Dragon Age bonuses free in new copies, sold separately if you buy used
by Ben Gilbert 
{ Aug 12th 2009 at 11:14AM } 
click to enlarge
Though EA detailed its Dragon Age: Origins Collector's Edition nearly a month ago to retail sites, the company is just now "officially" revealing the package. In doing so, it divulged some interesting details about the digital extras included in all copies of the game. Those buying Dragon Age: Origins (any edition) brand new will receive a free code to download "The Stone Prisoner," along with a "suit of Dragon Age-themed armor that can be used in Dragon Age: Origins as well as in Mass Effect 2."
According to EA's press release, "The Stone Prisoner" will consist of "new environments, items, and hours of additional gameplay," and the titular stone golem that you'll be able to add to your party in-game. For those of you not purchasing the game new, EA is offering "The Stone Prisoner" as a standalone DLC pack for $15 -- a dollar amount that makes the similarly bundled Gears of War 2's Flashback Map Pack price look like milk money. Then again, who can say no to a stone golem? It looks like we're picking up the game new when it launches on November 3.
Gallery: Dragon Age: Origins
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
SpyderTaco (PSN: Ar4chNova89) @ Aug 12th 2009 11:19AM
Probably going to have a boner by the time I finish this game...
Looks like Bowser has some competition.
Feba @ Aug 12th 2009 9:02PM
Tell me if I'm reading this incorrectly, but exactly what part of Bowser gives you an erection?
tmacairjordan87 @ Aug 12th 2009 11:21AM
Now that's a good way to start getting people to buy your game new when it comes out. I'll probably be picking this up for 360 now.
Ralod @ Aug 12th 2009 11:22AM
Well it's not a bad idea to try and encourage new game sales over used ones. But i have a feeling that gamestop will not be telling people who came in to buy dragonage the fact that if you buy used tack on 15 bucks to the price to get the full game.
It's a big FU to Gamestop, but its really the end users who get punished more.
SpyderTaco (PSN: Ar4chNova89) @ Aug 12th 2009 11:27AM
:\ The end users already get punished by GameStop, at least this way the publisher gets part of the cut.
Trade in a game for $7 and they sell it back for $54.99. That's a big FU to the consumer (by GameStop).
tmacairjordan87 @ Aug 12th 2009 11:27AM
You know how casual customers could counter that? By actually doing their research for once and knowing what they're supposed to be getting.
I know, it's a groundbreaking idea.
Help me! @ Aug 12th 2009 11:32AM
I have to spend all day at work researching important things
Now I have to research the games I want to buy too? Arghgh
"Oh, don't buy that game retail, it comes with mind-bogglingly restrictive DRM which makes it not work on your home computer"
"You should get that game for the PS3 instead of the 360, because ----"
"Don't buy that used, because 10% of the game is 'DLC' which is already on the disc but costs $15 to unlock.."
Ralod @ Aug 12th 2009 11:36AM
@tmacairjordan87: Oh I totally agree with you. The casual customer should do their research, find out about a product before buying it. But you and I both know that is way too much to ask of the casual consumer.
As a longtime RPG gamer I hope that people drawn to the game would be a bit smarter. This is not going to be a game that people who liked mass effect , jade empire, or either of the kotor games, are going to be into. But I really doubt that will be the case.
The Good Soldier Svejk @ Aug 12th 2009 11:37AM
If you spend all day at work researching 'important things' (I'm not going to question how 'important' your favorite furry fetish webcomic is) then these matters should be trivial to you.
Snowblind @ Aug 12th 2009 12:05PM
If you're going to sell a game, it's not that hard to quickly look up on eBay to see how much it's going for. I'd hardly compare that to researching a paper.
Clearly people selling games to places like Gamestop just don't care that they're being completely ripped off.
AoE @ Aug 12th 2009 1:21PM
@Ralod,
"This is not going to be a game that people who liked mass effect , jade empire, or either of the kotor games, are going to be into."
Um... why not? I'm REALLY curious to know the answer to this one since it's still Bioware and everything I've read suggests it's a Bioware RPG. Why on earth would people who enjoyed the past decade worth of Bioware RPGs not enjoy this newest Bioware game? I'm curious to read your explanation.
Ralod @ Aug 12th 2009 1:32PM
Because it is a game in the mold of the older bioware games, not the more recent console ones.
I just can't see a person who really loved Mass Effect liking Dragon Age.
Saria the Cat @ Aug 12th 2009 6:02PM
@Ralod: Casual customers are exactly the type that won't even care about the extra DLC, and if they do, they are also the type that will throw down the $15 to get it. Besides, if the casual player buys the used copy and then finds out within a week that they don't get the free DLC, they can just return the copy to get all their money back and then buy a new copy. Plain and simple.
As for the comment about the new vs. old Bioware, I hope you're right that this new game is not like Mass Effect, because I want my old Baldur's Gate II atmosphere back. But even so, I am an example of a person who has enjoyed both the old and new games put out by these same people, and I am sure there are more like me.
Storm Eagle [Resident Capcom Megafan] @ Aug 12th 2009 11:24AM
I think I'll just stick with the regular addition. This game is overloading my awesometer as it is.
lacke @ Aug 12th 2009 11:32AM
Yeah.. this is for any edition of the game, as long as you don't buy it used. No scratch that. Any copy of the game that has an unused code. I suppose theoretically if someone bought it new, didn't like it and resold it to GameStop or whatever before the DLC came out, the code could still be unused. Then again, I can't imagine won't keep the code anyway.
Professor Lario @ Aug 12th 2009 11:25AM
I am so excited for this game. Between this and Borderlands I should be set until 2010.
Xoonaka @ Aug 12th 2009 11:25AM
Isn't Dragon Age for PS3 as well? How does the ME2 tie in work there? Can you use the same code on both consoles? Or are PS3 users SOL?
Either way, it definitely piques my interest, to be sure.
Mazrael @ Aug 12th 2009 2:10PM
On PS3, it'll be just Dragon Age themed armour..
Stix Remix @ Aug 12th 2009 11:26AM
I think it's weird how the blood-spattered dragon is illustrated differently on all three images. Just look at the elbow and belly.
SpyderTaco (PSN: Ar4chNova89) @ Aug 12th 2009 11:35AM
The pixels tell me it's photoshopped.
Stix Remix @ Aug 12th 2009 1:38PM
I just don't see why they wouldn't use the same image in all three.
Kdiggy @ Aug 12th 2009 11:59AM
Demon's Souls is going to be awesome. Can't wait!
Paul @ Aug 12th 2009 12:07PM
that's some cool package design!
pandlcg @ Aug 12th 2009 12:11PM
i don't like this idea at all. Part of the value of any physical good is the resale value. And now that value is being taken away here.
This is just one or two steps away from not being able to unlock any part of the game unless it is purchased new. So basically they want to sell you a license to use the game instead of just selling you the actual game and letting you sell/trade/lend it to anyone.
mietha CAG @ Aug 12th 2009 12:33PM
Welcome to the future. The Digital Distribution age is closer than anyone wants to admit...
ahumanwolverine @ Aug 12th 2009 12:37PM
If you were to do a search on Ebay for a console game, in most cases you'll find a used copy for half the price of it new just a month after release. I buy games all the time on Ebay because it saves me a fortune on games I don't really NEED to have at launch.
This is a smart move to fight us bargain hunters without hurting sales and I have no doubt will work very well.
gundamtotoro @ Aug 12th 2009 12:41PM
As the article says this has been listed on retail sites for quite some time.
This is part of the content for the Collector's Edition. It is not taking anything away from the regular edition. I think it is nice that people buying the regular edition or a version of the game used will be able to have the option to get this piece of content later on if they so wish.
Anyway, I'm glad to know that Shale is a golem and that the Mass Effect 2 item will be some armor.
Also, it is possible to get good trades at Gamestop too with some research and patience. I got rid of Professor Layton and the Curious Village during the tiered trade offer two weeks ago and actually got $30 for it which paid for a large chunk of the pre-order for Dragon Age Origins.
Snowblind @ Aug 12th 2009 12:49PM
Yeah, collectable goodies like the map are fine for those who don't mind paying a little extra, but making people who buy the regular edition miss out on ingame content is just evil.
DeMerch @ Aug 12th 2009 12:55PM
So the stone golem will be a party member?
Does this mean that we can have sex with it?
The Dark Wayne @ Aug 12th 2009 1:05PM
Well im glad to hear the new party member is a golem, he's not likely to have a whole lot of deep characterization
The Dark Wayne @ Aug 12th 2009 5:00PM
wondering how the Dragon Age themed armor is gonna fit in ME2 though
Arkanti (formerly Ihavepants) @ Aug 12th 2009 5:05PM
He is a full party member though, he has just as much voicework and conversation potential as any other party member, he's also the only Golem you can get so all his skills and abilities are unique. Apparently you're meant to be able to fundamentally change how it thinks ranging from purely a war machine to something more akin to Half-Life's dog.
The Dark Wayne @ Aug 12th 2009 5:34PM
really? Well i guess that makes me happy im getting the collectors edition
keegan @ Aug 12th 2009 1:45PM
So, will this force Gamestop to stop selling used copies for only $5 less than new? (Especially when you know they only paid $10 to the poor fool who brought it in.)
Doubt it.
Myself I've gone back to ebay (party like it's 1999) and just waiting for the price drop.
Sean @ Aug 12th 2009 3:02PM
Good strategy... a good legitimate strategy to encourage people to buy games new... and $15 for the content if you buy used... ouch... but should've done your homework.
skatz83 @ Aug 12th 2009 3:24PM
just double checking but they said this was for both the regular edition and collector's right? i thought the extra stuff was just collector's.
nriveraexpress @ Aug 12th 2009 4:27PM
you win again EA, Damn it!
j.howlett @ Aug 12th 2009 5:35PM
i'm tempted, but from my experience i don't actually like playing bioware games. i've enjoyed observing others play here and there