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Burnout Paradise Dust Storm DLC and bridges too
Yesterday, Criterion informed (and teased) everyone about upcoming Burnout Paradise downloadable content and finally revealed how exactly they will incorporate DLC without dividing the community. The short answer. Bridges.Criterion's Alex Ward hopped on the forums to tell everyone that all upcoming Paradise DLC will be bridges that lead off of Paradise City into new DLC worlds and experiences. This of course is a great way to not divide the community, because anyone who doesn't have the DLC simply cannot cross the bridge and instead will remain in Paradise City. Genius! Criterion also dangled a carrot in front of our noses by giving us a video (embedded above) of a new vehicle, The Dust Storm, that'll be included in the next DLC batch. Yummy![Via Xboxic, Thanks Jonah Falcon]
Criterion details upcoming Burnout Paradise v1.2 patch
Criterion Games wants to let everyone know that the company is working on a v1.2 patch for Burnout Paradise. The patch is aimed at fixing a whole slew of glitches, exploits, and game-crashing events, so this must be extremely good news for Burnout Paradise owners. The only downside is that the v1.2 patch is currently not ready and Criterion has yet to schedule a final release date. We are, however, pretty sure that it shouldn't be too far off before this baby becomes available.The patch will most notable fix issues regarding online multi-player crash errors and hanging. Audio distortion and connection problems will all be addressed as well. Aside from fixing the problem spots, Criterion is also enhancing the gameplay by tweaking things here and there. Drifting and boosting will be slghtly modified for better control, and the Online Takedown logic and physical behavior will be tuned -- just to name a few. To see the entire list of changes, head on over to Criterion's official website.[Via Gamespy]
Burnout bugs begone! Paradise patched
Yeah, yeah, Burnout Paradise is the bees knees, the cat's pajamas, the, um, minimalist work of art. But that doesn't mean it's perfect, a fact that developer Criterion both admits and works to correct with a new patch that fixes many game-crashing and/or experience-altering bugs.The problems fixed by the patch range from the urgent ("Some online race start points face the players in the wrong direction") to the goofy ("Surround sound fix - Centre speaker was 4dB louder") to the just plain weird ("Hammering the A (360) or X (PS3) after unlocking a car can cause the game to hang.") But only one listed bug truly made us sad: the one that caused "total time driven in player stats [to] stick at 145 hours." We can't help but feel sorry for those poor souls who spent over six whole days playing the game, only to have the game's statistics cruelly low-ball the amount of time they spent crashing virtual cars. Thankfully, because of this patch, their long national nightmare is over.
Burnout Paradise to get a title update soon
Since Burnout Paradise released this past January, Criterion has been busy taking notes, getting feedback and listening to the Burnout community. Getting feedback all in an effort to make Paradise City more enjoyable via a title update.The upcoming Burnout Paradise title update will tweak / fix numerous issues found in the land of Paradise City including surround sound fixes, gameplay enhancements, random hang up fixes and just general bug squashing. And after glancing over the list of changes, you'll be happy to know that there's a bunch of high profile problems that are being fixified. We don't have a specific release date for when the title update will go live, but the fellas at Criterion promise to keep us informed. Until then, head towards the break and take a gander through the complete list of Paradise changes that are coming to an Xbox 360 near you.
WRUP: Valentine's aftermath edition
Do anything fun for V-day yesterday? Living the single bachelor life that I do, I spent most of the evening blogging last night, although WoW got a little playing time, and boy, wasn't that new Lost just completely confusing? Now that we're in the romantic aftermath, it's time once again to ask What aRe yoU Playing this weekend?Our own Eli Shayotovich is going to be busy-- he's heading into City of Heroes for new epic archetypes, and Tabula Rasa for his new charcoal armor dye (that doesn't sound as fun as the archetypes, if you ask me). Me, I'm continuing to try and get my Hunter to 70 in WoW (these 60-70 levels are harder than I remember), and I'll also be playing Burnout Paradise online on the Xbox 360 (GT toucansamurai if you want to join me)-- it's not actually an MMO, though when you're driving around the same city with a bunch of other people, it sure feels like one.So what are you up to in the world of MMOs or elsewhere this weekend? Anybody diving into the WoW patch 2.4 PTR? Or checking out the new Book 12 content in LotRO?Previously on WRUP...
Valentines gaming with MTV's Heidi and Spencer
So ... yeah. To celebrate Valentines Day love and as part of the Game with Fame reality Scripted-Reality-Show-People fun, MTV's The Hills "stars" (the term "star" being used very liberally) Heidi and Spencer will be online tonight playing Burnout: Paradise. Yup ...We aren't entirely sure who at EA had the great idea to setup such an event, seeing that The Hills isn't a show that instantly makes one think of Burnout: Paradise gamers (maybe their goal was to get your girlfriend excited to play Burnout?). And, for whatever reason, we're thinking one's Paradise street cred wouldn't get a boost if one were to play with Heidi. Actually, we think you'd be laughed at. But, it's your choice and if you want to tear up the streets with Heidi, Spencer and their surprise guests for Valentines gaming then send a friend request to ... wait a second. We aren't supporting this mockery of a GWF. You'll have to make the jump to get the details as we say boo to The Hills and boo to horrible marketing.
Burnout Paradise DLC explained
We've been told that Criterion had a darn good reason for requiring the hard disk drive in online modes of Burnout Paradise, but we haven't exactly been told what that darn good reason is. Thankfully, MTV newcomer Patrick Klepek did a bit of investigative journalism, and figured out the full story. In short, blame the downloadable content.When downloadable content for Paradise begins to drop -- both in free and micro-transaction form -- Criterion thought it incredibly important that players not be limited to playing online with people who matched their exact purchasing decisions. The result is a somewhat innovative arrangement where even without buying certain content (like additional cars), you'll still be able to encounter players who might have that content.Of course, the ability to see content you haven't purchased or downloaded means that content needs to be temporarily moved to your console, which is where the hard drive requirement comes in. We have to admit that it sounds like a pretty good system to us, but we're not the ones without hard disk drives, so ...
Burnout Paradise DLC will not divide the community
Talking with the folks over at MTV Multiplayer, Criterion Games confirmed that new Burnout Paradise downloadable content is on its way in the near future and they promise to not divide the community. Criterion explained that any upcoming Paradise DLC (whether paid or free) will be released in such a way that it will allow "everyone to 'see' the content, even if they have not paid for it". We aren't sure how Criterion plans on implementing this "look, just don't play" method of DLC, but we're sure they'll make it a seamless experience. No matter how everything gets implemented, it's comforting to know that you'll still be able to play online with your pals even though your DLC purchasing habits may not be the same. That is if you both own a hard drive, but that's an entirely different story.
Joyswag: Burnout Paradise & Prima Game Guide
Like the hard-boiled, hard-drinking detective partnering up with the straight-laced, clean-cut cop, we're partnering up with the lovable drunks at GameDaily to give away five copies of the pretty darn well-received Burnout Paradise. We're giving away two copies for Xbox 360 and one for PS3, along with a Prima Game Guide for each winner. And entering is easy: To enter this giveaway, leave a comment on this post letting us know which console you want AND your favorite car-related scene in a movie (we like Christopher Walken's speech in Annie Hall: "Sometimes, when I'm driving ...") You must be a US resident, 18 years or older. (We don't make the laws, folks, and we feel just as indignant as you do ... we think.) Limit 1 entry per person. If you enter this giveaway more than once you'll be automatically disqualified, etc.! This entry period ends in three days at 12:59pm ET Friday 2/8/08. For complete rules you can put on a bumper sticker, click here Best of all, you can also enter over at GameDaily – giving you another chance to win – so be sure to hit them up, okay?
Criterion explains Burnout Paradise online hard drive requirement
Hoping to diffuse some of the resentment felt by Xbox 360 Arcade owners who only recently learned that they can't race online in Burnout Paradise, Criterion has issued a public statement on the game's official website, clarifying the reasons for the hard-drive-only requirement.The Burnout team explains that it was a priority to have the offline and online modes of the game transition seamlessly into each other, something that wouldn't be possible using the limited space of a memory card. Criterion states that they had been in talks with Microsoft to work out a solution for Core and Arcade owners, but when none could be found they opted to not limit the robust online gameplay experience in order to facilitate HDD-less 360 owners.While this does leave Core and Arcade users in the lurch, Criterion does point out that the online leaderboards for Burnout Paradise are fully accessible without the hard disk drive, meaning players can compete for best times with their friends, just not during the same race.
Burnout Paradise demo's online mode extended
Have you been too cheap to actually buy Burnout Paradise and have been running off the fumes of the demo the last couple weeks? Well, whether you have or haven't had the chance to play it yet, you should be happy to know that EA is planning to give us a few extra weeks with the demo's online mode.EA originally planned to end the online mode functionality at the beginning of the month, but it's now decided to extend it until Feb. 14. "Seeing how the social online multiplayer gameplay is such a huge part of Burnout Paradise, we've decided to keep the multiplayer demo functionality on for a bit longer," an EA spokesperson told GamesIndustry.biz.This is certainly a nice gesture on EA's part. Burnout Paradise is truly an amazing game, and we only hope this move serves to get the full retail version in the hands of more gamers.
Burnout Paradise Fanpoll results: Crash Mode
The results for last week's Burnout Paradise fanpoll are in, and we're actually a little surprised. For those that don't recall, we asked how gamers felt about the treatment of Crash Mode in Burnout Paradise. While previous iterations of Burnout had dedicated Crash Modes with pre-designed courses, Burnout Paradise introduces Showtime, which essentially allows players to turn any crash into an impromptu Crash Mode. So how did our readers feel about Showtime? Find out after the break.
Online Burnout Paradise multiplayer requires HDD
Hearkening back to the days of Crackdown, it has recently come to our attention that Burnout Paradise requires a hard drive to experience online multiplayer. Yes sir, it does.The reason for a HDD is because Paradise needs to do a bunch of environment caching and streaming to make the online experience as buttery smooth as possible. But before you jump on EA's back for hiding such an important detail, know that that they didn't. It actually says, clear as day on the back of the box, that online multiplayer requires a HDD. So, no fault to them. We just wish Microsoft would mandate a giant "HDD Required for (insert word here)" sticker on the front of the game box. Though, we're sure Microsoft wouldn't want that either. It wouldn't be feng shui. Then again, no sticker would fix the "problem" that Burnout Paradise online play requires a HDD. Sorry Xbox Arcade owners, we feel for you.[Via Joystiq]
Burnout Paradise 360 requires HDD for online play
Xbox 360 Arcade owners will be saddened to learn that the online mode of Criterion's Burnout Paradise requires the Xbox 360 hard drive, leaving HDD-less console owners to explore the streets of Paradise City by their lonesomes. Reports that this information was not presented on Paradise's box are false, as the back of the box lists the hard drive requirement for online multiplayer under the game's features (as seen above). EA support representatives state that the temporary storage space required for online play exceeds that available on the Arcade's included memory card, making the hard drive necessary.Of course, this isn't new information by any means. Several already-released games require the 360's hard disk drive for online play, including Crackdown and Final Fantasy XI. The problem is that while this information is presented on these games' boxes, it's not presented as clearly as it could be. And for online shoppers, the hard drive requirement isn't listed at all. Sites like Amazon.com and EBGames.com fail to list the hard drive requirement in their product descriptions of Burnout Paradise, and never include images of the back of the box as part of their product pages.While EA can likely not be held accountable for the hard drive issue, online retailers should be responsible for sharing all relevant information about products. That Amazon and GameStop/EB fail to mention the hard drive requirement is a serious problem, and while consumers should be more careful about researching before purchasing, this process should be made easier by sellers, and not more difficult.
IGA details Burnout in-game advertisers
In-game advertising company IGA Worldwide outlined today how it plans to provide advertising to Electronic Arts' Burnout Paradise. Advertisers cited include Burger King, CompUSA.com, Diesel, Gillette and Sling Media, among others. The Gamasutra article notes that advertising will consist of static ads, "including billboards, retail stores, radio stations and vehicles into the game." If they want to be very sneaky and intrusive, might we suggest a mission where you try to flee from an army of masked Burger King fanatics? It may not sell Whoppers, but it's a scary enough thought to make us drive as fast as virtually possible.
WRUP: Last days of January edition
Can you believe January is almost already over? Time flies, as they say, when you're playing MMOs. Wait-- that's what they say, isn't it?This weekend, I'm going to be playing lots of Burnout Paradise, which actually has a lot of MMO qualities. The online gameplay is exquisite, and Criterion did a great job of tracking everything (and I mean everything) you do, and even then displaying that information to the people you're playing against. Before a race, it'll say things like "toucansamurai has 40 online takedowns," and the in-game narration will even taunt you to try and battle against certain players. Very awesome. It doesn't have a persistent world, per se (although many of the things you destroy do remain destroyed, I guess, even if other players don't see them that way), so it's not really an MMO in the strictest sense of the word. But for a racing game, it does a lot of online things just right.And of course, like everyone else, I find myself drawn back yet again to World of Warcraft. My Night Elf Hunter isn't leveling itself, unfortunately. What aRe yoU Playing this weekend in the world of MMOs?Previously on WRUP...
Fanpoll: Burnout Paradise and Crash Mode
Alright, now that Burnout Paradise has made the rounds and has been in gamers hot little hands for a few days, we've got a question. The biggest change made to the Burnout series in Paradise is definitely the new free roaming aspect. Rather than have separate modes, players activate different events at traffic signals. However, instead of incorporating Crash Mode into this system, Burnout Paradise uses a new feature called Showtime, which allows players to turn any crash into an impromptu Crash Mode. As evidenced in the video above, some epic crashes are still possible, but many will undoubtedly miss the meticulously crafted crash courses present in previous iterations of the series. So, here's your question: how do you feel about Showtime in Burnout Paradise? Place your vote in the poll below and make your feelings known in the comments. We'll take a look at the results next Friday.%Poll-8673%
Win a copy of Burnout Paradise!
You read our review! Now, snag a copy of the game for FREE!To enter, simply tell us of your best real-life Burnout moment. Did you do a donut in a parking lot? Did your mom speed through a red light at 100MPH? Tell us! The comment must be left before January 26th, 5PM EST. You may enter only once. One winner will be selected in a random drawing. One Grand Prize Winner will receive a copy of Burnout Paradise for PS3 (valued at $60). Click here for complete Official Rules. Eligibility is restricted to the legal residents of the 50 United States (including DC). You must be 18 years or older to enter.
Metareview - Burnout Paradise (PS3, Xbox 360)
The reviews are starting to come in for Burnout Paradise, and we're beginning to notice a pattern. While most aspects of the game (controls, graphics) are getting slathered with praise, the game's open-world-as-menu system is proving to be fairly divisive. But it seems like even the biggest haters weren't put off enough by it to ignore all of Burnout Paradise's other strengths. 1UP (90/100): "As someone who's closely followed Criterion's racing series for the last seven years, it warms my heart to see it evolve into something as innovative, satisfying, and polished as Burnout: Paradise. ... while the most recent franchise offerings (Revenge and Dominator) feel like playin'-it-safe rehashes, Paradise brilliantly reimagines Burnout as a go-anywhere, do-anything open-world adventure in the vein of Grand Theft Auto." Eurogamer (80/100): "Once you (reluctantly) adapt to the demands of the game, a massive amount of fun awaits. Burnout Paradise isn't everything it could have been, but what's here is still worthy of serious consideration for anyone hell-bent on demented arcade thrills." GameTap (90/100): "And driving in Burnout--having the freedom to do nothing at all--is amazingly addictively fun. The open world is an evolution that keeps this from becoming a series that has only minor changes from year to year, and it's executed really well, with graphics that are still gorgeous and a frame rate that runs as smoothly as butter. I love this new format and can't imagine going back."
PS3 Fanboy review: Burnout Paradise
When Burnout was first released in 2001, it did the amazing feat of instantly re-defining the idea of an arcade racer. Gone were the days where adrenalin junkies looking for their fix had to play yet another Ridge Racer title or suffer through impossibly average games like the Rush series. Burnout introduced a sense of speed, control, and visceral excitement that simply had not been seen in racing games before. Crashes made you physically wince and high speed races would have you sweating like you were actually in the car itself as you hurtled down a busy downtown street going 130 mph. It was one of the most refreshing changes of pace that a stale genre has ever experienced -- and yet few people in America were even aware of this British developed title.Things would change once Burnout 2 came about though, with its larger variety of cars, tracks, and modes (including the dementedly entertaining party mode called Crash) attracting a much higher level of attention than the previous game. The series' popularity only accelerated once Burnout 3: Takedown came out, with Criterion Games experimenting with more and more ways to jack up the level of adrenalin and carnage with each game. In fact, experimenting with the Burnout franchise would become one of Criterion Games signature traits -- just because a feature was in a previous game, didn't mean it would show up in later games (as Alex Ward once famously said).%Gallery-12560%
