Tag Archives: criterion

Steam will soon add Burnout Paradise: The Ultimate Box to its ever growing library of titles.

The PC version contains all downloadable content released for consoles by February.

Two paid downloadable packs, Cops and Robbers and Big Surf Island, are coming soon, and the PC version will see it eventually too.

Hit the link for more info.

Criterion’s priced its Burnout Paradise Toys Pack DLC at $12.99/€12.99/£9.99/1000 MS, as you can see here.

That’s the price for all the content available.

“This collection gets you ALL 9 Toy Vehicles,” said the firm on its site.

“That’s the 8 cars and the amazing Toy Nakamura Firehawk motorcycle. This represents the best possible value for you, and it’s the only collection that has the Toy Firehawk. If you love the Toys as much as we do, then this is collection that you want!”

There are two smaller packs as well, each with a selection of all the vehicles, priced $5.99/€5.99/£4.99/480 MS.

All details through the link.

The content releases for 360 and PS3 today.

Thanks, Syrok.

Criterion and EA managed a major snafu this morning when XBL Marketplace received Burnout Paradise DLC complete with secret details on the Boost Specials and Toy Car packs.

Text on three previously unannounced Toy Cars and a second car for the Boost Specials has since been pulled.

Thanks, Kotaku

The rumours were true. Criterion’s gone live with confirmation of a Cops and Robbers Pack for Burnout Paradise.

See here. Details, such as they are, have only been released in-game. And here they are, courtesy of AutoGaming.net:

Slotting in soon after the Party pack, Legendary Cars, Toy Cars and Boost Specials, comes another premium pack – Cops and Robbers. This one’s dedicated to bringing you the thrills and spills of cops and robbers car chases in Paradise City.

We’re keeping details of the pack under wraps for a little longer, but here are the first ever screen shots to keep you going! Check these stunning high resolution at www.criteriongames.com and on Sony’s excellent PlayStation Blog from Monday (9th February 2009).

Double awesome. More soon.

The PC version of Burnout Paradise The Ultimate Box is at US retail now, EA’s confirmed.

A demo’s up on the EA Store.

In addition, the Burnout Paradise Party Pack’s out today for 360 and PS3 as a download for $10.

Full details after the break.

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D-Pad has noticed that within the new Burnout Paradise: Ultimate Box trailer is proof the police are coming to Paradise City.

On 19 seconds you can see a police car (pictured above), and on 60 seconds you can see the new Burnout Store you can see a mouse hovering over a PCPD Badge (Paradise City Police Department) with the words ‘coming soon’ underneath.

We’ve contacted Criterion for comment.

See for yourself after the break.

By Mike Bowden

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Develop reports that both Criterion and EA’s Bright Light studios in Guildford have been spared from any lay-offs the company is to make.

This information supports the information we provided you with last week, although Bright Light was admittedly off our radar.

Skate 2 developers Black Box got axed last week as EA looks to shed 1000 staff.

Full thing through the Develop link

By Mike Bowden

Criterion’s posted up details of a free Burnout Paradise patch slated to release on February 6, including news of an in-game browser, an in-game store and a “vehicle dynamics overhaul”.

“We’ve tweaked the handling on the first available cars, like the Hunter Cavalry, to make the game easier and more accessible,” said the developer in the post.

“These cars are now slower, harder to crash and less likely to spin out at low speeds. This’ll help any newcomers get into the game, but it also delivers greater variety between the early cars to the faster, more challenging later ones.”

Burnout Paradise is the single most heavily post-launch supported game in existence. Go buy it again so you can download some more content.

VG247 has just been informed for a solid source that UK-based Criterion will not face redundancies as part of global EA restructuring.

Behind the scenes talk this morning put the outfit in the firing line for staff cuts, following large scale job losses in North America last night.

Heavy rumour is suggesting, however, that EA UK will suffer lay-offs, although details are yet to solidify.

Expect more on this today.

EA has just announced that the Burnout Paradise: The Ultimate Box will be released on February 5 in North America for the first time on PC.

The Ultimate Box will contain the previously-released Cagney and Bikes DLC plus something called the Burnout Paradise Party pack.

The Party pack is an offline multiplayer mode where players compete in different stunt, speed and skill events. According to the release, “the mode is designed to allow up to eight friends to ‘pass-the-pad’ in dozens of quick-fire, turn-based challenges.”

The Party pack will add a restart option added for racing and easier control of the early vehicles and will be made available as DLC for 360 and PS3.

PlayStation 3 owners will get the new Burnout Paradise Network which is an online friends list and news page.

Full details after the break.

By Mike Bowden

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Unity Technologies has announced the appointment of former president and CEO of Criterion, David Lau-Kee, as its new non-executive chairman.

From the official release:

David Lau-Kee brings 15 years of experience in the games industry to Unity, drawing upon roles as co-founder, President and CEO of Criterion Software Group, the world’s largest games middleware company and Vice President of Electronic Arts, as well as earlier high-level positions in global technology business including as General Manager, Canon Europe, to bring unique and invaluable strategic insight to Unity Technologies as the company continues its phenomenal growth,.

We wish David the best of luck in his new role.

Full thing below.

By Mike Bowden

Criterion has revealed that cars resembling Ghostbusters’ Ecto-1, General Lee from the Dukes of Hazzard and Knight Rider’s KITT will also feature in the Burnout Paradise DLC, the Legendary Cars Pack.

The vehicles join the Back to the Future DeLorean in what we reckon is some of the best after-care a console developer has delivered on a title to date.

More of this sort of thing please.

Pics and details through the Criterion link.

By Mike Bowden

Update: A very “well-informed source” has just told us this is “not true”.

Sadomasochistic car porn not doing it for you anymore? Browser bookmarks filled with pictures of shiny, curvaceous guns? Well then, Criterion’s come-hither looks are finally flying your way again, because it seems that a sequel to point, click, and shoot adventure Black is in development.

Of course, it’s far from confirmed, but, according to both Eurogamer Portugal and Xbox 360 Play Diaries, a listing for Black: Second Mission temporarily appeared on Criterion’s website before returning to the dark nethers from whence it came.

The game is apparently scheduled for a 2009 release on Xbox 360, PS3, and PC.

Earlier this year, however, Burnout Paradise lead designer Craig Sullivan dumped a fresh layer of cement onto Black’s grave, saying that Criterion’s “honestly not working on [Black 2] at the moment.” A 2009 release, then, seems a bit farfetched.

But who can say what’ll actually happen? Criterion does know its way around a DeLorean, after all.

By Nathan Grayson

This Criterion post details that the Burnout Paradise Ultimate Box is to allow PC owners to play the full game for nothing for an unspecified period of time.

The pack includes the game and all the DLC released this year, of which there’s been much. It’s out in February.

The demo will be available from Criteriongames.com and ea.com, but will also be distributed on “millions” of discs.

Criterion’s shown off Big Surf Island, a large piece of premium DLC for Burnout Paradise, saying the “location is all about massive jumps”. Amen to that.

The company reasoned why it expects you to pay for the download.

“We never expected to create anything this ambitious for the island, but as it progressed we got more and more excited about what it could become. (In fact, that’s the story of all our Downloadable Content),” it said on its site.

“Big Surf is the culmination of everything we learned creating Paradise City, and we want it to bring you a truly spectacular new experience – the highlight of a year of incredible premium content. Burnout already delivers incredible value for money – literally hundreds of hours of gameplay with your original disk or PSN purchase, plus more with the free Cagney Pack and free Burnout Paradise Bikes.”

Lots through there, including shots.

Criterion’s unveiled yet more Burnout Paradise DLC on the US PS Blog, this time in the form of the Carson Extreme Hotrod, “a stripped down, ultra low, overpowered straight line monster.”

Apparently, this is “the first of a pack of two cars designed to re-imagine Burnout Boost. Which explains the blue exhaust flames.”

What’s not to want? It’s out next year. Get the full update through the link.

Posting on the PS Blog, Criterion’s Simon Phipps has announced a Toy Cars Pack for Burnout Paradise.

The DLC will be available to in early ’09, about the same time Legendary Cars Pack announced last week.

With regards to future content, there’s also a little teaser in there for “regular readers”:

And regular readers and fans – we know what DLC we’ve not talked about in a while – be patient with us, it’ll come – it’s just we’ve still got MORE to tell you that you’ve not even heard about.

Exciting!

By Mike Bowden

It’s true. And it hovers. Criterion announced last night that four “Legendary” cars are to be released into the game as DLC, the first being the the “Jansen 88 Special”.

It’s the Back to the Future car in all but name.

Follow the link for more detail. No confirmation on when it’s going to be released unfortunately, aside from “2009″.

Criterion’s announced Burnout Paradise The Ultimate Box – a special edition release that includes the game plus the previously Cagney and Bikes content updates, and something called “Burnout Paradise Party content.”

Apparently the Party stuff’s an offline multiplayer mode “designed to allow up to eight friends to ‘pass-the-pad’ in dozens of Burnout challenges.”

It’s going to be sold separately as DLC as well as being included in the Ultimate Box, said the developer.

The pack’s out next February.

Press release after the link.

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Criterion’s relaunched its site, bringing word that four more DLC packs for are to be announced for Burnout Paradise in the coming weeks.

A new addition to the Burnout content family will be confirmed every Friday for the four weeks beginning Hallowe’en, says that update, so there’s every reason to be cheerful if you’re a fan.

Hit the link for more.