Dragon Age DLC has earned over $1 million

by Alexander Sliwinski on Nov 13th 2009 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.

How do you 'spend' your time?
With what's on the disc -- only!	1377 (25.9%)
Happily, with disc and DLC	1286 (24.2%)
With disc and DLC ... gritting my teeth (grrrrr!)	640 (12.0%)
Is this the option where I can vote for Modern Warfare 2?	2018 (37.9%)

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Tags: bioware, dlc, dragon-age, dragon-age-origins, ea, electronic-arts, Microsoft, sales, Xbox-360

Reader Comments (98)

There's DLC for entirely new areas, characters and quests as well. It's not just storage options.

Save your breath, if internet retards want to complain about something, they'll do it regardless of the actual facts.

How hard would it be to just add some sort of container with the editing tools they included?

A storage chest add-on already exists, and it was created by a guy from Bioware.

Sorry forgot the link:
http://social.bioware.com/project/463/

Not very hard at all.

There's a handy trainer out that greatly expands your in-party storage space for people who feel inventory limits are unnecessary. Personally, I rate them right up there with "paying taxes on monster loot" in terms of desirable immersion factors.

and the fact they made a plug-in just for a chest shows that they could (and should) have put it in the game instead of dropping a NPC salesman in the game at launch instead.

I'm tired of having to drag around powerful uniques that my party isn't skilled enough to use yet. Especially when I acquire new items that can be used by other characters at camp and don't have space to carry them back.

So Bioware intentionally crippled the game by removing a very basic feature found in almost every other RPG, with the excuse that the save files would be too big.

And you can't even drop items - you have to "destroy" them. Yeah, of course you do. It's not as if object tracking hasn't been done in other games for years is it?

There are for the PC, but not for the 360. Plus, like it's been said before. The Warden's Keep has one of the best area's in the game plus some really good loot drops off of the bosses in the area and the weapon the smith can make (if you bring him the right item) is one of the best in the game, if not the best.

On top of that there is no DLC just for storage. I assume this is referring to the Warden's Keep. Again, more quests, more areas, more shit to do... it just happens to also come with a keep to store some more items. That's not all it is.

Wrong. There's a download that is out that has storage for FREE.
http://social.bioware.com/project/463/

The thing is, it even explains why it's not in the main game in the description (as they stated in their press releases.) They weren't able to get it to work effectively and be consistently accessable in the dynamic version of the camp. So they bundled it in to Warden's Keep. People say "well they didn't get it working in one breath and they got it working in another." That's wrong, they were able to get it working in Warden's Keep because that's a non-dynamic environment. It doesn't have the combat sequences which broke it in the main camp.

At the end of the day, I don't think anyone that hates DLC hates the free stuff.

Not to mention, how would something free add to their $1 million haul to begin with?

Okay, this "Blame Bioware" is getting a bit old already. Here's the thing, ALL of the DLC that you can get is available in various bundles. If you order the Collector's Edition or the Ulimate Digital Edition you get various groups of the DLC. Here's the rub, let's say I don't have seventy or eighty bucks to splash out right away, so I buy the lesser package. Fine. But I want some if not all of this DLC, well instead of being SOL like I would have been in many cases I can download it at my leisure and just the parts I want. I don't need the silly helmet I just get the Warden's Keep instead. THIS is the logic, not something nefarious but trying to give more options to the user.

Also, whilst people are complaining they neglect to mention that the developers put out a camp chest FREE. So for all the complaints remember they've provided it free at the end of the day. A lot of developers would say T.S.

That brings me to the next point, I HATE it when companies remove content from a game so they can charge an extra $20+ for it by putting it in a special edition bundle.

anyone who unlocked DLC achievements in the first 3 days (from the Tuesday) are having issues with them not unlocking correctly, even recovering Gamertags and restarting the game from absolute scratch has no affect.. I got the Rock and a Hard Place on day 1, which only added a picture, I've tried re unlocking it a few times and nothing at all - Bioware & EA have said nothing

Along with all the other issues the 2 console versions are having.. When are we going to get a patch?

Well, now that the toolkit is out, just sit back and wait for the custom content to begin pouring in.

Where's the option for "I bought the Digital Deluxe edition"?

Would any of you whiners really be able to say, with a straight face, that the basic edition of the game doesn't have $50 worth of content on it? People pay $50 for 6-10 hour shooters and action games all the time, and then another $10-20 for a few extra maps, weapons etc. Dragon Age is easily a twenty hour game, encourages multiple play-throughs, AND has a huge assortment of weapons and armor already. Not to mention providing us with the very same developer-grade toolset they used to make the game, which will ensure loads of quality free content for years to come. With the value available on the disc already, Bioware and EA can charge whatever the hell they want.

Also, I don't understand why people think that storage chest is so freaking essential. I'm fifteen hours in and I haven't filled my inventory once.

It took me over 20 hours just to get through like, 30% of the game. It's more like a 60+ hour game.

I will consider DLC if, having played more of the game, I feel it warrants extra investment.

I don't feel at all bad about what I spent on Fallout 3 DLC, because I got a TON of gameplay out of my investment. If Dragon Age can complete, I'll spend.

Wait, it launched with DLC? Goddamn that pisses me off. Do they charge for the content on the PC version or should I pass this game entirely?

I really fail to understand the difference between developing extra content two months ago or a month from now. The way some people talk, it's like they see the developer as being employed by the customer during the development period or something. Does your fifty dollars somehow to entitle you to every creative output Bioware Edmonton has had for the last five years?

My money entitles me to opt out of buying a game on principle, so shut the fuck up.

Maybe I'm old fashioned, but when I buy a game new at full price, I want the whole damn game. I have no problem with developers taking time and adding content later, but launch day DLC is parts of the game that could be on the disk, but are deliberately removed so they can charge extra for it.

The video game industry has become too profit driven. It's disgusting.

Dont be naive, how was it never profit driven? They're a business, not god damn art galleries or public museums, they've always been about making money. Second of all, the Warden's Keep DLC was not maliciously removed from the game to sell it later, it was created after the game was finished, at least the PC version which went gold in May. Even if they hadnt started working on it then, im guessing the console version went gold at least sometime in early october if not September, that's plenty of time to work on DLC that lasts about an hour

Expanding in game storage seems kind of goofy, since it is something they could have easily included, but in terms of content I think Dragon Age provided more than enough straight out of the box.

My concern is that companies will withhold so much content for download that the original game doesn't have enough to warrant some of the these sky rocketing prices.

Should add an option for "Disc and FREE DLC only"... I've got some DLC that came for free with my purchase, plus some Journeys bounty.

Step 1: Buy PC version. ($10 cheaper! Ignore the $1000 rig required to play it.)
Step 2: Download free user-created mods adding more storage space, difficulty options, and more.
Step 3: $17 Profit!

Oh no they didn't give me something that has absolutely nothing to do with the main story for free!
Oh no they put one single chunk of AI in the base camp to provide a cohesive bridge to said un-related material!
You are evil! I want it for free!

it removed my < /entitlement > tag at the bottom
:(

I've got to admit, I originally went into the game not wanting to buy any of the DLC, but was pretty impressed at Levi's sales pitch and ponied up the $7 right there. I stand by my purchase.

What if Soap find's Sten's sword and starts doing something really damn cool?

bah, fail-system is fail

The comment was meant for Blank-mage, but the bloody system doesn't let you reply to people with a ' in their name.

Bah, get this MW2 out of my DA post. Thou art not welcome here.

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.

You don't BUY the extra staorage. You EARN it after a whole bunch of demons kick your butt.

Unless you wait until you level-up more, like I now have to. I didn't have much money to buy potions, so I basically ran out before I could finish and had to abandon that save and use another one to try a different quest first.

The next DLC should be a stadium where you fight for gold. Earning a few hundred gold pieces would make the rest of the game MUCH easier, what with all the neat stuff available. I just wish I could afford a few extra spells right NOW...

Tell me about it. I see the rest of the Blood Dragon armor in camp and my heart breaks a little bit.

The DLC was free if you bought the game. I got the free DLC, I'd never pay for extra DLC. Especially day one DLC.

I confess, despite being very excited for this game, Fallout, CoD, and LittleBigPlanet have convinced me to wait a year for the Game of the Year edition with a year's worth of DLC includes.

It's not like I have the time to commit to it right now anyway with MW2 and Uncharted 2.

And this is why I'll wait till the GOTY edition ships with all DLC. Patience is a virtue (at least it paid off waiting for Fallout).

The fundamental flaw with this trend is that it will eventually lead on-the-fence gamers to shy away from these type of games... at least till the GOTY or Special Edition comes out a year later with all the DLC on-disc. I wasn't really planning on getting this although it looks good, but I might when a version comes out with all the DLC on-disc.

I want everyone to know that both DLCs for this were not some plan to nickel and dime you by selling content that would just be unlocked from the disc. The PC version of Dragon Age went gold, that is started disc production in MAY! So the game was pretty much done by then, and all that time between then and now for consoles was just polishing, playtesting etc. So that's PLENTY of time to work on the very reasonably priced DLC. And honestly, as others have said, if it gives bioware more of a reason to make a sequel to this 100 year old bottle of scotch of a game, then fuck yes

I wish more companies would 'rip me off' with 80 hour, choice driven, epic RPGs.

where is the option for "I'm too broke to buy any new games"?
:(

was a bit upset about the idea that they took the chest out of the game and put it into some DLC. But after playing the game I understand why they took it out. Almost makes it feel broken having the chest in there and no point to having buying the backpacks or vice versa. and I really never bothered with the chest. I keep all my rares in there, but never really take them out. Just a storage for items that I don't want to sell, but have no use for because I have better stuff.

But even without the chest, the DLC is still worth $7. only real complaint with it is that it is a tad short (could've had an extra floor to the dungeon part of it). But you get a dungeon that gives quite a bit of backstory, good dialogue, a few moral choices, a couple bosses, and great equipment. not to mention 2 unique abilities based on class, depending if you want to follow that moral route or not.

For those who really "interacted" with the party, I want a massive expansion that encompasses that story. I would gladly pay 30 dollars for that.

Sounds like a lot of premature knee-jerking over nothing. I can understand assuming the worst with EA though. They've been very... experimental with game releases in recent years, particularly with DRM. However, you people complaining need to take some time to inform yourselves first in future. Looking pretty dumb now the free chest add-on's been pointed out (thanks for that by the way).

I've hated some of the things EA's tried, and it's good to call them out on it when it sucks. I haven't made my mind up about DLC though. As long as it doesn't become a replacement for expansions I can't see it being a bad idea. I like the idea of using it to make replaying the campaign more interesting, I'd pay a small amount for that, but I would prefer a big meaty chunk of extra game over quest-by-quest morsels.

Previous 50 Comments

Dragon Age DLC has earned over $1 million

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Posted: Nov 13th 2009 11:31AM Softserve said

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