When
we saw the news this morning that Criterion Games'
much-debated-then-much-praised Burnout Paradise would be coming to PC,
we were more than a little surprised. That's because in the past, the
studio's creative director Alex Ward has made some playfully
disparaging comments about gaming on PCs. So as we were Googling for
one of his previous statements on the matter to throw into this
morning's High Score post, we came across a statement that he had made
previously to...us. Here's the exchange we had on the subject back in
the fall of 2006:
What about PC gamers?
You've been critical of the PC in the past. What would you say to
someone who's finished F.E.A.R., they've finished Half-Life 2, they've
finished Quake IV. They've seen their little brother rocking out with
Black on the console, and they want to know, "When is Alex Ward going
to show me some love?"
Never. I'm just being totally
honest. I could lie, right, and say "Maybe you'll see a PC game from us
in the future." No. I'm just not a PC gamer. The mouse, the keyboard, I
know how they're used, it's just not for me. I'm a console gamer,
through and through--there's no Gran Turismo on the PC, there's no
Ridge Racer on the PC. It's not a system I grew up with. After what I
said about PC gaming on the 1UP Show, I'm a marked man. I'll get my
head kicked in if I ever go to QuakeCon, won't I? But I just don't get
it. I can't do it. I'm a useless PC gamer.
Some genres,
I'll admit, I just don't get. Real-time strategy? Just don't get it.
Role-playing games? Just don't get it. Oblivion? I really tried. And
it's a great game--a lot of people think it's a great game. Not for me.
Just can't get on with it. PC shooters, I don't know. I've always
played pretty well with a controller. But you get the really hard-core
religious guys going, "You've got to use a mouse and keyboard. It's
better because you can do this, this and this."
Well that's quite an about-face, innit? Never,
it would seem, is coming a lot sooner than Ward himself predicted, and
with it, a whole lotta love for fans of PC gaming. Take a look at this
ultrawide view of Burnout Paradise here...
Burnout Paradise PC ultrawide view
...along with a more vertical, dual monitor view here:
Burnout Paradise PC dual monitor view
You
can see more images--and video--at Criterion's Web site right here. If this
is what PC gamers have to look forward from the loving embrace of Alex
Ward, then the mea culpas are surely unnecessary. Because "better late than never" has never been more true than it is today. You can
read the full press release below.
***
EA’s BURNOUT PARADISE REVS ITS ENGINES ON THE PC
Redwood
City, CA – May 9, 2008 – Criterion Games, a studio of Electronic Arts,
(NASDAQ: ERTS) today announced that the award-winning driving game
Burnout™ Paradise is being rebuilt specifically for the PC. Burnout
Paradise will be the first Burnout title ever made for the PC,
customized with expanded multiplayer, enhanced online features, and
community driven content.
Originally released for the
PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment system and Xbox 360™ videogame and
entertainment system, Burnout Paradise has won over 55 awards
worldwide. Burnout Paradise delivers an open-world environment built
for intense speed, excitement and exploration and sets a new standard
in the seamless transition from single-player offline to social online
gameplay.
Burnout Paradise for the PC will combine all the open
world racing, intense speed and action of the original game with new
gameplay for the PC version.
Gamers can tune into a live webcast
at http://criteriongames.com at 8:00 AM PST on Friday, May 9 for more
details on this announcement. For more information about Burnout
Paradise, please visit http://criteriongames.com or the EA press
website at http://info.ea.com.
Burnout Paradise for the PC has not been rated by the ESRB or PEGI.
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