Dragon Age DLC has earned over $1 million
by Alexander Sliwinski 
{ Nov 13th 2009 at 11:09AM } 
EA has touted that Dragon Age: Origins has already brought in over $1 million in sales of its launch DLC. G4 reports on CFO Eric Brown's presentation at a recent conference, where the EA exec revealed the figure and reiterated, "The game was designed at the outset to have extensive [paid DLC] at launch, as well through the next 12-plus months of its lifespan."
Dragon Age players should remember to blame developer BioWare and its QA department if they felt obligated to pick up the launch DLC, which expands in-game storage space for items. As shady as that sounds, apparently it wasn't enough to deter significant purchases of the optional content.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Wonderflex @ Nov 13th 2009 11:13AM
Sounds so familiar.
I really wish we had the ability to look at our comments before there was the switch in profile styles because I talked about this in 2005. I've always felt that DLC could eventually lead to broken games, or game-like shells, that require repeat purchases to equate what a full game should be in the first place.
For some games I love DLC, such as in Modern Warfare. Paying for additional maps a year later is a plus. Having to pay for more storage out of the gate is not.
LegendaryRedass @ Nov 13th 2009 12:00PM
The main dlc with the chest came with the game for free. I don't know wtf ppl are complaining about. And a good thing about it is it was in the strategy guide as a result of being ready at launch.
arkweld @ Nov 13th 2009 12:10PM
no it didn't. Warden's Keep only came with digital purchases, not retail discs.
TrueAngelofMercy @ Nov 13th 2009 12:23PM
Where did you get that idea? both PC and console retail discs come with the DLC. Collector's edition came with stone prisoner so you do have to buy that but the idea was to convince people to buy the game new and not used.
baby sea tuna @ Nov 13th 2009 12:29PM
Arkweld is right, it only came with the PC Deluxe Edition. Still, Warden's keep isn't just a chest, it was a full fledged quest complete with loot, new characters, and new shops. I personally think it was worth the money, but I can see how people might be a bit miffed by having to buy something that really should have been in the game.
LegendaryRedass @ Nov 13th 2009 1:07PM
I guess that was an imaginary code in my box. I unlocked the cheevos for it yesterday. On the other side of the paper with that code was another code for mass effect armor. I got the 360 version if that makes any difference. I'll tell you what, when I get home I'll take a pic and post a link here.
smcn @ Nov 13th 2009 1:12PM
After what happened with Mass Effect, I am so far completely satisfied with Dragon Age DLC, and it makes me hopeful for that of Mass Effect 2. From my own perspective, if I were to enter into an alternate dimension where WK was ready at launch but held back a for PR reasons, I think my disappointment of not having it would outweigh my happiness of all the whiners shutting the fuck up.
Re: Storage space in DA:O, I have not visited the chest since first completing the quest. Buy a backpack, sell your junk, and get over it.
LegendaryRedass @ Nov 13th 2009 1:35PM
My bad. I had my girl send me a pic. The stone prisoner comes with the game. It's the one that 1500 pts. I paid for the other with my last 560 pts. I knew the expensive one was free though, just got the quests mixed up.
arkweld @ Nov 13th 2009 1:35PM
@ LegendaryRedass
are you sure you are not thinking of the Stone Prisoner DLC? That was included as part of all CE copies and on the reverse of the blood armor insert.
LegendaryRedass @ Nov 13th 2009 1:37PM
My bad. I had my girl send me a pic. The stone prisoner comes with the game. It's the one that 1500 pts. I paid for the other with my last 560 pts. I knew the expensive one was free though, just got the quests mixed up.
arkweld @ Nov 13th 2009 1:39PM
yeah, ignore what I just said.
Simultaneous post anomaly!
LegendaryRedass @ Nov 13th 2009 1:54PM
Yay! We both fail!
Mats @ Nov 13th 2009 2:16PM
thing is this. Storage ups the amount of space that savegames take. You can only have so much savegame space on the 360, by MS law.
With DLC, you are allowed to have more, as it requires X amount of space anyway, and this part can expand if they like.
So, really, its Microsofts fault.
The Dark Wayne [Planeteer: Power of the Batusi] ATDFs Financier and Batman @ Nov 13th 2009 3:00PM
FFS, this is hardly a game like shell. All it added was a half hour long quest, a random encounter and the storage chest which is hardly necessary. I didn't use the thing until i reached the very end of the game, and i could have gone even farther if i had bought (in game purchase) backpacks that increase inventory by 10 each, and it was only 560 points. Definitely worth it. The fact is, Dragon Age, at least for PC actually went gold in May, which means for all intents and purposes, it was finished in May, which means that the wardens keep DLC is hardly a 24kb disc unlocker of a download.
MikeO. @ Nov 15th 2009 10:18PM
I'm confused by what everyone is saying did or didn't come with the game. I didn't preorder, I went and picked up a new copy about a week after it came out and it came with 1 slip of paper that had the Warden's Keep and Stone Prisoner DLC all on one piece of paper. It was like a $22 value free just for buying a new copy. This was on 360 if that changes anything.
Tom @ Nov 13th 2009 11:14AM
Because it, unfortunately, is like buying gas. You gripe about the high prices, but you still have to buy it. Don't give me the whole "If you don't want it, don't buy it". To expand the in-game storage space is a no-brainer. It should have been included in the original game. Becoming encumbered and destroying items because you have no where to put them was a horrible design flaw. Oh wait, it wasn't a design flaw, let's just move that critical piece of the game to DLC!
Samuel Vimes @ Nov 13th 2009 11:23AM
This reminds me of Beautiful Katamari. Release half of the game for $30, then you have to buy the other half of the game as "dlc" despite it already being on the game disc. Flawed entirely.
James @ Nov 13th 2009 11:24AM
Or there's the possibility they wanted it so you couldn't carry 9000 pieces of gear around, most of the time I'm just chucking tier 1 or 2 gear worth nothing anyways. Personally I'm happier with it like this then a weight based inventory which I'm actually kind of surprised was not implemented.
smcn @ Nov 13th 2009 1:20PM
I'm beginning to think some people have no idea how the "extra storage" actually works. It doesn't expand what you can carry. It's a chest in a remote location (not even in your camp, which might actually make sense), and doesn't even sort items like your inventory. It's barely useful at all, and I wouldn't mind if it was completely absent from the DLC.
bayn @ Nov 13th 2009 2:08PM
Actually,
Like gas you DONT have to buy it. Bike, carpool, public transportation etc.
Everyone is so keen on having the games day 1 that they will shell out 60 dollars before finding out if the game is any good. We all know it sucks if this is your genre and perhaps there hasent been much to play for you but if you buy the game, or worse the DLC you SUPPORT the action not condemn it.
They don't care what you say if you already paid for the product, you cant buy it then complain because then they think "you'll buy it anyway". All you are doing is justifying your disdain to yourself.
If you are unhappy with the practice, sell the game, or next time wait 2 weeks before buying it to see what they say and then decide. Yeah it sucks if you have to skip a game, especially if you've been waiting for it but by us buying items that support this, we'll all pay (literally and figuratively) for it in the end.
E.J. @ Nov 13th 2009 11:14AM
EA has finally found a way to sell cheat-DLC: have BioWare do it and people will lap it up.
Discotheque @ Nov 13th 2009 11:16AM
Oh so I'm assuming that the game was obviously a success then too? Good news indeed. I hope Bioware develops more RPGS like this along-side stuff like Mass Effect.
Mass Effect was alright....but it wasn't RPG-...ey enough for me.
Avatar @ Nov 13th 2009 11:37AM
Mass Effect isn't an RPG, it's a shooter with RPG elements.
EX3CUT1ON @ Nov 13th 2009 2:06PM
@ Avatar
I think you got it the wrong way wround.
Bananarama @ Nov 13th 2009 11:21AM
Why is there no option for "Bought the special edition and got it all that way", because that's what I did. Come to think of it, I wonder if EA is including those people who bought the special edition in that figure.
joeythehobo @ Nov 13th 2009 11:34AM
I guarantee they're including those. But that still means the game has sold like gangbusters.
joeythehobo @ Nov 13th 2009 11:35AM
*they've
arkweld @ Nov 13th 2009 12:13PM
because the option would have to be "Bought the disc and got most of it."
Only the digital CE version got all the DLC.
TrueAngelofMercy @ Nov 13th 2009 12:33PM
Man ark what happened did your box miss the redemption code? because you're saying blatantly false information
Bananarama @ Nov 13th 2009 12:40PM
Actually I don't think he is. I think they said on the GWJ podcast that only the digital CE got the Wardens Keep DLC. And that's what I meant by special edition, there should be an option for that.
arkweld @ Nov 13th 2009 12:47PM
Do you keep up with the news TrueAngelofMercy? Doesn't seem like it.
You need to get your information from better sources, because Bioware made the clarification on their site months ago.
http://daforums.bioware.com/viewtopic.html?topic=689524&forum=135
hunter @ Nov 13th 2009 11:21AM
1 million, and then a lot of guys are complaining why EA or any other company charge for things like a chest.... This is the sad story, we are now willing to be raped with DLC and we pay for it. An then we complain, but we pay... it´s sad but this is how things are now, the funny part is that games have existed for a long time and we never EVER needed DLC. now, it´s a must and the only thing that this is doing is to give excuses to the companies to charge for something as stupid as a chest? something that SHOULD be in the game? ....i can see that the future of this is not too bright, soon we are going to buy a game that has the first two levels and then we ´ll have to pay for the next three.. oh yeah everybody is going to complain, but everybody is going to pay so .....
D dogg @ Nov 13th 2009 11:40AM
First off, WE don't pay for it. The word "we" encapsulates you and whomever else has it. YOU don't have it.
I'm pointing this out because there are a lot, and I do mean A LOT of gamers who don't read Joystiq, Kotaku, IGN, Giant Bomb, Gamespot, etc.
There are gamers who work 9-5 labor jobs with a kid and girlfriend who are barely afloat and won't think twice about spending an additional $5 on their favorite past time.
Point is, educated gamers with principals generally don't purchase these things but there are MANY gamers who aren't educated (I bet less than 15% of total Wii population are educated gamers) who do.
Sidebuster @ Nov 13th 2009 12:31PM
Who's the one who is uneducated? The guy with a girlfriend and a kid that can't keep it in his pants or get a good job who shouldn't be playing games in the first place if he has more important obligations like raising his kids and putting that hundreds he spends on games in savings for rainy days? Or the guy who can afford to buy things he likes that is smart enough to manage his money and lifestyle?
Don't start putting shit in two catagories because it always ends in a bad way. Just look at politics for example.
a drunk amputee @ Nov 13th 2009 12:45PM
Here's the thing: I love Bioware and I love Bioware games. If my $7 contributes to them being able to produce more content, I'll gladly pay it. If this $1M convinces EA to green light a sequel, then my $7 has been worthwhile. It gets me the Keep quest, spells, items, the chest, and an investment in Bioware.
And what's up Dogg? I'm an educated gamer and I bought this. Your elitist generalizations don't make you sound don't make you sound like a gamer with principles. They make you sound like a douche.
Darth Bradwart, The Dark Lord of the Sith-ATDF Co-Founder @ Nov 13th 2009 11:23AM
Hey, it said "BioWare". I was obligated to buy it, and I did it happily.
Storm Eagle [Resident Capcom Megafan] @ Nov 13th 2009 11:23AM
I voted for MW2.
Dragon Age is on the Christmas list.
Cyryus @ Nov 13th 2009 12:08PM
Same here bud!
devilsei @ Nov 13th 2009 12:22PM
Yep! DA:O was good, but not a purchase-with-my-own-money-near-release-date good, that title is for Demon's Souls and MW2 only so far =P
Though, if someone else pays for me and the card for DLC, I'll gladly accept it!
sinai @ Nov 13th 2009 11:24AM
i don't condone piracy, but in the face of DLC that's finished before the game is even on retail shelves, well....
Mats @ Nov 13th 2009 2:23PM
This game was done and printed onto disks in the summer. DLC was made after disk was done and certified. You want them to burn all the disks and make them anew because of a marketing choice?
a drunk amputee @ Nov 13th 2009 3:40PM
Genius. Pirate a game that offers 60+ hours of delicious content because they release an add-on that was created after the game went gold. Anything else you need to dream up to justify stealing this game or are you good?
K387 @ Nov 13th 2009 11:25AM
Meh, I'm not buying the storage space. I got the Stone Prisoner DLC free with the game purchase, and I'll just deal with the storage limitations.
As someone said, EA found a way of charging people for cheat codes. And people were willing to buy them. When precedents are set like that, for-profit companies like EA and Bioware are only going to keep pushing the envelope forward.
Darth Bradwart, The Dark Lord of the Sith-ATDF Co-Founder @ Nov 13th 2009 11:27AM
All companies are for-profit.
Wardens Keep isn't JUST a chest. It's an entire new quest, among other things. And it wasn't THAT expensive.
But, you are correct. No one requires you to buy it.
Storm Eagle [Resident Capcom Megafan] @ Nov 13th 2009 11:25AM
I dread the day when they just start selling you blank discs for $60 and start charging you to write the game data to it.
"Oh, I'm sorry. You wanted to save here? $5 please...."
Chedder @ Nov 13th 2009 11:27AM
Day 1 DLC is probably the only DLC i'll ever buy for a narrative game. Like Gabe and Tycho once I'm done with this game, i'm moving on. To many games to play.
Massmass @ Nov 13th 2009 11:28AM
Wonderful, it's always the RPG tards that ruin pay structures. This kind of DLC should die, not be embraced. The only DLC I'll ever pay for are expansions. Everything else can rot in gaming hell.
Duke @ Nov 13th 2009 12:45PM
How is it the "RPG tards" ruining things? There have been complaints about add-on DLC for games ranging from FPS to Katamari - this is hardly an issue brought about by RPG gamers.
Bravo6 @ Nov 13th 2009 11:28AM
Wow, that's shitty.
Blank-Mage (ATDF's Nuker) @ Nov 13th 2009 11:29AM
If only I could pick options 1 and 4 both. Because I bought both, and it hurts to know I'm that easy. Sweet Jesus, this is why I haven't slept. Every time I try, Soap does something cool, or I find Stens' sword, or some crap. And I crack open another Dr. Pepper and pray it's not the one that gives me kidney stones.