Phil "Philbart999" Doherty
Editorial, Rant Friday, July 3rd 2009

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In an industry that is over-run with hyperbole, very few games actually deserve the hype their publisher’s marketing teams work to build and perpetuate.  Burnout Paradise, since January 2008, has been one of the few games that not only has lived up to the hype  of being one of the best arcade racers of all time, but has also been part of changing the console gaming landscape in terms of downloadable content (DLC).

The release of the first of the free content, named “Cagney Pack” in 2008 contained new vehicles, new challenges, and new Freeburn Challenges that were quite substantial. The “Bikes Pack” that followed, virtually gave us a free motorcycle game.  And all along the way we got music updates and patches that proved Criterion’s commitment to the franchise.  For an initial outlay of approximately $60.00 Burnout Paradise just kept getting better and better.  While Burnout fans rejoiced over Criterion’s apparent self-destructive commitment to giving us all the free stuff we could ever need, some of us did start to wonder when the party was going to end.

And end it did.  The early packs of paid DLC came in the form of cursed little micro-transactions for specific vehicles, then came the Party Pack, and then the Ultimate Box that was launched with the PC release of Burnout Paradise.  Most recently, Criterion took what may be a first step towards expanding on not just, the feature set but also the playable area of Paradise City in the form of “Big Surf Island.”

But does this latest pack deserve to be analysed in the context of its predecessors, or should it be looked at in a sharper light?  One that considers that Criterion’s historic generosity has been less altruism and more pure sexy business savvy?

Looking at the list of what the consumer gets for its $12.99 the pack does seem to have a substantial amount of content;

• The Dust Storm Buggy available to drive straight away
• 8 Incredible New Cars to Win
• 15 Events (Including all New Island Tours)
• 10 Freeburn Challenges
• 12 New Roads to Rule
• 75 Island Smashes
• 45 Island Billboards
• 15 Island Mega Jumps

Having played through roughly 5 hours of Big Surf I can tell you that it is definitely worth the money.  Big Surf’s area is roughly a third the size of the original game, the new vehicles are great, and the challenges are consistent with what we have come to expect.  But there is something troubling about this DLC pack that keeps bothering me.  It’s all still Burnout Paradise.  The environments have been changed slightly, and there are new things to run into, but it’s still just the same game.

Despite having a great time with Big Surf Island, the mean grumpy little cynic that lives in my soul and is thankful that Wardrox lets me write for NG kept poking its warty little head up.  It kept asking; are Criterion committed to supporting a strong community or are they simply cashing in on the investment of resources that were probably paid for years ago from profits from original game sales?  I know that on a personal level I have recommended Burnout to all my friends who have any interest in racing games and/or destroying stuff.  My argument is always the same; if you want a game that has an incredible amount of value and publisher support, then this is easily one of the best game purchases you can make.  Now though, I’m starting to feel dirty.  Now that I have purchased the Big Surf Island Pack, and I can name three friends who I convinced to buy the game I’m starting to feel used, even though Criterion graciously applied a fair amount of metaphorical lube.

Does this make me a bad person?  Seriously, I want to know.  I have no issue with a video game developer that gives me free stuff, making a buck.  It’s just that Big Surf is making me feel slightly manipulated.  I can’t shake the feeling that I’m part of a marketing plan that is only now coming into fruition.  My primary issue is this, Criterion don’t need to release a new Burnout anytime soon, do they?  The technology supporting the game is still attractive to the eye, and the fan base is strong and seemingly growing, or else they would have stopped bothering with the DLC a while ago.  They can essentially churn out new Big Surf Island areas perpetually, all using the same tech that was accounted for years ago.  It’s brilliant in its subtlety.  And the more I think about it, the more pissed off I’m getting.

I am a gamer that wants new stuff regularly and I make no apologies for this.  If the world’s greatest, most gorgeous game came out tomorrow, in two months I’d be looking for something better.  And, I don’t think that this is bad thing.  The video game industry is built on the craving for what is newer, better, and what is more complex than what we have now.  If this weren’t the case we’d all be playing backgammon and chess.  It may make perfect business sense to utilize Paradise’s resources but I think there is going to be a consumer fatigue to this, and soon.

One could argue that the star of the current generation of consoles is not the technology, it’s downloadable content as potential revenue streams.  Look, I know that I am coming across as a bit of an asshole here.  Criterion have provided me with a great game, and great content that I can buy if I choose to.  However, the point still stands that Criterion with Burnout Paradise, Bethesda with all of their packs for Fallout 3, and Rockstar with The Lost and Damned for GTAIV, are all basically getting us to buy the same games twice or even three times.  Does this type of content extend the enjoyment of a quality title?  Yes.  Does this content likely have a ridiculously higher profit margin than creating brand new games?  You bet your ass it does.