Don't blame EA for Dragon Age's inventory (or paid DLC)

by Xav de Matos on Nov 4th 2009 9:00PM

In a written response to allegations from Fidgit that Electronic Arts had forced developer BioWare to remove features in Dragon Age: Origins with the intention of selling it as future DLC, BioWare lead systems designer Georg Zoeller says the parent company has "nothing" to do with the decision. At the crux of the argument is the game's launch DLC, Warden's Keep, which gives players a "storage chest" to help expand the in-game inventory, among other additions. Fidgit claims the DLC was pre-planned to "bilk users for more money."

According to Zoeller, Dragon Age originally featured a small storage chest in the game's party camp, but quickly became an issue due to story elements in the game that would change the camp's environment; so the storage area was removed. "We decided that it was not really necessary anyway since the item limitation was rather generous compared to the initial designs at least," Zoeller wrote. Later -- during a brainstorm session -- the team decided to include the chest in premium DLC, which was then made available at launch.

Zoeller claims "storage limitations" were never pinpointed as problems by the game's quality assurance team, because "after all, it was part of the design." While the Bioware designer doesn't have an issue with anger toward the decision, he vehemently denies EA was involved for the sole purpose of getting more money out of players. With the DLC already available across all platforms (560

/ $7, or free to deluxe edition players), it's up to players to make their opinions heard by voting with their wallets.

Source

Tags: bioware, dlc, downloadable-content, dragon-age, dragon-age-origins, ea, electroinc-arts, Electronic-Arts, Microsoft, Xbox-360

Reader Comments (121)

@XAV " that would the camp's environment; " ERROR! You will be Deleted DELETE DELETE!

IRL, you can buy a storage chest for $7..

Ewwww, "Real Life" suxxx, making you pay for a storage chest. I'll wait for the GOTY edition(used) before I get a "real life".

Damn EA, ruining real lives.

if only we had the choice to buy or not buy DLC. Then we could just buy it if we wanted it and didn't have to whine about it to voice our displeasure.

Hmmm? We aren't forced to buy it?

:/

Thank you, that makes much more sense.

P.S. We missed you on the podcast this week.

Disregard, this was meant to be a reply.

uhm, people.. you DO realize that you don't have to buy this, right? Seriously... they aren't forcing you to buy this DLC.

You are all thinking, and hopefully rational, human beings... right?

Maybe people should think for a second instead of whining about it. Not to mention, it's $7, not $27. and Quite frankly, if they pulled it out to make a "quick buck" as people make it out to be, then so what. if people are paying for it, then all the power to them.

You make the choice, people. you buy, or you don't. simple as that. as for me, i'm going to buy it. and i just bought the expensive version of the game. big effing deal. to me it's worth it, and it's definitely not enough to make me whine about it.

blah.

Really guys!?!?! Before you start complaining, get the facts, it's not just the chest, here's the features of the DLC:

* New quests - discover what really happened to the Grey Wardens of old and what led to their expulsion from Ferelden
* New features - a base of operations with party storage. Inventory full? Stash new items as well as loot from the main Dragon Age: Origins campaign
* New items and abilities - talents and spells from the Power of Blood school, unique achievements, and powerful items including a set of Grey Warden Commander armor

If you don't want it, you don't have to buy it to enjoy the game, like any other DLC's just a plus, this is a RPG game and I think that the imited inventory space is part of this kind of games (but that's just crazy talk). Just one more thing the game's in one word amazing, it really worth my $67 =D

$7 is going to break the bank for people?

At least it's not as ridiculous as the SF4 costume DLC.

Pretty soon it'll be pay to respawn your character. And I predict these forums will still be full of people who aren't capable of comprehending what the problem is, "just don't respawn". Add me to the growing list of people who'll be picking this up second-hand, I'm glad I read this article before what was going to be a day 1 purchase on my part. Off to buy Demons Souls.

myspaceisevil : I now own both Dragon Age and Demon's Souls.

If you want a more traditional RPG with expansive exploration and story line with the usual combat, then Dragon Age is your game. This game feels ALOT like a more "alive" Oblivion (I thought the Oblivion world was kind of stale, especially the big cities). If you didn't like Oblivion I doubt you would like this game very much.

If you want a TACTICAL Action RPG (Every swing of your sword, every spell cast, every shield block, every roll must play apart of your strategy to vanquish your opponent), then Demon's Souls is your game. Not to mention the creative online, the tension the game builds by losing souls and sometimes your body form, creative level design...The game requires your full concentration and focus.

An EDGE magazine blogger of all places today posted on how much he likes this game. Almost unexplainably. If it is for you (you will either love or hate it), then it will keep a special place on your shelf.

I like Dragon Age, the story is great, BUT I can't see it topping Demon's Souls for me personally. I just haven't played another game quite like Demon's Souls in the last two generations...and with the graphical jump and the like that means possibly on any generation.

My vote goes to Demon's Souls...Im 80 hours in and through my second playthrough, and there is still stuff I want to do and I still want to keep playing. (and Im not one of those completist either)

The game is nothing like Oblivion and Dragon Age's style of gameplay is far more "tactical" then Demon Souls especially on harder difficulties on PC.

come on ea are you guys on a suicide trip or something? it's common practice these days that any game that has costly DLC released the same time as the game, will be pirated to all hell, due to very very angry consumers...I mean seriously... if something is finished at the time a game is released then it should have been included on the disk... and something as small as a chest... could most definitely fit on a disk....

Anyone else think that thing looks kind of like Frank the bunny from Donnie Darko?

Joystiq, I love ya to death, but to me this article is intentionally inflammatory and misleading.

"...Warden's Keep, which gives players a "storage chest" to help expand the in-game inventory, among other additions."

The entire article focuses on the concept that the $7 is for a storage chest, which gets people who have no idea what Dragon Age is up in arms. You fail to emphasize that it an add-on to the wealth of additional content the DLC provides. It's a piece that was included after it didn't make sense within the main story. I bought the DLC, and I have found it to be an excellent extension of the DA story, and good value.

Filthy Assistant:
So Dragon Age "isn't good" and it's "crap"? How wrong you are, my friend. I sincerely doubt you've played it, though. I see no intelligent cons listed in your post, just immature bashing, or so that's what it looks like to me. No offense, but I just prefer a more intelligent dialogue, not someone saying "this sucks", "it's crap", "bad game", etc. The overall reviews are the complete opposite of what you're saying. I'm inclined to go with them after actually completing Dragon Age one time through. Can't wait for my second time.

-

Taylor:

Yes, "insanely large". I'm amazed by the overall negativity from some posters, and they never even bring a meaningful argument to the table, but broad generalizations, which are often so off the mark and incorrect it's truly astounding.

Have I ever played RPG's? Yes, probably more than you. I play nearly every RPG released (WRPG's, CRPG's, JRPG's, etc). Some of my favorites are Planescape: Torment, Baldur's Gate II: Shadows of Amn, nearly every Neverwinter Nights title, Fallout, Fallout 2, The Witcher, and they go on and on. I'm currently playing through Risen and Torchlight on PC now.

I assure you I'm probably more versed in RPG's than you are, but hey, that doesn't matter. Don't call me out, though.

As an RPG veteran, Dragon Age is a huge game with a TON of content. That's a fact, my dear.

I have never seen human beings so irate over a $7 issue.

I will concur that the inventory issue for me personally (6 hours in) is very annoying. I like to hoard things and it sucks spending so much time micro managing my inventory. The graphics are VERY disappointing as well but the attribute that to me playing on a PS3 (sorry but I wanted surround sound, comfy couch action). But the fact remains that this game is just fun. I am having a blast with it so far and the story is stellar.

One question though. If I buy Warden's keep, do I get the chest in the regular campaign?

As much as I hate DLC being released alongside launch to just get more money, we gotta realize that we are talking about Dragon Age here, which someone can easily play 50+ hours and not even experience half the content in the actual game.

DLC during launch week, is the worse thing a company can do, even if it's Bioware..it looks shaddy.

Okay so you buy the game 50 or 60 bucks, then you find out there's a DLC the day of the launch game or the week of and your thinking to yourself...hmmm what could this be.

A storage chest increase and a few goodies for what 7 dollars? How convenient I need those, why weren't they in the game to begin with and why am I paying for what is to be the big thing on the list of why i'm buying it or need this DLC ( increased storage space)

DLC is the most abused by greedy companies and MS is a huge blame on this, but i'm not going to say there not the only one they just stand out pretty far on this issue. I want to pay for expansions, song tracks, extra content, not for some little thing that could be a FREE PATCH UPDATE.

PC games should be 20 to 30 bucks and Console games 30 to 40 bucks then, I wouldn't complain about some much DLC in games, cause then I can see my hard earned money no go to waste, cause when i'm forking close to 80 to 100 dollars game included it just makes me feel sad about how the gaming industry is going to rob me of my entertainment.

On the XBox version at least, as soon as you start the game it prompts you to buy DLC. When you get to your first in-game campsite, a character gives you this long description about this awesome dungeon full of awesome loot of awesomeness that you've just GOTTA have! Excited? Excited! Great, now just pay up 650 Microsoft points and download now!

They actually stuck an NPC into the game to make you a sneaky sales pitch for DLC. What. The. Fuck. Bioware. How many times are you going to slap a paying customer in the face? The XBox version is already $10 more than the PC version.

From his description (read: sales pitch) it sounds tempting, but I must refuse to buy it on principle. I'm recommending that all my friends wait for a cheaper GOTY edition, used if possible.

You people are ridiculous. The DLC does add a chest, but you also gain a base of operations. It's quite a large fortress that you have to fight to reclaim. I had a blast fighting my way through each level of the dungeon and finally defeating several bosses. I got some nice abilities, several delightful pieces of equipment, and found out a ton more about the lore. I bought the Digital Deluxe edition on Steam simply because I trusted that BioWare would not disappoint, and they didn't.

And for those of you who don't know, the DLC was content that they came up with while the main campaign was being finished for consoles. This IS after all a PC game. The DLC content was done after the game was already finished, pressed and packaged. If you want to cry about it, go ahead, but it doesn't make it any less of a value. Warden's Keep is definitely more than $7 in content.

As for the main game, no, you don't NEED the chest. The only reason it's there at all is to store junk you don't normally need to carry, like crafting ingredients. And because of the fact that it conflicts with the game's main storyline, you DO need to return to your castle in order to use it. You will NOT find a chest at your campsite.

Enjoy.

If it was EA's fault, it's not like they'd admit it and jeopardize their relationship. Then look at the other little "quirks" of Dragon Age: a console-based game from a company that built its reputation on PC games. Excessive blood and sex that's handled poorly at best, and feels totally shoehorned at worst, but makes for good marketing to the "HALO kiddies."

EA's gotten a lot better about giving developers freedom. They've also gotten a lot better at being subtle when they take it away.

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Don't blame EA for Dragon Age's inventory (or paid DLC)

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