Burnout: Championship Drag Racing

1998 video game

1998 video game

Burnout: Championship Drag Racing

Developer(s)| MediaTech West[1]
Publisher(s)| Bethesda Softworks[2]
Designer(s)| Brent Erickson
Engine| XnGine
Platform(s)| MS-DOS
Release|

* NA: March 20, 1998

Genre(s)| Racing video game
Mode(s)| Single-player, multiplayer

Burnout: Championship Drag Racing, also known as simply Burnout, is a video game developed by MediaTech West and published by Bethesda Softworks for MS-DOS, released on March 20, 1998.[3][4][5] A Player's Choice Edition was released in September 1998[6] for both DOS and Microsoft Windows. Burnout was licensed by the Hot Rod magazine. Although the name suggests otherwise, the game is not a part of the Burnout series, which would begin 3 years later in 2001.

## Gameplay

[edit]

Burnout Championship Drag Racing is a game of 40-second races, involving a meticulous pre-race setup of each vehicle. With over 60 adjustable components, from suspension and tires to transmission and brakes, the game demands precision tuning to shave off mere fractions of a second. Far from an arcade-style experience, Burnout is a hardcore simulation, designed for players who savor technical depth over flashy gameplay.[7]

## Development

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The game was developed by Washington based MediaTech West, the same team that did XCar: Experimental Racing[8] in conjunction with Hot Rod Magazine.[9][10] The game utilizes Bethesda's XnGine[11] It was originally scheduled to be released in November 1997.[12] The game went gold on March 13, 1998[10] Burnout was released on MPlayer.com in June 1998.[9][13]

## Reception

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Reception

Aggregate scoreAggregator| Score

|

GameRankings| 68%[14]
Review scoresPublication| Score

|

CNET Gamecenter| 8/10[15]
Computer Gaming World| [16]
GameRevolution| B[17]
GameSpot| 7/10[18]
Next Generation| [7]
PC Gamer (US)| 88%[19]
PC Zone| 52%[20]
The Cincinnati Enquirer| [21]
New York Daily News| [22]

The game received average reviews according to the review aggregation website GameRankings.[14] GameSpot said, "Burnout has such a refreshing feel and intense bursts of white-knuckled action that it's really worth sticking it out for a while."[18] Next Generation found that "The single race is nice for a quick, visceral moment, but the real game is competing in a season or going head-to-head with someone over a network – by far the most adrenaline-pumping way to play."[7]

According to Pete Hines, Director of Marketing and Public Relations at Bethesda, the game is the best-selling drag racing game of all time.[23]

## References

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1. ^ McNamara, Marie (September 7, 1998). "Managing to be creative in the business of fun". Business Examiner. Archived from the original on June 8, 2019. Retrieved July 20, 2020.
2. ^ "Burnout: Championship Drag Racing". GameZone. Archived from the original on October 3, 2000. Retrieved April 4, 2022.
3. ^ Jebens, Harley (March 6, 1998). "Feeling Burned Out? That's the Idea". GameSpot. Fandom. Archived from the original on October 6, 2000. Retrieved September 5, 2023.
4. ^ Gentry, Perry (March 13, 1998). "What's in Stores This Week". Gamecenter. CNET. Archived from the original on August 17, 2000. Retrieved December 6, 2019.
5. ^ "News for March 20, 1998". Online Gaming Review. March 20, 1998. Archived from the original on December 4, 2000. Retrieved December 6, 2019. "March 20, 1998: Bethesda announced that Burnout, their drag racing simulation, has shipped and should be hitting stores in the next few days."
6. ^ Bassave, Roy (June 12, 1998). "Burnout: Championship Drag Racing". Corvallis Gazette-Times. Lee Enterprises. p. 44. Retrieved September 5, 2023 - via Newspapers.com.
7. ^ a b c "Burnout Championship Drag Racing". Next Generation. No. 43\. Imagine Media. July 1998. p. 115. Retrieved October 17, 2020.
8. ^ Goble, Gordon (October 7, 1997). "Bethesda's Hot Rodding Burnout". Gamecenter. CNET. Archived from the original on January 17, 1999. Retrieved April 3, 2022.
9. ^ a b "A Call to All Speed Demons! Online Racing Begins -BURNOUT Now Available on MPlayer.com". PR Newswire. June 1, 1998. ProQuest 447462096. Retrieved April 15, 2023.
10. ^ a b Jebens, Harley (March 13, 1998). "Burnout Is Hot". GameSpot. Ziff Davis. Archived from the original on October 13, 2000. Retrieved October 29, 2022.
11. ^ Buttars, Shaffer (May 18, 1998). "Burnout Championship Drag Racing Review". Gamezilla!. Archived from the original on February 8, 2002. Retrieved April 26, 2020.
12. ^ GameSpot staff (October 2, 1997). "Crash and Burn Courtesy of Bethesda". GameSpot. Fandom. Archived from the original on April 17, 1999. Retrieved September 5, 2023.
13. ^ "Burnout Lays Tracks Onto Mplayer.com!". MPlayer.com. June 3, 1998. Archived from the original on July 3, 1998. Retrieved April 15, 2023.
14. ^ a b "Burnout: Championship Drag Racing for PC". GameRankings. CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on April 29, 2019. Retrieved October 17, 2020.
15. ^ Goble, Gordon (April 30, 1998). "Burnout: Championship Drag Racing". Gamecenter. CNET. Archived from the original on August 16, 2000. Retrieved September 6, 2023.
16. ^ Goble, Gordon (February 1999). "Choice Drag (Burnout Championship Drag Racing Player's Choice Edition Review)" (PDF). Computer Gaming World. No. 175\. Ziff Davis. p. 224\. Archived (PDF) from the original on December 25, 2022. Retrieved September 5, 2023.
17. ^ Anderson, Tom (May 1998). "Burnout: Championship Drag Racing Review". GameRevolution. CraveOnline. Archived from the original on June 13, 1998. Retrieved October 18, 2020.
18. ^ a b Poole, Stephen (April 28, 1998). "Burnout: Championship Drag Racing Review". GameSpot. Fandom. Archived from the original on October 18, 2020. Retrieved September 5, 2023.
19. ^ Vaughn, Todd (June 1998). "Burnout". PC Gamer. Vol. 5, no. 6\. Imagine Media. Archived from the original on March 11, 2000. Retrieved October 17, 2020.
20. ^ Green, Roger (August 1998). "Burnout Championship Drag Racing". PC Zone. No. 66\. Dennis Publishing. p. 121. Retrieved October 18, 2020.
21. ^ Bottorff, James (1998). "'Burnout' for die-hard fans only". The Cincinnati Enquirer. Gannett Company. Archived from the original on October 13, 1999. Retrieved October 17, 2020.
22. ^ Bassave, Roy (June 21, 1998). "No foot-dragging in this race". New York Daily News. Daily News Enterprises. p. 50. Retrieved September 5, 2023 - via Newspapers.com.
23. ^ Crowe, Greg (December 14, 2000). "Still Out There..." Game Industry News. Noble Order Press Enterprises Inc. Archived from the original on May 9, 2006. Retrieved September 5, 2023.

## External links

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* Official website (archived)
* Burnout: Championship Drag Racing at MobyGames
* Burnout: Championship Drag Racing - Player's Choice Edition at MobyGames