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EA's online store is running an exciting Black Friday sale, with downloadable PC games getting 30 percent off from now until Monday. We're talking about discounts on a bunch of games here, with standouts such as Burnout Paradise The Ultimate Box for a cool $21 and Mass Effect for a very reasonable $14.

Not everything is on sale, however -- some of the newer titles like Left 4 Dead 2 and the Dragon Age Collector's Edition don't qualify (though the regular version of the latter is on sale for $35). If you're determined to get good deals on some of these newer games, we have a feeling you'll be able to find 'em somewhere.

[Via Big Download]

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We've spoken to Splash Damage's Richard 'Rahdo' Ham in the past, so we know he's no stranger to a certain amount of exuberance about the game he's working on, Brink. In his latest interview with Eurogamer, his excitement reaches a fever pitch and he confirms plans for a "second and third" in the Brink series.

"We already have big plans for that," Ham said. He hopes that Brink's integration of online play -- a combination of Burnout Paradise's freeburn mode and an FPS -- will best reigning multiplayer kingpins Halo and Call of Duty. Of course, upcoming new entries in each of those franchises are certain to put up a fight before succumbing to Mr. Ham's ambitions.

Project Natal has been the talk of the virtual town since its unveiling back at E3. A few developers have dished on the possibilities, but theoretical physicist-employing Valve has kept silent. The reason behind that silence, Destructoid reports, is because Valve is waiting to see something "compelling" before diving right it.

Okay, we'll admit that Block Breaker and Burnout Paradise looked pretty fun on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon and at E3, but Valve certainly has a point. Talking with a virtual kid is kinda cool, but we can see the novelty wearing off quickly. And how much Block Breaker can one honestly play before having a heart attack?

Grasshopper Manfacture boss Goichi "Suda 51" Suda likes to do everything to the extreme, whether it's the ultra-violence of No More Heroes or -- as we now know -- playing other developers' games, specifically Criterion's Burnout Paradise. The British dev's head honcho, Alex Ward, issued a tweet revealing that Suda had recently popped by his studio (likely after the recent Nordic Game Conference) and is a "hardcore Burnout fan."

"Hardcore" may be an understatement, as Ward disclosed that server logs show Suda has played more than 700 hours of Burnout Paradise. So, there it is: Even more proof that Suda 51 knows great games and takes everything to the extreme. It may also explain why we haven't heard anything more about the horror title he's working on for EA alongside Resident Evil creator Shinji Mikami.

[Via VG247]

In our excitement to introduce you to the latest DLC content for Burnout Paradise, we completely overlooked one of the key rewards added to the game. Yes, we've already mentioned how gamers can get their hands on free toy versions of the Legendary Cars on Big Surf, but did you know an elusive ninth free car is available for online experts only?

Completing all of Burnout Paradise's 500 online freeburn challenges -- including everything from the original game and all new timed and freeburn challenges in the Cagney update, Bikes Pack and challenges on Big Surf Island -- nets players a diamond-branded P12. Finish it all and nab the exclusive ride, free. What better way to show off your Burnout Paradise superiority than driving around in a diamond-studded speed demon?! The race is on for our community's first official Diamond P12 owner. It shouldn't take you long, you're part of the gaming elite.

GamesIndustry.biz spoke to No More Heroes/Killer 7 creator Suda 51 at the Nordic Game Conference, and while it may seem like an odd fit to ask the Grasshopper Manufacture head -- who isn't known for big sales numbers -- about marketing, that's exactly what GI did, discussing the slowing Japanese market.

Suda approached the problem from a game design perspective. "Well, there are a lot of core gamers, and a lot of lighter users playing on platforms such as the DS," Suda said, "but there's nothing in-between. I think it's going to be very important for games to be created for that middle audience, and that will help bring the market back on-track."

Responding to a follow-up question about Grasshopper's signature style, Suda named some mass market games with their own distinct styles. "For example, Call of Duty, LittleBigPlanet or BioShock -- you can feel different core elements in each of those games. Burnout Paradise is my favourite [smiles]."

Fans of Criterion's beloved Billy Joel driving/crashing simulator, Burnout Paradise, were hit hard by the events of yesterday's Xbox Live Marketplace implosion -- frequent Burn-ers have been unable to download the game's long anticipated territorial expansion, Big Surf Island. According to Criterion, "unforeseen technical problems caused this content to be to be removed from the Xbox LIVE Marketplace." Fortunately, the Burnout team is all up on it, working with Microsoft to get a fix out as soon as possible. We'll let you know when they're successful!

Update: Success! Just like that, Criterion's got Big Surf Island online. If you've got $12.99 to drop, Burnout Paradise has a new landmass for you explore.

Don't want to pony up the $8 to download Burnout Paradise's premium "Legendary" cars? Well, here's a cheaper alternative: buy Big Surf Island for $13, as it includes special toy versions of all four DLC cars. You can get a cute mini version of the hovering 88 Special (pictured above), Bootlegger, Manhattan Spirit and GT Nighthawk by completing various tasks around the new Burnout island:

• Toy Hunter Cavalry Bootlegger - Jump from all 15 Island Mega Jumps
• Toy Jansen P12 88 Special - Hit all 45 Island Billboards
• Toy Carson GT Nighthawk - Complete all 24 Island Road Rules (Timed & Showtime)
• Toy Hunter Manhattan Spirit - Hit all 75 Island Smashes

We'll admit that we were too cheap to pay for the Legendary DLC, but with a little bit of skill, we'll be able to drive our own Ghostbusters-inspired car in no time.

How much will you pay for 15 new events in Burnout Paradise? Criterion is hoping the answer is $12.99 (£9.99), because that's what it's charging for the upcoming Big Surf Island DLC pack, available this Thursday. Interestingly, those who use Microsoft Magic Money™ get a slightly cheaper option at 1000.

It's certainly not as costly as some on the Joystiq team feared, but it's also far from an immediate impulse buy. While we understand Criterion wants to "make money" and "feed the family," we lament the long-gone days of free Burnout DLC.

Criterion Games has released the latest Crash TV episode looking at Burnout Paradise's upcoming DLC, Big Surf Island. In their classic style, the guys and gals at Criterion have given us a very in-depth look at the new content, showing off the new Criterion Dust Storm car, and even a building that one of the game's fans won the chance to name (he named it after his son, Taylor).

Head past the break to check out Big Surf Island.

We warmly invite you to watch this first video of the upcoming Burnout Paradise DLC, Big Surf Island, in action, but please don't try any of these stunts at home. That's just silly. No one lives in a ginormous fun park! Now, if you'll excuse us, we're off in search of a colossal doughnut to launch our car through. Preferably with sprinkles.

Big Surf Island will be available for PS3, Xbox 360 and PC on ... oh, right, we promised Criterion we wouldn't spoil it. Just watch the video ...

With Cops and Robbers out of the way, Criterion is free to finish up the last of the announced Burnout Paradise premium DLC -- Big Surf Island. This is the first new locale to be introduced into the ever-evolving racing game, and it'll add 15 events and 10 online freeburn challenges to the game. Criterion is promising big air for the expansion, and completionists will want to look for all 45 Billboards hidden on the island. For comparison purposes, the original game featured 120 events and 350 freeburn challenges.

These early details come courtesy of an early look at the DLC's Trophies. (Check out the new Trophies after the break.) One particularly intriguing achievement involves getting a whopping 4.5 seconds of air time in a single jump. Who needs Burnout Planes when you have massive jumps like that?

Our very own Randy Nelson got some hands-on time with the DLC pack, but he can't report on the details quite yet. Expect a full preview on May 28.

This one's just about as confusing as it gets, folks, but here goes nothing. Microsoft is repackaging eight of its titles under a new moniker: "Greatness is Earned." Though these titles still fall into the Platinum Hits category (and as such, are priced at $19.99 and up), a number of them are receiving the treatment for the first time. And this is where things get confusing: We've seen the "Greatness is Earned" logo before, nearly a month ago now, on the repackaged Gears of War (Platinum Hits edition, mind you) seen above. At the time, Microsoft wouldn't comment on the images.

Considering Viva Piñata and EA Sports Fight Night Round 3 are among them, we're doubting (and hoping) they won't all get the dark and brooding look. We've listed all eight titles after the break in for your perusal. We'd also like to point out that, while snooping around the Microsoft press site for images of these games, we noticed Halo 3 "Classics" in the "Upcoming Games" category -- the same note found next to all other Platinum Hits games. Interesting, hmm?

Update: We've replaced the image above with shots of the new "Greatness is Earned" pack shots of Gears of War, Forza 2 and Mass Effect. For giant shots, peep the gallery below!

Gamers are in the middle of a love/hate relationship with Criterion. Costly and often-underwhelming "premium" DLC has tarnished the goodwill earned by Burnout Paradise's free Cagney and Bikes updates. The $10 Party pack was a misstep for the series, but does Cops & Robbers steer the game back in the right direction? The answer, thankfully, is a resounding "yes."

At its core, Cops & Robbers is a simple retooling of the game's already-existing online Marked Man mode. However, some key tweaks make it a much more focused and entertaining experience. While the $10 price point will give some sticker shock, the addition of more than 30 repainted vehicles makes it an easier buy than Criterion's "Toys" and "Legendary Cars" packs.

Just a reminder folks, the latest DLC for Burnout Paradise, Cops and Robbers, is now available. The new game mode, surprisingly, pits cops against robbers in a mad dash for some sweet, sweet gold. Alongside the newly released DLC, we have a trailer of the new game mode in action. You can also find the latest episode of Crash TV, which explains the mode in great detail, after the break.

The Cops and Robbers DLC is available now for $10 / 800 on PS3 and Xbox 360.