to the dark side in November
The winners write the history books. When the second Death Star explodes over Endor in Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi, the Rebel Alliance rejoices. It's a thrilling moment of victory after eons of interstellar military adventuring: Forests full of weary Ewoks, droids and soldiers burst into cheers, throwing their arms in the air. But what did members of the Galactic Empire do? How did the Imperial soldiers on Endor feel as they watched their dreams of a stable galaxy burst into flames, right in front of their eyes? What did they think as they watched their friends die? This is where Star Wars: Battlefront II begins.
FilmStruck's streaming service for classic films is here
You can look at FilmStruck in two ways. For film aficionados, it's a one-stop shop for classic cinema. But it's also known as the service that ripped the Criterion Collection away from Hulu. Announced back in July, FilmStruck is officially launching today with plans starting at $7 a month for Turner Classic Movies' library of older films (and a bevy of special features). Bump up to $11 a month (or $99 a year) and you'll get access to the biggest collection of Criterion films streaming online. You can access FilmStruck on iOS, Android, the web, Fire TV and, later this month, the Apple TV fourth-gen. It'll also be available soon on Chromecast and Roku.
'Burnout' developer Criterion is making another racing game
Criterion Games is working on another racing game; it isn't Burnout, however. This time it's not just about cars: It's about motorcycles, helicopters, wing-suits, jet skis and ATVs from the looks of early footage shown at Electronic Arts' press briefing. What's more, it's all from a first-person view (sort of like a GoPro POV) at all times. There are tricks too, and the team said that it's been largely influenced by action-sports footage it's seen online. Some very early gameplay footage and concept art was shown, but if we're being honest, the latter looked much better than the former -- often the case with in-development games. Given Criterion's pedigree, though, we're expecting pretty great things whenever it actually launches.
New games from Crystal Dynamics and Criterion at E3
GameTrailers' schedule of events has dropped hints of new games coming from Crystal Dynamics and Criterion, the studio behind the 2013 Tomb Raider reboot and the studio behind the Burnout series, respectively. Crystal Dynamics has been teasing a new IP for almost three years, but according to GameTrailers, the first footage will finally be shown on Monday, June 9, sometime between 11 a.m. and noon, Pacific. While this reveal is touted as exclusive to Spike, GameTrailers lists the unannounced Criterion project as something that will be shown during EA's press conference, which starts at noon, Pacific. Whatever Criterion's game is, it won't be developed under the guidance of studio founders Alex Ward and Fiona Sperry - the duo departed Criterion in January of this year. [Image: Square Enix]
Burnout founder: Nintendo and EA didn't care about NFS Most Wanted
Former Burnout creator Alex Ward took to Twitter to discuss EA's commitments to the Wii U in his time at the company, particularly with Need for Speed: Most Wanted. Since Ward recently announced his new indie studio, Three Fields Entertainment, fans asked him on the social media service if the developer's initiative to "make games for all platforms where we can self-publish" will include Wii U. "Probably not to be honest," Ward replied on Twitter. "But never say never." The resulting, occasionally heated conversation with fans shed light on his perspective on the relationship between the developer and Need for Speed publisher EA. After being accused of not properly supporting Nintendo's console after launching the Wii U version of the game later than the others, Ward said, "Totally wrong. I did. Second, I complained when the company didn't even bother to press the discs with our game on." He added that the team at Criterion "worked our arses off. Neither [Nintendo] or EA gave a shit about it. A group of us did try" and that disappointed fans should "bitch and moan at the publishers not the developers." "We just did the coding," Ward said. "Like we had any choice over when it was released? Or the price? Everyone is so quick to blame the developers. Folks worked through New Year to deliver that. We tried to do our best. We even flew to [Nintendo] to personally demo in a bid for [marketing] support. There was none." Ward added that "the game was not even physically released initially in Europe. Members of the team could not even buy their own game." The frustration led to Ward's departure from the company in January. "Stuff like that pissed me off hence I left EA and have started my own company using my savings. So seeing as our families won't eat if we fuck up, we will choose our platforms carefully," he said. Ward was careful to state that "NFSU is certainly NOT the main reason I left EA" and that "it's two years ago and much water has passed under the bridge since. I just care about great games." He also took a moment to sing the praises of development teams like BioWare, DICE, Visceral and the FIFA team at EA Canada. [Image: Electronic Arts]
Burnout creators set out to find paradise in new studio
When Criterion Games co-founders Alex Ward and Fiona Sperry both left the developer in January, they revealed plans to open a new studio. That studio is Three Fields Entertainment, and according to recent tweets from Ward, it is seeking talented individuals that are "skilled in at least three fields of creating electronic entertainment." While the British studio's website doesn't offer anything that further explains its mission, Ward added on Twitter that the developer "will make games for all platforms where we can self-publish." Ward and Sperry's departure from the Burnout developer followed an internal decision to downsize Criterion in September 2013. Many of the developers moved to Need for Speed: Rivals developer Ghost Games, while those remaining at Criterion were said to be "hard at work on a new project for next-gen consoles," according to EA. [Image: Three Fields Entertainment]
Burnout Paradise salutes Harold Ramis with free 'Legendary Cars'
Hollywood legend Harold Ramis passed away this week and the few folks left at Criterion Games are going full stream by honoring him with a free car pack in Burnout Paradise. The "Legendary Cars" pack features homages of iconic whips from Knight Rider, The Dukes of Hazzard, Back to the Future and, of course, Ghostbusters. These aren't exact replicas of the cars in question, but rather eerily-close copies. The car pack is available as a free download on both Xbox 360 and PS3 today. Burnout Paradise, the last entry in Criterion's lauded arcade-inspired racing series, takes place in Paradise City and gives racers free rein of an open-world metropolis. Initially, the game only featured cars, but Criterion's post-launch diligence introduced motorcycles and a completely new island to explore. [Image: EA]
Criterion co-founders leave EA to form new studio
Vice president Alex Ward and studio director Fiona Sperry have both left Criterion Games, a development house best known for the Burnout series of arcade-style racing games. "Alex Ward and Fiona Sperry have decided to leave EA," a spokesperson for the publisher told Polygon. "We appreciate their many contributions through the years and wish them well in their future endeavours." These departures come less than four months after Criterion was hit by downsizing, an EA decision that moved many Criterion employees to UK-based Need for Speed: Rivals developer Ghost Games. Following this forced exodus, Criterion was reportedly down to "about 20" employees, though EA claims that the developer remains hard at work on a new, as yet unannounced project aimed at next-generation consoles. "The incredibly creative and talented team at Criterion are hard at work on a new project for next-gen consoles as new IP continues to be a major priority across EA," the publisher stated. Following his announcement, Ward took to Twitter, saying, "The news breaks. Along with @FionaSperry I have left @CriterionGames. Welcome to the REAL #tothefuture." In a later tweet Ward explains that he and Sperry plan to create a new development studio, though further details on their plans have yet to appear. This marks the second time in as many days that we've received word of a shakeup at one of EA's development studios. Only yesterday we learned that PopCap Games CEO David Roberts would be departing the company, and that John Vechey, the sole PopCap founder remaining at the studio's Seattle headquarters, would assume the role. Edit: The original version of the above article included a sentence stating that Matt Webster is a senior vice president at EA, when in fact he is only leading the development of Criterion's next project. We apologize for any confusion.
Burnout Paradise: The Ultimate Box 75% off on Steam
Burnout Paradise: The Ultimate Box is available for $4.99 (75 percent off) over the next two days on Steam. Based on the national average price of gas in the United States, that's: 1.4 gallons of regular 1.28 gallons of premium 1.26 gallons of diesel We guarantee you'll get more mileage out of the 2008 hit, which includes motorbikes, specialty cars and many extra modes in the bundle.
Need for Speed: Rivals aiming to launch with next-gen consoles this year
Need for Speed: Rivals is slated to be a launch title for Xbox One and PlayStation 4, Lead Designer James Mouat told Joystiq at E3. The game was already announced as coming to Xbox 360, PS3 and PC on November 19, but Mouat said the team wants the game to "be out on launch" for next-generation consoles. Mouat also confirmed that the game will not include local, split-screen multiplayer. While the Rivals' "AllDrive" feature places a heavy emphasis on competitive, online-connected multiplayer, Mouat assured us that "if you never touch the Internet with your console, it still plays fine," and that "you'll have an entire single-player campaign to play through."
Need for Speed Rivals on PC will look 'easily as good' as next-gen versions
Need for Speed Rivals – the franchise's first turn into the new world of next-gen consoles – is also coming to the PC. In crafting the PC version, Ghost Games executive producer Marcus Nilsson promises "Need for Speed Rivals will look easily as good on PC as next-generation consoles." The original press release for Need for Speed Rivals made no mention of a PC version; however, the PR has since been amended revealing the PC version will arrive on November 19 alongside the Xbox 360 and PS3 versions of the game. Xbox One and PS4 versions will launch "later this year." Other than differences in graphical fidelity and online player count, Rivals features differences in its new marquee feature "AllDrive" across current- and next-gen systems. AllDrive is the ability for the game to "seamlessly" adapt to player interaction as they cross paths in the open-world space. On next-gen consoles, players will have unspecified exclusive ways to interact with the game using other devices. Nilsson would not detail if the PC version's feature-set would be based on the current- or next-gen platform versions. Expanding on how AllDrive would work, Nilsson offered an example of how the game would react to friends in the same world engaged in separate chases that come across each other. With the new feature, Need for Speed Rivals would recognize player proximity and any current missions and automatically shift objectives and scoring to that of a traditional co-op encounter. Players can enter and exit each other's worlds to race and interact "on-the-fly." The core features of AllDrive will be available on all platforms. For more on Need for Speed Rivals, read our reveal post with additional comments from the game's executive producer. [Ed. Note: This post was updated to reflect changes to the announcement press release.]
Need for Speed Rivals floors it to Xbox One, PS4 'later this year', PC and current-gen consoles Nov. 19
Recently renamed developer Ghost Games and the fellow racing fanatics at Criterion Games have banded together for Need for Speed Rivals: a new game that represents the franchise's first drift into the next-gen console world (which is not to be confused with the 2005 handheld spinoff). Powered by Frostbite 3, Rivals aims to utilize the power of the Xbox One and PlayStation 4 to give players "the freedom to seamlessly go from single player to co-op to multiplayer" when it releases "later this year." [Update: This story has been updated for accuracy, removing mention of a release window for the next-gen versions from an outdated release draft.] Need for Speed Rivals transports players to the fictitious Redview County, an open-world environment where players can take on the role as either street racer or police officer. Like Most Wanted before it, racers aim to become the most infamous person behind the wheel, while cops attempt to work together to drive the area's high-risk inhabitants off the road. Players can personalize the experience with custom license plates, paint, liveries decals and rims, and performance upgrades. Current-generation consoles will also join the rivalry – powered by its own version of Frostbite 3 – on November 19. A PC version is also in the works.%Gallery-189208%
Why hooligans have a place in Need for Speed: Most Wanted
Need for Speed: Most Wanted's online play is equal parts chaos and confusion, going against the normal regimented competitions and controlled environments found in other racing games. Criterion Games creative director Alex Ward says this design is part of the studio's "philosophy" for online play.In Most Wanted online, players are called to a meeting area before an event starts, without much warning or information. Unless you've played the particular event before, you have no idea what to do and – as mentioned in Joystiq's review – there's nothing stopping other players from foiling each other before the event starts. "The philosophy there is that we know people are utter degenerate hooligans online," Ward says – and the actions of these "hooligans," as he calls them, is a "valid" part of the overall online experience.%Gallery-178663%
Criterion cancels your weekend plans, makes its Hulu collection available for free
Followers of the Criterion Collection on Twitter or Facebook have no doubt already dove in, but those that haven't yet heard may want to direct their attention to the Hulu page featured at the source link. There you'll find hundreds of Criterion titles ready for streaming, all of which have been made available for free this weekend (for those that have access to Hulu, that is). It doesn't include all of the films Criterion has released on DVD and Blu-ray, but it's an impressive selection, including many well-known classics and more obscure gems alike; there's even some that Criterion hasn't yet released on physical media. If you're looking for some science fiction to get started (this is Engadget, after all), we'd recommend an art house sci-fi double feature of Andrei Tarkovsky's Solaris and Rainer Werner Fassbinder's World on a Wire -- or Chris Marker's La Jetée, the inspiration for Terry Gilliam's 12 Monkeys, if you'd prefer something a bit shorter.
PSA: Need for Speed: Most Wanted DLC reaches Ultimate Speed today
Criterion's latest racer, Need for Speed: Most Wanted, presents its first premium DLC pack today. The Ultimate Speed pack has five new rides up for grabs – the Pagani Zonda R, McLaren F1LM, Lamborghini Aventador J and Bugatti Veyron Grand Sport Vitesse – with 25 subsequent challenges for each to overcome.Fairhaven also has one new Most Wanted rival prowling the streets in a Hennessey Venom GT Spyder, which you may then take down and claim for yourself. The Ultimate Speed pack is available on Xbox 360, PS3 and Origin right now for 800 MS Points ($10).%Gallery-172740%
Need for Speed: Most Wanted coming to Wii U in 2013
Criterion Studio's fuel-injected, open-world playground in Need for Speed: Most Wanted has joined the likes of Batman: Arkham City and Tekken Tag Tournament 2 as yet another current-gen title that will also make its way to the Wii U."In 2013, Nintendo fans will be able to experience what it means to be Most Wanted amongst their friends on the Wii U," EA told Polygon. The announcement came after the game was spotted in a list of pending European Wii U titles, tucked inside Nintendo's recent financial statement. No further information regarding potential Wii U-exclusive features was available, nor was a more specific release window. Think someone will make a WiiPad steering wheel?
