BioWare Issues Dragon Age Demo Call to Arms

[dancinginfernal]

February 22, looking forward to it.

But if it doesn't hit a million, you get nothing!

Reminded me of this.

 

[Virgil]

You know, it would be statistically easier to meet this arbitrary download goal of theirs if they would oh say... release the demo now, since it's done already.

Although the code for the demo itself might be ready, the infrastructure to handle the demo might not be - in this case, the servers that EA is going to need to have online to handle the creation and login traffic for all these EA accounts, plus the hosting and bandwidth for the demo itself.

For the demos on Xbox Live, PSN, and other services, there's the additional problem of coordinating with the platform owners. They each have their own content release schedules and infrastructure that the demo needs to fit in at.

The demo release might also be being coordinated with some sort of paid advertising push, or a promotion with a retailer, which would also need to be scheduled in advance.

"Release the demo" can be a lot more complicated than it sounds when you're dealing with a top-tier multi-platform title.

 

[Para199x]

I'm not gonna play the demo, because I want to know as little as possible about the game when I start playing it, but I'm still gonna download the demo. My contribution matters!.......or so I am told.

The article says we have to play it while logged in to count. But Idon't wanna play the demo either lol.

True, but chances are you don't really have to play it more than actually launching it while logged in or something.

It shouldn't ruin anything, it's just the prologue part of the actual game, so it's the first thing you'd do when playing the game.

I figured as much, but I don't want to see that either. I know it won't contain major spoilers, but that wasn't my worry either. I haven't checked out any gameplay trailers and whatnot, so anything and everything would be potential spoilers for me.

Understandable, I tried to do that before people started talking to me about it and saying it wasn't spoilers cos it's on the Bioware page, so i've started looking at some stuff. Though I don't see how playing the first level of the game a few weeks early is a spoiler or anything.

Uh, it's a spoiler of the first level....? That's enough for me.

If you insist, but playing the first level isn't a spoiler of it. How will you ever play the game if playing it is a spoiler

 

[Mr. Socky]

I'm not gonna play the demo, because I want to know as little as possible about the game when I start playing it, but I'm still gonna download the demo. My contribution matters!.......or so I am told.

In advance, thank you.

OT: I was going to download this on day 1 anyway, so this really doesn't effect me. Of course, I may start haunting the Bioware forums if not enough people download this, though.

 

[Sunrider]

I'm not gonna play the demo, because I want to know as little as possible about the game when I start playing it, but I'm still gonna download the demo. My contribution matters!.......or so I am told.

The article says we have to play it while logged in to count. But Idon't wanna play the demo either lol.

True, but chances are you don't really have to play it more than actually launching it while logged in or something.

It shouldn't ruin anything, it's just the prologue part of the actual game, so it's the first thing you'd do when playing the game.

I figured as much, but I don't want to see that either. I know it won't contain major spoilers, but that wasn't my worry either. I haven't checked out any gameplay trailers and whatnot, so anything and everything would be potential spoilers for me.

Understandable, I tried to do that before people started talking to me about it and saying it wasn't spoilers cos it's on the Bioware page, so i've started looking at some stuff. Though I don't see how playing the first level of the game a few weeks early is a spoiler or anything.

Uh, it's a spoiler of the first level....? That's enough for me.

If you insist, but playing the first level isn't a spoiler of it. How will you ever play the game if playing it is a spoiler

Sigh, it feels like you are misinterpreting just out of spite. I don't want to spoil anything (INCLUDING the first level) until I play the actual GAME, until it actually MATTERS.
How can this not be clear?
Playing the first level before you get the actual game will spoil the first level for you when you, anyone saying anything else is either on crack or just blatantly ignorant.

 

[Virgil]

Worthless? The stories contained within those books actually sound interesting. I wanna see that demo reach a million downloads in A DAY, people!

To be fair, there's a good chance that there aren't any stories in the books at all, and that the description is just flavor text. They're probably just consumable items that give you bonus money/experience for using them, similar to the books from the first Dragon Age.

I can't imagine they'd have someone write a bunch of poetry for an in-game "book" that they may or may not actually give out.

 

[akibawall95]

Even if it doesn't reach 1 million, they'll still unlock them anyway. You can easily count on it.

Yea, they would look like jerks if they didn't.

How do I log into my EA account on my 360 or PS3?

 

[Natdaprat]

I can bet that even if it doesn't hit 1 million, they'll release the items anyway. It just makes them look better.

 

[DustyDrB]

I'll download it but won't play it. I've already preordered the game and don't want anything spoiled (not even gameplay!).

Spoiled isn't the right word...
I just want my first experience with playing the game to be an actual playthrough.

 

[Natdaprat]

I'm not gonna play the demo, because I want to know as little as possible about the game when I start playing it, but I'm still gonna download the demo. My contribution matters!.......or so I am told.

The article says we have to play it while logged in to count. But Idon't wanna play the demo either lol.

True, but chances are you don't really have to play it more than actually launching it while logged in or something.

It shouldn't ruin anything, it's just the prologue part of the actual game, so it's the first thing you'd do when playing the game.

I figured as much, but I don't want to see that either. I know it won't contain major spoilers, but that wasn't my worry either. I haven't checked out any gameplay trailers and whatnot, so anything and everything would be potential spoilers for me.

Understandable, I tried to do that before people started talking to me about it and saying it wasn't spoilers cos it's on the Bioware page, so i've started looking at some stuff. Though I don't see how playing the first level of the game a few weeks early is a spoiler or anything.

Uh, it's a spoiler of the first level....? That's enough for me.

If you insist, but playing the first level isn't a spoiler of it. How will you ever play the game if playing it is a spoiler

Sigh, it feels like you are misinterpreting just out of spite. I don't want to spoil anything (INCLUDING the first level) until I play the actual GAME, until it actually MATTERS.
How can this not be clear?
Playing the first level before you get the actual game will spoil the first level for you when you, anyone saying anything else is either on crack or just blatantly ignorant.

Plus they seem to be forgetting that playing a demo can often ruin the FEEL of a game. That first time you play a game and the magic it brings cannot be replayed. I will not be playing the demo also.

 

[Electric Gel]

I'm not gonna play the demo, because I want to know as little as possible about the game when I start playing it, but I'm still gonna download the demo. My contribution matters!.......or so I am told.

The article says we have to play it while logged in to count. But Idon't wanna play the demo either lol.

True, but chances are you don't really have to play it more than actually launching it while logged in or something.

It shouldn't ruin anything, it's just the prologue part of the actual game, so it's the first thing you'd do when playing the game.

I figured as much, but I don't want to see that either. I know it won't contain major spoilers, but that wasn't my worry either. I haven't checked out any gameplay trailers and whatnot, so anything and everything would be potential spoilers for me.

Understandable, I tried to do that before people started talking to me about it and saying it wasn't spoilers cos it's on the Bioware page, so i've started looking at some stuff. Though I don't see how playing the first level of the game a few weeks early is a spoiler or anything.

It ruins the prologue section of the game. I for one will mostly be playing this game for the story, and I don't want to know the beginning in advance of being able to play the bulk of the game.

 

[Gildan Bladeborn]

You know, it would be statistically easier to meet this arbitrary download goal of theirs if they would oh say... release the demo now, since it's done already.

Although the code for the demo itself might be ready, the infrastructure to handle the demo might not be - in this case, the servers that EA is going to need to have online to handle the creation and login traffic for all these EA accounts, plus the hosting and bandwidth for the demo itself.

For the demos on Xbox Live, PSN, and other services, there's the additional problem of coordinating with the platform owners. They each have their own content release schedules and infrastructure that the demo needs to fit in at.

The demo release might also be being coordinated with some sort of paid advertising push, or a promotion with a retailer, which would also need to be scheduled in advance.

"Release the demo" can be a lot more complicated than it sounds when you're dealing with a top-tier multi-platform title.

A fair point, but that whole Gamestop debacle where they scrapped a limited early release of promotional materials due to security concerns still reads like nonsense, even if there are sound technical reasons underpinning it - there's just something that feels deeply wrong with complaining that people "might pass around something that you ultimately want them to pass around", since that cuts down on your bandwidth costs while maximizing exposure.

But I'll freely admit that I hadn't even considered possible roadblocks that the respective console's distribution systems might have erected, probably because said consoles are effectively completely irrelevant to every aspect of my life, what with how I don't own them and know nobody else who does. Now that you've mentioned it though I have chosen to believe that everything is X-Box LIVE's fault; if that actually isn't the case, well LIVE still has it coming for all the other things it does that makes me both loathe it on principle and rejoice because I never have to personally have anything to do with it in practice, so that's all right then. Whee!

 

[Jake the Snake]

Was going to download it anyway. Thanks Bioware.

 

[BehattedWanderer]

Downloading it soon as it comes out. got five friends to do it on any platform they own.

 

[SomebodyNowhere]

I was going to play the demo anyway(mostly to see how well the game would run on my computer) and any additional bonuses granted are just icing on the cake. As far as the xp and money bonuses they're dangling in front of us, I have difficulty believing across all 3 platforms the demo won't surpass a million, but even if it doesn't(like all the other bonus items) it won't really change the game if I don't get it.

 

[inFAMOUSCowZ]

Well i have playstation, and a xbox as well as my friends so you get double downloads from us.

 

[Danpascooch]

anc[is]Wow, I didn't think DA bonus item things could get more worthless. On a semi-related question, does anyone know if the demo will be on steam?

They aren't worthless, the problem is literally that they are worth too much. A lot of DLC items and content are borderline game breaking, like that sword from Darkspawn chronicles, that sword is better than like anything you get in the base game, and it has no requirements to equip.

I don't buy it, I think they'll give it to us anyway if the don't reach the quota, they already coded the items, why wouldn't they include them? It makes a nice incentive, but if it's not reached they don't gain anything by not releasing it anyway.

 

[BlindChance]

When did Bioware become gaming's version of a Bond villain? New headline: Bioware holds two items hostage, and will release them for ONE MILLION DOWNLOADS.

 

[Worr Monger]

I'm not gonna play the demo, because I want to know as little as possible about the game when I start playing it, but I'm still gonna download the demo. My contribution matters!.......or so I am told.

Ditto.... though I'll likely be too lazy to download the demo just to contribute... but it's the thought that counts.