GamesRadar - Burnout Paradise

Confirmed: Obama Is Campaigning on Xbox 360 (News)

Oct 14, 2008

Last week Gigaom noted unconfirmed sightings of an "Obama for President" billboard in the Xbox 360 racing game Burnout Paradise. Today they are able to report that it is, in fact, an official advertisement placed by the senator's campaign team.

Report: Obama Ads in Burnout Paradise (News)

Oct 10, 2008

Game Politics.com have only gotten one report of this, which seems a bit odd, but an Xbox Live gamer who goes by Dragunov765 has posted photos of what appear to be in-game ads for Barack Obama.

GameStop backlash continues as Halo 3 rep maligns pre-owned game sales (News)

Sep 28, 2008

In a time when the video game industry as a whole is enjoying record profits month-over-month, you would be hard pressed to find a gaming exec directly asserting an anti-GameStop movement was taking place. Indirectly, however, the evidence is coalescing right in front of our eyes.

Earlier this month, GamePro reported that Criterion Games was releasing a rather robust--and rather free--motorcycle upgrade for the months-old Burnout Paradise. While the upgrade was great for gamers, one source at EA told GamePro that the move was more a counterattack against used game sales, than it was to satisfy fans of the series.

Xbox Live Marketplace Update: Tuesday 23rd September 2008 (News)

Sep 23, 2008

Console Monster writes: "Today's Xbox Live Marketplace update is heavily dominated by new Rock Band tracks (which will also be compatible with Rock Band 2). Don't forget about the Halo 3 title update which is now live and can be obtained by putting in your Halo 3 game disc when connected to Xbox Live. Here is the full Xbox Live Marketplace update for Tuesday 23rd September 2008:

Name: Burnout Bikes Trailer
Price: Free
Availability: All Xbox Live Regions

Name: Rock Band - Stone Roses "Love Spreads"[Track]
Price: 160 Microsoft Points
Availability: All Xbox Live Regions

Name: Rock Band - Sleater-Kinney "You're No Rock N' Roll Fun"[Track]
Price: 160 Microsoft Points
Availability: All Xbox Live Regions..."

Burnout Paradise Awards Completed Display Bug Update (News)

Sep 20, 2008

If you've downloaded the latest Bikes update for Burnout Paradise, codename Davis, to discover that your awards are missing, fear not. It turns out the game is still aware of your awards, but there is a bug with displaying the correct amount.

The team at Criterion Games is aware of the issue and should be releasing a patch to correct it shortly. Read the original post after the jump.

Burnout Paradise - bikes trailer (Video)

Sep 18, 2008

Xbox Live Marketplace Update: Thursday 18th September 2008 (News)

Sep 18, 2008

Console Monster writes: "After yesterday's rather weak content, today includes two new demos to the Marketplace as well as new content for Burnout: Paradise and a free Rock Band track. Here is the full Xbox Live Marketplace update for Thursday 18th September 2008:

Name: Infinite Undiscovery Theme C
Price: 150 Microsoft Points
Availability: All Xbox Live Regions

Name: Dead Space Isaac Clark Theme
Price: 150 Microsoft Points
Availability: All Xbox Live Regions except Germany

Name: Gears Of War 2 Trailer - Every Gun
Price: Free
Availability: All Xbox Live Regions except Germany..."

Burnout Paradise Bikes are out (News)

Sep 18, 2008

Some users on Criterion Forum already downloaded the "Bikes update".

Burnout Bikes Patch Just Hours Away (News)

Sep 17, 2008

If you though the Cagney patch was groundbreaking, well Criterion promises that this second addition will be the best add-on for Burnout Paradise to date. One of the biggest additions to the game is the inclusion of motorcycles. Continue reading for a summary of the details.

Criterion Games announces Burnout Bikes release date (News)

Sep 12, 2008

From CriterionGames.com:

"We're finally able to announce that our latest free downloadable Burnout pack bikes will be out 18th September!!!

It's tough to give specific dates on downloadable content, because we don't know for certain until the last minute. But hey, we're really excited about bringing bikes to Burnout, so we're going to take a chance and tell you that we're aiming for September 18 – that's this coming Thursday!"

PS Blog: Day and Night Gameplay for Burnout Paradise (News)

Aug 29, 2008

Jeremy Chubb, the Producer at Criterion Games posts on PlayStation blog:

"We're working flat out to bring you yet another free content pack for Burnout Paradise – and this one's the Bike Pack!

If you missed our recent posts, we're trying something new with downloadable content this year. We want to completely change the game we brought you back in January with regular game changing updates. That means more than just a couple of cars and a new level.

For the first time in a Burnout game, we're bringing you motorcycles. We've already talked about the 2 bikes available from Day 1 and some of the bike-specific gameplay that's on the way, but there's more to this pack than that. We're introducing night time to the streets of Paradise City and with it, some unique gameplay."

Burnout Paradise New Island Map (News)

Aug 28, 2008

Operation Burnout has discovered the map of the Burnout Paradise island on the screen of a computer in the background of a Crash TV podcast. The map isn't big or detailed, in fact it's pretty blurry and small, but you can still get an overview of the size of the place.

Burnout Paradise: Bikes Gameplay Update (News)

Aug 26, 2008

Criterion gives an update on what to expect when the new bike pack is released. Apparently the update extends the game another 9-10 hours. 70 new challenges are included and also a fresh new map of the city. And to top it off it is another FREE update.

Burnout download revs up analyst (News)

Aug 15, 2008

Between the monthly NPD sales data and Electronic Arts' signing of two high-profile developers to new distribution agreements, yesterday was chock-full of gaming news. While those bits grabbed the most headlines, another of yesterday's EA announcements could prove to affect the industry even more.

More than Just Bikes in Burnouts "Davis" update (News)

Aug 6, 2008

According to Jeremy Chubb from Criterion, the upcoming software update, "Davis" (now known as "Bikes Pack"), will be completely free of charge, along with a whole host of other things.

Cagney Update Finally Released For The Xbox 360 (News)

Aug 4, 2008

Users at the Criterion Forums have finally confirmed the release of the Burnout Paradise: Cagney Update for the Xbox 360.

No Violent Motorcycle Crashes in Burnout Paradise (News)

Aug 3, 2008

The addition of motorcycles to Burnout Paradise -- first announced back in April as part of the upcoming "Davis" update -- was an exciting prospect for fans of the smash-em-up racing series. But those who get a particularly sick kick out of seeing road-rashed riders are in for a disappointment: According to MTV Multiplayer, whose Stephen Totilo recently got some hands-on time with the update, human bodies won't be receiving that same level of patented Burnout damage during wrecks as car bodies do.

Burnout Paradise Cagney update for Xbox 360 dated (News)

Aug 1, 2008

Criterion Games have announced a date for the Xbox 360 release of their long-awaited software update - codenamed Cagney.

The update will be available on Monday 4th August.

It's a FREE automatic update delivered to all online-enabled Burnout Paradise players and forms the first major part of the reinvention of Burnout Paradise through downloadable packs.

Delays Continue For Burnout Paradise Xbox 360 "Cagney" Update (News)

Jul 24, 2008

Kotaku: Criterion is now "aiming," as it says, for an early August release for its long-awaited "Cagney" update to Burnout Paradise on Xbox 360. The developer had originally announced a July 10th release date, but now says August 4th is the "EARLIEST" (caps Criterion's) that it can be expected to be available.

The update rolled out onto PS3 on time, marking almost an entire month's delay for Xbox 360 users. "We're in the final stages of testing the revised version and will announce a concrete date as soon as we have one," wrote Criterion on its developer blog.

Nakamura Rai-jin Turbo Goes Public In Burnout Paradise (News)

Jul 17, 2008

After some controversy over the selective distribution of a new car, the Nakamura Rai-jin Turbo RWD, with the Cagney update, Criterion have decided to open it up and allow everyone to own the car.

Burnout Paradise' Cagney update delayed on Xbox 360 (News)

Jul 9, 2008

Criteriongames reports:

The 3rd and most ambitious FREE software update for Burnout Paradise will arrive later than expected for Xbox 360 players.

We've picked up some additional bugs in our final test phase for the 360 version of Cagney and will delay until these issues are resolved.

We're unable to give an exact timeline for release, but as soon as we have confirmation, we'll post here on the criteriongames.com. For the moment, we're expecting this to have an impact of around a week-and-a-half. Right now, we're looking at 24th July as a projected date.

Big thanks to Microsoft for picking up these last few bugs. Nothing's more important to us than Burnout fans getting a great service, which is why we won't pull the trigger on Cagney until we're happy that it's bug-free.

The Cagney update is our first major content-based release. It contains 3 all-new game modes and 70 new challenges featuring multiple parts, timer and leaderboard. We're also bringing new cars and designs, live broadcast gameplay through calendar and the best of the blog through our live front page plus a mountain of additional revisions and fixes.

It's an ambitious and complex overhaul of Burnout Paradise, and it's this scope that's caused a few last-minute delays. We'll bring you more news as we have it.

Burnout: Paradise Update #3 in 1 Day's Time (News)

Jul 9, 2008

Well it's just a about a day again before the Criterion Games team releases the third Burnout Paradise Update called "Codename: Cagney" or "Cagney"...

Burnout Paradise To Introduce Planes (News)

Jul 5, 2008

Criterion is thinking about moving beyond terrestrial vehicles altogether, though, and has announced that, after it's done with the Cagney update, it'll begin working on introducing planes into Burnout Paradise.

Burnout Paradise Update for 360 Delayed, PS3 version on track (News)

Jul 4, 2008

On their official blog, Team Criterion has written "We're sorry to announce that the Codename: Cagney update for Xbox 360 has been delayed by 4 days.

The update is currently with Microsoft and is now on track to be released on 14th July.

The PlayStation 3 version of Cagney has been approved by Sony in the USA, Europe and Japan. We currently await approval by Sony in Korea.

This means that the PlayStation 3 version of Cagney should release on July 10th."

Hit the link for more.

Night Falls on Paradise City (Burnout Paradise) (News)

Jun 12, 2008

Criteriongames reports:

An in-development version of Burnout Paradise showing Paradise City going through its day-night cycle - a feature that will be coming to the game in August 2008 in the Davis update.

As many guessed, this was a special version of the game that we locked to the real-time clock so that everyone playing through the night could see the time of day change in Paradise City as they played. In the final version of the game we expect to have an accelerated day-night cycle.

Because of the fantastic response, we've decided to leave the webcams running for another night for everyone to enjoy. And, also, here is a shot of the city as night falls at around 10pm...

Burnout Paradise Cagney Update Dated (News)

Jun 9, 2008

Criterion Games have announced that the Cagney update will be available from 9:00am UK time on Thursday 10th July 2008.

Burnout Paradise - Cagney Software Update Details (News)

Jun 2, 2008

At the end of this month (June 2008), the software update "Cagney" will be released for Burnout Paradise on the PS3 and Xbox 360 with a plethora of fixes, changes, and additions. Some very notable changes include a new title screen, live frontpage, new cars, and more modes.

New Burnout Paradise Island Screens and Details (News)

May 16, 2008

Operation Burnout writes: "Criterion Games have published 4 new screenshots of the Island...

The island is scheduled for release as part of the Davis software update. The Davis update, due in August, is the same one which will see bikes introduced to the Burnout world. Criterion have previously stated that the bikes will have to be something you pay for. Will the island be too?"

Burnout Paradise 360 Bogart Resurface (News)

May 12, 2008

Kotaku reports: Well that was certainly one hell of a long week. After Criterion recalled the Bogart patch for Burnout Paradise on the Xbox 360 due to the update causing frame rate issues with the game, the suggested somewhat wishfully that the fixed version would be available the following week.

Xbox 360 Burnout Paradise Bogart Update Coming Monday (News)

May 9, 2008

Criterion Games announce:

"Great news! The Xbox 360 Bogart update will be released on Monday at 02:00am Pacific Daylight Time."

Criterion reveals the "biggest news in Burnout history!" (News)

Apr 24, 2008

Bikes. As in, bikes are coming to Burnout Paradise. Don't believe us? Look:

"For the first time, we'll let you loose in a Burnout game on motorbikes!" Criterion exclaims, explaining that it's planning to get bikes in via its Davis update for the racer. It's expecting to have the update out in August.

"And because we're dedicated to bringing you game-changing new Burnout Paradise content all year, bikes will feature their ...

Criterion Games announces Live Update page for Burnout Paradise (News)

Apr 23, 2008

Criterion has been talking about getting a live update board in Burnout Paradise for a long time, so it's great for them to be able to finally unveil something!

Hit the link to see some shots.

Burnout Paradise To Have Motorbikes (News)

Apr 23, 2008

Burnout Paradise looks to be featuring motorbikes in an upcoming update for the game on PS3 & Xbox360

Burnout Paradise: Bogart 360 latest news (News)

Apr 23, 2008

From the official site of Burnout Paradise:

"We've found a solution to the frame rate issue affecting some Xbox 360 users with the recently released Bogart software update.

We aim to recall the affected update from all 360s by this Friday.

We'll replace this with a revised update containing a fix for the frame rate issue. This should be with you in around a week's time - by 2nd May.

We'll confirm solid dates as soon as we have them.

Apologies for the inconvenience...we'll keep you posted if anything changes."

Live from Paradise; Criterion announce motorbikes, community features and planes! (News)

Apr 23, 2008

Excerpts from PS3 Attitude: "Yes - motorbikes are coming to Paradise, for the first time in any Burnout title."

"There is still some work to do in terms of bringing car vs. bike racing to the game - you won't be able to do that in Davis - but Criterion are committed to improving all of these new features over time. Road Rash for the 21st Century? Possibly!"

An Update To Burnout Paradise Update (Xbox 360) (News)

Apr 21, 2008

Revert! An update for the Xbox 360 version of Burnout Paradise (codenamed Bogart) went live this past Friday, April 18th. Turns out an update will be needed to fix a frame rate issue that may have affected some who downloaded the Bogart update.

"The 1st update will revert Burnout Paradise back to the game that shipped on the disc.
The 2nd update will be a fixed version of Bogart."

Burnout Paradise: Xbox 360 Bogart (v1.2) frame rate issue (News)

Apr 19, 2008

Criteriongames reports:

We're aware there are some framerate issues with yesterday's Bogart update on some Xbox 360s.

This relates specifically to the frame rate in streaming zones and does not seem to be an issue on all machines.

Thanks to everyone for all the feedback on the forums.

We're doing everything we can to resolve this as quickly as possible and will post further info on a solution as soon as we have it.

Burnout Paradise and M83 custom soundtrack mash-up (Video)

Apr 18, 2008

Burnout Paradise and Samuel Barber custom soundtrack mash-up (Video)

Apr 18, 2008

Burnout Paradise new software update codenamed Bogart (v 1.2) is now live on Xbox 360 (News)

Apr 18, 2008

Good news for Xbox 360 Burnout fans ¿ the latest software update (codenamed Bogart) is now live. PS3 version will be available on 24th April.

And here's a reminder of everything you can expect with the download.

The Top 10 problems reported by you have been fixed, these are:

* PS3 game can crash when a player is taken down and the player that has performed the Takedown leaves the game.
* The game indefinitely displays "Connecting to Paradise City Servers" if it's having problems communicating with the rebroadcast server.
* Disconnecting the controller before a race begins can mean that race timings can be manipulated with players who didn't cross the line first being awarded the win.
* Repeatedly joining and leaving a game with 8 players can cause the game to hang.
* Hammering the A (360) or X (PS3) after unlocking a car can cause the game to hang.
* East Crawford and Watt St achievements cannot be achieved if the player goes online and sets road rules before attempting them.
* Audio distortion when using 5.1 / DTS and looking back at the car.
* Enhanced 360 streaming performance stops instances where the game seems to pause for a second or so.
* Total time driven in player stats would stick at 145 hours.
* VoIP connection problems with 8 player games. This is now live on the Paradise City servers.

The update also adds the following game experience enhancements:

* We fixed Head-on Takedowns as these seemed generally unfair and unrealistic. Unfair low speed Takedowns have now been eradicated.
* Increase online race timer timeout so players have a greater chance of finishing the race.
* Fix drifting bug when drifting and boosting. There wasn't any real control on the brake so players would grind around the walls of the corners. Giving you all better control of the car.
* Stabbing the b...

Soundclash! The Best Custom Soundtrack Mash-ups Ever (Feature)

Apr 18, 2008

Cinematic, atmospheric, or completely subversive. Discover the tracks that will make your 360 games new again. ...

New Burnout Paradise Online Game Modes (News)

Apr 15, 2008

Road Rage, Marked Man and Stunt Run modes will all appear as new online game modes in a future update of Burnout Paradise.

Burnout Paradise demo servers will be switched off on 17th April (News)

Apr 14, 2008

Criteriongames.com reports:

"All good things must come to an end...

...and so is this the case with this demo. I know I've said it before, but the servers that allow the online games to take place are finally going to be taken down.

A sad day for many of you no doubt, but I hope to see some of you in the massively popular online games taking place in the full game.

Want to set up a race, 350 Freeburn Challenges and up to 8 players online again - no problem!

See ya there! "

Burnout update on April 29 (News)

Apr 9, 2008

The second major update for Burnout Paradise will hit PSN and Xbox Live on April 24.

The update, codenamed 'Bogart,' will fix a huge list of problems, and a typically diligent Criterion Games has listed the lot. Here you are, then:

The Top 10 problems reported by you have been fixed:

* PS3 game can crash when a player is taken down and the player that has performed the Takedown leaves the ...

Burnout Paradise V1.2 Update Coming 24th April (News)

Apr 8, 2008

If you cast your mind back to early March you may remember the Burnout Team announcing that Burnout Paradise V1.2 (Now Codenamed "Bogart") was in development.
Now Criterion have announced the release date of these updates. They will be available to download from either PSN or the Market Place on the 24th April, free of charge.

Burnout Paradise sells One Million copies (News)

Apr 5, 2008

Xbox360 Fanboy: "The devs over at Criterion must be happy, their game was received well, their upcoming DLC is looking good and Burnout Paradise, their newest game, has sold over a million units."

Criterion to "transform" Burnout Paradise (News)

Apr 4, 2008

Criterion says that three updates it has in the works will "transform Paradise over the coming year."

These updates will be so significant, Criterion says, that giving them the usual numbered names just isn't enough.

"You may have noticed us referring to our future new content by codenames. Just to clarify - you'll see them in this order 'Cagney', then 'Davis' and then 'Eastwood'," teases Criterion.

It goes on to boast: ...

New Burnout Paradise Island Videos and Screenshot (News)

Apr 4, 2008

Operation Burnout has reported that Criterion Games have uploaded an image and a couple of videos showing off the new island.

Routine Burnout Paradise server maintenance every 2 weeks (News)

Apr 4, 2008

From the official site: "If you find the Paradise servers are not running on Tuesday mornings, that's because we run routine maintenance on them every 2 weeks at that time.

We usually run some diagnostics to check the servers are working well and deploy updates to address issues like disconnects or VOIP problems and generally make improvements to the service.

We try to minimise the disruption to you guys as much as possible ¿ this normally takes a few hours, but at the latest, the servers will be back up by mid afternoon.

We've just finished today's maintenance, so expect this again on 15th April and keep an eye on the site for regular updates."

New Paradise content - what do the new names mean? (News)

Apr 4, 2008

Criterion Games writes:

"What we're working on now goes way beyond conventional content updates, so we figured the usual 1.1, 1.2 version numbers didn't do it justice.

We will TRANSFORM Paradise over the coming year.

...and we won't hold back on this blog. Our goal is to bring you EVERYTHING - as soon as we have it."

The Week in Gaming Mar 9-15, 2008 (News)

Mar 17, 2008

March 9-15 2008

XBOX Live Marketplace Update (Saturday 15th March 2008) (News)

Mar 15, 2008

New content is available to download on the XBOX Live Marketplace as of Saturday 15th March. Here's the full list:

Name: Drillbit Taylor Theme
Price: Free
Availability: United States
Description: Download the Drillbit Taylor Theme pack today! You get what you pay for! See the movie in theaters March 21st starring Owen Wilson.

Name: Anime Presented By XBOX 360: Killshots Theme
Price: 150 Microsoft Points
Availability: United States
Description: Download this theme. There are no refunds for this item. For more information, see www.xbox.com/live/accounts.

Continued at the source.

New Burnout Paradise Island Was Originally In Game? (News)

Mar 15, 2008

Nidzumi Writes : We've all heard of developers cutting some content that was originally in game before launch only to release it as Downloadable content later on. Well it appears that the same thing might have happened with Burnout Paradise. Below you'll find two slightly different maps. The first one is the final one that came with the game meanwhile the second one is a pre-release one. We have shaded out what is basically the final map on the second one, to reveal a big island on the...

Burn-out your own car in Paradise (News)

Mar 14, 2008

Over at Criterion they have made livery templates available to download so you can produce your own custom livery for Burnout Paradise.

The best designs will then find their way into the game in the not-too-distant future...

Some Burnout DLC will be charged for, says Criterion, but massive plans are afoot (News)

Mar 14, 2008

VG247 is reporting that Criterion has said that come Burnout Paradise DLC will be charged for, but that the plans for new content are being taken "almost to the point of making a new game."

Free Burnout Paradise downloadable islands confirmed (News)

Mar 13, 2008

Matt from Criterion confirmed that the islands will be free.

Line #4: "...the islands will all be FREE."

Burnout Paradise: Spectacular new livery (News)

Mar 12, 2008

Criteriongames reports:

If you liked the stunning new Rossolini Tempesta paint job we showed on Friday, you're gonna love this.

Hit the video to check out another superb new design from the Paradise car team - this time it's the turn of the Concept GT.

TGR's Caption This: Win a Copy of Burnout Paradise (News)

Mar 12, 2008

Its time to get that comedic creativity flowing once again readers and enter TGR's latest captioning contest, this time for a chance to win a copy of Burnout Paradise!

Burnout Paradise Gets A New Car and Bridge (News)

Mar 7, 2008

The car is dubbed "Dust Storm" and criterion hint that "Where we're going, we don't need roads". The video also shows a slight glimpse of the new area of Paradise City. By the look of the video, the map has been extended East with a bridge, next to Angus and 4th parking garage, connecting the new area to the existing map.

Criterion shows new Burnout Paradise car livery, confirms upcoming DLC (News)

Mar 6, 2008

VG247:

"Criterion's Alex Ward's just posted first movies of a new car livery for Burnout Paradise. We've put one below, but there are two more through the link.

"We're working on some incredible new content for Paradise, some of which we've announced, and some of which we haven't," said Ward. "Today, we wanted to give you a sneak preview of one of the amazing new car liveries coming soon in the game. We'll be revealing more over the next few days and weeks.""

Burnout Paradise played by 50,000 people online in last 24 hours (News)

Mar 6, 2008

Speaking to VG247, Criterion's Alex Ward has confirmed that 50,000 people have played Burnout Paradise online over both systems in the past 24 hours.

"In the past 24 hours we've had 50,000 people play Burnout Paradise online on both systems," Ward told the site. "If they only stayed online for one hour each on average (and most stayed for more than that), there will be have been over FIVE AND A HALF YEARS of play online in Paradise City in the last 24 hours."

The top ten Burnout bugs revealed (and then fixed) (News)

Mar 5, 2008

Criterion is hard at work on a patch that will fix what it calls "the top ten Bunrnout bugs" in one go. Burnout Paradise lets you loose in a huge city, so it's no surprise that there are a few issues here and there. But Criterion is on the case, with a free patch that'll wrap up all the errors and enhance some of the gameplay on both the PS3 and 360 versions of the game. Criterion has not yet nailed down the release for the patch, only promising ...

Burnout Paradise V1.2 (News)

Mar 4, 2008

Criterion Games have update their website with details of the fixes which will be included in the next patch (V1.2). No word of when the updates will be released but expect it pretty soon.

PS3 vs. Xbox 360 ports - Microsoft's rebuttal (News)

Mar 4, 2008

In response to GamePro's article, Microsoft's global marketing director, Albert Penello, offered the following response:

"We have to disagree with your conclusion that the trend of Xbox 360 versions of games being best is changing, especially when you look at the entire catalog of multiplatform titles available. We also feel there were some key features of Xbox 360 games that deserved a little more play in your reviews. For multiplatform console owners, Achievements and Gamerscore have to be listed as an influencing factor to purchase the Xbox 360 version; their success and popularity is undeniable. The fact that other consoles have not implemented anything like this across every game should not be a reason to leave these features out of consideration. Plus, with Xbox 360 the capability for controller rumble comes standard, not as a future option and you get all the benefits of Xbox LIVE and its community of more than 10 million members.

'The cold, hard truth' is that Xbox 360 has the best games - and industry reviewers and consumers agree. Xbox 360 has more games with an aggregate review score of 90 or higher than the competition combined and multiplatform titles regularly sell better on Xbox 360. The majority of games are still lead developed for Xbox 360 and Xbox LIVE simply makes games better. The competition between platforms is great for gamers and in 2008 we are going to continue to work with developers to push the boundaries of our platform and the LIVE service to make sure the best game experiences continue to be on Xbox 360."

Bioshock, Lost Planet PS3 sell 10k first day in Japan (News)

Feb 22, 2008

First Day sales in Japan for February 21.
Numbers in brackets are shipments.

Etrian Odyssey 2 (DS) : about 50k (about 100k)

Musou Orochi (PSP) : about 25k

Winning Eleven: Play Maker (Wii) : about 20k (about 70k)

Bioshock (360) : about 10k (about 20~25k)

Lost Planet Extreme Condition (PS3) : about 10k (about 20~25k)

Burnout Paradise (PS3) : about 5k

Burnout Paradise (360) : about 3.5k

Nights: into dreams... (PS2) : about 3.5k (about 20k)

Space invader (DS, PSP) : about 2k

Burnout Paradise officially flopped on Live (News)

Feb 21, 2008

Msxbox-World writes: "Regardless of the sales and regardless of positive reviews, looking at the Live activity it appears that EA's racer has failed to make any sort of impact at all (failing to enter the top 10 most played games since it was launched)."

XBOX Live Marketplace Update (17th February 2008) (News)

Feb 17, 2008

Today's XBOX Live Marketplace Update:

Disruptive Art: Dragon Dreams Theme
Price: 150 Microsoft Points
Availability: Everywhere

Disruptive Publishers Anime: Mystical Girls Gamer Pics
Price: 80 Microsoft Points
Availability: Everywhere

Burnout Paradise Accolade Trailer
Price: Free
Availability: Everywhere

Dark Messiah Of Might and Magic: Elements Gameplay Trailer
Price: Free
Availability: Everywhere

New Burnout, Skate on the way (News)

Feb 12, 2008

EA Games president reveals "extension" of driving and skateboarding series in next fiscal year, commits long-term to Mass Effect, and says next Need for Speed will return to series' roots.

Another new franchise EA is prepping a sequel for is Mass Effect, which was announced for the PC today. From the very first time now EA-owned developer BioWare showed it off in 2005, the role-playing game franchise was touted as trilogy. EA Games president Frank Gibeau's presentation today suggested it may not end there, as he told analysts that it "will be a franchise for [EA] for a very long time." He also said that going forward, EA will take over publishing duties on the Mass Effect franchise from Microsoft Game Studios, which handled the game's initial release on the Xbox 360.

The ELSPA Weekly Chart - Xbox 360 (News)

Feb 12, 2008

Burnout Paradise has been knocked off top spot, but by which new release?

Strong 360 sales help Devil May Cry 4 debut at No.1 (News)

Feb 12, 2008

Xbox accounts for 61 per cent of units sold in UK.

The latest title in the former Sony exclusive franchise Devil May Cry has debuted in the UK's All Formats charts at number one, with the lion's share of sales on the Xbox 360.

Sixty one per cent of sales were on the Microsoft console, with the rest on Sony's PlayStation 3 and PC. The game is number one in the All Formats charts but also the individual format charts as well.

Burnout Paradise Valentine's Day Event (News)

Feb 11, 2008

To celebrate Burnout Paradise, Electronic Arts Inc. today announced a special Game with Fame Valentine's Day event on the Xbox LIVE® online entertainment network.

Burnout Paradise B'z Car Bound for Japan (News)

Feb 11, 2008

Exhaustnote.com reports Japanese gamers won't see Burnout Paradise for nearly a month after it's North American release. But in typical fashion, they get some Japan-specific content. The site has additional information on the vehicle and EA's plan to "unlock" it. Burnout Paradise will debut in Japan on February 21st.

Community section of Burnout.ea.com goes live (News)

Feb 7, 2008

From criteriongames.com:

Just a quick message to let you know that the Community section of burnout.ea.com/community/ is now live in the UK. Other territories will go live soon. "What can you find in this section?" you say. Well...

1. Burnout Rule The Roads
Compete with your friends to set the fastest times and highest Showtime scores on the roads of Paradise City. It takes determination to stay ahead of the rest. Can you dominate the leaderboard?

2. My Statistics
Track your game progress - everything from number of Billboards left to find, to what car you used in your last online race.

3. My Friends
Manage your Friends List. - Ever wondered how much time Discodoktor is spending playing the game online?
Create quick links with up to 9 friends playing on the same platform as you, and search for any Burnout Paradise driver to see their stats.

4. My Rivals
Check out what your latest Online Rivals are up to - are you ahead on takedowns?

5. Forum
Read fan feedback and get direct answers from Matt Webster and Paul Ross, our new moderators.

Sounds cool huh? Well stop reading this and get over there!!!
www.burnout.ea.com/community/

EA Says You'll Experience Burnout Paradise DLC - Even if You Don't Buy it (News)

Feb 6, 2008

Publisher Electronic Arts confirmed to MTV Multiplayer today that Burnout Paradise's additional content allows gamers who choose to opt out of engaging with new content to still see the new content in-game while playing online. Additionally, EA says the content will be a combination of pay-to-play and free.

"It's our intention to extend the life of Burnout with additional DLC in the near future. As mentioned, we don't want to split the online community between those that have content and those that don't. Our intention is to offer both free and paid for DLC in a way that enables everyone to 'see' the content, even if they have not paid for it," said an EA representative in an e-mailed statement.

The best stunts and shunts of Burnout Paradise (Feature)

Feb 6, 2008

Burnout Paradise is packed with moment after moment of joy. But why sit through the less-exciting bits in-between? Just kick back and watch this video of some of the game's best thrills and spills. ...

ELSPA Weekly Charts - Xbox 360 (News)

Feb 5, 2008

Burnout Paradise takes pole position for the second week...

Criterion make Burnout Paradise Xbox 360 HDD/Online Statement (News)

Feb 4, 2008

Criterion Games have made an official statement explaining why Burnout Paradise requires a HDD for full online play on the Xbox 360.

EA extends online portion of Burnout Paradise demo (News)

Feb 1, 2008

Electronic Arts has decided to extend the online mutiplayer portion of the Burnout Paradise demo.

Earlier this week, EA indicated that it would be switching multiplayer off as of February 1 "in order to enable the best possible experience for gamers who have purchased Burnout Paradise." The company then urged players to buy the full game.

An EA spokesperson told GamesIndustry.biz that they have extended the deadline by two weeks, and will now be switching off the servers on February 15 instead.

Online Burnout Demo shut down (News)

Jan 31, 2008

If you're still enjoying the high-speed online thrills of the Burnout Paradise demo you'd better make the most of it because today's the last day it'll work online. To free up some bandwidth on its inevitably busy online servers, EA is clearing out the cheap-skate gamers by shutting down the online part of the demo tomorrow. "In order to enable the best possible experience for gamers who have purchased Burnout Paradise, we will be switching multiplayer off this Friday 1st February," confirms ...

Burnout Paradise Demo going offline on Febuary 1st (News)

Jan 31, 2008

For those of you that have been enjoying playing the demo online now is the time to buy the full version as of Friday

Burnout Paradise Xbox LIVE requires hard drive (News)

Jan 30, 2008

Videogamer reports: "Burnout Paradise has impressed gamers since its release last week, but the Xbox 360 version isn't the same for everyone. Reports from gamers suggested that the game needs a hard drive for online play, meaning owners of Core and Arcade Xbox 360s can't play the game online. Having been totally unaware of this, we hunted down our retail 360 copy of the game to look at what was said on the case. After close inspection we finally saw the text.

"online multiplayer 2-8/hard drive required" read the orange text on the second line of the game information on the rear of the case.

A user on Maxconsole.net contacted EA support and received the following reply via email:

"The hard drive is needed to store temporary data when playing online as the data transferred from one console to another requires storage space greater than what the memory card can contain."

We're waiting for an official response from EA on the matter"

VideoGamer.com Rumour mill for Jan 30th, 2008 (News)

Jan 30, 2008

VideoGamer.com takes a look at the big rumours currently doing the rounds in the video game industry. Every week they'll hunt down the juiciest stories and give their opinion on how legit they are.

Retro Studios working on Zelda spin-off

The Rumour: Surfer Girl claims that Retro Studios' (the team behind the Metroid Prime series) next game will be revealed at or around the time of E3 (which takes place in July) and shockingly is a spin-off from the Zelda series.

Verdict: This seems too far fetched to make up. What's most puzzling is the kind of game this supposed spin-off will be. We're putting money on an action/adventure game of a similar style to Retro's cancelled GameCube project Raven Blade.

Plausibility rating: 3/5

Killzone 2 missing 2008

The Rumour: Killzone 2 is without doubt the most hyped game in development for the PlayStation 3, but with that hype comes much pressure. So much pressure that it's not going to be shipped until it's completely ready - even if that means 2009.

Verdict: This latest Killzone 2 rumour comes from Surfer Girl but that doesn't automatically make it 100% legit. Sony undoubtedly will want Killzone 2 released this calendar year, but all isn't lost if it doesn't happen. We're sure Insomniac's Resistance 2 will be more than happy to step into Killzone's FPS shoes. Sony probably won't get another chance to make Killzone into a big franchise, so Guerrilla Games will likely get all the time it needs.

Plausibility rating: 4/5

ELSPA Weekly Chart - Xbox 360 (News)

Jan 29, 2008

At last! There's a game at the top of the charts which isn't Call of Duty 4 or Assassin's Creed...

GameFly: Burnout Paradise Leads The Races (News)

Jan 28, 2008

Gamasutra reports this week's top rental charts from U.S. game rental company GameFly, representing the most requested games for the week ending January 21st, highlight both to-be-released and already released games in a unique demand-specific chart.

Burnout Paradise hangs on to the top spot for the second week in a row. Capcom's Devil May Cry 4, slated to release February 5th, made the top five twice last week --the Xbox 360 SKU in second position, and the PS3 SKU in fourth -- but this week, the Xbox 360 SKU steps back a spot to third, while the PS3 SKU fails to chart in the top 5.

What follows is a breakdown of the top titles requested by GameFly subscribers across each of the major platforms:

Xbox 360

1. Burnout Paradise (Electronic Arts)
2. Turok (Touchstone)
3. Devil May Cry 4 (Capcom)
4. The Club (Sega)
5. Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Vegas 2 (Ubisoft)

Nintendo Wii

1. No More Heroes (Ubisoft)
2. Endless Ocean (Nintendo)
3. Super Smash Bros. Brawl (Nintendo)
4. Super Mario Galaxy (Nintendo)
5. Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games (Sega)

PlayStation 3

1. Devil May Cry 4 (Capcom)
2. Burnout Paradise (Electronic Arts)
3. Turok (Touchstone)
4. Unreal Tournament III (Midway)
5. Uncharted: Drake's Fortune (Sony)

Burnout Paradise dated and priced for Brazil (News)

Jan 24, 2008

EA has officially announced that Burnout Paradise will be released for the PS3 and XBOX360 next month in Brazil and will cost R$199,00 (Brazilian Reais ¿ around $110 USD).

The official Brazilian release will occur simultaneously with the major local festivity, the "Carnaval". Welcome to Paradise City.

GameFly: Devil May Cry Storms The Top Five (News)

Jan 22, 2008

Gamasutra reports that this week's top rental charts from U.S. game rental company GameFly, representing the most requested games for the week ending January 21st, highlight both to-be-released and already released games.

Burnout Paradise speeds into the top spot after spending last week at number three, displacing three-week leader Kingdom Under Fire: Circle Of Doom, which tumbles all the way down to tenth place.

Capcom's Devil May Cry 4, slated to release February 5th, makes the top five twice -- the Xbox 360 SKU in second position, and the PS3 SKU in fourth. In between them, holding the third spot, is the Xbox 360 SKU of Turok, while No More Heroes enters the charts in fifth.

Overall:

1) Burnout Paradise (360)
2) Devil May Cry 4 (360)
3) Turok (360)
4) Devil May Cry 4 (PS3)
5) No More Heroes (Wii)

Xbox 360

1. Burnout Paradise (Electronic Arts)
2. Devil May Cry 4 (Capcom)
3. Turok (Touchstone)
4. Assassin's Creed (Ubisoft)
5. Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare (Activision)

Nintendo Wii

1. No More Heroes (Ubisoft)
2. Super Mario Galaxy (Nintendo)
3. Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games (Sega)
4. Super Smash Bros. Brawl (Nintendo)
5. Endless Ocean (Nintendo)

PlayStation 3

1. Devil May Cry 4 (Capcom)
2. Burnout Paradise (Electronic Arts)
3. Turok (Touchstone)
4. Unreal Tournament III (Midway)
5. Uncharted: Drake's Fortune (Sony)

Burnout Paradise Drifts into Stores (News)

Jan 22, 2008

January 22, 2008 - Burnout Paradise, the latest installment in Electronic Arts' crash-crazy street racing series, is now available at retail stores in North America.

Built with a new open world design and instant-connect online mode, Burnout Paradise moves the franchise in a freer, more collaborative direction than previous iterations.

"Burnout Paradise is the natural evolution of the franchise as we wanted to give the player full control to create their own personal Burnout experience," says Alex Ward, Creative Director at EA Criterion.

The game is in stores now for Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 and will be available in Europe Jan. 28.

Marketplace Update 22/1/08 (News)

Jan 22, 2008

Just a few things released today. Including some Burnout Paradise content and Rock Band content.

Burnout Paradise street date broken (News)

Jan 21, 2008

With just a few days left before its official release, another game's street date has been broken. The game: Burnout Paradise; the culprit: an EB Games store in St. Alberta, Alberta.

The image you see here was taken courtesy of Daelakk on QJ.NET's PS3 forums. He mentions that he was able to get his hands on a copy of the PS3 version of the game after pre-ordering it two days ago. Apparently, the store didn't realize that the release date of the game isn't until tomorrow.

New Game Releases for the Week of January 20, 2008 (News)

Jan 19, 2008

Burnout Paradise boosts onto store shelves this week as one of the most highly anticipated releases for the month of January. In addition Nintendo DS owners can look forward to Advance Wars: Days of Ruin, while PC gamers have a quality release in Pirates of the Burning Sea...

Check out the full list of new video game releases (USA) for the week of January 20, 2008 on Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Nintendo Wii, Sony PS2, PSP, Nintendo DS, and PC!

XBOX Live Marketplace Update (18th January 2008) (News)

Jan 18, 2008

There is a Kingdom Under Fire: Circle of Doom demo for the Europeans and there is also:

Burnout Paradise Aggression Trailer
Price: Free
Availability: Everywhere

Corbis Pretty Pinups Gamer Pictures
Price: 80 Microsoft Points
Availability: Everywhere

Continued at the source.

Burnout Paradise (Review)

Jan 18, 2008

The first thing that hits you is how sprawling Paradises map seems. Then you realise you can drive from one end to the other in only about four minutes, and around its entire circumference in about ten, and its a little disheartening. But then you discover just how dense Paradise City is, how much there is to explore away from the main roads and all seems rosy. Except that, although 120 race events sounds like plenty, it isnt - we uncovered 97 of them within six hours, and although you can ...

Burnout cover is a coincidence (News)

Jan 18, 2008

Electronic Arts has told Eurogamer any similarity between the Burnout Paradise box and the cover of an album by US band Karate is "pure coincidence".

Burnout Paradise map chopped into DLC pieces (News)

Jan 15, 2008

EAUK Staff EAUK_Phenom writes:

"That map was a 'prototype' and it's from 2 years ago .

In the latest podcast (Episode 14), they talk about it (and the airport) and hint that they may consider this for downloadable content (DLC). They're very secretive about what DLC will be released, although they do say that it's going to be something "special", and that only releasing new cars would be boring - so I expect it to be new game modes or a new area . I hope so, anyway. I guess we'll just have to wait and see!

It would be awesome if it was the airport, though."

Burnout 3: Takedown out now (News)

Jan 14, 2008

Thats right, Xbox classic Burnout 3: Takedown has today been added to the Xbox Originals collection and is available to download for 1200 Microsoft points. What a way to warm up for Burnout: Paradise which is due out soon.

Read source for full news story.

EDGE slams Soul Caliber Legends, Soldier of Fortune; praises Burnout, No More Heroes (News)

Jan 14, 2008

EDGE review scores Februari 2008 edition:

Nights: Journey of Dreams (Wii, Sega): 6
Soul Calibur Legends (Wii, Namco Bandai): 2
No More Heroes (Wii, Grasshopper Manufacture): 9
Geometry Wars Galaxies (Wii, Sierra Entertainment): 7
Burnout Paradise (PS3/Xbox 360, EA): 9
Soldier of Fortune: Payback (PS3/Xbox 360, Activision): 4
The Club (PS3/Xbox 360, Sega): 7
Pain (PS3 PSN, Sony): 6
Syphon Filter: Logan's Shadow (PSP, Sony): 6
R-Type Tactics (PSP, Irem): 6
Dragoneer's Aria (PSP, Koei): 4

Burnout: Paradise Demo Available In Japan (News)

Jan 13, 2008

The Burnout: Paradise demo (which was released early December 2007 elsewhere) has now been released on the Japanese XBOX Live Marketplace for free.

Xbox Live Marketplace update 12/1/08: Burnout also on Monday 14th Jan. (News)

Jan 12, 2008

Yet some more themes, gamerpics and video's have been released onto the Xbox Live Marketplace. Not a lot but still something so let's take a look.

- Battlefield: Bad Company Squad Theme: 150 MS Points and available everywhere.

- Battlefield: Bad Company Squad Gamer Pics: 140 MS Points and available everywhere.

Burnout 3 classic is also due for release on Monday. See source for full details on Marketplace upadte 12/1/08.

Are you buying Burnout 3? Let us N4G readers know by leaving a comment below.

Analyst's 2008 Best Seller List (News)

Jan 12, 2008

Janco Partners analyst Mike Hickey picks what he believes will be the biggest sellers of 2008.

Burnout Paradise Demo to Drop Online Play (News)

Jan 12, 2008

Cooper, over at Operation Burnout, has pointed out that the news on the Burnout Paradise demo has been updated to say that the online freeburn will be removed from the demo in build up to the release of Paradise.