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Burnout Bikes coming out next week
Criterion's constantly evolving racing game, Burnout Paradise, is getting ready for its next significant update. The Bikes pack will be available next Thursday on PSN. The highlights of next week's update? 2 motorcycles featuring male or female characters with a whole new progression to earn your Bike License. 38 new against-the-clock race events – Burning Ride and Midnight Ride. A brand new in-game 24 hr day / night cycle that impacts traffic density and available events. Dynamic weather 70 more Freeburn Challenges And that's not the end of the updates. Next week, expect to find out more about the fabled PS3 Trophy patch.%Gallery-12560%
Criterion Blu-ray debut delayed until November
Criterion's firmed up its release plans, backing off the initial October projections and announcing the first five flicks to get the C stamped on their Blu-ray case. Included are three classics already out on Criterion DVD due November 18 - The Man Who Fell to Earth, The Third Man and The Last Emperor. The following week Bottle Rocket and Chungking Express hit day and date with their DVD counterparts, all for the promised MSRP of $39.95 (tagged $31.96 in the Criterion store.) Original aspect ratios, BD-50 dual layer discs and the company's usual care and attention to detail, of course, are part of the package, the only question is whether you can wait one more long month.
A closer look at Burnout's new bikes
Click for high-resolution image. We're still amazed at the incredible amount of content Criterion is adding to Burnout Paradise ... for FREE. The PS3-loving guys at Criterion uploaded new shots to the PlayStation.blog, and boy does this FREE update look incredible. This is the first time bikes have been implemented in the Burnout series ... and did we mention this content will be FREE?The developers promise that the bike pack will add about 9-10 hours of gameplay, and 70 new challenges. Other games barely include that much content out of the box. More exciting however: "every new pack we build for Burnout Paradise is grander than the last." And we know that they're not going to just stop at bikes ...%Gallery-12560%
Joystiq hands-on: Burnout Paradise Bikes
click to nitro-size Criterion's been giddy with excitement lately over its DLC-licious plan to bring motorcycles to Paradise City. We've shared in its enthusiasm, but it's much easier to get excited when you've actually experienced the Burnout Paradise Bikes Pack for yourself. Which is just what we did at EA.Like many of you, our main question regarding the bikes wasn't "Why?" or "Really, why?" but rather "Will they be impossible to control?" The answer is, thankfully, no. Just as we're somehow able to navigate the tight turns and traffic of Burnout Paradise going, oh, Mach 50 in cars (we think it has to do with magic, but could be wrong) steering the bikes is equally forgiving – not to say that there isn't a degree of skill involved. %Gallery-29715%
Criterion Collection uses PS3 as reference Blu-ray player
Yeah, you read that correctly -- the obsessive audiophiles / videophiles at the Criterion Collection use Sony's PlayStation 3 as its reference Blu-ray player. In all honesty, we can't say we're too surprised. Time and again, Sony's latest console has been rated very highly as a dedicated BD deck, and the plentiful firmware updates ensure that it's always at the forefront of whatever interactive functionality is next. This snippet of factual goodness was extracted from a recent writeup that took an in-depth look at how the CC would be revamping its home theater, and even famed calibration guru Joe Kane gave his approval at using the console for playing back Blu-ray Discs. The real kicker? They also settled upon a DVIGear HDMI cable over one of those obscenely overpriced Ogre cables -- and that was after running clean out of coat hangers.[Via CNET]
Burnout Paradise 'Bikes Pack' throttles back to September
Previously known as the "Davis" update, the next major content infusion for Burnout Paradise has been renamed ... and delayed by a month. In a post on the PlayStation Blog, Criterion producer Jeremy Chubb reveals that the update is now going by the designation "Bikes Pack" and will hit in September, not August as originally planned.When it finally hits, the pack will feature two motorcycles: a street chopper and a racing bike. Criterion has also divulged more details on night racing. It turns out that the time of day will change dynamically, and, along with it, so will the bike challenges available. Special "Midnight Rides" will only be accessible after the sun sets on Paradise City. Not that it will always be sunny during the day or moonlit at night – in yet another surprise announcement, Criterion is implementing a dynamic weather system in this update. The dev says it's "serious about DLC," and given this latest news we're even more inclined to respond: "No, really?"
Burnout Paradise 'Cagney' update rolls onto Xbox 360
Burnout Paradise finally got its 381 MB update on Xbox 360 today -- no, not that one. While PlayStation 3 owners have been warming up to the "Cagney" content for nearly a month, Xbox 360 players have had to wait out Microsoft's grueling certification process, and then the "final stages of testing." But, Cagney's here now, and still free. Just press A.Check out Criterion's site for the full list of features. [Note: Obscured text in image above reads, "Without this update you will be unable to play online."]
Burnout Paradise Bikes DLC to add 15 hours of playtime
The next free DLC involving motorcycles for Burnout Paradise formerly known as Davis has been aptly renamed Burnout Bikes. MTV Multiplayer had a chance to try out the update and has the following details to share with us: Unlike cars who smash into bits during crashes, motorcycles are basically indestructible. However, when the driver flies off a bike, the driver will disappear on impact. This allows the game to maintain a Teen rating with the ESRB. You can choose the gender of your rider. You can perform wheelies, and it is "measured for duration in real-time just like drifting is for the game's cars." A motorcycle-license career path will be added. The new content will add about 15 hours of playtime. A day-night cycle and weather will be introduced. Motorcycle vs. car not in this expansion, but planned for the future No specific release date has been announced, but it should be "in the next couple of months." [Thanks, Monik!]
Burnout Paradise Cagney update hits this Monday
After weeks of waiting the Cagney update for Burnout Paradise is finally hitting the Xbox 360. Scheduled to go live on Monday, August 4, Cagney adds 3 new online game modes, two additional vehicles, a live news page and calendar, 70 all-new timed multi-part challenges and more. What would you expect to pay for a content upgrade like this? 1000MS points? 800MS Points? 500MS points you say? Nope. Cagney can be yours for the low price of free. Criterion also announced that the next update, which includes motorbikes, will drop next month. Happy driving!Jump in for a full list of Cagney update information.[Thanks, Dynamo Matt]
Burnout Paradise's bikes immune to obliteration
Criterion's forthcoming "Davis" update for Burnout Paradise will deliver not only an array of two-wheeled vehicles, but a taste of automotive irony. Whereas the series' signature sports cars all spectacularly crumple into balls of mangled metal when they collide with walls, poles and, best of all, other signature sports cars, the bikes won't bend or buckle or break. And neither will the riders, safely disappearing from the game's E10-rated environment whenever they wipe out. MTV Multiplayer's Stephen Totilo explains that when it comes to Burnout Bikes, it's less about SMASH! and more about ZOOM! -- particularly in the update's speedy new single-player challenges and 8-player online, motorcycle-only events. Players can also expect a day-night cycle, weather effects (no, really!) and yes, wheelies. We imagine plenty of people will bemoan the absence of bikers smashing their heads open on Burnout Paradise's pavements, but hey, Criterion is still giving us a pretty substantial (also: free) addition. The only drawback we can think of is not having a place to hang our pair o' dice.
Burnout Paradise 'Cagney' update delayed again for Xbox 360
Have you ever had that dream where you're running down a hallway but are unable to reach the exit because the doorway is constantly stretching out of reach? For fans of Burnout Paradise for the Xbox 360, this has become a waking nightmare, as Criterion has again pushed back the title's forthcoming "Cagney" update until early August.Criterion is currently "aiming" to release the free update on August 4, nearly a month after the patch arrived on the PS3. However, according to a post on the dev's website, this merely represents the "earliest" that we can expect it to show up. Interestingly, while the previous hold-up was laid at the feet of Xbox Live's burdensome certification process, this latest information indicates that the update, much like the patience of street carnage virtuosos, is now in the "final stages of testing."[Thanks Greg]
Newest Burnout Paradise update delayed again
After supposedly being delayed only a few days, the latest update for Burnout Paradise has been delayed once again. The Cagney update, which contains three new game modes, 70 freeburn challenges some new cars and more, will still of course be totally free, but us 360 gamers are now going to have to wait until around the 24th of this month before we see it. Apparently the Microsoft QA team spotted a few bugs and it'll take a few more weeks to squash 'em. Hey, it's always better to nip these things in the bud before they become a larger problem. [Via Joystiq]
Burnout Paradise's 'Cagney' update delayed on Xbox 360 until July 24
Step right this way 360 owners, past the bearded woman, under the tent flap and into "Bizarro World!" In this world, 360 versions of things are always delayed, while PS3 players get to enjoy them first. Look, over there! That's a PS3 owner enjoying the new Burnout Paradise update "Cagney" today, and you've got to wait for it! And not just a few days like we originally thought! No, Criterion's now saying you're going to be waiting until at least July 24! The terror!And look, over there, it's ... actually, that's the only exhibit we've got, sorry folks. Drive safely don't forget that your ticket stubs are good for 50 percent off at Pizza In a Cup.[Thanks, SharpShooter]
Burnout Paradise 'Cagney' update now available
It's time to dust off your copy of Burnout Paradise today as the latest update, codenamed "Cagney," is now available for download. Simply stick the game in and boot it up and you'll be welcomed by an update screen asking you to download the almost 400mb patch. This latest patch adds a further 70 Freeburn challenges to complete online, improved SD rendering, custom soundtracks, new cars and more. Best of all? It's completely free.Criterion will continue to add to the Burnout Paradise experience this year with further updates which will include trophies, motorbikes and ... planes? If you haven't yet picked up Burnout Paradise, then now's a great time to do so. With it selling for only $40 everywhere, you really have no excuse.[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
Burnout Paradise 'Cagney' update for Xbox 360 delayed until July 14
Fans of Criterion's vehicular vehicleslaughter sim Burnout Paradise were supposed to receive the title's third major update this coming Thursday, codenamed "Cagney". The vaudevillian actor-turned-downloadable content will give Paradisians the opportunity to play through more than 70 events online in FreeBurn mode -- unfortunately, Paradisians of the Xbox 360 variety will have to wait a bit longer than their PS3 counterparts to enjoy the free update.Unsurprisingly, the source of the hold-up is the rigorous Xbox Live certification process, which took longer than Criterion had expected. Their new release date for "Cagney" is the following Monday, July 14 -- though this delay won't affect PS3 owners. Nor will it affect DS owners, restaurant entrepreneurs, professional poker players, the current Dalai Lama, or the actual James Cagney, who is, in fact, deceased.
Airplanes in Burnout Paradise?
As Criterion Games wraps up development on the soon-to-be-released Cagney update for Burnout Paradise, the team is already experimenting with what future updates could bring to the title. Previously announced bikes, night-time driving and a new island have been revealed as key additions coming to the game but now Criterion has revealed the team is experimenting with airplanes. Continuing the developer's admiration for high speed, planes could be an interesting addition to the series but it doesn't appear that anything is set in stone just yet.Until then we'll make do with the 3 new online modes, 70 online timed challenges, ranked racing improvements and live updates page all releasing for free with the Cagney update, which has been pushed to July 14.[via Big Download]
Burnout's Cagney update delayed a few days
Criterion recently announced some "bummer" news regarding Burnout Paradise's upcoming Cagney update, saying that it will not release on July 10th as originally planned. Tear. Due to the Microsoft certification process taking longer than expected, Criterion confirmed that the Paradise's Cagney title update will roll out a few days later, on Monday, July 14th. The PS3 Cagney release will not be affected. So, you can look forward to some hot Cagney update action on the 14th, bringing with it three new freeburn modes, 70 freeburn challenges, new vehicles and a laundry list of gameplay tweaks.
Burnout Paradise Cagney update not delayed for PS3
Have you heard the news that Burnout Paradise's update known as Cagney has been delayed? Fear not, PS3 fans! While we've become fairly accepting of delays and assume any game or update getting delayed is due to the PS3, this way of thinking is incorrect in this case. The PS3 update is still scheduled to go for July 10, but the 360 version has unfortunately been pushed back a few days. All is not sunshine and rainbows, though. Sony Korea has yet to approve the update, so until they do, this won't get released. It's still expected by July 10, but if not, we know which Sony headquarters to give the hairy eyeball.
Burnout Paradise to receive retroactive PlayStation Trophies
With nine days to go until Criterion's crazy-fast racer gets an infusion of new content via the "Codename: Cagney" update, designer Simon Phipps has confirmed on the PlayStation Blog that the game will also receive support for PlayStation Trophies "soon." He says that Trophy support won't be part of "Cagney," which will introduce 70 timed Freeburn challenges for the game's online component. In a surprise turn, Phipps also revealed that Criterion was "thinking ahead" and the Trophies will, in fact, be retroactive, meaning that players will receive them for feats already performed in the game. This is, according to Phipps, possible because of the way Burnout Paradise save data is linked to players' PSN accounts, which also means it won't be happening in other PS3 games en masse.
PS3 Burnout: Paradise "Cagney" update adds 1080i support
Gamers stuck with an older HDTV that doesn't support 720p input can cheer for the upcoming Burnout: Paradise "Cagney" update, which adds (among other things) 1080i output support for the PlayStation 3 version. Dismissively referring to such sets "almost HD", Simon Phipps of Criterion dropped the details on the free update due July 10 that also adds improved SD rendering on the PS3 and support for custom soundtracks. It'd be nicer if that slick 2.40 update added Xbox 360-style scaling for all games so developers didn't to expend the effort, but from the sounds of things it's not high on Sony's list of priorities.[Via PS3 Fanboy]
