Racing game fans are no strangers to the Burnout franchise. The 2000s masterpiece still has them eagerly waiting for a comeback that just never seems to show up. The perfect mix-up of unleashed mayhem, impeccable thrills, and pure chaos.
So, where did the beloved series drop off its bag and vanish? Only to release a single remaster in over 15 years, which was more like a long-forgotten farewell to its fans.
To no surprise, it dials down to the usual giga-corp nonsense, meaning negligence from its parent company; you guessed it, EA.
The core team was either scattered away into other projects or left, leaving the key creative direction stranded. Not to mention the general shift away from arcade racing as time evolved, and racing began to become more about realism.
Priorities Shift, EA Takes Over Criterion
Fans were thrilled when EA took over Criterion (the team behind Burnout) in 2004. Bigger budgets, better games, faster development, that’s what they thought, and sure it did happen, but only for a little time.
Burnout 3: Takedown was then rolled out and had everyone’s eyes and controllers on it, going on to become the title that perfectly shaped the popularity of the franchise.
Despite the series’s success, sales started dropping with every new title. This didn’t exactly line up with EA’s corporate strategies that were, and still are, obsessed with maximizing profits.
Let’s just say, the “crash and wreck every car” vibe of Burnout didn’t exactly sit well with the car companies. They wanted to advertise their cars in neat and pristine conditions instead of crashed wrecks.
On the other hand, Need for Speed was getting all sorts of giant car licensing deals and mainstream popularity. It was quickly becoming EA’s main racing franchise.
Burnout was kinda abandoned, with the focus of EA then being shifted solely towards Need for Speed. The series was left to settle dust with its last mainstream game releasing over more than 15 years in 2008, marking the downfall of an impeccable franchise that remains a golden art of its time.
Not exactly a cool move, but that’s how suits operate in the corporate world.
Core Team Members Picked Off
Burnout wouldn’t have existed if not for the absolute geniuses at Criterion who took those steps others deemed too risky. They started this franchise out of pure passion and dedication instead of being driven by money. This was proved with the incredible gameplay that Burnout offered for its time.
Then came EA and took over the quickly rising franchise. However, when Burnout didn’t live up to EA’s expectations, the core team members were either redirected to other projects, mainly NFS, or left the team itself.
These people made Burnout possible, and without them, the franchise lost its touch and faded away from what it set out to be. Criterion itself didn’t have much of a say when it came to EA’s plans. Instead of focusing on what made Burnout stand out, they prioritized profits, and so, the series lost its charm.
Don’t get me wrong, Burnout: Paradise (Remastered) was a solid game overall, but was it really a true Burnout game? I don’t think so. The essence was lost, thanks to the game leaning more towards an open-world racer. This was more popular at that time among the likes of Forza Horizon and Gran Turismo.
What made Burnout unique was its attention to engaging edge-of-your-seat gameplay that never had you bored. Personally, no other franchise has managed to leave the same mark on me that Burnout has, insane thrills and pure fun.
Changing Fan Preferences
Burnout peaked in the early 2000s, offering impressive racing, wild crashes, and that arcade art style that had everyone going crazy. As time evolved, the racing games changed, and with the help of modern hardware, realism was now the new hype.
Sim racers started gaining popularity, with the likes of Forza and Gran Turismo moving on to become racing video-game giants. In turn, the in-your-face action that Burnout offered felt over-the-top, and the “crashing everywhere” concept started losing its traction.
Most people preferred games with hyper-realistic graphics and more in-depth systems — I mean, who wouldn’t want to take full use of their $2000 “gaming” rig? Game companies took the hint and had their objectives shifted from dumb fun gameplay towards polished simulation gameplay.
Sure, Burnout Paradise got a remaster, and some of the former Criterion developers went off their own path. There were spin-offs, but none of them brought back the actual Burnout sensation that had us all going crazy back in the day.
I guess the world sort of just moved on, so let’s just have a tiny hope that EA reboots this legendary franchise, keeping its true essence.
Not exactly what you wanna hear, but hey, at least it was fun while it lasted.
