Criterion Ditches Burnout, Moves on to Need for Speed

Criterion, the developer of the Burnout series, has announced that it will not be creating any more downloadable content, paid or free, for the latest title in the racing series released in 2008. On the official Twitter feed of the company, a message reads “Please stop asking us for Burnout Paradise DLC. There will be no more! Sorry everyone! But we did WAY more than everyone else.”

The studio has been widely praised by fans and by other industry figures alike for the amount of support they have provided for Burnout Paradise. The level of support can only be matched by the work, which Valve has done in recent years to keep Team Fortress 2 relevant and interesting for players.

Burnout Paradise began receiving new content with the Cagney update that arrived in July 2008 and introduced new multiplayer modes while adding customization options and fixing glitches. The Bikes Pack then introduced two wheeled rides and a string of paid DLC going well into 2009, culminating with the Big Surf Island pack adding more cars, challenges, and modes, and generally expanded the experience.

The game as it stands now, playable on both home consoles and on the PC, is vastly different from that released in early 2008. Criterion has done more for its title than any other console developer and the establishment of a very strong fan base is the direct result.

With DLC releases for Burnout Paradise done, Criterion can focus its efforts on working on the new and as of yet unnamed Need for Speed title, which it is supposed to out in late 2010. Electronic Arts has stated that the new game will revolutionize the franchise when it is launched and given Criterion's track record, this does not seem outlandish.