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Need For Speed: Hot Pursuit gameplay footage will get your heart racing
This freshly released gameplay trailer for Need For Speed: Hot Pursuit from Burnout vets Criterion Games has us in a hot pursuit of a controller with which we can play more of this blistering-fast racer. The footage features cops versus racers in both day and night settings, the latter we're pretty sure was put in the game just to show off the police car lights bathing passing cars and scenery in their red and blue beams. The video begins and ends with a peek at the game's "Autolog" player vs. player challenge system. There are also some shots that'll be familiar with anyone who played Need For Speed: Hot Pursuit 2 in the PS2 era, including roadblocks, spike strips (dropped from helicopters!) and the cops calling in high-performance backup when their cruisers just aren't getting the job done. It looks fast-tastic. Now, if only November 16 could get here faster.
Preview: Need for Speed Hot Pursuit
I'm a Criterion fanboy. I've explored nearly every nook and cranny of Paradise Island and clocked a lot of mileage with the myriad DLC available for Burnout Paradise. Yet, the team's reboot of the Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit series simply didn't click with me. Of course, what I played was an early build and one limited to a 1-on-1 versus mode -- hardly indication of what chaos to expect in a larger multiplayer match -- but that's not necessarily a recipe for a bad first impression. Criterion's approach to Hot Pursuit, I was told, is to focus on the basis of the franchise: the thrill of the chase. However, the 1-on-1 chase that I played wasn't thrilling at all; despite being based on a solid concept: you play as either cop or racer (escaping the police) and utilize a number of weapons to slow down your opponent. The racer, for example, can jam the cop car's radar, while the cop can summon a barricade. %Gallery-95184%
Criterion Collection's October Blu-ray release schedule includes Seven Samurai
It hasn't been that long since Criterion collection started shipping its classics on Blu-ray, and one of the most recently announced movies on the way is Akira Kurosawa's classic, Seven Samurai. A flick which should need no introduction, it will get a three disc set when it arrives October 19 with a $49.95 MSRP, while we'll have to wait for more specs and features, there will also be a few other incredible movies like The Magician, Paths of Glory, House and The Darjeeling Limited arriving around the same time, so make your preorder choices wisely.
Crysis 2, Sims 3 on consoles, NBA Jam due Holiday 2010
Thanks to today's EA earnings report (EArnings?) we're starting to get an idea of how the company's holiday season is going to shape up. This is all subject to change, of course, but as of right now it would appear you can look forward to Crysis 2, NBA Jam and EA Sports MMA sometime between October and December of 2010. Filling out the holiday quarter are some yet-to-be-formally-announced titles like The Sims 3 on consoles, a new Need For Speed game (perhaps the Criterion-developed one?) and a new Harry Potter game (likely tied to this November's Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part I). Want to come up with your own wild speculation? Peruse the list here.
Criterion puts the brakes on hopes for more Burnout Paradise DLC
You probably got that idea already, considering nothing but the sound of crickets and tumbleweeds have emerged from Criterion HQ since the release of the last bit of Burnout Paradise DLC, Big Surf Island. A tweet from the company account confirms our fears, stating there will be "no more" DLC and that the company "did WAY more than everyone else." That's all well and good, but it doesn't slake our need for more amazing DLC! So there you have it. The world is a colder and darker place today. If you need us, we'll be Freeburning our troubles away online, pining for what could have been.
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.
Suda 51 plays Burnout Paradise (a lot) more than you
Grasshopper Manfacture boss Goichi "Suda 51" Suda likes to do everything to the extreme, whether it's the ultra-violence of No More Heroes or -- as we now know -- playing other developers' games, specifically Criterion's Burnout Paradise. The British dev's head honcho, Alex Ward, issued a tweet revealing that Suda had recently popped by his studio (likely after the recent Nordic Game Conference) and is a "hardcore Burnout fan.""Hardcore" may be an understatement, as Ward disclosed that server logs show Suda has played more than 700 hours of Burnout Paradise. So, there it is: Even more proof that Suda 51 knows great games and takes everything to the extreme. It may also explain why we haven't heard anything more about the horror title he's working on for EA alongside Resident Evil creator Shinji Mikami.[Via VG247]
Big Surf Island still closed to tourists, Criterion working on a fix [update]
Fans of Criterion's beloved Billy Joel driving/crashing simulator, Burnout Paradise, were hit hard by the events of yesterday's Xbox Live Marketplace implosion -- frequent Burn-ers have been unable to download the game's long anticipated territorial expansion, Big Surf Island. According to Criterion, "unforeseen technical problems caused this content to be to be removed from the Xbox LIVE Marketplace." Fortunately, the Burnout team is all up on it, working with Microsoft to get a fix out as soon as possible. We'll let you know when they're successful!Update: Success! Just like that, Criterion's got Big Surf Island online. If you've got $12.99 to drop, Burnout Paradise has a new landmass for you explore.
Criterion thinks if you've maxed out the 360, you're not trying hard enough
Apparently the company that owns Criterion (EA -- duh!) and the company itself don't agree on whether or not the Xbox 360 has been "maxed out." Speaking to Eurogamer, Criterion's technical director Richard Parr said, "That's proof that you're not the best ... it means you're out of ideas." Dedicated Joystiq Biomass™ members will remember when, just three days ago, vice president of EA Europe Patrick Soderlund said, "I think that we've maxed out the 360 but we haven't maxed out the PS3." So, what is it, folks? Is the 360 already meeting its limits? Will the rumored new Xbox console of Fall 2010 help to assuage Mr. Soderlund's claims? Will Criterion get in a slapfight with EA Europe? We'll just have to wait and see.
Report: Battlefield 3, Criterion-developed Need for Speed underway
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 SpeedSource -- Battlefield 3
Burnout Paradise: Big Surf Island hangs ten (and then some) in debut trailer
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-38136%
Big Surf Island adds 15 events, 10 freeburn challenges to Burnout Paradise
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-38136%
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 Cops and Robbers DLC hits the streets, new trailer
Just a reminder folks, the latest DLC for Burnout Paradise, Cops and Robbers, is now available. The new game mode, surprisingly, pits cops against robbers in a mad dash for some sweet, sweet gold. Alongside the newly released DLC, we have a trailer of the new game mode in action. You can also find the latest episode of Crash TV, which explains the mode in great detail, after the break.The Cops and Robbers DLC is available now for $10 / 800 on PS3 and Xbox 360.
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%
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.
Burnout Paradise planes could be an April Fool's joke
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 Paradise: The Ultimate Box speeds onto Steam
As foretold by the all-knowing prophet Criterion, Burnout Paradise: The Ultimate Box is now available for purchase on Steam for $39.99. The Ultimate Box includes the full version of Burnout Paradise and all of its free updates, including the Cagney and Bike content, plus the premium Party Pack (sadly, Legendary Cars and newer DLC are not included). As a special bonus, only applicable to this downloadable version, none of the excessive packaging or nasty shrink wrap is included. We can already feel the environment's warming approval.
