(mashedmarket)

That screenshot’s tiny. But try and imagine its contents hurtling toward you at around ninety.

If you’re having trouble, then you’ve probably never played Burnout Paradise.

Criterion’s mastework delights in vehicular mayhem. Get behind the wheel, and you’ll invetiably lose control real quick, likely careening end-over-end. Whenever this happens to me, I wince almost uncontrollably. Sometimes a hand flies over my mouth. There’s a quick intake of breath, and then — mind you, this is pretty much every time — I guffaw like some kind of idiot.

And all of this happens before I’ve even taken my finger off the “go” button.

Funny thing is, all that animal fear, all that tension and release, that’s been around since day one. Only Criterion didn’t just quit after crafting the experience. Instead, they’ve updated Paradise with SIGNIFICANT amounts of free content since shortly after its release in January of this year. And, as I understand it, they’ll continue to do so for at least another four months. Next up: motorcycles. There’s even talk of airplanes.

Naturally this is fantastic news for Burnout Paradise fans. Thing you might not realize is that it represents a Big Deal for everyone who plays the industry’s giant titles. Criterion’s “Year of Paradise,” as they’re calling it, is an essentially unprecedented act of post-release support. It’s a grassroots marketing kick like no other. Here, we have a developer who’s trying to extend the life of their product by growing (not just riding) The Long Tail.

Remember, these updates aren’t your typical “horse armor” DLC; they’re colossal, and they’re free. Can you imagine what would happen if other developers followed Criterion’s lead? Driving around Paradise only costs roughly $30.00 at this point in time. So go buy it! And make sure you hang on to your copy…Criterion will keep it from getting too dusty.