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Joystiq impressions: Burnout Paradise
"Paradise" because this is the Burnout that Criterion has always wanted to develop, an EA marketing associate told us. Rebuilt on a yet-named engine (though internally, it's being called something like "smoldering BM"), Burnout Paradise drops us into a virtual city and promptly lets go. 'Burnout without boundaries' can be intimidating to the unimaginative, but it's simple enough to stop at any of the 150 traffic lights, spin your car wheels, and initiate a classic-style race (though even these races are open to interpretation, since checkpoints can be reached from numerous routes). Time trial and crash mode are also cleanly embedded into the open-world, seamlessly attached to each street in the game.Still, this looks and plays a lot like Burnout Takedown and its subsequent sequels, and it's not until your friends (up to 8) start to pile up in your city that Criterion's vision of Paradise starts to become clear. Suddenly, spontaneous barrel rolls don't seem so, well, pointless. Now it's a high score competition, or a lure into a friendly takedown. But watch out, if you're victim's using a web cam, the game will automatically snap a mug shot just as your buddy becomes a crumpled wreck and plaster it on your screen -- and there's no telling where said victim's camera might be pointed... Criterion has made sacrifices, giving up real-time lighting and weather effects to ensure 60fps, and has scrapped the neatly packaged standard of menus and sub-menus that tend to guide the gameplay of most racing titles. Perhaps Paradise is a place where the sun is always perched just past noon; where there are no traffic laws; where horrific crashes don't have haunting consequences -- instead they're pleasures. But Paradise was never meant to be a loner's retreat. It's multiplayer, and multiplayer alone, that will save this franchise from monotony.Note: PlayStation 3 box art is used above to reflect that Criterion and EA are currently previewing Burnout Paradise on PS3 only.Update: EA has set a tentative "winter" release -- expect Burnout Paradise in early 2008.%Gallery-2874%
New Burnout Paradise vid shows off vehicular destruction
Previous Burnout Paradise trailers have failed to show off any of the features that make a Burnout game a Burnout game, i.e., massive crashes with explosions of shrapnel. Criterion has finally given into our ravenous demands for destruction and they have released a new pre-E3 trailer that shows off a ton of sexy vehicular destruction. It also highlights some changes to level design, as it appears that the levels have more huge jumps and vertical pathways than the previous entries in the Burnout series. Though the whole sandbox aspect of the gameplay is still pretty suspicious, the rest of the gameplay is looking fantastic. The graphics look gorgeous and the game moves at the standard blistering pace we'd expect.With Criterion focusing on the PlayStation 3 version of Burnout, expect some top-notch carnage when the game hits the pavement later this year. Until then, check out the trailer above!
Burnout Paradise's Teaser collides with Marketplace
The beautiful, serene, and surprisingly crashless teaser trailer for Burnout Paradise is now available in glorious High Definition on Xbox Live Marketplace. While some of you readers complained that the lack of destruction didn't really do anything for you, the focal point was the city that will be literally at your disposal in the new gen aggressive racer. The trailer weighs in at 36.23 MB, which sounds about right for 60-ish seconds of content. Does it look like the new hawtness compared to the YouTube version we showed you before?
New name for Burnout 5 + new trailer and screenshots!
Criterion announced today that the tentatively titled Burnout 5 is now officially called Burnout Paradise. To commemorate the occasion, they've also released a handful of new screenshots and a sexy teaser trailer.Burnout Paradise is supposed to mix up the Burnout experience by providing a kind of free-roaming gameplay with online integration that sounds similar to Test Drive Unlimited, though not a lot of details have come out yet. I'm a bit wary about it myself, I rather dislike free-roaming gameplay in racing games. I liked the arcade-y feeling of the earlier Burnout tracks, and I'm worried you're going to lose some of the pacing by making it a sandbox racer. At the same time, Criterion has a fantastic track record and they haven't let me down yet.What do you guys think? Do you think sandbox style gameplay will be beneficial to the Burnout formula?
Burnout: Paradise trailer releases; require new pants
Wow. Gamertagradio just posted the teaser trailer for the next Burnout game, now titled Burnout: Paradise, accompanied by a press release touching on some information we already knew, as well as that the game is slated for a northern hemispherical "Winter 2007" release. Anyway, the trailer starts off similarly to GTA:IV, showing the ... paradisiacal Paradise City, with the calm hustle and bustle of the streets, inter-cut with the roaring engine of the burners racing along the road. For those of you curious, the music featured is "My Curse" by Killswitch Engage, with "Burning The Lives" by Shadows Fall almost being audible behind the sound of the cars careening between traffic. So, out of care for your well being, we have the teaser available after the break, but plead that you come prepared, lest your week start off on the wrong foot.
Burnout 5 screens crash into internet
Over a dozen Burnout 5 screens hit the internet recently. The screens were evidently part of an exclusive preview. We looked around and found a Burnout 5 preview posted at GamePro.com. At least, the preview used to be there. It has since been pulled at the request of Electronic Arts. Still, the screens and the preview are floating around, as things tend to do on the 'net. Lord knows how long it will be up, so you'd best take it in now.For the sake of our readers, we'll summarize what's new. First of all, Burnout 5 (working title) is an open world game. In other words, you no longer choose your events from a menu. Instead you activate them inside the world (known as Paradise City). As Criterion's Alex Ward describes it, a race could turn into a road rage, which could turn into a pursuit, eventually ending with the player being taken out by another driver. Since you crashed anyway, why not record it as a crash mode run? According to Ward, this is the experience Criterion is aiming for in Burnout 5. Speaking of crashes, the cars now contain 80 destructible parts, making for some much more detailed "accidents." Another new feature is the driver's license, which acts as a player's stat tracker. As a player increases his stats, his driving level will increase, allowing him to take better control of more advanced vehicles. The idea behind this is to keep players from simply unlocking the "best" car and leaving it at that. Without a high enough skill level, a good car becomes harder to drive. Hit the "read" link for more screens and info.[Thanks, DjDATZ]
Camera support for next Burnout? Why? How?
Computer and Video Games has an extremely short story (more like a haiku, really) in which Criterion's Alex Ward hints at digital camera support for both the Xbox 360 and PS3 versions of Burnout 5. Our first thought upon reading this was, "Why does this game need camera support?" Is there going to be some sort of wave-your-hands-to-move- the-on-screen-steering-wheel mode? Is the game going to display our twisted, mangled faces as we react to the twisted, mangled cars on screen? Are they going to let us take pictures of our own car and then blow up an in-game model of it? Because that last one would be kind of cool.Our second thought was, "Hey whatever happened to the HD EyeToy promised for the PS3?" The thing was shown off way back at E3 2006 working with SingStar and gimmicky card battle game Eye of Judgement. Since then, the Sony camp has been dead silent on the peripheral. The best information we were able to find is a cryptic October interview with EyeToy designer Richard Marks that calls the device "a concept rather than a product line." Since the PS3 supports data from practically any USB webcam for video chats (even the Xbox Live Vision cam), has the idea of a specific, Sony-branded EyeToy fallen by the wayside?
Burnout 5 to employ Vision Camera
There hasn't been a great deal of information surrounding the next installment of the Burnout series, so far referred to only as Burnout 5. As such, we feel it our responsibility to inform our readers of even the tiniest bit of Burnout related news. Today's bit of news is actually fairly exciting, as it seems that the Vision Camera will be used in the game. So far we don't know how it will be implemented, but it will definitely be featured in the game. Speaking about Burnout 5 to CVG, Criterion's director of design, Alex Ward, said, "How you use the controller is key, how you play the game online, how you use the HD Eye Toy and the 360 Vision Camera online is really important."What uses could the camera have? Face capturing for the drivers perhaps? Could it be used for taunting, as in Command & Conquer 3? Anyone have any ideas?
Burnout 5 using HD Eye Toy
Wasn't a Burnout title just released on the PSP and PS2? Burninator or Dominatrix or something? We kid, we know of Burnout Dominator but those are two unfortunate words that can easily be blended together thanks to the impossibly heroic and awesome quest of Trogdor. Anyway, we haven't heard much about the PS3 Burnout 5, so let's get an update.Criterion's director of design, Alex Ward, talked about the direction being taken for the game: "How you use the controller is key, how you play the game online, how you use the HD Eye Toy and the 360 Vision Camera online is really important." Hmm, we have no idea what to expect. Will they somehow transpose you into the driver's seat for online distribution/replays? That'd be... weird. But we can't really think of any other use with such limited knowledge of 1) the game and 2) the HD Eye Toy. Can you think of anything?
Alex Ward flips out during MTV interview
Did you play EA's notoriously over-hyped shooter, Black? We mean, did you really play it? Enough to understand the subtle geopolitical message that gelled together the very fabric of the game? Would you say you beat the game? If so, don't tell Alex Ward that. As MTV News' Stephen Totilo found out, using such common terminology for completing a game in the presence of Criterion's creative director is enough to warrant a long-winded rant against Western gamers. Between finding hidden messages in Pac-Man and taking absurd leaps in logic when analyzing the speech habits of Americans, Ward spits fire for just under five minutes of insanity. Totilo attempts to get him back on track regarding the plot (or lack thereof) of Black, but even after a few zingers Ward just keeps on trucking. Let's see. An arrogant British man grandstanding about the stupidity of Americans? Yeah, that's real creative. About as creative as Black.
New Burnout 5 info and screens!
So... there have been four other Burnout games? Really? Geez, must've missed the boat on that one. Perhaps they jumped consoles every other time or something, but I really don't recall four other of these games -- maybe two. Anyway, some new info has surfaced about the fifth title in the Burnout series. What's the info? Well, pretty much everything. Too much to even begin to list, but we'll try. Cars will have over 80 different parts that will react realistically upon explosion, crash, wall-bashing, etc. Crashing is one of the main focal points Criterion is going for -- if it looks crappy, it's not next-gen to them. Don't be confused, they're going for real physics, but not realistic physics: "Real physics don't make for great gameplay all the time. If we want to blow the car up, we'll blow the car up. Like when they blew up the Death Star--there's no fire in space." Audio is getting a major facelift, but through non-traditional means: "Going back to the idea that absolutely real is a bit boring, there's a lot of audio in there that isn't traditional." Examples include trees, electricity, and apes screeching in agony. For crashes, apparently. No longer are there "areas" or "tracks"... a seamless world awaits you! As Criterion said, "We analyzed the layouts of some big American cities and cross-referenced those against the best tracks from previous Burnouts. We can't go actual size--we've had to be a little constrained-- but we're definitely bigger than any other open world in any other racing game." To get to the end of these "open worlds", it would take about five or six minutes of top-speed, uninterrupted driving. Tilt function will be used in full -- one such use will be to control the way your car flips and spins, including the direction. The L2 and R2 buttons will be more sensitive, now used for the brake and accelerator, respectively. So, press down real hard on the gas at the get-go, you'll get a (giggle) burnout. Braking hard is always good, though. Always. There will be downloadable content -- possibly different play modes for download. Whew. There's a lot more, but it's riddled inside the text over at the 1up preview page. If you're interested, check it out. If not, well, why did you read this far down? Anyway, it seems exciting and "next-gen", so we'll keep an eye on this puppy as well.
Pedestrians spotted in Burnout 5
1UP recently posted this Burnout 5 image along with a lengthy preview (originally published in OPM). Clearly, we seen pedestrians strolling the sidewalk. So what's the explanation?Our gut tells us there won't be people in Burnout 5. 1UP's accompanying preview seems to agree, quoting audio director Nick Laviers, who states, "You don't see human beings in Burnout -- it's all about cars." It's unlikely that EA and Criterion would want to push the boundaries of the E(10+)-rating that Burnout Revenge managed. Throwing people into the carnage could lead the ESRB to smack the next Burnout with an M-rating, drastically reducing the potential consumer base. The image posted above is likely conceptual, or perhaps appears in some sort of FMV clip. Although we'd love to see Criterion experiment with ragdolls crashing through windshields (with first-person perspective replays!), we know better than to pine for some Carmageddon-like action.
Criterion's Alex Ward chats up DS and Wii
Alex Ward, director of design for Criterion Games (Burnout), recently talked about the DS and Wii during an interview with N'Gai Croal. Alex talks, rather favorably, in regards to the Wii and DS, but mainly focuses on Burnout stuff outside the realm of Nintendo. While we could definitely care less about that Sony and Microsoft stuff, Alex makes a few interesting comments regarding their approach to their first attempt at making a game for the Wii or DS, should the developers pursue such a project: What about Wii? You've got Nintendo fans--what can you offer them? At the moment, we're only working on Playstation 3 and 360. We're into the Wii. It's not like we're not. We used to get all the hate mail from people saying, "Why aren't you doing this?" I'd love to do something on that system. We'd like to think about exactly about what it would be. And we'd have to build something bespoke. I've met with the Nintendo guys. They've shown me their stuff. It's cool. I think we'd have to look at very bespoke experiences. So you don't want to just do a port. No way. We just don't do ports at Criterion. We never have. When we did Burnout 1 on Xbox, it was like, "What else can we do?" We were the first game on Xbox to do Live scoreboards. Burnout Revenge on 360, it was a three-month job, but we were big on Save and Share. We were big on Live Revenge. We knew that Live was going to be where it was at, so we put all our time into Live features. When we get a look at the hardware, we just think, "What's the best game we can do on that?" If we were to do a DS game--and we haven't done a DS game yet; the last Burnout for DS wasn't done by us--we've got some ideas we think that would be very bespoke. Using the stylus. Using the microphone. Using everything you can to make that system fun. And hypothetically, Burnout on Wii--maybe you wouldn't do any driving in it at all. Let's do something totally different with it. The Burnout team, we want to do it, but at the moment. we're just focused on doing the PS3 and Xbox 360 Burnout 5. Who knows what we'll do after that. We'll probably be dead.
Criterion's Alex Ward chats up Wii and DS
Alex Ward, director of design for Criterion Games (Burnout), recently talked about the DS and Wii during an interview with N'Gai Croal. Alex talks, rather favorably, in regards to the Wii and DS, but mainly focuses on Burnout stuff outside the realm of Nintendo. While we could definitely care less about that Sony and Microsoft stuff, Alex makes a few interesting comments regarding their approach to their first attempt at making a game for the Wii or DS, should the developers pursue such a project: What about Wii? You've got Nintendo fans--what can you offer them? At the moment, we're only working on Playstation 3 and 360. We're into the Wii. It's not like we're not. We used to get all the hate mail from people saying, "Why aren't you doing this?" I'd love to do something on that system. We'd like to think about exactly about what it would be. And we'd have to build something bespoke. I've met with the Nintendo guys. They've shown me their stuff. It's cool. I think we'd have to look at very bespoke experiences. So you don't want to just do a port. No way. We just don't do ports at Criterion. We never have. When we did Burnout 1 on Xbox, it was like, "What else can we do?" We were the first game on Xbox to do Live scoreboards. Burnout Revenge on 360, it was a three-month job, but we were big on Save and Share. We were big on Live Revenge. We knew that Live was going to be where it was at, so we put all our time into Live features. When we get a look at the hardware, we just think, "What's the best game we can do on that?" If we were to do a DS game--and we haven't done a DS game yet; the last Burnout for DS wasn't done by us--we've got some ideas we think that would be very bespoke. Using the stylus. Using the microphone. Using everything you can to make that system fun. And hypothetically, Burnout on Wii--maybe you wouldn't do any driving in it at all. Let's do something totally different with it. The Burnout team, we want to do it, but at the moment. we're just focused on doing the PS3 and Xbox 360 Burnout 5. Who knows what we'll do after that. We'll probably be dead.
Criterion seeks 'verisimilitude' in Burnout 5
New buzzword: verisimilitude. It's the term Criterion front man Alex Ward borrows from the director of the recent Superman flick; it's the term that defines the focus of Burnout 5's crashes. That is to say, "[if] you don't believe the crash is real, then it's not going to frighten you," Ward recently told Newsweek's N'Gai Croal, "...The first crash you see on PlayStation 3 has got to go way beyond everything you've ever seen, beyond anything that we've ever done."Note Ward's usage of "PlayStation 3." Criterion is Sony developer at heart, and Ward isn't shy about his allegiance. Regardless of Sony's miscues, Ward's transparent loyalty is a reminder that big-time developers are dedicated to delivering for PlayStation 3. Then again, Burnout 5 is also headed to Xbox 360. Will we be able to discern a difference?
Criterion talks about Burnout Dominator
EA recently revealed that the upcoming Burnout Dominator will be a PSP and PS2 exclusive, a strange decision in the light of a new generation of platforms. Nick Channon from Criterion Games spoke to Gamespot in a recent interview, and shared a few more details about the upcoming racer: The game will feature shorter "skill-based" levels, which is "perfect on PSP." The PSP and PS2 versions will not feature any connectivity with each other. All multiplayer will be available via ad-hoc (no Infrastructure? Boo!). Not too revealing, but at least it's something. Expect more updates as this game gets closer.
Burnout Dominator announced, again
After getting its spot blown up, EA was forced to come clean about Sony-exclusive Burnout Dominator. As previously divulged, the game will be released for PlayStation 2 and PSP (a separate Burnout is in development for PS3 and Xbox 360). Criterion refers to Dominator as a celebration of the franchise's roots, as it debuted on PS2 five years ago -- in other words, there's still a huge install base to reap profits from.It seems that Dominator will be an inelaborate installment, as neither version features online play (excluding ad hoc support for PSP); and Criterion hasn't bothered with snazzy 'CrossTalk' bonuses. Instead, the developer will include a series of skill-based challenges that highlight the addictive elements of the series.It's the same ol' crack, but there are still plenty of us smoking. Dominator is due early next year.
Burnout Dominator disappears in a flash
Following the posting and hasty removal of a 'Burnout Dominator' listing on EB Games' website comes speculation that Criterion is developing a sequel-of-sorts to PS P's Burnout Legends for both Sony's handheld and PlayStation 2. While the tease listing could be written off as a gaffe, more likely, Criterion is looking to double-dip, extending the Burnout franchise in two directions.Similar to how Legends was released in tandem with Burnout Revenge, Dominator could be paired with the forthcoming open-world Burnout 5. Or, given that a PSP engine has already been built, Dominator could be offered as a quickly assembled appetizer to stave off hungry appetites, buying time for the next-gen PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 installment. Toss in a PS2 port, and Criterion has 2007 in the bag.
Criterion won't enter Blu-ray vs. HD DVD battle yet
Unlike many fans of either format Criterion has so far been satisfied to sit on the sidelines and let things transpire as they may, and for the time being they will continue to. On the new Criterion Collection blog executive Peter Becker spelled out the company's view on the ongoing tiff between HD DVD and Blu-ray. Criterion benefited by moving from making well-received laserdiscs to the DVD format early on, but with the lack of a single standard, it is left with the choice of either alienating some customers, or creating two sets of inventory for all of its content. While dual releases might be feasible for larger players like Warner and Paramount, Criterion is going to let things shake themselves out before releasing HD content on disc. Since it has been mastering all of its films in HD for years one can only imagine the stockpile of content and extras waiting to be unleashed...someday.
Burnout 5 burning out... peeling rubber... on next-gen
Time to burn dust... eat my rubber (if anyone gets that reference, you are made of pure comedic gold)! Criterion's popular Burnout series is getting a fifth iteration on the PS3 and Xbox 360 in 2007. The game is boasting a seamless racing area known as Paradise City (we assume this means no load times... sweet). Want to take on a rough n' tough burner? Stack up some reputation on your driver's license for being destructive and insane... perhaps then you will be challenged to a duel, of sorts. No more menu systems to bug you and no more aimless wandering in search of your next task.Perhaps the most interesting tidbit about this game is the fact it's being built from the ground up for next-gen systems. No recycling in Paradise City, it seems. The move to rebuild the game completely is a fantastic move, even if it causes more work for those at Criterion. Get prepared for fantastic looking car crashes and pile-ups (doesn't that make you feel dirty? fantastic looking... scenes of death? Oh well) in this next-gen Burnout. Updates will come as news surfaces.
