14 DAY TRIAL // The Australian Classification Board seems to have revealed the existence of a new Burnout racing video game, called Crash, which is listed as being developed for a number of platforms and is handled by Criterion Games, the studio which has also developed the previous release Paradise.
Publishing duties for the game will again be handled by Electronic Arts and no launch date is mentioned for Burnout Crash.
A LinkedIn profile shows that the new game will be initially launched on the PlayStation 3 from Sony and the Xbox 360, which are the same platforms as for Burnout Paradise, a game that has since then been ported on the PC.
The name Crash implies that the new Burnout game will focus on spectacular destruction inflicted via car accidents, with the open world racing taking a backseat.
In Burnout 3, the Crash mode allowed players to go straight into a crowded intersection and use their vehicle in order to deliver as much damage as possible.
In Burnout Paradise, the mode was absent as the series aimed to go more mainstream and players instead received a Showtime game mode, which allowed them to bounce from vehicle to vehicle.
Long-time fans of the series have asked the developers at Criterion to deliver a Crash mechanics as part of the downloadable content launch for the game, which was extensive, but they have not done so.
The Crash focus could mean that this is a smaller game that Paradise, perhaps delivered exclusively via the Xbox Live service and the PlayStation Network.
Criterion has recently handled the development of the rebooted Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit for Electronic Arts and the resulting game was very well received when it was delivered in the fall of last year.
It is widely thought that Criterion is also continuing its work on the Need for Speed series.