Buy Dragon Age 2, Get Mass Effect 2 Free - UPDATED

[Samurai Goomba]

Like I wan't to play TPS on a PC

Yeah, exactly. I played the demo on PC and decided to get ME2 for the 360.

Also, ME2 for PC isn't THAT expensive. By many accounts (except The Escapist, strangely), Dragon Age 2 isn't a good game. Why would I pay more for a game I don't want, just to get a good game which I can buy WITH all the DLC for cheaper than or comparable prices to the new price of DA2?

 

[MSTJedi]

I have a(possibly dumb)question.

If I get Mass Effect through this deal and use the EA downloader, can I use and DLC if I purchase it through Steam?

That was my first question. Still downloading it either way. I have ME2 on the 360 already and all the DLC I care to get, so this is more a for-the-heck-if-it thing. Free is free.

 

[ninjajoeman]

damn just bought ME2 last month

 

[Rienimportant]

this is a nice deal, but most people who would be interested in ME2 have already tried it on their respective platform of choice or already have it on pc, but still..nice marketing technique i suppose, a good way to rake in some people before me3 comes out in the next year.

Nawwwww. I've been wanting to get both games, but since they're both still expensive, I've been waiting on ME2 (and I was going to wait on Dragon Age 2) but now I can justify it as being half-price. Oh if only it were on steam. I have bad experiences with EADM.

 

[RvLeshrac]

Fallacy.

Kotor 2.

Your move, friendo...

Every single time Obsidian works on something, they claim they were rushed.

 

[gmaverick019_v1legacy]

this is a nice deal, but most people who would be interested in ME2 have already tried it on their respective platform of choice or already have it on pc, but still..nice marketing technique i suppose, a good way to rake in some people before me3 comes out in the next year.

Nawwwww. I've been wanting to get both games, but since they're both still expensive, I've been waiting on ME2 (and I was going to wait on Dragon Age 2) but now I can justify it as being half-price. Oh if only it were on steam. I have bad experiences with EADM.

yeah thats why i said most people, there is still a nice niche of people i'm sure, including yourself (you must've missed out on EA week on steam, me 1 & 2 were cheap)

 

[LogicNProportion]

Fallacy.

Kotor 2.

Your move, friendo...

Every single time Obsidian works on something, they claim they were rushed.

Because they work nearly exclusively on sequels to big-hitting games. As such, I can imagine them being rushed by publishers so they can cash in on the imminent hit, despite how bad it might be.

 

[Taerdin]

So this gives me access to downloading ME2 even though I bought DA2 before April? How long do I have to download it? Because I imagine the game is probably 6+ gigs, and my data cap is 10 gigs.

You have to get your code before the end of April. Check the site for details

 

[RvLeshrac]

Fallacy.

Kotor 2.

Your move, friendo...

Every single time Obsidian works on something, they claim they were rushed.

Because they work nearly exclusively on sequels to big-hitting games. As such, I can imagine them being rushed by publishers so they can cash in on the imminent hit, despite how bad it might be.

Then they're just complaining about having release schedules to complain about having release schedules.

If they don't want to work on someone else's timetable, they can produce their own IP.

 

[LogicNProportion]

Fallacy.

Kotor 2.

Your move, friendo...

Every single time Obsidian works on something, they claim they were rushed.

Because they work nearly exclusively on sequels to big-hitting games. As such, I can imagine them being rushed by publishers so they can cash in on the imminent hit, despite how bad it might be.

Then they're just complaining about having release schedules to complain about having release schedules.

If they don't want to work on someone else's timetable, they can produce their own IP.

This is where I can say that we agree.

 

[tehweave]

I have to say this.

Wow! I buy a full-price shitty game and I get a free good game with it? That's like paying half-price for a shitty game and full price for an older good game! Wow! It's like a totally unnecessary transaction and I may as well just pay money for the older game and skip the shitty one altogether! Sweet! Can't wait!

In all seriousness... Why? Why do this? To rack up more sales for Dragon Age 2? Didn't it sell well?

 

[rsvp42]

Finished DA2. I still really like it. It was definitely a transitional game, more of a set-up for the next title, and it wasn't perfect. But for what it was, I had a lot of fun. I have ME2 for 360 already, but I picked this one up anyway (hey, it's free). A friend said the graphics were a little better on PC, as are the load times, naturally.

Even if this is just damage control over the mixed reception of DA2, it's a nice gesture. I mean, they could have done nothing, right? And it means they're--in a way--acknowledging the criticisms and will take them to heart for the next game. As long as EA is content to let them take their time (or even insists on it), I think DA3 will be the best of both worlds: grand, epic journey akin to the first game, but with the combat and visual design improvements of the second (DA2 clearly has better character design, imo).

 

[thePyro_13]

Yuk, EA download manager.

I wan't planning on getting DA2, and this hasn't changed my mind.

Still its a nice little something for people who did buy it.

 

[rsvp42]

I have to say this.

Wow! I buy a full-price shitty game and I get a free good game with it? That's like paying half-price for a shitty game and full price for an older good game! Wow! It's like a totally unnecessary transaction and I may as well just pay money for the older game and skip the shitty one altogether! Sweet! Can't wait!

In all seriousness... Why? Why do this? To rack up more sales for Dragon Age 2? Didn't it sell well?

"Shitty" is overdoing it. At worst, it's mediocre, but whatever.

I don't think the intention is to coerce the haters into buying it, it's to reward the people who already did buy it and to maybe sway some folks who are on the fence. There's also the chance of getting some Dragon Age customers into Mass Effect, if they weren't already.

 

[Bostur]

I only hope that someday, some of you guys will look back and feel appropriately embarrassed about all this.

I hope The Escapist wil feel appropriately embarrassed for all the free advertisment they have given this poor game.

"But a full copy of one of last year's biggest releases, totally free, just for buying a game you were probably going to pick up anyway?"

Bundling a game isn't exactly free, and BW never used the word free in their announcement maybe because that would be illegal in some countries. Although I'll admit that the gesture of extending the offer to exisitng owners of DA2 qualifies as a free gift.

My advice to those that doesn't own DA2 already would be to pickup ME2 if it is available at a reduced price, because it really is a very good game. But don't go and buy DA2 just because of this offer.

 

[GGZeta]

I WISH I could take advantage of this. I don't own either game but I would love to play both of them. Unfortunately I just don't have the PC to handle it... Sad face.

 

[The.Bard]

Nothing is free, especially when there's a corporation involved:

Sort of, kind of, but no, not really. Take the example of the one million who bought DA2 already: ME2 is FREE.

1) They get free, positive press and image polish on any gaming site out there (and incur positive opinion from people like you going "arrr, those ingrates, it be free but they not be pleased!")

Free press for Bioware costs the end user $0, is that not so? This is the crux of my astonishment to this outrage. God forbid a company do something nice for me and get some benefit in return. I just learned this morning that the Escapist profits from my visiting pages! All this free video content is a ploy to get me to keep visiting so they can show off their fancy visitation numbers. Why don't we get angry at them for using us in so FOUL a fashion?

2) They get people using the EA Download Manager, an in-house sales platform / Setting up an Account and everything if they haven't already, Portal wasn't free but was a Promotion to get more people to use Steam, same thing with Alien Swarm.

My (limited) understanding is if you bought it through Steam, you get it through Steam. Regardless, using EA's download manager costs the user $0. (well, outside of electricity, but let's not get that crazy)

3) They hope to increase Dragon Age 2 sales by offering a "package deal", something is inherently not free it it is bound to another product, it is an "extra".

One million people already bought Dragon Age without this incentive; there is no package deal. You bought the game, and now they are giving you a FREE one. (but yea, I understand the fence sitters are being given an incentive here)

4) They hope to get people that have gotten Dragon Age 2 (or haven't gotten it yet but are about to, see #3) to look into the Mass Effect series and increase their customer base that way, also generating extra press and word-of-mouth for their release of Mass Effect 3 in a few months.

I am astonished after looking in my outbox to discover that I have been sending threatening emails to every single one of my friends demanding they play ME2 for almost a year. I quickly rushed to look at a few bank statements, and praise be to Jesus, Bioware didn't take any money out for this. I consider myself lucky.

5) They hope to sell DLC, they offered the "base package" bundled with Dragon Age 2 (which can be gotten for mere 10$/10pound by now) e.g. it has lost a lot of its initial value, but they are still selling their DLC which people starting the game now might be inclined to buy.

DLC is optional. Do they hope people will buy it? Absolutely. But we can easily say "no, thanks, I just want to play the main game, which is FREEEE."



I understand the above example doesn't apply to every person, but for the one million who already bought DA2, then yes, free ME2 is being given away absolutely FREE FREE FREE FREE (free).

William Wallace once said, and I quote: "They may take our money, but they can't take away our FREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE ME2!"

Thank you, it's been a great time on this thread, but I must go now, for we are needed elsewhere to fight a big stupid jellyfish! Bioware Defense Force, up up and AWAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY!!!

 

[Loonerinoes]

And after 1 month of the Escapist incessantly keeping DA2 fresh in everyone's minds and the e-public eagerly shit-talking about it one way or the other, what feelings do I get now, that a deal, which (regardless of the marketing reasoning behind it), bottom line, still gives you one of the most critically-acclaimed games of all time for no charge at all, is met with EVEN MORE shit-talk?

Well...to sum up my feelings using a quote from a developer, over which this community is all so eager to salivate over, constantly saying that it can do no wrong (hilariously enough in the same manner that they constantly accuse Bioware fans of doing)...


Honestly, I hope Bioware keep being this generous. They could've just done nothing, kept on trucking and it would've been the same - but no, they actually went and did something most AAA developers would never think of. And this community hates them for doing something, they were under no obligation whatsoever to do in the first place? Frankly, if such moves on their part means pissing people like THAT off then hey...double win for me I think. I guess it really is like a character in DA2 says in the end..."And if STILL my actions wind up offending someone well...some people just try really hard to be offended."