Expansion Pack
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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%
Perfect World International product manager discusses expansion
Perfect World International revealed information on their expansion Rising Tide last month, and fans who were anxious to play it finally got their wish. Rising Tide is now live, and product manager Jon Belliss found some time to sit down with WarCry and discuss it a bit. The interview gave a nice rundown of the new race (The Tideborn) and two new classes (Psychic and Assassin) in the expansion. This fourth race has been in the works for a while, so the Perfect World International development team is excited to see their hard work go live. The new race and classes are only the beginning, however. Rising Tide features three new explorable zones, over 200 new quests (including some for married characters), over 100 new monsters, new gear, and quite a bit more. The full interview can be found over at WarCry, and more information on the expansion is available on the official site.
BioWare: Mass Effect 2 DLC could include 'full expansion packs'
In a recent interview with CVG, BioWare producer Adrien Cho assured that the plan isn't to jettison Mass Effect 2 into the deep, dark retail space without some form of continued support. According to Cho, some of the core development team has already moved on to creating DLC for the game, which could range from new items, including weapons and armor, to side quests that might even build "up to full expansion packs." Cho added that the team has more flexibility to create DLC for the sequel than it did for the first game, explaining that add-on content "was always on our radar from day one." It sounds like BioWare has big plans for Mass Effect 2 DLC. That is, it sounds like the plans are a bit more sophisticated than the original Mass Effect's DLC strategy: "release completely broken, partially inaccessible DLC without telling anybody about its existence."
Bungie explains 'series of stumbles' in ODST marketing
From the initial talk of a lower price to a renaming, Bungie's ever-changing plans for Halo 3: ODST left a lot of people confused as to what the final product would be. "I'm no PR expert, but it's pretty obvious the game had a series of stumbles; from the naming, to the initial E3 2008 countdown reveal failure, and finally pricing ... it would definitely be nice to have a do-over for the game introduction," senior designer Lars Bakken told G4TV in a recent interview. "The big takeaway for us is just to never comment on matters that are outside of our control," added community manager Brian Jarrard. The subject of ODST becoming an "expansion pack," however, was never an arguable point to executive producer Curtis Creamer. "Though ODST was built from the Halo 3 engine, there were enough changes made to the engine that we could not have released it as an expansion in the way that you might equate with a PC game expansion pack ... the ODST executable is not compatible with Halo 3." The crew of Bungie devs also reconfirmed that "there are currently no plans for any ODST DLC," with all of the studio's resources tied up with Halo: Reach. Hopefully, our thirst for more Firefight maps will be quenched by the inclusion of the mode in future Halo games -- a prospect to which the developers responded, "Only time will tell." Do it for us, Bungie! Please? %Gallery-72961%
Two years of Dragon Age DLC planned; expansion packs considered
BioWare is planning DLC for Dragon Age Origins to stretch out over the next two years. TheGameReviews spoke with executive producer Mark Darrah, who said the DLC will include small things like "item packs," as well as "larger quests that might last an hour or two, up to even fully fledged expansion packs."Darrah expects that the DLC will make it onto all platforms, except for the mods toolset, which will likely be PC-only. We'll maintain cautious optimism about Dragon Age DLC until BioWare brings the goods to market. The developer is lucky that Mass Effect took place in space, because the lack of DLC (support and testing) certainly made us want to scream.
Turbine announces the release date of The Siege of Mirkwood expansion
The next Lord of the RIngs Online expansion, the Siege of Mirkwood, has been dated by Turbine! The downloadable expansion pack will go live on the servers on December 1st of this year, and Turbine is offering up some very nice pre-order packages for those interested in getting back into Middle-Earth. We also have some really awesome hi-res screenshots of the new expansion for you in our gallery below!First of all, the lifetime subscription has returned to the 200 dollar price tag once more, making it very lucrative to grab a lifetime subscription if you don't have one already. Everyone, hooray for the nicely priced lifetime subscription.Also, any current or former player who changes their subscription over to a multi-month package (three, six, or 12 months) will get the Siege of Mirkwood for absolutely free. Yes, that's right, you heard us, free. The multi-month package deal, however, does not include the lifetime subscription. Sorry.%Gallery-74262%
Massively tours Final Fantasy XI's latest version update
Not too long ago, we were taken on a tour of moogles and mayhem by the developers over at Square-Enix as we got an inside look into Final Fantasy XI's July version update. There's a lot of meat to this update as it includes everything from Ninja job changes, new blue mage spells, more item augmentations, campaign quests, expansions to Moblin Maze Mongers, and their newest mini-expansion pack, "A Moogle Kupo d'Etat!"Our hands-on is set to cover all of these new additions, so let's waste no more time here on the front page. On to moogles and more!
More moogles than you can shake a chocobo at in the upcoming Final Fantasy add-on
Moogles. A rich, noble race that's been around for ages. Sure, their contributions to society are overlooked -- such as their dedication to keeping your house clean, changing your jobs, and acting like a save point in oh so many Final Fantasy worlds. But that doesn't mean that this race has many more things to share with society.Things like haunted mog houses, engagement rings, and... um... mogfia bosses? What's going on here?It's a Moogle Kupo d'Etat, the next add-on expansion pack for Final Fantasy XI! Just like the first pack, A Crystalline Prophecy, this expansion will once again provide a short storyline and an augmentable item at the end, all for the low price of 10 bucks.This time around, it's the headpiece for the sets! The Champion's Galea, Anwig Salade, and Selenian Cap are all up for grabs once the mini-expansion is completed.The add-on pack will be available for pre-order on July 5th, and will most likely roll out with the next version update later in July. Check out our gallery of some of the scenes from the upcoming pack, as well as our look at the new items!%Gallery-67047%
The Maelstrom: Lore behind the possible next WoW expansion
Many of you have likely heard the theory floating around that the Emerald Dream might be the next expansion pack, but you may not have heard about the other popular theory: The Maelstrom. How would you feel about an expansion where the naga are the villains, the murlocs do their bidding, a powerful queen emerges, and dormant gods awaken? We've braved alien lands and the cold, harsh climate of Northrend, so how would you fancy going out to sea, discovering new islands and diving down to sunken cities?I have to admit, my first reaction to the concept was an inner groan of disappointment, but when I read into it further over at Lorecrafted, I became intrigued. After all, who hasn't dreamed of drifting off to explore the Great Sea? I've wanted to see a sunken city ever since my first character, a female Troll Shaman, discovered that she had no home city. Deep down, she was sure that there simply had to be some lost troll city, perhaps beneath the sea, or at the very least, a place to rebuild, reconnect and start anew. What do you think, folks? If this were to be our next adventure, do you think you could get excited, or are you itching for the Emerald Dream or something else entirely?
Guessing at early sales numbers for Wrath
Unfortunately, as of this writing, Blizzard hasn't yet released actual numbers for Wrath sales last week (we were expecting around two million, but we'll see what they say eventually). But that won't stop us from guessing -- the list of top ten games sold last week in the UK is out, and Wrath... is number two.That's right -- Activision's own Call of Duty: World at War beat out Wrath for the number one spot, but before you start worrying whether WoW has lost its charm, don't: not only was Wrath an expansion pack (expansion packs obviously don't sell as well as standalone games, sequels or otherwise), but the Call of Duty game has already outsold its prequel, the extremely successful Call of Duty 4, by a 2:1 ratio. Unfortunately, we don't have numbers yet, but all indications are that, in the UK alone, Wrath did almost as well as a game that outsold last year's best selling game. That all make sense?If not, hear this: Blizzard made a lot of money last week, and pretty soon we'll hear how much. Even more amazing, Activision Blizzard, who owns Guitar Hero, Call of Duty, and World of Warcraft, accounted for a full 25% of all UK game sales last week. The merger has already paid off.
LotRO expansion Mines of Moria coming Nov. 18
If you've been looking for an excuse to tend to your long-neglected digital pipe-weed garden, you'll have it on Nov. 18 when Lord of the Rings Online expansion The Mines of Moria arrives on shelves or on your hard drive. In addition to the titular mines, the pack also includes two new classes, ten more levels and a swan boat full of new quests.Just how the $39.99 expansion will make its way to your computer is up to you. There's an early digital upgrade and two different retail SKUs, each with their own perks and bonuses, all of which you can read about right here.
Rocketmen: It Came from Uranus - New screens and concept art we hope came from the studio
Yesterday we revealed the, interestingly named, expansion pack Rocketmen: It Came from Uranus for the Xbox Live Arcade shoot-em-up Rocketmen: Axis of Evil.Today we have five screenshots of the game which are ironically safe-for-work. While we didn't get past the demo of the XBLA title, Capcom decided it was popular enough to warrant an expansion pack. The pack will add new weapons and levels to the game and will run gamers 400 MS Points when it releases on May 14.%Gallery-22172%
EverQuest II upcoming expansion details: Set sail for the Rise of Kunark
Since we've now heard that pre-orders are becoming available for the fourth expansion to EverQuest II, expected to be released November 13th, let's take a look at what players will have to look forward to. Rise of Kunark will focus on the continent of Kunark, including its dragon-lizard inhabitants, the Sarnak. Veterans of the first EverQuest game may remember these annoying fellows, introduced during its first expansion, and be keen to relive old memories by relentlessly hunting them down all over again. But this time around, you can expect them to have a little help.The Sarnak will be greatly bolstering their numbers, as for the first time they become a playable race. Sarnaks will have their own new starting city located in the islands of the Timorous Deep, and the surrounding areas will support advancement to around level 20. The Kunark mainland is designed for the upper echelon of levels, and the expansion itself includes an increase of the existing level cap from 70 to 80. Along with the raising of the level cap and new race, other highlights of Rise of Kunark include an increase in the current achievement point limit of 100 to 140, and a new player mount, the Kunarkian Rhinoceros (which for some reason instantly brings to mind Donkey Kong Country and the rampaging Rambi) to traverse the lands upon. There will of course be new dungeons and raid encounters for the high level folks to sink their teeth into, with Veeshan's Peak (making its return from the original EverQuest) for the top raiders. You can read about the expansion or pre-order the game from Sony's Station Store. Those that pre-order will receive a new pet for their house, a Burynai Seeker. If you wanted to give the game a go before the expansion hits, EQ2's main page includes a download link to a 14-day free trial.
Bethesda talks Shivering Isles download and price
Bethesda Vice President of PR Pete Hines sat down with Gamasutra to talk about Oblivion's Shivering Isles expansion. In the Q&A, Hines stated that the the content will only be available through Xbox Live Marketplace. According to Hines, stand-alone expansions can not work with another existing product on the Xbox 360, leaving Marketplace downloads as the only viable option. Despite Bethesda wanting to have a version for the retail market, they were unable to do so because of this. Should implementing expansions via disc become possible after some extensive work on Microsoft's part, Bethesda plans to explore that option for Shivering Isles. As for price point, Bethesda doesn't have anything concrete yet. They are still in talks with Microsoft to find the proper balance between value and profitability. After Shivering Isles releases, Hines said that they are planning one or two more pieces of content for Oblivion, albeit not the size of the forthcoming expansion. So are you going to download Shivering Isles? If so, how much are you willing to pay?[Via Digg]
GRAW Chapter 2 expansion is now 1/2 off
When Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter's expansion pack came out on the XBLM there was a little uproar from the fans. Not due to the luscious content it held, oh no, but because the download cost a whopping 1200 Microsoft Points! But today Ubisoft announced that the Chapter 2 expansion pack has been discounted to a more reasonable 600 Microsoft Points. Go download the expansion pack for the new uber low price and if you already purchased it for 1200 ... that kind of sucks. Maybe Ubisoft will be nice next time and not gouge their loyal fans who ate up the content right away. [Thanks, Derka]
Rise of the Witch-king previewed
GameSpy has posted an extensive preview of The Rise of the Witch-king, the new expansion pack for The Battle for Middle-earth II. Expected to arrive on PCs this holiday season, the RotWK campaign takes place in the years after the One Ring leaves greedy Isildur, and the Lord of the Nazgul rises to power over the kingdom of Arnor (Aragorn's peeps). In addition to the 12-mission evil campaign, the new Angmar faction introduces the spellcasting Thrall Master and Sorcerer units, the latter of which can convert fallen enemies into servants of the Witch-king.An Xbox 360 version of RotWK has not been confirmed, but hopefully EA will save some holiday cheer for Xbox Live Marketplace shoppers.
No official Oblivion expansions planned
Here's an interesting nugget from the Elder Scrolls forums, posted last week. Bethesda employee mburg responded to the most recent thread discussing Oblivion expansion packs: "We have no plans to make an expansion for Oblivion. Should that change, we'll make an announcement on Elder Scrolls.com." The steady stream of downloadable content Bethesda has been providing only adds incremental enhancements to the best selling RPG. However, you can still get lost in Tamriel for months. So do we even need an official expansion, or are mod communities such as The Dark Brotherhood Sanctuary enough to extend the Oblivion experience for years?See also: Oblivion PS3 and PSP rumors resurface Modder makes multiplayer Oblivion
F.E.A.R. expansion announced, TimeGate to develop
Sierra Entertainment has announced that Extraction Point, the first F.E.A.R. expansion, is in the works and will be released for the PC this fall. TimeGate (Axis & Allies, Kohan) is handling the development, including the story concept. However, according to Vivendi (Sierra's parent company), Monolith is working closely with the studio to ensure that the expansion maintains the integrity of the original game.Monolith, now owned by Warner Bros., is working on its own sequel to F.E.A.R. and would do well to steer TimeGate in the right direction, as the expansion will likely tie the first and second games together. Monolith is also working with Vivendi to release the v1.5 patch, which will enhance F.E.A.R.'s multiplayer.Note: whether or not the expansion content will make it into the Xbox 360 port of F.E.A.R. has not been revealed.
Burning Crusade Bestiary
The official Burning Crusade site has been updated with a small bestiary, with promises of more additions in the coming months. Included is some interesting lore and nice concept art for Ethereals, Fleshbeasts, Forest Trolls, and Gronn. It is only a small update, true, but with so little substantial news about the expansion, you take what you can get.
