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08.27.2006
Hey Criterion,
I’m 15 years old and I love video games so I really want to join the video games business when I’m older. Can you give me some pointers on how to get started?
Todd, Wisconsin, USA
It depends what kind of area you want to work in, Todd. Games development is all about actually making the games themselves, but games publishing is about marketing and management. Whichever way you choose to go, there’s going to be a lot of studying for you to do!
Developers like Criterion need programmers, artists and designers. If you want to be a programmer or an artist you’ll need to study for a university or a college degree. In the past, being a designer was more of ‘working your way up’ job, but as games grow more sophisticated there’s more of a need for trained designers, and there are some colleges and universities that have started game design courses.
To get hired by the best companies you need to show outstanding results in your education, but you also need to show a great knowledge of, and an enthusiasm for the type of games that company makes.
When you’re only 15 this probably seems like a lot of work, a long way down the line. If you’re keen to get started straight away there’s nothing to stop you learning some skills in your own time.
If you’re an artist at heart, you only need a pencil and paper to practise your skills, but if you want to look at 3D modelling, a key skill for game artists, you could try downloading some free 3D software such as Maya Personal Learning Edition, which is a version of the software Criterion’s artists use.
If you’re interested in programming, it’s easy to pick up beginner’s books in programming languages, like C++, and try your hand at coding. A great place to start is with the Microsoft Visual Studio Express editions, which are free versions of one of the programming tools our developers use. Or try a beginner’s game development package like Dark Basic or Blitz Basic. If you’ve never programmed before, even learning how to build your own web page would get you into the concept of coding, and it’s fun too.
There are lots of books about game design, but it’s best to start by looking at the most popular games and working out why so many people like them. What is it that’s fun about the core experience? How do the other features, the characters, the rewards, and so on, enhance that? Level design is a useful skill and again, you can start by looking at what works in the games you play, then get out a pencil and paper and design your own. Free programs like Sketchup are useful tools for turning them into 3D models, and there are quite a few games that come with tools to allow players to ‘mod’ their own levels, which is a fun way to try out ideas.
Good luck, Todd. Maybe we’ll run into you in a few year’s time!
The Burnout Team
BOOST OK!
Hi Criterion,
I must be one of your older players (35!) but I still love Burnout Revenge. I recently started playing it online but I don’t think I’m playing it right.
I often get into games where everyone else goes like a rocket off the start line and I get left behind. I’ve looked through the manual and I’ve tried pressing the boost button but I can’t see what I’m doing wrong.
Can you help an old Burnout freak?
Mike, San Francisco, USA
Well, Mike, it looks like you need some boost start training. It’s a bit of a secret trick that old school Burnout players use to jump off the line in races from a standing start.
When you’re on the start line, hold down the accelerator, then also hold down the brake. You should now be holding both the accelerator AND the brake! This should start the back wheels spinning. When the countdown gets to 1, release the brake and when it hits zero, you should speed off the line.
The Burnout Team
ROCK OUT, BURNOUT-STYLE
Hi Criterion,
I really liked the music in the first two Burnout games! I really want to drive to work with it on my stereo, but I can’t find it on Amazon or anywhere else for that matter.
Is it released on CD already somewhere or am I going to have to connect my PlayStation to my computer and record it, then burn it onto CD?
Jan, The Netherlands
Thanks Jan, your praise is much appreciated by our own musical maestros, Stephen J Root and Steve Emney, who created the soundtracks for the first two Burnout games (as well as the title track on Burnout 3: Takedown).
Unfortunately the music was never released on CD, but keep checking our website because we’re planning to release MP3s of those tracks in the near future, free of charge. Just sit tight and your drive to work need never be boring again!
The Burnout Team
MORE BURNOUT PLEASE!
...so when can I buy/get an updated Burnout Revenge, an add-on or a
completely new game? Yours is one of the best and I'd love to play some more!
Thanks!
CJ
Dear CJ,
Thanks for mailing The Burnout Team.
Glad to hear you like the game.
We don't have anything new to announce just yet, but watch this space closely!
All we can say is that The Burnout Team WILL return.
Just like James Bond....
The Burnout Team
GOTTA HAVE MORE WRECKS!
I love this game. Thank u guys..... I've been playing Burnout since Takedown on Xbox Live and the game never gets old.......
Heavy arms 117- gamertag
p.s. I was wondering if on the next one u guys can make it so that the wrecks and stuff stay on the road until the end of the race... That way we can swerve to avoid stuff... That would be really sweet... Thanks again
Dear Saul,
Thanks for mailing The Burnout Team.
Glad to hear you’ve been with us since Burnout 3 Takedown. But we suggest you make sure you look out for a copy of the original Burnout game on Xbox or even Burnout 2 Point of Impact. You’ve missed out on some great tracks and modes!
Thanks for your suggestion. It’s something we have discussed before.
The reason all of the wrecks are not persistent is because there would be so many wrecks littering the road, there would be no clear road left to drive on.
It would be Burnout Gridlock!
Thanks for mailing your gamertag. We will look out for you online.
The Burnout Team
I LOVE BURNOUT, BUT...
Firstly, I want to say that Burnout games have always been my favourite racing game and I have enjoyed hundreds of hours playing each version and regularly rank in the top 75. Burnout Revenge is great, but there are a few issues I and other regular players feel need to be addressed and responded to.
1. Firstly there is the issue of speed reduction when you are leading and the last racer is holding back the ability to maintain speed. I and others feel that this handicap is unfair as no matter how much boost drifting we do, we cannot get the car to keep speed.
2. Uncheckable cars in same way traffic!!! Lorries are obvious, but hitting a small car and exploding is just stupid. What is the point of having the checkable feature if you cant check some cars.
3. Respawns take way too long and should respawn you in the same place not another place
4. Non ability to invite friends to ranked games
5. Poor updates, the cars are not great, each being a lesser vehicle than the Revenge Racer. New tracks would be the greatest addition you could make.
6. Car physics fail at speeds in corners, with the car actually flying off corners into walls.
7. External car cam needs changing (too low) to increase the view so the track can be seen earlier. Some things are too blind to see and no ability to adjust car.
8. A non traffic mode would be welcome so its just racers going for it
9. Some of the cross traffic is just unrealistic. Cars dissappear, cars and lorries stop out side shortcuts speeding up or slowing down to match your line
10. Steering away from takedowns which are too easy to do online. One touch at the start will crash you.
11. Takedowns happen way too long after the initial hit. 5 seconds after in some Cases
12. Online eliminator?
13. Frame rate drops to a horrible stop motion flickering when there is a big pile up or all racers are close.
14. These are a few of the issues we would like a response to. I also recieved a burnout blaze feedback form from EA which I have never had a reply too. I can see it was a market research gimmick, but how has the feedback been addressed. I tried to contact EA, but they in mine and other regular EA game players opinion have become unconcerned with continued requests for feedback or customer support
I am hoping that along the way, this info, which has been written on the behalf of a lot of people, is taken on board as we want to continue to play Burnout, but not if the next version has as many glitches and non support that this 360 version has had. With EA, we have had no joy with this. We hope that you guys will accept this as constructive criticism as we enjoy Burnout and want it to remain that way.
Cheers, I look forward to a reply.
Malcom
Dear Malcom,
1. This is done to balance online gameplay. I agree that the Top 75 players may be frustrated but this gives that other 75,000 of us a chance to take you lot down.
2. Traffic Attack is a fast based mode. It has an element of risk and reward. If you could simply check everything then it would not be as much fun. That's why we put some larger vehicles in to test the player. We must disagree on what we think is a big or small vehicle.
3. There is a penalty to pay when you crash. Again, the game is based around risk and reward. As so much is going on at any one time, we have to ensure that we reset you in a safe place.
4. This is a standard common to all Xbox Live games. The reason behind it is simple. Ranked defines 'real' play - if we allowed you to take part in a ranked match with your friends then it's too easy to collude and cheat just to boost your online ranking. Which we know a lot of you want to do. So that's why we have a distinction.
5. We're sorry you think the updates are 'poor'. They have proved to be extremely popular and are among the most downloaded items on Marketplace. We agree that new tracks would be awesome but it is not something we planned to do in the development of Burnout Revenge. Maybe we will do something like that in the future.
6. We're not sure what you mean by 'fail' - we actually like it. Have you tried replicating this problem in real life? We think your car may well fail in this situation too. I think you mean that you can wreck, and that's hardly a big problem in Burnout.
7. We're happy with the camera views. But we agree with you, some things are almost too 'blind' to see - but that's because we make the most eye tearing game in the world. If you overtake on a blind corner and then hit the boost then you deserve everything you get - including maybe an 'awesome' rating.
8. We know what you mean, but a Burnout without traffic wouldn't really be Burnout would it?
9. We disagree that our cross traffic is 'just unrealistic' In fact, it's way more realistic than any other game. Cars slow down and stop at junctions and lights.
10. Takedowns! Crashing! Shock! Horror!
11. Your rival has to crash before it's a Takedown, and then the game has to message that right around the network.
12. We did think about this one. The reason we didn't do it is simple. If you are hosting and you are eliminated immediately then the host would probably just kill the game.
13. Burnout has always had a lot of stuff happening on the screen at any one time. More than any other game. Then we made it work online. Not an easy thing to do at all. Noticed full traffic systems running in many other online games? Thought not.
It can slow down sometimes, but having shipped every game at sixty frames per second we're hardly Public Enemy No.1 when it comes to Frame Rate Crime.
14. It's a big world and our company receive thousands and thousands of emails - just like yours - every day. It's unrealistic to expect a personal response every time. If we took the time to answer each and every letter and mail then we wouldn't have time to get any games made.
15. We disagree that the game has 'non-support.' The team signs in every single day and monitors online play constantly. We respond to problems as fast as we can and we have a good track record of fixing issues as they arise.
Team Members play online in their personal time a lot and are often found playing on Live most nights.
Still, really glad you love the game, though! Maybe we'll see you online?
