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Mystery Dragon Age project dated Feb. 1, 2011
[1UP] It would appear that the still-unnamed next project in the Dragon Age series has been given a date, as spotted by 1UP in an early retail box of Dragon Age: Origins -- Awakening for PS3. Aligning with the release window hinted at by EA hinted earlier this year during a financial call, the scarcely-detailed game will arrive on Februrary 1, 2011 -- or, in the graphic's terms, "02.01.2011." We're not exactly sure if this is part of the two years of promised content that BioWare outlined late last year, but at very least it's an extremely early (possible) release date for more content in a critically acclaimed series. We've asked EA for more information on the date and will let you know more as soon as we do.
GDC: EA's Schappert touts DLC as most profitable form of digital distribution
EA's chief operating officer John Schappert had a fireside chat with Alex Pham of the Los Angeles Times about "mythbusting" at GDC today. Unfortunately, not many myths were actually busted -- other than the one we heard that everything at GDC is exciting! But Schappert did speak briefly about DLC, talking up the fact that Dragon Age: Origins DLC has made over a million dollars (and that was by November's count!). He went on to explain that digital distribution, in all its forms, earned $575 million dollars for EA last year, and the publisher placed its expectations for this year at $750 million. "The fastest growing area of digital distribution -- and that includes subscriptions and microtransactions -- is downloadable content," Schappert said. "It's the extension of your current game through expansion packs and downloadable content."
Dragon Age 'TidBits' drop stats like a Fluffy punch
Game Informer's latest "TidBits" column features a a glorious list of "inside baseball" stats from Dragon Age: Origins. Some of the numbers are simply cute, while others are positively frightening: "QA analyst Bruce Venne played 1,957.55 hours of Dragon Age PC in 5,352 games." Consequently, "The Bruce" was awarded to staff that played more than Venne in any given month -- the honor was bestowed only once. While the list is mostly packed with numbers, there are some notable non-numerical did-you-knows, like the staff's affectionate nickname for the Ogre, "Fluffy," and, unsurprisingly, the revelation that one of the BioWare crew makes chain mail "from scratch." Check out the full list of Dragon Age tidbits on Game Informer.
Mac games on sale at Direct2Drive until March 11
Wow, Macs as a gaming platform is totally en vogue this week. First, we've got Valve teasing something Apple related. Now, Direct2Drive is holding a sale on all its Mac games ... you know, all five of them. Kidding, there's way more than five. Some big ones in there too, like Dragon Age: Origins, offered at 50 percent off ($33). Other highlights include: Sims 3 – $25 Prince of Persia (the latest one) – $25 Command & Conquer: Red Alert 3 – $15 World of Goo – $10 The sale lasts one week, until March 11, 2010, at 10AM Pacific. Looks like Direct2Drive wants to get one good sales push in before Steam allegedly comes to Mac.
Dragon Age Origins: Awakening trailer introduces The Disciples
You know how in Gremlins 2, the Gremlins all break into a genetics lab, and they eat all of the weird gene goop and it gives them superpowers like bat wings or vegetable bodies? And remember how one of them drinks like a brain hormone and becomes Brain Gremlin and gets played by Tony Randall? That's kind of what's happening to the Darkspawn in the Dragon Age Origins: Awakening expansion, according to this new trailer. Of course, we don't know what kind of brain goop they ate -- and they definitely don't sound like Tony Randall -- but they're all called The Disciples and are all smart and talkative now. And evil. As you can see in the various screenshots below, they've got a face only a Gremlin could love. And honestly, while you might play the expansion on March 16 "thinking you know of our kind, human," you're wrong. All they're looking for are things like the Geneva Convention, chamber music, Susan Sontag. That's right: They just want to be civilized. %Gallery-87408%
Pre-order Dragon Age expansion on PC, get Origins 40% off
If you're anything like us, you simply weren't impressed enough by the already overabundant amount of content available in Dragon Age: Origins. No sir! You wanted -- nay! -- demanded more content. Luckily for you, you immovable demander, EA is offering a deal in its online store for the first Dragon Age expansion where pre-orders of the new content can snag the original game on PC for 40 percent off its normal $50 asking price (now just under $30). That means you could get both Awakening and the game it's based on for a combined $70 -- just $10 more than the Game of the Year edition that's sure to come out in a year's time! It's like an early reward for being hesitant ... almost like you paused the action and arranged the tactics ahead of time. Is there something we should know? Hmmm? %Gallery-81512%
Dragon Age's Return to Ostagar DLC finally coming to PSN in two weeks
We wouldn't blame PS3 owners for losing interest in the Return to Ostagar DLC for Dragon Age: Origins -- after all, once a game expansion is delayed, delayed again, put on the 360 marketplace, pulled from the 360 marketplace, and then only re-added to the 360 marketplace but not the PlayStation Store, a person's hopes of ever seeing that DLC tend to vanish. However, a BioWare community manager has confirmed that Ostagar will finally be added to the PlayStation Store on March 11 for $4.99. That should give you exactly one week to poopsock your way through the bite-sized addition before Dragon Age: Awakening gets released. Then again, those two might present more role-playing than your brain can handle. We suggest consulting your family physician before attempting such a marathon.
Dragon Age comic delayed until April [update: It's still on for March]
Update: It seems there's been a mix up somewhere between BioWare and IDW, as a recent tweet from BioWare's account claims that the Dragon Age comic is still scheduled to release in March. It looks like Dragon Age fans hoping to delve further into its fantasy realm will have to wait a little bit longer. IDW Publishing editor-in-chief Chris Rydall tells Big Download that the planned March release of its Dragon Age comic has been pushed to April. Furthermore, the second issue will release in June. The comic was announced last year, and is slated to feature a story written by Orson Scott Card. The plot itself focuses around a band of rogue mages that "will defy the rules of the Templars and change the course of the world forever."
Dragon Age Awakening videos: meet Sigrun, ogle B-roll
BioWare recently released a handful of videos promoting the upcoming expansion to its humongous RPG Dragon Age: Origins – Awakening. In the first, posted above, we meet dwarven legionnaire Sigrun, tasked with returning to the old fortress of Kal'hirol. There's talking Darkspawn, those merry band of adventurers known as the "Legion of the Dead," and even a cameo from our old friend Oghren. The additional two videos (which come to us via IGN) are simply B-roll, but that means gameplay footage. You'll get a look at some of the new characters in action and even some vistas of the new environments. We get it, it's not much, but you've got less than a month until this old-school expansion pack (remember those?) slays its way to retailers.
Kal'hirol: Explore this mysterious dwarven fortress in Dragon Age: Awakening
click to awaken the gallery BioWare revealed one of the new venues being added for the Dragon Age: Origins expansion Awakening. Kal'hirol was once a dwarven keep, a center of learning and culture for dwarf society. At some point, however, the dwarves were driven out. BioWare won't say what horror resulted in "the fortress's elite one day [showing] up at Orzammar's great doors, exhausted and in despair over the loss of their home," but we have a theory: a Subway opened up next door, and the dwarves couldn't stand its constant weird baking-bread smell. Either that or some kind of monsters. You can scour our new gallery for any evidence of $5 footlongs. %Gallery-85814%
BioWare server maintenance makes Dragon Age unplayable for some [update]
We've been big supporters of BioWare and EA's approach to churning out lots of DLC for its new releases, but it seems to have hit a serious snag this morning. Due apparently to some scheduled downtime for BioWare's social site, players have been unable to download DLC from Mass Effect 2's Cerberus Network (unfortunate, but understandable) and some have been completely unable to play Dragon Age: Origins -- kind of a big issue for a single-player game. Near as we can figure with our limited staff testing, the Dragon Age issue might involve whether or not you chose to submit your feedback and character profile data to Bioware.com. We'll keep up with the situation and let you know when it's resolved. The server maintenance was scheduled to end at 9 a.m. EST, so here's hoping it'll pass soon. [Update: Judging by those same forum threads, things seem to be up and running now.] [Thanks, requiemvalorum]
Dragon Age: Origins Awakening on PS3 download-only in Europe
We usually think we're too smart for FAQs, preferring the sort of random, only moderately relevant questions that no one ever asks. But the FAQ for Dragon Age: Origins Awakening does provide some pretty useful insight. For instance, we learned that the expansion won't appear on disc for PS3 owners living in Europe. It seems like an odd decision to make, but perhaps you European PS3 fans can enlighten us. Do you guys just hate discs without us knowing it? If so, why did you let us keep buying you all those discs for Christmas without saying anything? [Update: We just heard back from an EA spokesperson, who told us "Apparently this is a Sony Europe rule – you cannot have expansion packs be available on PSN and at retail. You can in North America, which is why we have both here." Huh, who knew?] Less perplexingly, we saw that lovably grouchy dwarf Oghren plays a "large role" in the expansion, which is great news for all thinking people.
Velanna joins the growing Dragon Age Awakening cast
The second character from the upcoming Dragon Age expansion Awakening to be introduced is Velanna, whose main characteristic is that she hates humans a bunch. Also, much like Awakening's other new character Anders, she keeps her arms out at all times. The Dalish elf is "nature's hand, an instrument of vengeance, and she will never submit" in her unending fight to avenge the treatment of the Dalish at the hands of humans. Which means your relationship with her probably isn't going to be too chummy if you're playing a human character. And by "not too chummy" we mean "she will murder you with a tree."
Riccitiello talks 'Project Ten Dollar' and digital distribution
Crack open a fresh copy of Mass Effect 2, The Saboteur or Dragon Age: Origins and you'll see it: A code to download some piece of game content that those suckers buying used will have to pay for. It's not just coincidence that EA is shipping so many games with these bonuses/punitive measures (depending on your perspective). It's what CEO John Riccitiello calls "Project Ten Dollar," a bid to take back a portion of revenue from the estimated $2 billion in annual used game sales. That and the rest of Riccitiello's strategy to to make EA more reliant on digital content is detailed in a new BusinessWeek report. All we know is, with a 25 percent decline in revenue for Q3, the company needs to find some way to fill the gaps sooner rather than later. Though Riccitiello seems convinced the digital strategy will patch the hole, some remain unconvinced. Former EA consultant Eric Goldberg told BusinessWeek, "While it's possible EA can make the extremely difficult transition from providing a shiny disc in boxes to [leading] in digital, history suggests it's rather unlikely."
New Dragon Age in early 2011 on consoles, handhelds & PC
If you're pacing out your Dragon Age playing to ensure that you have a steady drip of elfin lovemaking and epic dragon fighting, here's a bit of new info to consider for your tactics: EA is planning to launch a new Dragon Age title in Q4 of its fiscal 2011, which, in real-world time, falls between January 1 and March 31, 2011. The sequel is far from a surprise, given that EA has also announced that global sell-in (read: shipments) of Dragon Age: Origins has reached 3.2 million units. Intriguingly, EA currently lists "Dragon Age Title TBA" (that's what it's called at the moment) for consoles, PC and handhelds -- which could mean either handheld game devices (think: DS and/or PSP), cell phones or both. Whatever platforms it appears on, expect the game to be super hot. Assuming, of course, this is the real sequel to Dragon Age: Origins and not a spin-off.
Dragon Age Awakening: now with creepy Children!
Felt like your copy of Dragon Age: Origins was missing something, eh? Say, maybe, slugs with demonically mutated children's faces? Perfect -- we've got just the trailer for you today, care of upcoming DA:O expansion Awakening, full of creepy-crawly things called "The Children." There's not much in the way of an explanation of exactly what or why they are, but there are some pretty awful birth pods full of (presumably) amniotic fluid -- well, y'know, evil amniotic fluid (they're bad guys, after all). Hopefully the Children aren't working in concert with that terrifying blue dragon we saw last week. Man, that'd be just the worst! Get fully creeped out by the trailer after the break. %Gallery-81512%
Meet Anders, your new party member in Dragon Age 'Awakening' expansion
In the run-up to the expansion's March 16 date with store shelves, BioWare has begun to make formal introductions of the new characters who'll be joining your Dragon Age: Origins - Awakening quest. First up: Anders, a Chantry mage and ... "born troublemaker." In fact, BioWare makes him sound more like Han Solo than a robed magic user, what with his lust for "freedom, a good meal and a pretty girl on his arm." We'd like to point out that there is not a single screenshot in the gallery below in which Anders doesn't have his arms raised to some degree. %Gallery-84521%
Dragon Age: Origins 'Awakening' expansion has a giant blue dragon
Alright, alright, you kind of already knew about the giant blue dragon in the upcoming Dragon Age: Origins 'Awakening' expansion pack, but you hadn't seen her (yes, her) in all her rage-filled majesty, scaring the crap out of those venturing into Blackmarsh. Between her and Skeletor, we're getting pretty psyched for March's DA:O content infusion. Sure, there's that other BioWare RPG that we're obsessively playing for now, but how long will that last before we feel the urge to venture back into the fantasy realm? We're guessing about two months. And hey, if nothing else, it'll give us something to talk about at PAX East during the Joystiq / Blueberry Muffintops Breakfast. %Gallery-81512%
BioWare says Dragon Age 2 to look 'super hot'
Dragon Age: Origins presents strong evidence that great games can overcome gawd-awful graphics, but BioWare isn't about to test that theory -- and the limits of our forgiveness -- again in the sequel. "I think one of the key things we're working on in Dragon Age 2 is the technology," BioWare VP Greg Zeschuk recently told Joystiq. "I can confirm that we're doing a lot of work on the Dragon Age engine, and doing a lot of stuff to pump it -- to make it visually super hot." Now, to clarify, frisky rogue foursomes and lesbian alien sex are measured on different "super hot" scales, as Zeschuk conceded, "Dragon Age is, in the structural sense, a fundamentally different game than Mass Effect ... You have to make different technical considerations." Certainly, with Dragon Age: Origins, those considerations were designed to benefit the superior PC version. Still, there's hope for a console sequel makeover, since, in Zeschuk's words, the process of iteration allows a developer to "get to a much higher level." "I think the overall visual style we're going to continue to evolve in Dragon Age," Zeschuk added. "People are going to see some cool ... I can't really say too much, but I think Dragon Age as a world is interesting. It's a timeline, and you can go anywhere." Go anywhere, huh? So, like the future Ferelden, where a race of sexy blue aliens has been possessed by horny desire demons? Super hot.
Dragon Age's Return to Ostagar back on Xbox Live [update]
As evidenced by the image above and this link, Dragon Age: Origins' once-released and subsequently pulled DLC offering, Return to Ostagar has, uh, returned to Xbox Live! No, seriously, we're not lying -- we understand your skepticism, but, we assure you, it's there. As for the PC and PS3, well, it's still not available on those platforms at the time of writing this post. BioWare says it'll be on those platforms "soon." The 400 campaign add-on takes you to Ostagar, the site of a vicious battle with the Darkspawn. One captive has managed to escape and seeks the Grey Wardens' aid to ... wait for it ... Return to Ostagar. Epic! Update: The PC version of Return to Ostagar has also been released (400 BioWare Points / $5). The PS3 version is still "coming soon," as of today, January 29. %Gallery-81143% Shortcut: Add Return to Ostagar to your Xbox Live queue [Xbox.com]
