Burnout Paradise to be sold on PSN

By Robert Purchese Published 15 August, 2008

Cheaper, bundled with DLC, PAL TBC.

Criterion plans to release Burnout Paradise as a downloadable PSN title this autumn.

The game will be cheaper at USD 30, according to the PlayStation Blog, and comes bundled with all of the free DLC releases so far. This includes Bogart, Cagney, and upcoming Davis updates.

The PlayStation Blog makes explicit reference to the "US PlayStation Store", so we've asked Sony to clarify whether there are similar plans afoot for Europe.

Criterion continues to expand and nurture Burnout Paradise online, living up its "always changing" slogan. Motorbikes and day/night cycles are planned for the near future, with planes and additional islands on the slate for further down the line.

Burnout Paradise was released back in January on Xbox 360 and PS3. The game no longer features in the UK All-Formats Top 40, but does, at least, hang on at 36 in the Xbox 360 chart.

Head over to our Burnout Paradise review to find out more.

Picture of Robert.

About Robert Purchese

Bertie is Eurogamer's Senior Staff Writer. When he's not hunting down news stories he's often found playing with his kids or gabbling about fantasy games and strange online worlds.

Read more articles from Robert by visiting the Robert Purchese archive page.

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Comments (41) Latest comment 4 years ago

Comments threads automatically close after 30 days, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • onyxbox #1 4 years ago

    nice.

    good job I put a 250GB drive in mine... all these downloads and soon play tv are starting to push the boat out a bit (in terms of disk space).

  • Beano #2 4 years ago

    Great idea - will sell more this way, I'm sure... fantastic game.. racing game of the year :)

  • DFawkes #3 4 years ago

    Downloadable games are bad for my bak balance, it's too easy to buy stuff! I already have this at least, but it's a great option to play a great game. Plus it'll get more people online for the new online modes.

  • GamesProgrammer Verified Games Team Programmer, Eutechnyx Ltd. #4 4 years ago

    its strange how microsoft are saying DLC games are the future and box product will die, and sony are saying we all need blu-ray, yet its sony thats getting box product games for download all over the shop

    e.g.
    Warhawk
    Gran Turismo
    Siren
    and now this

  • bad09 #5 4 years ago

    If that gets priced here at a decent price I might bite. Not a huge fan of the series but liked Burnout 3.

    Got no room for anything at the mo but by the time speedy SCEE gets around to putting it on PSN (if ever) I will have a nice big new HDD in my PS3.

  • NinjaWilliams #6 4 years ago

    PS3 is the future and taking it all the way and beyond! Rivals> eat dust! :p

  • Darren #7 4 years ago

    Nice idea in theory but by the time it's released you'll be able to pick up the game heavily discounted and likely under £20 on disc. Considering that Burnout Paradise is one of the few games that doesn't have a mandatory HDD install this is probably the recommended option for owners of the 40 GB HDD PS3 who don't yet own this game. ;)

  • Der_tolle_Emil #8 4 years ago

    its strange how microsoft are saying DLC games are the future and box product will die, and sony are saying we all need blu-ray, yet its sony thats getting box product games for download all over the shop

    True :) However it is MS' own fault that they released a version without a harddisc at all and only a 20gb disc at first with only 13 useable. That's just enough for 1 game. MS simply doesn't have the hardware, I mean who is going to buy a 120gb disc just to save a few pounds on downloadable games? The price of the harddisk is simply too high, you would have to buy a lot of games to make up for the price of the bigger harddrive and there aren't enough out there in downloadable form.

  • Xerx3s #9 4 years ago

    "its strange how microsoft are saying DLC games are the future and box product will die, and sony are saying we all need blu-ray, yet its sony thats getting box product games for download all over the shop "

    Xbox originals?

  • Darren #10 4 years ago

    Yeah Microsoft have made a bit of a boo-boo with the Xbox 360 when they released two models, one with no HDD and the other with one that only had a pitiful 13 GB of useable space. It was clearly insufficient for multiple large downloads hence the reason the Video Marketplace only rents movies and doesn't sell them. Sony's own equivalent will offer movies for purchase apparently.

    Sony are certainly leading the way with downloadable games like Siren, Warhawk, GT5 Prologue and the forthcoming SOCOM despite Microsoft being the ones heavily pushing digital distribution of content. The new 60 GB HDD Xbox 360 is a step in the right direction but coming almost three years after the launch of the original models, it may be too late for them to make any real impact. On the PS3 it's relatively cheap to upgrade the HDD to a bigger model if you want to with a 320 GB HDD costing almost half of what Microsoft charge for their ludicrously overpriced 120 GB HDD at £130!!! If Microsoft want people to download content by the truck-load then they need to do something about those ridiculous prices.

  • bad09 #11 4 years ago

    @ Darren

    Why do you think MS are dangling a carrot to the user base with enabling installs of whole games to HDD? Can anyone say HDD upgrade (at a premium).....

  • Olemak #12 4 years ago

    Very good; I just might get it. They should do the same for the platinum titles, which are selling like hotcakes btw judging from the play.com bestseller list. Expanding on this DL strategy, new games should be made available for direct download too - preferably at a discount. That's the wave of the future.

    In the hope that whoever runs shit over at Sony should happen upon this thred, here's what you need to do to make PSN take off:

    1. Sort out PS2 B/C. Go for emulation, I'm sure it is doable.
    2. Make the 100 best PS2 classics available for download (at a reasonable price). Remake them for the PS3 if the BC styuff is impossible.
    3. Sort out PSN again, and get it right this time. While the current version is prettier than before, it is a pain to find stuff, and it is slow. Tip: look into caching graphics, and collapsible folders.
    4. Make more recent games available through the PSN, and movies too of course. Rentals is the best option for movies.
    5. On second thought, just hire me to head up the department and give me a lot of money. Eurogamer has my e-mail adress. Have console, will travel.

  • oreillymj #13 4 years ago

    @Olemak - I "run shit" for a big company, but not at Sony.

    However I believe you're an idea's man and I'd like to offer you a job. How long will it take you to pack your bags?

  • Steroyd #14 4 years ago

    its strange how microsoft are saying DLC games are the future and box product will die, and sony are saying we all need blu-ray, yet its sony thats getting box product games for download all over the shop

    It's like Sony is having MS's DD cake and eating their Blu-ray one.

    Nice idea in theory but by the time it's released you'll be able to pick up the game heavily discounted and likely under £20 on disc.

    On the flipside the game is on the HDD, which would be perfect for those who just want a random 20 minute brawl online, and doesn't $30 come at about £15-20 anyway?

    Really tempted to double dip on this one, games like Warhawk and BP is just perfect to be bootable from the harddrive.

    But this can't be right.

    On the PSN you are able to download:
    PS1 > PSP > ??? > PS3

    gee I wonder what's missing... you know what to do Sony.

  • Les #15 4 years ago

    "Not a huge fan of the series but liked Burnout 3."

    3 is a much better game than paradise. Better keep your PS2 if you're unlucky enough to own a non-bc PS3... The idiot that decided to replace perfectly fine and fast menus with a ridiculous, time consuming and boring open city should be shot.

  • zuljin #16 4 years ago

    @Olemak
    Yea. Because I'm sure noone over at their HQ even remotely entertained those ideas.

  • Tricky #17 4 years ago

    "3 is a much better game than Paradise"

    Really couldn't disagree with you more there. Paradise shits all over all of the previous Burnouts from a great height as far as I'm concerned (and yes, I did like Burnout 3 when it came out).

    The only thing that Paradise gets 'wrong' is the lack of a proper Crash time mode. Showtime is fun for the first few times you do it, but it does get kind of tedious.

    Otherwise, the sheer freedom of the city, finding shortcuts, smash gates and working out how to plough through the billboards is enough to keep me happy - and that's before doing any of the events or even trying to beat the road rules for each road and the online challenges... the list just goes on. The game is just an embarrassment of riches really.

  • malteaserhead #18 4 years ago

    are console owners that joyed to have downloadable versions of large retail hits - especially so long after the retail version is out?

    Burnout on the ps3 costs about £14-15 now (pre-owned) which will be cheaper than the downloadable version, playable instantly (rather than hours of waiting) and when you get bored you can get £5-8 back on it.

    I fail to see the big plus in this... except for publishers.

  • LeeroyJenkins #19 4 years ago

    You have to commend them putting so much effort into free updates. But it doesn't seem to be translating into sales, rather it's probably just keeping it's current players happy and keeping them playing it online.

    I found Paradise to be the least satisfying of all the Burnout's and the one I stopped playing the quickest (about 1-2 weeks after playing it), and not played it since. It just didn't give me that sense of achievement that I got from Burnout 2 and 3.

    I think they had no choice but to focus so heavily in online, as I don't think the core driving has improved that much. If I had my way I'd bring back the unforgiving crash/collision detection in Burnout 1. Make it feel like you've really achieved something in doing a perfect (or near perfect) race. Put the emphasis back on skill and not so much luck.

  • Peew971 #20 4 years ago

    Again, MS is a software company so they could just release 20 games on Marketplace at once if they decided to. But they already have XBLA, Originals and soon XNA games on downloads, so for sure space would be an issue at some point in the near future.

  • Darren #21 4 years ago

    Like others, I don't think Burnout Paradise is the best in the series, that would be Burnout 3: Takedown for me, mainly because that was a satisfying single player experience whereas I feel this new game is more focused on online gameplay, something I'm not really keen on. Also Paradise was easily the most repetitve Burnout game in the series so far with a lack of variety in the environments and even the routes through them became horribly over familiar really quickly. It's possible to see everything after just a few short hours and that was disappointing. The free download packs at least will rectify some of those issues, which is good, but the big annoyance for me was the lack of a restart option for the longer races - it really is tedious having to drive all the way back to try it again, regardless of whether you should want to or not. I'd rather have a 5-10 second loading time than a 5 minute drive, thank you!

  • Miths #22 4 years ago

    I just bought the PS3 version last week, and after a couple of hours I was reminded why I also didn't play the 360 version for more than a few days earlier this year. As much as I like the basic concept of this large city with a ton of freedom, I really prefer my racing games - everything from ultra arcade like this to sim racers - more structured and on proper closed off tracks.
    I just never got the hang of the city layout in the 360 version, and countless times I lost races, dropping from pole to dead last, because I took a wrong turn or missed one, and I constantly had to pull up the map to check that I was taking the optimal route (or sometimes even just that I was headed so more or less in the right direction :)). That unfortunately put one hell of a damper on the fun for me.

    I imagine I'll probably be tempted to give it a try again once the bike DLC is released though, although that's probably more to see what that's going to be like in a Burnout game rather than because I actually expect to start playing the game again.

  • malteaserhead #23 4 years ago

    fwiw I agree with Darren and Miths on the diminished returns from Paradise.

    There was something about the more open nature of the driving that just didn't make the game appeal to me in the same way the previous versions did.

    Darren: time to man-up and go online! Honestly though, you will get more fun out of some of your games. I got the feeling ages ago (on the old xbox) that I was paying full price for only half the game by not going online. Of course some games are worse/better than others for this.
    Not everyone online is a w*nker
    /is online
    /is probably a w*nker

  • Tricky #24 4 years ago

    "dropping from pole to dead last, because I took a wrong turn or missed one"

    The indicators on your car are a big help to avoid this problem - I suspect you haven't noticed that they flash to tell you which way you should be turning at a junction.
    Edited by 1 at 15/08/08 @ 12:11

  • johnnybrn #25 4 years ago

    'The indicators on your car are a big help to avoid this problem - I suspect you haven't noticed that they flash to tell you which way you should be turning at a junction.'

    It's hard to notice and easy to miss when you flying by 100mph, and the fact you have to keep looking at your map to see where you are going takes the fun away from balls to wall racing IMO. Plus the lack of retsarts just pissed me off in the long run.

    Traded it a week later which is a great pity as I really love burnout

    Wait for them to fix the core mechanics and release the next 'proper' burnout.

  • bad09 #26 4 years ago

    "But this can't be right.

    On the PSN you are able to download:
    PS1 > PSP > ??? > PS3

    gee I wonder what's missing... you know what to do Sony."

    / prints, enlarges, frames, flies to Japan, Hammers nail into Kaz's forehead, hangs frame on Kaz's forehead...

  • Kazzahdrane #27 4 years ago

    @Olemak:

    Couldn't have put it better myself. Point #1 is the one that's most stopping me from buying a PS3. I don't play my Wii at all so could probably get at least £100 off a PS3 by trading it and games in, but just don't want to lose my PS2 collection (and no, I don't need a PS3 AND PS2 under my TV). I'd pay to download a PS2 emulation system off the PSN too!

    Also, I want a PS3 with a Dual Shock 3, but not the gimped model they are bringing out with 80Gb - I want all the bells and whistles (media card readers, more USB ports) that the 60Gb had thanks!

  • bad09 #28 4 years ago

    @ Les

    Unfortunately I've got Mr Crappy 40gb :(

    Thankfully I got it off XBox Originals though so no worries there, MS care a little bit more about last gen than Sony ;) As for Paradise, I don't mind the open city thing TBH, I quite liked Test Drive unlimited for that very reason.
    Edited by 1 at 15/08/08 @ 12:36

  • IneptPercy #29 4 years ago

    To be downloading games just doesn't work, in most cases I can get a disc from play.com (or likewise) just as quick as ?I could download it, that will change in the future no doubt but right now downloads to me is for small games (xbox live arcade etc)

    Eitherway more options can never be a bad thing.

  • Kenshin001 #30 4 years ago

    I might pick this up if it is on the PAL store (it better be Mr. Reeves). Wasn't enamoured enough with the demo to import it here to Japan but having it on the HDD for a quick bash seems the go. The PSN is really leading the way with downloadable titles, Warhawk, GT5P, Siren, SOCOM coming up and now Burnout Paradise. Though I'm glad there's the option to get the disc version too as I like having a physical collection.

  • Ryze #31 4 years ago

    Excellent idea.

    A perfect test for SCEE.

    /waits...

  • Ryze #32 4 years ago

    Waits for WipEout...

  • Law07 #33 4 years ago

    And by the way 30 USD is about £15 anyway.

    Unless they just make it £30 which would be EVIL

  • Darren #34 4 years ago

    @Kenshin001 - Here's a weird thing... like you I prefer to physically own the things I pay for and lately I've been buying 80s CDs left, right and centre (hey I'm old!), having bought at least 30 in the last two months (most under £5). The strange thing is as soon as I got them I ripped them to my PC then copied them across to my PS3 along with the album art, which is where I tend to listen to them, and I'll probably never touch the actual discs again! Kind of ironic really but I certainly wouldn't have liked to have bought them all as MP3s because it wouldn't feel like I actually owned them. I guess I'm strange really. LOL

  • KayJay #35 4 years ago

    They are giving you a choice here... BluRay or One's and Zero's Download.

    Choice is generally seen as a good thing. No?

  • Ryze #36 4 years ago

    @Darren - I do the same with all of my albums (bar the PS3 bit).

    But (Oi!) NO! They're not 80's pop jobbies.

    /looks for Rick roll URL...

  • septimus #37 4 years ago

    Nice, I hope it is a manageable size... I still have 100GB left, but I doubt it will last long.

  • Olemak #38 4 years ago

    oreillymj: Thanks for the job offer. I travel light :)

    Darren: Regarding the disc as a delivery medium, that's excatly what I do too: rip the CD and put it away, never to open the case again. The CD itself has become worthless; like any other packaging - it is the content that matter. The leftover part - be it cereal boxes, yesterday's newspaper or music CD's - is just trash taking up valuable bookshelf space.

    I've just stopped buying CD's all together. But I have not started buying music online, and I don't pirate music either. Plenty of music in games, movies and on the radio, I don't need more. I think that this is actually a bigger reason for the failing sales of music CD's: media saturation. I just don't have the time or energy to consume any more music. Pretty sure many others (especially in my age bracket) feel the same way.

  • Ryze #39 4 years ago

    ^ Music TV must definitely be harming singles sales, as there are 10 channels constantly playing the latest songs on rotation all day.

    Problem:

    All any kid in a family with money has to do is sky plus an hour of each music channel and they're sorted at home for a month. The kids without money weren't buying music anyway, and aren't even going to get near buying from an online store.

    Solution

    I still believe that they need to integrate Internet music stores with Digital TV and games consoles.

    There's no reason why Sky couldn't release a new digibox with an Ethernet port and a Wii remote for easy navigation and download of digital content. a USB port would be all that's required to transfer files to mobile phones and iPods.

    It could be perfect in terms of integration, where you press the yellow button during a movie, commercial or TV show to buy a song from the soundtrack. Microsoft and Sony should be offering this service to games developers also.

    Opportunity

    I've wanted to buy tonnes of tracks from GTA IV, for example, and if they made it easy to put it on my PSP, phone, home stereo and in my car then they'd have made several sales by now.

    As it stands there's an awkward service open to the US only where you send an in game txt (fiddly, easy to miss the song), identify the song, go to the Rockstar Social Club and register there by filling forms, then pick up the playlist, link to Amazon, then download the tracks (if you're a US citizen), then transfer them to a portable device or CD.

    A waste of time.

  • Moz #40 4 years ago

    They could do very well out of this, though it's going to upset pre-owned retailers. Though of course currently alot of game are just too big to be distributed this way. Even once you've removed the data duplication from a game like MGS4 it's still going to weigh in at 20Gb plus

  • Ryze #41 4 years ago

    Yes, so not ideal for every title, but this opens up a new retail window - like Cinema, PPV, DVD rental, DVD purchase, Sky movies, terrestrial... Many games can hopefully get an exclusive retail window, where one can own a boxed copy first, with full high res textures, video and audio, or just pick it up 6 months later on download with the core gameplay intact.

    A great idea - fuck the preowned market - that's what they'll say - as they make no money off preowned games anyway - this allows developers to continue to make money off of a title over a longer period, and temp them to give people a reason to pick up the game during its 'second wind', by releasing paid for expansion packs.

    Excellent move - now to just convince the retailers that you wont eat into their profits. I still think that retail stores should have download stations to allow DS and PSP games to be paid for using vouchers and copied onto Memory sticks at high speed.