Dragon Age: Origins' DLC Will Be Available Day One

[Tom Goldman]

Dragon Age: Origins' DLC Will Be Available Day One


BioWare will be enabling gamers to spend even more money on Dragon Age: Origins the day that the game is released.

Though BioWare's DLC intentions for Dragon Age: Origins were fairly well known, it looks like the company's official plans for launch are now in order. BioWare confirmed that the Warden's Keep DLC will definitely be available the day Dragon Age: Origins is released, and will be priced at $7 across all three platforms. The Stone Prisoner DLC will still be included in every copy of the game, but will also be available for $15 as reported earlier [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/93833-Dragon-Age-Comes-With-Free-DLC-Armor] if you don't happen to acquire the game by natural means, or if you buy it used (perish the thought). Warden's Keep, the trailer for which is accompanying this article to the right, will be included for free with the digitally downloaded collector's edition, as confirmed by BioWare on its forums, to compensate for the lack of the cloth map and metal collector's box.

I'm sure people will get pretty upset over payment-required DLC being launched with Dragon Age: Origins, but it doesn't really bother me all that much. The $7 price tag does seem fairly hefty, but according to BioWare Warden's Keep "will add a dungeon-based quest to the game along with six new abilities, a variety of items, and a base where players can trade with merchants." If the game is 50-70 hours, and costs $60 average, it's fair to assume that the DLC will add around 10% to the original value of the game, or about 5-7 hours of gameplay right?

It doesn't look like BioWare is just going for the addition of hours when it comes to its DLC though. The Stone Prisoner trailer, available below, reveals that the DLC will add a somewhat self-conscious stone golem to the player's party permanently. Executive Producer Mark Darrah believes: "in one way, it's 60 hours or 70 hours of content because if you put this character in your party right away, it's going to enrich it and affect your experience throughout the entire game." I'm not sure I agree that the addition of a character adds 60 hours of gameplay, but he does have a point about it enriching the entire experience. We know that characters are pretty important in Dragon Age: Origins, so maybe the addition of a character could be more important than it has been in the past. I'm personally just looking forward to pissing the golem off with whatever actions he may seem to be adverse to.

Look for Dragon Age: Origins, and its DLC, on November 3 for the PC and Xbox 360, and on November 17 for the PlayStation 3.


(Via: Kotaku [http://kotaku.com/5376749/dragon-age-origins-gets-day-one-dlc])

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[Amnestic]

Are those DLC prices for just consoles or for the PC version as well? I know that the last time a Bioware game got DLC (Mass Effect) that the PC version was entirely free (the first piece anyway. Anyone confirm that Pinnacle Station was free too?). I was going to get this on the PC as it stands, but I'm curious as to whether I'm going to have to shell out a little extra as well.

Edit: Fuck it. Reread it. Disregard and whatnot.

 

[CD-R]

Just preordered the PC version yesterday. I wasn't going to preorder it originally but since it's supposed to be shipping without any DRM, I figured I should support something like hat.

 

[mattttherman3]

I like at the end of the stone prisoner trailer, he kills a chicken. Hopefully that means maybe we can as well, I'm tired of games where I can't kill the chicken.

 

[Nmil-ek]

Preordered as it was anyway, shale definently looks very damned sweet.

 

[The Infamous Scamola]

I HATE it when game developers do that.

 

[cainx10a]

I HATE it when game developers do that.

Come on brother, you know it's BioWare and you know they are going to deliver. And DLCs are here for the extra fun, what's not to like? Is it not worth paying for? It's not like they are pulling a Capcom on the resident evil fans with the Versus mode, right? RIGHT?

 

[Canadamus Prime]

Ok if they're developing the DLC content now so it's ready to be released with the original game, why don't they just put all this shit IN the original game? Besides the fact that their greedy exploitative fucks of course.

 

[Woodsey]

Just preordered the PC version yesterday. I wasn't going to preorder it originally but since it's supposed to be shipping without any DRM, I figured I should support something like hat.

Why?

They're releasing 'extra-content' the same day as the game at a cost. It's a blatant rip-off, no matter how small.

I can't believe they've actually done this.

 

[Swaki]

huh, i dont really get why they want to release the game in 3 parts on the same day, sure they want to protect themselves against pirates and used game buyers, but i find it annoying as i always buy games via steam, i dont know if steam goes under the

if you don't happen to acquire the game by natural means

but having to pay 82 euros for a game is more than i am willing to, its hard to stay honest -.-

 

[WrongSprite]

I HATE it when game developers do that.

Come on brother, you know it's BioWare and you know they are going to deliver. And DLCs are here for the extra fun, what's not to like? Is it not worth paying for? It's not like they are pulling a Capcom on the resident evil fans with the Versus mode, right? RIGHT?

No, it's not worth paying for at all. I don't want to pay to unlock a certain part of a game I've bought on the release day. I can understand it a few months later but...this is just robbery in it's lowest form.

 

[Slycne]

Ok if they're developing the DLC content now so it's ready to be released with the original game, why don't they just put all this shit IN the original game? Besides the fact that their greedy exploitative fucks of course.

Well it's pretty obvious they are using Dragon Age: Origins as a guinea pig to test some new DLC ideas. Does DLC included with only new game purchases effect used sales and piracy? Are players interested in paying a little extra on release for an even longer game?

It's something that I am a little torn on, obviously this Warden's Keep content was being worked on while the game was in development. So even if it was always slated for DLC, should it have been included in the release? The game is already promising 50-70 hours for a single play through, so they are, in my mind, already providing a full game experience. I do see this as a slippery slope where a games length gets quantified into a dollar per hour amount and developers feel the need to only deliver X amount of content and save anything left over for DLC.

 

[loremazd]

Look, to everyone claiming it's robbery, just don't buy it. I'm sure the game will be entertaining without it. Vote with your wallet, not by boycotting bioware, just dont buy the DLC, pretty simple if you're not fond of what they're doing.

 

[lumenadducere]

Ok if they're developing the DLC content now so it's ready to be released with the original game, why don't they just put all this shit IN the original game? Besides the fact that their greedy exploitative fucks of course.

There was a good post by one of the devs on the DA forums about this. Basically the milestone deadlines get locked months before the game actually ships, and in that time the designers and writers are basically doing jack-diddly squat while the programmers and QA folks are working on optimization and bugfixes. And the PC version of the game was done months ago but got delayed to have a simultaneous launch with the console ports, so the actual game has been done for at least six months now.

So with that extra time that they got from the PC version being done, they put their designers and writers to working on DLC. Since the deadline for what's actually on the disk was already locked and gone (and no, you can't put content on a disk after the deadline for it has passed), there was no possibility of adding the extra content onto the disk. Instead it gets tacked on as DLC, even if it is done by the time the game ships.

The GameSpot thread where this was originally announced was painful to read. It's like nobody understood the concept of deadlines and milestones within the game industry, instead ranting and raving about how they were entitled to free content. Made me wish I had the power to reach through the monitor across the interwebs and backhand some people.

But honestly with this game the only thing that's going to cost people who buy the game is the Warden's Keep DLC. Stone Prisoner and the Blood Dragon Armor are going to be free to download to anyone who buys the game new. It's primarily a way to get some extra money from used game sales, which normally completely undercuts developers and publishers and the retailer gets pure profit (I'm looking at you, GameStop). This way if someone buys the game new, BioWare can still make some money because they may decide to purchase the DLC.

Would I like it if Warden's Keep was free as well? Well, yes, of course I would. But given it's only $7 and given that it's more money to BioWare's coffers, I'm not really complaining that much.

 

[Lord Mountbatten Reborn]

I like at the end of the stone prisoner trailer, he kills a chicken. Hopefully that means maybe we can as well, I'm tired of games where I can't kill the chicken.

That has cemented my commitment to getting it.

 

[Canadamus Prime]

Ok if they're developing the DLC content now so it's ready to be released with the original game, why don't they just put all this shit IN the original game? Besides the fact that their greedy exploitative fucks of course.

There was a good post by one of the devs on the DA forums about this. Basically the milestone deadlines get locked months before the game actually ships, and in that time the designers and writers are basically doing jack-diddly squat while the programmers and QA folks are working on optimization and bugfixes. And the PC version of the game was done months ago but got delayed to have a simultaneous launch with the console ports, so the actual game has been done for at least six months now.

So with that extra time that they got from the PC version being done, they put their designers and writers to working on DLC. Since the deadline for what's actually on the disk was already locked and gone (and no, you can't put content on a disk after the deadline for it has passed), there was no possibility of adding the extra content onto the disk. Instead it gets tacked on as DLC, even if it is done by the time the game ships.

The GameSpot thread where this was originally announced was painful to read. It's like nobody understood the concept of deadlines and milestones within the game industry, instead ranting and raving about how they were entitled to free content. Made me wish I had the power to reach through the monitor across the interwebs and backhand some people.

But honestly with this game the only thing that's going to cost people who buy the game is the Warden's Keep DLC. Stone Prisoner and the Blood Dragon Armor are going to be free to download to anyone who buys the game new. It's primarily a way to get some extra money from used game sales, which normally completely undercuts developers and publishers and the retailer gets pure profit (I'm looking at you, GameStop). This way if someone buys the game new, BioWare can still make some money because they may decide to purchase the DLC.

Would I like it if Warden's Keep was free as well? Well, yes, of course I would. But given it's only $7 and given that it's more money to BioWare's coffers, I'm not really complaining that much.

Ok, that seems reasonable. And thus I retract my "greedy exploitative fucks" comment. However they must be aware of how this looks to the average joe gamer, that is, not good.

 

[scotth266]

Ok if they're developing the DLC content now so it's ready to be released with the original game, why don't they just put all this shit IN the original game? Besides the fact that their greedy exploitative fucks of course.

Well it's pretty obvious they are using Dragon Age: Origins as a guinea pig to test some new DLC ideas. Does DLC included with only new game purchases effect used sales and piracy? Are players interested in paying a little extra on release for an even longer game?

It's something that I am a little torn on, obviously this Warden's Keep content was being worked on while the game was in development. So even if it was always slated for DLC, should it have been included in the release? The game is already promising 50-70 hours for a single play through, so they are, in my mind, already providing a full game experience. I do see this as a slippery slope where a games length gets quantified into a dollar per hour amount and developers feel the need to only deliver X amount of content and save anything left over for DLC.

That's two brilliant posts in one day. Why don't you post more?

Anyway, people are constantly complaining about how "THE GAME IS UNFINISHED" or "INCOMPLETE CONTENT", which is a knee-jerk reaction to Capcom's Resident Evil 5 Versus mode DLC fiasco. Let's take a look at this, shall we?

The Stone Prisoner DLC will still be included in every copy of the game, but will also be available for $15 as reported earlier if you don't happen to acquire the game by natural means, or if you buy it used (perish the thought).

This piece of DLC is thus being used as an extra "thank-you" to people who buy the game at retail, thus giving Bioware money as opposed to Gamestop or Gamecrazy. I see no problems with this: especially since they're avoiding the ever-increasingly popular "You can only have this if you pre-order" pitfall that I so despise.

Next bit:

Warden's Keep, the trailer for which is accompanying this article to the right, will be included for free with the digitally downloaded collector's edition, as confirmed by BioWare on its forums, to compensate for the lack of the cloth map and metal collector's box.

Once again, I see no problem with this. Bioware is only attempting to ensure that everyone who purchases the collector's edition gets their money's worth.

A lot of people will see the second piece of DLC as not including the full content of the game, and criticize it for not being included in the game, but to be honest that line of thought is ridiculous. I see the immediate presence of this DLC as a GOOD thing. Why? This is a game that is supposed to be supported with DLC for a while. The immediate presence of DLC gives me some reassurance that Bioware aren't going to pull another Mass Effect, and not release any DLC for a freakin long time only to put out another Pinnacle Station.

 

[The_ModeRazor]

That chicken was just sooo random.
Definitely getting this game

 

[SharedProphet]

From here [http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/adverse?r=75]:

Usage note:
The adjectives adverse and averse are related both etymologically and semantically, each having ?opposition? as a central sense. Adverse is seldom used of people but rather of effects or events, and it usually conveys a sense of hostility or harmfulness: adverse reviews; adverse winds; adverse trends in the economy. Related nouns are adversity and adversary: Adversities breed bitterness. His adversaries countered his every move. Averse is used of persons and means "feeling opposed or disinclined"; it often occurs idiomatically with a preceding negative to convey the opposite meaning "willing or agreeable," and is not interchangeable with adverse in these contexts: We are not averse to holding another meeting. The related noun is aversion: She has a strong aversion to violence. Averse is usually followed by to, in older use occasionally by from.

Anyway, on-topic, I guess in a way it's good (for people who probably won't play through the game more than once) that the Stone Prisoner DLC will be available on day one if it affects the whole game. But, of course, its price point and day one availability point to it being nothing but a ploy to screw over the used game market.

$7 seems a bit steep for the other one, even if it adds 7 hours of enjoyable play. Consider that there will be more DLC in the future; if $7 and $15 are going to be the normal asking prices, this could be a very expensive game indeed ($60+ is already plenty).