Burnout Paradise: Motorbikes, Community Features, and Planes Coming

Today is one hell of a day for gaming, first those Grand Theft Auto IV videos and now this. Today Criterion announced some new details about their 'Cagney' update coming soon to Burnout Paradise after the 'Bogart' update (only about a day a way). Lets take a look at what 'Cagney' will include.

• Custom Routes are no longer featured in competition races - you can choose from 40 predefined Paradise Drives that Criterion have sanctioned, 7 of which came from fans.
• Sanctioned Routes have their own Time Leaderboards - so you can all see who’s the fastest per route.
• Traffic can no longer be switched off in competition races
• No more ‘rounds’ in competition racing - many players disconnect, when they feel like there's no chance of winning, so they've got rid of the concept of rounds.
• Cars can be grouped by Boost Rating - limiting to Boost Level 3 cars, for example, still gives you 10 massively varied cars but they'll all be pretty closely matched for great racing.
• Car Select now appears after the Race Route has been selected - the host can't make sure they're the only one who knows the route, and now everyone gets a chance to choose an appropriate car.
• The host can't kick other players any more
• Grid position is based on player ranking
• Full Boost Bars
• Rank and Ranking Points are displayed in game
• New map icons differentiate the Start and Finish points

We've seen all this already from the Criterion website, so what else will be coming with the update? For starters, some new start up screens and logos. As you launch the game, you will see a streamign player and game news with all the newest updates from the Criterion website. The page will also feature local time, Paradise City weather (along with real cities), a caldendar, and some hints and such for the game.

The Calendar featured on the page will be a reminder of what events are going to occur in the online community of Bunrout Paradise. Every weekend from July, there is going to be a Burnout Paradise event, some events will involve new cars. Criterion said some of these new cars will not have boost, although. You need to use your skills under standard conditions.You can get cars that will never be offered again with this update.

The update will also bring in Custom Soundtracks for the PlayStation 3. They will also be remixing all the sounds and music in the game, and add sirens to the police cars.

They also said that 70 new freeburn challenges are coming with the Cagney update, and they will be adding even more challenges throughout the year. There will be leaderboards for these challenges as well.

The 'Cagney' updaet should be coming at the end of June 2008.

Wait, there is more. Criterion has another update after 'Cagney' planned called 'Betty Davis', which should be out during the end of July 2008. This one is going to be the first 'you need to buy it' add-on.

This update is going to include, for the first time in any Burnout title, motorbikes. The update will let you drive around Paradise City at night as well, with less traffic at night, just as in real life.

Finally, there is one more thing not scheduled for any updates just yet, and that is planes. Criterion is not sure whether planes are coming to the game this year, but how could you not be excited about this. It's like Grand Theft Auto without the shooting.

[Live from Paradise; Criterion announce motorbikes, community features and planes!]

Update: Criterion has updated their site with a new direct-feed screenshot of a motorbike in-game at night (see above). They say bikes will feature their own game modes, challenges and even some new locations tailored to fit their unique performance and handing characteristics. The Betty-Davis motorbike update should arrive in August 2008.