"Davis" update FREE!

[Matt@Sim_Moves]

According to Jeremy Chubb from Criterion, the upcoming software update, "Davis" (now known as "Bikes Pack"), will be completely free of charge, along with a whole host of other things.

You can read it below:

It’s the big one.


A huge week here at Criterion Games. We’re just adding the finishing touches to the Burnout Paradise Bikes Pack and wanted to reveal a little about what’s coming.

For the first time ever in a Burnout game, you’ll be able to ride motorcycles.


It’s a huge step for us here on the Burnout team, but this year’s all about changing Burnout in a BIG way through continued support. In July, we brought you our Cagney Feature Pack and introduced 3 awesome online game modes, two great cars, a live news page and calendar, 70 all-new timed multi-part challenges, a complete overhaul of our Online Racing System and a stack of other major improvements. In early September, we’re breaking out the big guns.


Here’s what Burnout Paradise players can look forward to, when they get the FREE Burnout Paradise Bikes Pack next month. (This is the pack formerly know by the codename “Davis”.)


We’ve got two rides ready to go – Day 1. Just head for your nearest junkyard in Paradise City to pick up the FV1100 street bike and the stunning Japanese Firehawk racing bike. That’ll do for a start, but there’s more in store once you’ve played a little way through the bike-specific gameplay. We’ll bring you more on these vehicles in a future post.


From the second we added the first prototype bike, we wanted to cruise the streets of Paradise City at night. So, in addition to the bikes, we’re adding night to the game. You’ll see day cycle through to night and see the city change with it. Paradise City takes on a life of its own once the rush hour traffic thins out!

During the day, you can play a variation of our Burning Routes challenges. Beat the target times on specific routes to complete “Burning Rides”. The big change here is that these routes feature multiple checkpoints – they’ll take you all over the city. At night, complete a different set of routes – the “Midnight Rides”.


If you’re used to seeing Paradise City swathed in blazing sunshine, you’re in for a surprise. We’ve also introduced a dynamic weather system to change the feel of the city – another Burnout first.

And that’s not all.


We’ve created 70 challenges specially for bikes. 35 of these are timed, multi-part challenges – the kind you’ll have experienced if you’ve been playing last month’s FREE software update codenamed Cagney.


We said we’d support Burnout fans 100% this year. We’re passionate about doing just that. The most radical changes to Burnout since we began the series are coming this year. Support for a game through DLC has never been this good. For more detail, hit Criterion Games and for a great look at how we’re working check us out on Crash TV – our video podcast.




Burnout Paradise. Always changing.

Wow!

[Spidery Yoda]

Now thats what i'm talking about.

I was getting pretty iffy towards Criterion with their online-only cars and delay after delay on the 360 updates.

I'm so glad the bikes are free now.

[Remora Wraith]

We said we’d support Burnout fans 100% this year.

100% if you're a PS3 user, I wonder how long the 360 update will be delayed by this time.

But it's always been free as far as I remember, they always said that they weren't going to charge for the updates as it would severely segregate the online community and mean that servers have to support all the different versions of the game out there.

[WolvesPat]

this could be gamesaving for me.

I've been thinking of getting rid.
but I'll wait for this first. I'm fed up of Paradise City being sunny, too! I want the night and dark weather

[Matt@Sim_Moves]

They said that "Davis" would be the first 'paid-for pack' for Burnout Paradise, but they didn't say how much you would have to spend on the bikes.

Really glad that it's free though, as I'm a little "short" of cash.

[Remora Wraith]

When did they say this, in Edge Alex Ward said they were providing all the updates for free, and that only the cars would be premium content, though these would be bundled in the free DLC as unuseable cars so that you can still see it even though you can't use it.

[Matt@Sim_Moves]

Ahh, okay.
Was it the issue with all the Burnout-related content?

[Spidery Yoda]

They said it would cost money in the first video podcast where they showed the bikes, night time and the plane for the very first time.

They said it twice in that in fact. They said the bikes would be payed for, and that while most of the updates are free, they said when they make us pay for something it'll be really worth it.

So i left the podcast thinking to myself that i'd obviously never see the bikes. But now they've changed their mind.

[Remora Wraith]

I'm sure it was all the updates though it did focus on the bike update it did talk about the new island too, Ward himself said he didn't want to fracture the online community into those that do have the content and those that don't. But that some new cars and liveries would be premium content.

[Spidery Yoda]

Well you can go watch the thing if you like. If its still even up.

They specifically said the bikes would be payed-for content. After all they're what i'd call 'premium'.

[Matt@Sim_Moves]

The videos (which I think Spidery Yoda is talking about) can be found here:
Criterion Games - Article - Missed the inaugural episode of Crash TV?

[Spidery Yoda]

Thanks thats the one.

[Remora Wraith]

I'm not denying that they didn't say it I was just saying I hadn't heard it and that Alex Ward said it would all be free.

[Spidery Yoda]

Mmmmm.

Well none of it matters now anyway eh? Since they've announced this now.

[rickyhabana]

how do you takedown on a bike?

[AarontheblueSmurf]

Originally Posted by rickyhabana

how do you takedown on a bike?

Most probely with a Bat or a chain

thats good to hear

[burnout12345]

will the bikes be online only also?
I hope not, BUT and thanks to EA for giving us yet more free content

[Spidery Yoda]

Originally Posted by burnout12345

will the bikes be online only also?
I hope not, BUT and thanks to EA for giving us yet more free content

Well apparently the bikes have 'burning route' type things, which would imply that there is some offline play for the bikes as well.

[Maxen13]

Originally Posted by burnout12345

will the bikes be online only also?
I hope not, BUT and thanks to EA for giving us yet more free content

Originally Posted by Spidery Yoda

Well apparently the bikes have 'burning route' type things, which would imply that there is some offline play for the bikes as well.

Didn't they say that Bikes would be almost identical to cars so that they would almost make a second story and you would have separate licenses- one for cars and one solely for bikes... This, I imagine, would be offline. Matt, as almost always, reported this and so that is how I (think I) know this. Maybe he can clarify.

Yeah, even the first post (in the Criterion quote Matt posted) it says "bike-specific gameplay".

Maxen13

[EAUK_Phenom]

There will be a new license introduced into the game (with a whole host of new events) for motorbikes, so yes, they will be for use in offline and online play!

Phenom

[Ragemore]

I was surprised to find the following posted by IGN in a preview article about the Bikes Pack:

Luckily, you won't have to sit around and wait for the minutes to tick by as you have full control over what time it is, online or off. You can set the speed of the day/night cycle, all the way from a real time clock down to a 24 minute sequence. You can also instantly change to whatever time you want and even lock-in said time, so if you only ever want to race at night, you can keep it permanently set to midnight. The host in online matches retains the same level of control which will affect all players in the game, which is awesome.

I was not expecting it would work that way, that's fantastic! The best possible outcome.