How times have changed. Today's news that Burnout Paradise's upcoming Legendary Cars pack will be arriving on consoles this Thursday, February 19th, comes directly from Criterion games via Twitter. Not a press release or forum announcement in sight. Need more proof that we're living in the future? How about flying cars in Paradise City? That's just one of the new vehicles available in the Legendary Cars pack, all of which are based on famous fictional vehicles.

There's no word on pricing yet. Perhaps Criterion will be kind enough to tweet that info before the pack releases on Thursday. Check out the gallery below for more images of these Legendary Cars.


[Thanks, Rahul]

With off-road racing suitably redefined, Pure dev Blackrock looks to be taking its show on the road. A new viral video seemingly for the studio's next project has pulled out onto the internet, teasing street racing, crashes and more than a passing resemblance to Burnout Paradise. In fact, assuming the video itself was posted by Blackrock, the fact that it is tagged with both 'burnout' and paradise' seems to indicate that the former Climax Racing studio is looking to Criterion's open-world racer as a template for its next sprint to the finish line.

Nothing else is known, though the brief glimpse concludes stating, "To Be Continued March 11, 2009," leaving us time to run to the concession stand for popcorn before finding out more.

[Thanks Chris]

Over the course of the 2008, Criterion did its best to win over our hearts, though as fond as we are of Burnout Paradise it was the UK developer's knack for releasing quality DLC that kept us coming back. In a market where most games are shelved weeks -- if not days -- after first spinning up, Criterion managed to keep its open-world racer relevant all year long with a steady stream of downloads, adding night driving, motorcycles and a host of new online challenges.

This tradition looks to continue well into 2009, with famous cars, inflated toys, hot rods and now the fuzz all slotted to pull out onto Paradise City streets in the coming months. Now, with a newly released Party Pack under the hood, and PC gamers racing against the flow of traffic with a keyboard and mouse, we spoke with Burnout Paradise senior producer Pete Lake to get his thoughts on why we just can't seem to let go of the steering wheel.

Yes, Criterion is making yet another add-on pack for Burnout Paradise, but we're not complaining. The developer has revealed that its next premium content release will be the "Cops and Robbers Pack," which shouldn't come as a surprise to attentive Joystiq readers, seeing as we dug up evidence of its existence late last month.

According to Burnout Paradise's in-game "Criterion Games Network," the DLC is "slotting in soon after the Party Pack, Legendary Cars, Toy Cars and Boost Specials," and is "dedicated to bringing the thrills and spills of cops and robbers car chases in Paradise City." Police pursuits haven't been a part of the series since Burnout 2: Point of Impact, or three games and about a thousand Burnout Paradise updates ago.

Owners of the PS3 and PC versions of Burnout Paradise can check out screens of the DLC via the in-game browser. Sorry, 360 fans -- you'll have to wait until Monday, February 9 when Criterion has promised to post them in "stunning high resolution" on its site.

Europe wins the PSN war this week with its Killzone 2 demo and other assorted full games. America's update isn't dire, however, as 3 on 3 NHL Arcade is now available, along with the Burnout Paradise Party pack. There's also plenty of DLC -- as usual -- and PSP owners have a demo for Phantasy Star Portable to try out. That's probably the most exciting thing in today's update, to be honest.

Many gamers are incredibly grateful for Criterion's exceptional handling of DLC for Burnout Paradise. Over the course of the last year, Criterion has added a day/night system to its game, new online multiplayer modes, and motorcycles -- all for the price of nothing. However, it looks like the free ride is over, and today's update marks the first "premium" downloadable content for the game. The Party pack adds a new offline multiplayer experience to the game, but is it worth it?

Unfortunately, we'd say no. At $9.99 (800), the Party pack is not a very cheap add-on (it's half the price of the full game!). At such a steep price, we'd expect a bit more than a simple retooling of menus. There's no added content in the Party pack: you will not see any new parts of Paradise City, nor will you unlock any new vehicles. The challenges featured in the Party pack are, quite frankly, not very different from what's already available in Online Freeburn.

It seems the lazy and inattentive police officers of Paradise City have begun to frown upon the frantic racing and wreckage filling their city, with rumor indicating the return of police cars or possibly pursuits to Criterion's racer. Some scenes depicting the blues in red-hot chase have already spilled onto the internet, as you can see in our gallery below.

You can see the potential pursuit mode that showed up in the new Burnout Store right here, as well as images for a new cop car in the game. Will these become available as DLC in the future? We've asked for comment and we'll get back to you as soon as we get word.

[Thanks, Eric]

If you are one of the unfortunate many who have yet to check out Burnout Paradise, Criterion Games hopes to capture your attention when they re-package the game with all of its current downloadable content in one neat package. Burnout Paradise: The Ultimate Box is set to hit stores next month across the Xbox 360, PS3 and PC and includes hundreds of hours of on and offline content. Still on the fence about picking up our user voted Best Driving Game of 2008? Check out this new trailer that showcases some of the beautiful insanity you'll witness if you decide to hop into the drivers seat.

Ed Note: We should clarify that Burnout Paradise: The Ultimate Box will only be available in Europe. Burnout Paradise can be purchased for dirt cheap on the Xbox 360 in North America and all of the extra content is available for free now over Xbox Live.

Criterion Games has earned a lot of street cred for the amount of content they've added to Burnout Paradise. The upcoming Party pack is the first premium (read: not free) DLC coming to the game, and many gamers are eager to show Criterion their support. However, while we know the Party pack adds new pass-the-controller modes, we're not exactly sure how it will play, or what it will look like. This newly released trailer for the Europe-exclusive Ultimate Box shows a few seconds of the DLC pack -- but it's still not enough to get a good feel for how the expansion will play.

It's not too long until the DLC will be released. We're hopeful that Criterion will make something that justifies the asking pice.

At least two studios appear to have sidestepped the torrent of layoffs that have loomed over the game industry in recent months. Develop reports that UK-based Burnout dev Criterion and Bright Light, Electronic Arts' casual game studio in Guildford, have been given immunity from EA's recent round of layoffs. That sound you hear is a collective sigh of relief.

Staff cuts at EA have been particularly deep, with numerous employees at its Mythic, Black Box and Tiburon branches given their walking papers in just the last week. With news of Bright Light's amnesty, it seems certain that EA is looking to casually dig itself out of its financial hole. Then again, maybe once Criterion gets its time circuits working we can all go back to a time when money was easier to come by.

Burnout Paradise's first-ever premium content pack is coming February 6, and even if you aren't willing to dole out the dead presidents, Criterion's giving you another reason to mark that date. Coming alongside the Party Pack DLC is a rather hefty title update ... and it's free!

Highlights include an in-game store, in-game access to the Criterion Games Network website (details to come; PC and PS3-only), enhanced visuals, a restart event option (yay!), easier barrel rolls and some vehicle and game mode tweaking. Hit up the developer's site for full details, and check out PS3 Fanboy for a full list of the new Trophies.

You thought Criterion was done adding content to Burnout Paradise? Wrong! On February 6th, PS3 owners of Burnout Paradise will be able to download a free patch that adds a whole lot of content.

• In-Game Store (PS3/PC only) - An in-game browser will connect to the "Criterion Games Network." From here, you'll be able to see all the game's updates and purchase any of the upcoming premium DLC.
• Tweaked vehicle handling - The earlier cars are now tweaked to be easier for newcomers to use. "These cars are now slower, harder to crash and less likely to spin out at low speeds."
• Junkyard sorting - You'll be able to compare the stats of cars, and you'll be able to filter out cars, bikes, and upcoming DLC vehicles.
• Stunt Run timer changed - Stunt Run will now have a different timer that starts much slower than before. This allows beginners more wiggle room to start a combo. Experts will still be challenged: the larger your combo, the faster the timer runs out.
• Events rebalanced - All events have been modified to accommodate the new car speeds.
• Road Rage tweaked - Players no longer get additional time once they reach the target score. This is great, because we usually intentionally crash in order to end this mode.
• Enhanced visuals - In-game items, like billboards and smashes, are now easier to spot. The lighting has been tweaked to be "more vibrant." Driving at night will be easier.
• Restart - Yes, you can restart races now.
• Easier barrel rolls - Barrel rolls are now automatic. However, to do more than one at a time, you'll have to use the analog sticks.

The upcoming premium DLC packs (Party, Toy Cars, Legendary Cars) add additional Trophies into the game. We've included them after the cut.

Players who missed the offramp to Paradise City can take the next exit early next month. Electronic Arts announced that the "Ultimate Box" edition of Burnout Paradise will ship in North America on February 5 as a PC exclusive, while players in Europe will be able to pick up the compilation on the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and PC on February 6. As previously revealed, the box will bundle together all of the game's previously released DLC, from patches to two-wheeled mayhem, in one easy-to-crash package.

Also included will be a pass-the-pad multiplayer mode, promising dozens of "quick-fire, turn-based challenges" for up to eight players. This mode will also be released to console drivers as a premium (read: not free) "Party" pack, adding new Achievements and Trophies to the Xbox 360 and PS3 versions when the DLC rolls out in both North America and Europe on February 5.

Both Amazon and GameStop list the PC bundle for $40, though no official pricing for the DLC nor "Ultimate Box" edition have yet been announced.

Burnout Paradise: The Ultimate Box includes the full retail edition of Burnout Paradise, both Cagney and the bike DLC updates PLUS the upcoming Party Pack DLC that adds new party game modes, a restart option, easier controls for earlier vehicles and more. The Party Pack DLC will also be available via the XBLM alongside the Ultimate Pack's release, both in Europe and North America (happy emoticon!). Oh, and those who just want the plain edition of Burnout Paradise will be pleased to know that its retail price has dropped to a wallet-friendly $19.99.

[Update: The Ultimate Box is exclusive to PC in North America.]

We have a lot of fans of Burnout Paradise here at PS3 Fanboy. In fact, it won PS3 Fanboy's award for Best Racing Game and Best DLC. Those that have experienced everything Burnout Paradise has to offer can look to more fun in the upcoming multiplayer-focused Party Pack. This premium DLC will be available on the PlayStation Store on February 5th. Not only does it add new modes to your game, it will also give you access to a new batch of Trophies.

If you don't have Burnout Paradise yet, there's never been a better time to pick it up. In the US, the game has officially dropped in price to $20. Europeans will be able to purchase Burnout Paradise: The Ultimate Box, which includes the game and every add-on released so far. Expect that in retail stores on February 6th.

Update: In addition to the premium DLC, Burnout Paradise fans can also expect a FREE patch which, according to the Criterion blog, "includes the introduction of our all-new in-game website and awesome in-game store. We've also worked on changes to game modes, visuals, the entire vehicle dynamics system. Oh, and we've added a restart !"