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Dragon Age: Origins To Get Paid DLC Expansion — On Launch Day

Posted by Soulskill on from the say-what-now dept.

BioWare's upcoming RPG, Dragon Age: Origins, is set to launch on November 3rd. Today they announced details about some of the downloadable content they have planned for the game. In fact, it's scheduled to become available on the same day the game launches, at a cost of $7. (The PS3 version will be slightly delayed). "Called the Warden's Keep, the DLC 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. It will feature a supernatural storyline set in an ancient — and possibly haunted — fortress once used as a redoubt by the Grey Wardens, the ancient order at the center of Origins' main storyline." There will be two additional bits of DLC that are available for free to people who have purchased the game new. One "adds a stone golem character to the player's party from the beginning of the game, unlocking numerous story options," and the other increases a character's defense against some attacks in-game.

13 of 241 comments (clear)

  1. EA rears its ugly head by MemoryDragon · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Seems like EA already is taking over Biowares customer friendlyness (usually it is 2 games until the EA shit starts to boil in the companies they bought)
    RIP bioware, not that I wont buy Dragon Age, but I am not very eager to buy any expansion, I probably will wait until a collectors edition with all extensions comes out in a year or so.

    1. Re:EA rears its ugly head by Moryath · · Score: 1, Interesting

      Bullshit.

      You want to put out DLC? Sure.

      You put out "exclusive free DLC that only the first owner gets", you're intentionally crippling the game for anyone who buys used. Given that the game is being sold and that's that (EULA's having been routinely tossed out in court because anything in them violating the Doctrine of First Sale is unconscionable) crippling the resale is bullshit and borderline illegal.

      You put out "pay for DLC" the day it comes out? That tells me that they pulled finished content from the game build in order to try to make extra cash. It's like a car dealership selling cars, then after they have the money telling customers "oh by the way, we took out the spare tire and jack and some of the important wiring... but we'll sell them back to you."

      What really hacks me off is the bit lately where there's "free DLC" that you can only get by preordering the game from a specific retail outlet. More and more games are doing this and it's getting pissier and pissier. It's gotten to the point where if I see that, I deliberately will NOT buy the game until at least 9 months after release and then I'll grab it used. Inevitably, they put all the "exclusive" crap up for either free or pay download (like Soul Calibur 4, where the TV ads showed Yoda fighting Vader but the 360/PS3 releases each only had one character, followed 3 months later by a $6 DLC to get the other character), so I'll buy the damn thing used and then spend the difference on the DLC to get the actual, complete title they should have shipped in the first place.

      You hear me, game companies? You do this "exclusive code for DLC if you preorder from Gamestop" bullcrap, I don't buy your game till I can get it used for cheap. You want me to buy it new, stop doing that crap.

    2. Re:EA rears its ugly head by Danse · · Score: 2, Interesting
      Link to the Bluesnews posting

      On the other hand, while it started out controversial, DLC in general is very accepted these days, and it seems arbitrary to react differently to it simply because it's released on launch day. Should they have simply let the DLC lie on a HDD somewhere for a few weeks?

      It may be accepted by some, but PC gamers, especially those that have been around long enough to have played Bioware's earlier RPGs, are definitely not accustomed to paying extra for small bits of content like this. Recall the scrap over the Oblivion DLC a while back. I can only hope that the DLC we get from Bioware is far better than what Bethesda tried to foist on gamers.

      --
      It's not enough to bash in heads, you've got to bash in minds. - Captain Hammer
    3. Re:EA rears its ugly head by shutdown+-p+now · · Score: 5, Interesting

      Paradox had pay-for DLC available for their game East India Company on the day it was released.

      Speaking of Paradox, the recently released Majesty 2 - published by Paradox outside Russia - doesn't have any DLC available yet, but it was stated that it will be available soon. Some enterprising modders unpacked the game resources, and found a bunch of new content that is already there, apparently only waiting for some bit to be flipped to get activated.

  2. Well, by DemonBeaver · · Score: 3, Interesting

    they could have just raised the price of the game and stuck it in. Would make me feel less of a sucker

    --
    This message was brought to you by Sarcasm and Troll Feeders United (STFU)
    1. Re:Well, by MemoryDragon · · Score: 4, Interesting

      This indeed feels like draining additional money out of the people buying the game. If they brought it out 3 months later no one would complain but this looks more like ripping off customers than anything else.
      What next, basic game for full price which unlocks you the first levels and for finishing the game you have to buy at least 200 dollars of special items?
      EA at its best, I am pretty sure this was not Biowares intent, but they were forced to do this by EA. This is not the Bioware I know of where the two bosses posted on Usenet (Baldurs Gate time) and talked directly to the fans.

    2. Re:Well, by Deosyne · · Score: 2, Interesting

      Wow, almost made it a page and a half before someone equated extra content that you would have never even noticed not being there while playing the actual full game if Bioware hadn't announced its availability to a full game that is sold in pieces. Why don't you just throw in a car analogy concerning how charging for options on new cars is going to lead to cars being sold without an engine or tires until you pay extra for them and round out this load of tripe nicely? Oh right, Bioware fucked up and gave away the fruits of their very expensive labors for free once, thereby setting up the infamous "level of expectation" that is now biting Valve in the ass, so they'd better start shitting free ponies or else they are now EEEEVIL.

  3. Yeah.. by sleeponthemic · · Score: 2, Interesting

    I think it's pretty funny that whilst many industries are rife with the concept of the "optional accessory", it would seem that if you dare do anything such as this in gaming, you must obey an arbritrary "cooling off period" - or you're basically a satanic nazi rapist pedo money vampire in the eyes of this crowd.

    Just another righteous indignation article.

    --
    I record my sleeptalking
    1. Re:Yeah.. by binkzz · · Score: 2, Interesting

      "Many" is relative I think.

      There is no DLC for movies, books or music. Imagine having the ability to buy additional scenes to the film. Or a better camera angle. I'd be pretty outraged. Similarly for a book - buying extra character dialogs or an additional page or two of adventure.

      Personally, when I buy a game, and there is still tons of DLC, I don't feel like I bought the whole game. And games are already way too expensive in my opinion.

      It makes me feel like a cow.

      --
      'For we walk by faith, not by sight.' II Corinthians 5:7
  4. At least it's something that is being added by lbbros · · Score: 3, Interesting

    ... unlike what Namco Bandai does on PS3/360, where the "DLC" is actually on the disc the moment you buy it, and you pay for a key to enable it...

    --
    A CC-licensed illustrated horror novel
  5. Re:"Collector's edition" by Fross · · Score: 4, Interesting

    So far collectors editions generally include vanity items, mild bonuses for the start of play - items that just show off that the user bought the CE, but don't have much impact on the game. Making DLC including an *area* and *new abilities* immediately splits the game into haves and have-nots.

    This is less like a CE, and more like WoW when Burning crusade came out - you want to be a blood elf? Well, you can't unless you have the expansion. Want to give your character jewelcrafting? Want to go to new areas (let alone progress pass 60), you can't.

    These expansions are fine, though even in WoW's case it really made second class citizens of those who didn't have the expansion. However, to do this on LAUNCH day is nothing short of a money grab.

  6. Re:Next thing you know, by wild_quinine · · Score: 2, Interesting

    Also, see Fable 2, Pub Games.

  7. From another perspective... by jobias · · Score: 2, Interesting

    I think it should be pointed out that you can, in fact, get this DLC for free when you buy the game. If you get the digital version of the CE, since you don't get any of the physical bits (metal case, cloth map etc.), you're supposed to get the DLC dungeon for free. Has anyone considered that this might be Bioware subtly trying to encourage the sale of digital copies rather than retail boxes? The digital CE is the only version of the game that will include all three DLC bits for free on launch day.