Ready Up

Your letters: Achieving a Burnout

It’s been a couple of weeks since I first officially threw open the Ready Up mailbag to all comers, at [email protected]. Since then we’ve had a fair number of letters from readers and now it’s time to share some of them with you. The first letter is from Denis, who has clearly been doing his homework on this site, as he sent in a short letter that combines two of Ready Up’s most favourite things – Burnout Paradise and Xbox 360 Achievements:

Before going Gold, I never had any interest in Gamerscore. I played games to play games, not to earn Achievements. Sure, if I realised a particular Achievement was easy to get, or close to completion, I might take actions towards the requirements, but I never went back to play a game just for the Achievements. I never considered the possibility of the 1,000G mark, as many of the games I enjoyed had online only Achievements, a set that Silver members are generally locked out of. Earning the 1,000G in Burnout was incredibly satisfying, though. I managed it all by just playing and enjoying the game. I never went out of my way to earn any, and I never sacrificed my enjoyment of the game in order to gain Achievements. I am glad that this was the game I earned my first 1,000G in. It was always fun, never a chore, and I’ll remember it fondly, even when they eventually replace it with a sequel.

Fair play to you, Denis. That’s my way of thinking, fun first, and points second (I say that, despite having taken my gamertag on a memory unit to the Ready Up meet just to whore points from Guitar Hero and Rock Band, but hey, no-one’s perfect). We’re also quietly impressed – after all, our team of intrepid Ready Up World Record Holders played the game non-stop for 24 hours and the largest number of points anyone accrued was 165!

Our second letter today also concerns Burnout Paradise. I have to admit to being surprised how much interest there still is in such an old game, but heck, we’re still playing it regularly so why shouldn’t you? Peter wrote to us about the perils of becoming a bit too obsessed with a game when you’ve got a job to do:

Summer was in, and so was a new brief to design a flyer for a club night in Cambridge. I played way too much Burnout Paradise one evening, and then started the design.  Got a little punch-drunk with the new game and only realised how the flyer had come out when a mate in the studio asked  “So, you’re enjoying the new Burnout then?”
We've withheld Pete's surname from this letter so as to prevent an army of Criterion's lawyers kicking down his door...
We've withheld Peter's surname from this letter so as to prevent an army of Criterion's lawyers kicking down his door…

Excellent work, Peter. Truly inspired… by Burnout.

Our last letter today is an incredibly short one, but it covers an idea that we’ve already had. Rob wrote in to ask:

How about a podcast? You guys have such a diverse set of writers, with such unique opinions, that a Ready-Up podcast would definitely be something that I would listen to.

As I said, we’ve already had this idea, and as Rob says, with such a diverse set of people with such a diverse set of opinions, it could be very interesting. Or very, very violent, depending on the day, and which way the wind is blowing. Seriously though, I asked Kirsten (Ready Up’s Editor and holder of world records and lovely hair) and she said: “Ready Up never does things by half. When we do start our podcast it’ll be completely awesome and that takes time. Don’t worry, it’s on the list!”

So there we have it, when we get to it, you’ll love it.

Thanks to everyone that wrote in, and sorry to anyone whose letter didn’t get used this time around. Please send any thoughts or musings to [email protected], and maybe next time your muse-like words of wisdom will appear here.

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8 responses to “Your letters: Achieving a Burnout”

  1. John.B avatar
    John.B

    “As I said, we’ve already had this idea, and as Rob says, with such a diverse set of people with such a diverse set of opinions, it could be very interesting. Or very, very violent, depending on the day, and which way the wind is blowing.”

    Perhaps slightly more slanted to the very very violent. I think a fist fight recorded as a podcast would be a first though.

  2. Burnout Paradise Lawyer avatar
    Burnout Paradise Lawyer

    Can I have Peter’s surname, please?

  3. The Rook avatar
    The Rook

    I put mine in the Sticky thread, does that count or does it need to be sent to the e-mail.
    I kept on topic and everything so Kirsten wouldn’t shout at me. :p

  4. Peter avatar
    Peter

    Thanks for publishing my letter… All artwork is either original or and any stock imagary used in the creation of the flyer has been bought and paid for at the relevant stock library. So enough of the bogus comments from bogus solicitors… Glad you all like the flyer!

  5. MarkuzR avatar
    MarkuzR

    I’m guessing “Burnout Paradise Lawyer” was just someone having a laugh to carry on Tony’s mention of Criterion lawyers, and I for one thought it was pretty funny 🙂

  6. Kirsten avatar
    Kirsten

    If anyone would like a letter published they should email their question to the listed address.

  7. Denis avatar
    Denis

    Woo-hoo! Hey. Thanks for publishing my letter. Glad you guys liked it. I found the website when you guys were doing the 24 Hours in Paradise for the World Record, and have been a reader ever since. Thanks again.

  8. MrCuddleswick avatar
    MrCuddleswick

    A good mail bag! I keep picturing Tony as Andi Peters on Live and Kicking with the mail bag and pictures kids would send in.

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