While we wait for Criterion Software to finish developing the first next-gen Burnout game for Electronic Arts, EA's UK dev studio has been busy with Burnout Dominator, a kind of look back at previous games in the successful arcade racing series for the PS2 and PSP. FiringSquad got a chance to chat with the game's executive producer Nick Channon to find out more about Burnout Dominator:

FiringSquad: First, how did the idea for making a new PS2-PSP Burnout game come about?

Nick Channon: We wanted to create a game around the core of the entire series, which is dangerous, skilful driving at absolutely ridiculous speeds. We felt Burnouts were fundamental to this experience, given they are all about driving at full speed and rewarding you for driving as dangerously as you can. Based on these core mechanics we felt that we could create a really fresh and unique game and it would be perfectly suited to the PS2/PSP platforms

FiringSquad: How much influence will the Burnout team at Criterion have in the development of the game?

Nick Channon: We’re all part of the same studio now, and this was a team effort to create a great new Burnout game

FiringSquad: Burnout Dominator seems to be a bit of a throwback in terms of game features to the earlier games in the series. Why was this decision made?

Nick Channon: Burnout’s last featured in Burnout 2, they were an incredibly popular part of that game, and we have always looked at ways we could bring them back. Burnout Dominator provided us with that opportunity, however we didn’t just want them to be just a feature within the game, so decided to build the whole game around them.

FiringSquad: Burnout Dominator eliminates the Crash mode that has become a staple of the later Burnout games. Why was this mode not added to this game?

Nick Channon: To be successful in Dominator it’s all about proving your dangerous driving skills, and avoiding the crash. It’s about that on the edge racing where you take as many risks as you can and are rewarded for them. We felt that this was a good opportunity to give crash mode a rest, and allow the Burnout 5 team the time to totally re-invent them for next-gen.

FiringSquad: What new modes have been added to Burnout Dominator?

Nick Channon: The major new mode is Maniac Mode, which is all about pushing your dangerous driving skills to the limit. The user earns points for driving in oncoming, doing drift, near misses etc, and the goal is to score as many points as you can, and thus drive as dangerously as you can. The big kicker in the mode is Burnouts, by chaining Burnouts you earn score multipliers which in turn give you massive scores, which you will need in the later levels of the game.

FiringSquad: What can we expect in terms of tracks and unlockable vehicles in the game?

Nick Channon: All of the tracks in the game are new and have been designed specifically for Dominator. They have been designed to test all of your dangerous driving skills, with big sweeping drift corners, big motorway sections allowing you to swerve in and out of the traffic. We have designed a number of new cars, and have also brought back some of our favourites from the entire series.

FiringSquad: What multiplayer features will the game have?

Nick Channon: PSP features all the major game modes with up to 6 players in ad-hoc. Additionally we allow the user to upload their best scores to a central website, and also you can exchange your best scores with friends through the wireless connection. The game will also feature some new content which we will make available after release.

FiringSquad: What other features will make Burnout Dominator unique among the other Burnout games?

Nick Channon: Aside from the great new tracks, huge variety of cars, and Maniac mode, the game features a brand new World Tour structure, where the user must work their way through the different types of cars, which get progressively faster and faster. There are also a number of challenges that test specific dangerous driving skills. As with Maniac mode the only way to truly score big in these events is to chain Burnouts.

FiringSquad: Will Burnout Dominator look as good as the previous Burnout games did on the PS2?

Nick Channon: Absolutely, Burnout has always pushed the technology as hard as it can. Revenge was visually stunning, however we’ve gone for a slightly different look with Dominator, and I’m incredibly pleased with the results.

FiringSquad: What is the current status of the game's progress and when will it be released?

Nick Channon: We’re coming to the end of the project, and the game will be released in March.

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