Burnout Dominator Q&A

Earlier today Electronic Arts announced that a sequel to Burnout Revenge, Burnout Dominator, is currently in development at its UK-based Criterion Games studio. Save for the fact that the game will be released for both the PlayStation 2 and the PlayStation Portable sometime in 2007, today's press release contained very little in the way of information on the game, so we got in touch with senior producer Nick Channon to see what else we could find out.

GameSpot: Why are you developing Burnout Dominator only for the PlayStation Portable and the PS2 as opposed to following EA's usual multiplatform strategy? And why no version for new-generation consoles?

Nick Channon: We wanted to create a game that celebrated the essence of Burnout and the reckless skill-based racing and fear of crashing that fueled the first games. Given that Burnout was born on PS2 it was a natural fit and, with the shorter skill-based game modes, we felt that this game would be perfect on PSP as well. There is still a huge installed base of current-gen consoles out there and we are sure that they will appreciate new games being made just for them.

GS: Will the games talk to each other?

NC: No.

GS: What kind of online modes will they offer? Will there be any downloadable content?

NC: All modes on PSP will be playable in ad hoc; additionally there will be a record breakers mode where the user can play a single event on any unlocked track and set records. These records will be tracked and can be shared with friends via Wi-Fi, and the user will also be able to upload high scores to a Web site. We will also be offering some really cool additions to the game via download.

GS: What can you tell us about the modes on the PS2?

NC: The game features a number of skill-based challenges which are the ultimate test of dangerous driving. Firstly, master the art of performing Burnouts; this involves filling your boost bar then completely draining it whilst driving as dangerously as you can. Drain your boost multiple times to perform a Burnout. This is the key to earning massive scores in the drift and near miss challenges, and the brand-new maniac mode makes the user put all these skills together to deliver the most dangerous run imaginable.

GS: What can you tell us about modes on the PSP?

NC: In addition to [adding] the modes on PS2, we have spent a lot of time tuning the car handling specifically for the platform. It was important that with the new modes we have introduced that the cars feel responsive and that you can really feather the car whilst doing a drift.

GS: What have you learned from the previous games in the series, and how has that affected dev on these titles?

NC: As previously mentioned, Burnout Dominator is all about celebrating the essence of Burnout: the thrill of driving as dangerously as you can without crashing. The thing that has also struck me about the Burnout series is people's physical reactions to missing a head-on collision or to finding a small gap between two lorries--there aren't many other games where people are so animated when they play. As a team we wanted to create a game that revolved around rewarding you achieving these moments.

GS: Will these be the last current-gen Burnout games?

NC: You'll have to wait and see.

GS: Thanks for your time.