Criterion Announces Burnout Paradise Party, ‘Ultimate Box’ for PC, Slew of Premium DLC

Fri, Oct 31, 2008

In March, noting how creative director Alex Ward had promised Burnout Paradise owners an entire archipelago of free DLC, we posited the question: "Will DLC finally mean something in Burnout Paradise?" Seven months later, we haven't gotten our promised island chain, but the answer is still a resounding yes. With new game modes, objectives, activities, vehicles and more downloadable for free, Criterion Games has set an incredibly high bar for all who follow.

In January 2009, the "Year of Paradise" will be over, and possibly Criterion's free support with it -- but starting February, there will be more content than ever. That's when Electronic Arts has announced they will release the Burnout Paradise Ultimate Box, a retail package for Xbox 360, PS3 and PC which includes everything ever made for Paradise in one box, the ability to restart races, and the all-new "Burnout Paradise Party" offline multiplayer game mode.

Oh, and did we mention that every Friday for the next three weeks, Criterion will announce even more DLC?

Press release follows the jump; for more details on the eight-player, same-couch Burnout Paradise Party mode -- which will be sold separately from the Ultimate Box as premium DLC, click here.

REDWOOD CITY, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Criterion Games, an Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ:ERTS) studio announced today Burnout™ Paradise The Ultimate Box – a special edition release that includes the award-winning Burnout™ Paradise game plus the previously-released Burnout™ Paradise Cagney and Burnout™ Paradise Bikes content updates, and the brand new Burnout™ Paradise Party content. Burnout Paradise Party is an offline multiplayer mode designed to allow up to eight friends to “pass-the-pad” in dozens of Burnout challenges. For players that already own Burnout Paradise, Burnout Paradise Party will be sold separately as downloadable content.

Burnout Paradise Party brings the social fun of Burnout Paradise into an offline environment where friends can pass the pad to play competitively. There are dozens of quick-fire, turn-based challenges where players compete in different stunt, speed and skill events. In addition to Burnout Paradise Party, Burnout Paradise The Ultimate Box will include a host of new features including a restart option added for racing, easier control of the early vehicles, and for the PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment system the new Burnout™ Paradise Network. Burnout Paradise Network is another Burnout Paradise social innovation that enables players to keep track of friends and keep up with all the latest Burnout news from either inside or outside the game.

“Whether you’re an experienced player or a gaming novice, Burnout Paradise is a game that anyone can enjoy,” says Pete Lake, Senior Producer at Criterion Games. “With The Ultimate Box, we aimed to deliver the most fun, high quality and high value experience possible to players both online and in the living room.”

Burnout Paradise Party will be on display and available for free play at EA’s booth during the London Games Festival in Trafalgar Square from Oct 31 – Nov 1, 2008.

Developed at Criterion Games in Guildford, England, Burnout Paradise The Ultimate Box is rated E10+ by the ESRB and 7+ for PEGI. Burnout Paradise The Ultimate Box will be available in February 2009 on the PLAYSTATION 3 and Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system and marks the debut of the game on PC. For more information about the game, please go to www.criteriongames.com or info.ea.com.