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BioWare cuts around 50 jobs to become a 'more agile and focused studio'
Mass Effect and Dragon Age studio BioWare is eliminating approximately 50 positions as parent Electronic Arts attempts to turn it into a "more agile and focused studio." The reorganization was “unavoidable,” according to BioWare general manager George McKay, as it was carried out to meet the studio's evolving needs.
A Dragon Age animated series is coming to Netflix in December
Netflix has previewed a 'Dragon Age' animated series coming to the service this December.
BioWare's quality assurance testers form the first video game labor union in Canada
They're currently working on 'Dragon Age: Dreadwolf.'
The next Dragon Age game is called 'Dreadwolf'
BioWare has revealed that its next Dragon Age game is named 'Dreadwolf,' and has offered an early peek at the story.
EA's upcoming Dragon Age game won't feature multiplayer after all
The next Dragon Age game will no longer have any multiplayer components as originally planned.
A bunch of EA classics are on sale at Amazon
Amazon's huge EA games sale includes classic PC titles and new games, some for as low as $2.
BioWare teases the next 'Dragon Age' in a new trailer
As promised, BioWare shared a new teaser for its next Dragon Age game during The Game Awards.
BioWare's GM Casey Hudson and 'Dragon Age' producer are leaving the studio
Casey Hudson and Mark Darrah say they're retiring.
Watch the best trailers from Gamescom 2020's opening night in 15 minutes
Gamescom 2020's opening night brought trailers for new games coming to Xbox Series X and PS5 in the future -- watch them all right here.
BioWare book will chronicle 25 years of games
Did you practically grow up with BioWare games? If so, there will soon be a book to help you reminisce. The studio is preparing BioWare: Stories and Secrets from 25 Years of Game Development, a retrospective book that will discuss "key moments" in the company's history while showing previously unseen artwork and photos. You can also expect tidbits regarding "secret, cancelled" game projects. This might shed light on how Mass Effect characters came to be, or help you wax nostalgic about playing the original Baldur's Gate or MDK titles ("good gravy, that's Edmonton!").
Perfect Ten: My mobile MMO experiment, part 2
Last week on Perfect Ten I began an experiment to "taste test" a batch of mobile MMOs to see if there's anything out there that's worth playing in this day and age (apart from the often-recommended Order & Chaos Online and Spacetime Studio's lineup). For the record, I would absolutely love a great mobile online RPG, but it would need to be a game that's tailored to such devices and offers a compelling experience beyond trying to clone a generic MMO. Let me sum up my adventures so far: While I did discover a couple of interesting titles, there was nothing in the first five games that made me want to keep them on my smartphone. Let's hope that this week's group brings out the big guns because I will be despondent if this experiment is in vain!
Dragon Age: Inquisition Easter egg is The Lord of the Pies
A Dragon Age: Inquisition Easter egg that a BioWare artist is dubbing "The Lord of the Pies" surfaced this week, and occurs when players manage to fall through the floor of the Skyhold area of the game. Shown in a video courtesy of YouTube user LeeCsM after the break, the secret, cavernous room with creepy music discovered under Skyhold houses what LeeCsM calls a "Nug with a top hat." BioWare designers jumped into YouTube's comments to confirm that the Easter egg was placed in the game intentionally, with artist Graham Kelly noting that he "hid it under the level" and that players "weren't meant to fall through it." Kelly added that the hidden figure is "not a bunny either," but rather The Lord of the Pies. "I may or may not have hidden some of his smaller flock around the rest of Skyhold," he wrote. While we didn't find any pie, we enjoyed our time with Dragon Age: Inquisition in our review. [Image: EA, LeeCsM (YouTube)]
Holy crap, your wallet is screwed today
November 18 is the new October 7. Last month's $300 day tamed before it began, as the launch of Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor moved up a few days while Dragon Age: Inquisition was delayed to the industry's new busy day, today. It's okay, friends, we're here to guide you through today's retail chaos. Dragon Age: Inquisition reached Xbox One, PS4, PS3, Xbox 360 and PC today, and was received well in our five-star review of the game. Joystiq Streams took Dragon Age for a spin earlier this week, so those that want a taste of the game's first hour should watch the archived video. Meanwhile, Ubisoft dished Far Cry 4 out to current-gen, last-gen and PC players, a game deemed the "undisputed king" of open-world shooters that offers a "staggering number of adventures."
PSA: Dragon Age story bridge The Last Court now in session
The Last Court, a text adventure bridging the narrative gap between Dragon Age 2 and the upcoming Dragon Age: Inquisition, is now available to experience for free via your web browser. If you're ready to play the role of marquis, ruling over the small state of Serault, simply head over to the Dragon Age Keep and log in with your EA Origin account. In case you missed our previous post regarding The Last Court, the game charges you with overseeing a small fiefdom located in the country of Orlais. Major characters from the Dragon Age games will appear, and it's up to you to decide how to handle your populace and its problems. The BioWare Blog post announcing The Last Court's release states that each playthrough of the game takes an average of seven days to complete. Better hurry then, as Dragon Age: Inquisition is due for arrival just 10 days from now, on November 18. [Image: EA]
Text adventure The Last Court ties Dragon Age 2, Inquisition
Failbetter Games, the studio behind Sunless Sea and a virtual cornucopia of text adventure games, has partnered with BioWare to create The Last Court: a text-based game that promotes you to ruler of Serault, a small township located within the nation of Orlais. As the marquis, you'll need to manage threats both physical and fiscal, forging alliances and interacting with major characters from Dragon Age: Origins and Dragon Age 2. Players will be able to choose the Huntress or Scholar archetype for their character, giving themselves a boost to physical or mental stats, respectively. If you're not too keen on playing the medieval fantasy version of Parks and Recreation, here's some added incentive: The Last Court will connect the events of Dragon Age 2 to the forming of The Inquisition, the driving force behind Dragon Age: Inquisition. Failbetter did not announce precisely when The Last Court would go live, but when it does, you'll be able to access it via the Dragon Age Keep - a website where you can sync and customize your personal saga through BioWare's universe. A first-look video is available after the break.
Dragon Age: Inquisition multiplayer builds on Mass Effect 3 legacy
I remember when BioWare and EA announced that Mass Effect 3 would feature a multiplayer mode. Multiplayer? In a Mass Effect game? It was blasphemy! It was sacrilege! It was ... pretty fun, actually. The squad-based third-person shooter/RPG formula used throughout the previous games in the series was tweaked just enough that facing down increasingly-difficult waves of enemies became an addictive weekly event for me. And I know I'm not the only one. Like its sci-fi predecessor, Dragon Age: Inquisition is the third game in a traditionally single-player series and, like its predecessor, it will feature a four-player co-op mode. BioWare is no doubt hoping to once again draw players into an addictive spiral of late nights and weapon pack unlocking, and based on my experience at PAX Prime this year, they stand a good chance of succeeding.
Video preview: Nobody expects the Dragon Age: Inquisition
EA and BioWare's Dragon Age: Inquisition would like to go big and go home when it launches this November - which is to say it's getting ready to show off environments much larger than those seen in previous Dragon Age games, and it would very much like for you to buy it and take it home. The shelves of a store are so cold and lonely, you see. In this Joystiq video preview, Editor-in-Chief Ludwig Kietzmann and Community Manager Anthony John Agnello explore the continent of Thedas in search of dragons and adventure, and find instead a game that teaches them the value of trying something new. Also, jumping. Dragon Age: Inquisition begins its hunt November 18 on Xbox 360, Xbox One, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4 and PC.
Dragon Age: Inquisition gains a die-hard bard with Leliana
Leliana, the Orlesian bard-turned-assassin who made her debut in Dragon Age: Origins, will return to face down the series' flying, fire-breathing reptiles in Dragon Age: Inquisition. It's not clear whether Leliana will join the player-controlled Inquisitor as a party member, but the game's profile of her seems to suggest that the cheery woman players met in 2009 has undergone a change in personality. Along with pictures showing her clad in hooded garments and a solemn stare, the official description tells the story of a woman not to be crossed: "She has many names. Most know her as 'Sister Nightingale' or 'the Left Hand of the Divine.' To the rare friend, she is Leliana," it reads. "Those who have earned her loyalty know her as a steadfast ally. But enemies of the Divine know to fear her, for she is the shadow behind the Sunburst Throne-the one who watches and waits, who strikes when her mark is most vulnerable and least suspecting." Well, at least you know when to expect her; Dragon Age: Inquisition arrives October 7. [Image: EA]
Mess with DA: Inquisition's Iron Bull, you get Freddie Prinze Jr.
Freddie Prinze Jr. will voice the Qunari mercenary known as Iron Bull in BioWare's upcoming Dragon Age: Inquisition, Game Informer reports. While it may seem strange to hear an actor known for rom-com She's All That and the live-action Scooby-Doo movie behind the lips of a big and burly killing machine, Prinze Jr. says in a behind-the-scenes video that Iron Bull is quite different from the Qunari that Dragon Age players have met so far. "The Iron Bull's an interesting guy. He looks one way and acts another," Prinze Jr. says. "He's not solemn, he's not flat, he's much more emotional than your normal Qunari." Prinze Jr. goes on to compare Iron Bull to a ronin samurai, saying that he fights for no one until he finds a cause he can believe in. Oh, and he enjoys having sex with everyone. "He's the James Bond of Qunari," Prinze Jr. says. Can we assume that means he likes his health elixirs shaken, not stirred? [Image: BioWare]
Dragon Age writer calls romance a 'natural outgrowth' for BioWare
A BioWare fan recently asked David Gaider, lead writer for the Dragon Age series, if the company had considered making a game without romance subplots. Gaider responded that it's been a temptation, but he believes it's something BioWare not only does well, but is also something few other developers tackle. "To me, the thing that BioWare does best is not story but characters," Gaider wrote on his Tumblr. "I think our characters are done to a level that few other games even attempt, with an element of agency that strikes a chord in our players ... and romances have been a natural outgrowth of that. Sure we could stop, but that would be turning our backs on something we do which almost no-one else does." While Gaider's defense of romance in BioWare games is certainly passionate, he noted that it's not outside the realm of possibility that they could be left behind in the future. "Perhaps, if we made a new IP, we might decide it's best not to open that particular Pandora's Box (which, yes, romances have always been) and go with something else ... but that 'something else' better be something damned good, as there are a lot of people who enjoy that part of our games immensely and who might not be willing to buy into a new series which didn't have it." "Some folks might be eager to write those fans off, but I'm not really sure that BioWare feels the same."
