Criterion, Studio Behind The Great Burnout Series And Recent NFS Founders Leave The Company

Fiona Sperry and Alex Ward have left the company they founded, Criterion Games. The EA subsidiary has gone through some major changes recently, starting in September 2013 when the majority of its employees were moved over to a new studio called Ghost Games. That team is focused on the continued development of the Need for Speed series, while Criterion’s remaining 17 employees set about creating something new codenamed ‘Project Zero’.

Why should you care, I defensively imagine you asking.

There’s a lot of videogame conspiracies, but here’s the only one that’s real: somewhere out there there’s a group of games known as the Secret Best Games. If you have some free time, if you’re a bit bored of other games, and if can find them, maybe you can play them. The Criterion-developed Burnout Paradise is one of those games. It looks like just-another-racing game, but it’s secretly an under-appreciated gem. And it’s already quite appreciated. Jim sung its praises. John sang its praises. I’m singing its praises right now.

Excerpt from The Escapist

I would have to say my favorite games in the Burnout series are Burnout 3 Takedown and Burnout Revenge. B3T has lots of track types and varied environments that are cool and BR just lets everything out.

Since the Burnout series has been on hold it seems and Split/Second 2 has been cancelled with the series probably canned (who knows?), we are definitely missing a slot of great arcade racing that takes us back to the time of the Midway arcade machines. The Need For Speed series is cool and all, but Burnout is very necessary and much needed in gaming today.

I would take a remake of Burnout 3 and Burnout Revenge or both games made into one Burnout game and I know I wouldn't be the only one. To me, those were the height of the Burnout series before going open world. Burnout Revenge is ok, but for some reason, it just doesn't have that feel like B3T and BR. There aren't too many locations that stand out or are memorable. I would much rather have the closed tracks and different locals and that was Burnout 3 and Burnout Revenge.

Their re-release would make great multiplatform games today. Oh, and if that ever happens, please bring back custom soundtracks! There's nothing like racing to your own music that you pick! That felt great on Burnout 2 on the original Xbox or a game like Grand Theft Auto on the PC. Either we need a remake/re-release of those two games or we need a spiritual successor to whoever wants to take up that challenge.