EA and Criterion announce Black Paradise for PS3/360 Update

Update: If it was not already a bit obvious, we may as well confirm this was our little April Fools joke.

EA and Criterion Games have announced today they will be re-imagining the 2006 classic Black on PS3 and Xbox 360. The game will be set in a sandbox environment (GTA, Far Cry 2 style), and will boast new multi-level destruction technology to let gamers shape the world any way they want, with “an unprecedented level of structural deformation” available.

“We are delighted to go back to Black,” said John Riccitiello, CEO of EA. “Criterion have already put two years of hard graft into the game, and it is shaping up fantastically. With Black Paradise boasting exciting new gameplay, and cutting edge technology, we are ready show our new vision of what an FPS should be in today’s market”

Black Paradise will feature a wide range of guns based on real world weaponry, including RPGs and grenade launchers, great emphasis is apparently placed on their performance and detail. Furthermore, Criterion’s new multi-level destruction technology, which is set to debut in the game, will showcase realistic destruction – letting players chip away at buildings with their various weapons, and possibly topple them if they have enough armaments available.

“We have been working towards Black Paradise for quite some time. Next generation consoles have opened up a raft of new gameplay opportunities and the Criterion team has leapt at the chance to innovate and raise the bar to an all-new high,” commented Pharrell Jools, the game’s executive producer.

He added: “There are going to be some big surprises and a lot of new features but the core of the game is still pure Black. On-line capabilities will play a huge part in title, which will see Black Paradise smash FPS conventions, turning the genre on it’s head”

Black Paradise is set for release in early 2010… maybe.