Joystiq

Titan Books publishing Awakening: The Art of Halo 4 in November

David Hinkle — Wed, 09 May 2012 05:00:00 EST

If you prefer your books to be light on those word things, you might want to join us in our favorite pastime - perusing books with lots of pictures in them. Titan Books will produce such a collection of images centered around Halo 4, called Awakening: The Art of Halo 4.

It's a hardcover tome of concept art from 343 Industries highlighting "characters, weapons, vehicles, and environments" from this year's installment in Microsoft's popular franchise. "This collection will provide a detailed look at the art created specifically for Halo 4, with commentary by the creative team at 343 Industries," the announcement reads.

Awakening: The Art of Halo 4 will be available at your favorite Bookatorium in November, which conveniently happens to be when Halo 4 launches.

Gallery: Halo 4 (Concept Art)

Titan Books publishing Awakening: The Art of Halo 4 in November originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 09 May 2012 05:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Dragon Age Origins: Awakening trailer introduces The Disciples

Mike Schramm — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 21:00:00 EST

You know how in Gremlins 2, the Gremlins all break into a genetics lab, and they eat all of the weird gene goop and it gives them superpowers like bat wings or vegetable bodies? And remember how one of them drinks like a brain hormone and becomes Brain Gremlin and gets played by Tony Randall? That's kind of what's happening to the Darkspawn in the Dragon Age Origins: Awakening expansion, according to this new trailer.

Of course, we don't know what kind of brain goop they ate -- and they definitely don't sound like Tony Randall -- but they're all called The Disciples and are all smart and talkative now. And evil. As you can see in the various screenshots below, they've got a face only a Gremlin could love. And honestly, while you might play the expansion on March 16 "thinking you know of our kind, human," you're wrong. All they're looking for are things like the Geneva Convention, chamber music, Susan Sontag. That's right: They just want to be civilized.

Gallery: Dragon Age Origins: Awakening - Disciples

Dragon Age Origins: Awakening trailer introduces The Disciples originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 04 Mar 2010 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Pre-order Dragon Age expansion on PC, get Origins 40% off

Ben Gilbert — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 19:30:00 EST

If you're anything like us, you simply weren't impressed enough by the already overabundant amount of content available in Dragon Age: Origins. No sir! You wanted -- nay! -- demanded more content. Luckily for you, you immovable demander, EA is offering a deal in its online store for the first Dragon Age expansion where pre-orders of the new content can snag the original game on PC for 40 percent off its normal $50 asking price (now just under $30).

That means you could get both Awakening and the game it's based on for a combined $70 -- just $10 more than the Game of the Year edition that's sure to come out in a year's time! It's like an early reward for being hesitant ... almost like you paused the action and arranged the tactics ahead of time. Is there something we should know? Hmmm?

Gallery: Dragon Age: Origins - Awakening (Retail Expansion)

Pre-order Dragon Age expansion on PC, get Origins 40% off originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 26 Feb 2010 19:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Dragon Age Awakening: now with creepy Children!

Ben Gilbert — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 10:09:00 EST

Felt like your copy of Dragon Age: Origins was missing something, eh? Say, maybe, slugs with demonically mutated children's faces? Perfect -- we've got just the trailer for you today, care of upcoming DA:O expansion Awakening, full of creepy-crawly things called "The Children."

There's not much in the way of an explanation of exactly what or why they are, but there are some pretty awful birth pods full of (presumably) amniotic fluid -- well, y'know, evil amniotic fluid (they're bad guys, after all). Hopefully the Children aren't working in concert with that terrifying blue dragon we saw last week. Man, that'd be just the worst! Get fully creeped out by the trailer after the break.

Gallery: Dragon Age: Origins - Awakening (Retail Expansion)

Continue reading Dragon Age Awakening: now with creepy Children!

Dragon Age Awakening: now with creepy Children! originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 05 Feb 2010 10:09:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Dragon Age: Origins 'Awakening' expansion has a giant blue dragon

Ben Gilbert — Sat, 30 Jan 2010 18:30:00 EST

Alright, alright, you kind of already knew about the giant blue dragon in the upcoming Dragon Age: Origins 'Awakening' expansion pack, but you hadn't seen her (yes, her) in all her rage-filled majesty, scaring the crap out of those venturing into Blackmarsh. Between her and Skeletor, we're getting pretty psyched for March's DA:O content infusion. Sure, there's that other BioWare RPG that we're obsessively playing for now, but how long will that last before we feel the urge to venture back into the fantasy realm? We're guessing about two months. And hey, if nothing else, it'll give us something to talk about at PAX East during the Joystiq / Blueberry Muffintops Breakfast.

Gallery: Dragon Age: Origins - Awakening (Retail Expansion)

Dragon Age: Origins 'Awakening' expansion has a giant blue dragon originally appeared on Joystiq on Sat, 30 Jan 2010 18:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Pre-orders for Dragon Age: Origins 'Awakening' expansion now available on Steam

Ben Gilbert — Sat, 23 Jan 2010 14:30:00 EST

Ever since Dragon Age: Origins' upcoming expansion, titled Awakening, was announced back in early January, we've been pining for the chance to drop the $40 on it well before the content actually releases. Thankfully for us, Steam has just opened up pre-orders for the expansion, meaning we can play the expansion in only one month, three weeks, three days and XX hours! We know, we know -- but you're gonna have to calm down. All that excitement could crash your computer. And then where would you be, hmm? No expansion at all! No chance to hang out with Skeletor!

Gallery: Dragon Age: Origins - Awakening (Retail Expansion)

Pre-orders for Dragon Age: Origins 'Awakening' expansion now available on Steam originally appeared on Joystiq on Sat, 23 Jan 2010 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Dragon Age: Awakening expansion detailed

David Hinkle — Thu, 07 Jan 2010 14:00:00 EST

This March, fans of Bioware's epic RPG, Dragon Age: Origins, will be able to extend the experience through 'Awakening,' the hefty retail expansion bearing an equally hefty $40 price tag. While the new trailer coinciding with the announcement was gripping in its own right, many gamers are likely wondering what is deserving of so much coin. Sure, we know it takes place after Origins, we know players will be fighting new Darkspawn baddies and we know there's new items and a raised level cap, but what else should gamers look forward to spending another gazillion hours on?

Well, in a recent interview with IGN, Bioware's Fernando Melo put it all on the line. Basically, the Darkspawn haven't retreated underground after Origins' Blight -- as was the case following previous Blights -- and in the land of Amaranthine, one Darkspawn in particular has evolved to the point where it can talk and reason: the Architect. And if you haven't played through Origins at all and have no character to import, you'll have the option to create a new one that will automatically be placed somewhere between level 17 and 20, around the toughness of Awakening's roster of bad guys.

Then there's the raised level cap. Melo couldn't confirm where it would be when Awakening releases in March, but said it will "probably end up in the mid to high 30s." Also, you'll gain access to a bunch of new followers, complete with all-new banter and micro-managing. This will have a greater affect on imported characters, as Melo says a lot of the choices you've made in Origins carry over and, depending on what point you're currently at in the main game, characters will act accordingly. And if you choose to play Awakening first, decisions there will transfer back to Origins in the same way.

Melo even detailed a bit of the "re-spec" ability you'll have in Awakening. You'll be able to force a reboot of your character's skill points through a tome, allowing you to retain whatever level your Origins character is at, but have a fresh start in terms of where you want to place your points. Obviously, if you choose not to import a character, this feature is moot because you'd be spending all of the points you'll get from starting at the high level Awakening begins.

It's a lot to process and IGN's interview is three very lengthy pages, so if you want to read the rest, head on over and check it out. Just beware of spoilers.

Gallery: Dragon Age: Origins - Awakening (Retail Expansion)

Dragon Age: Awakening expansion detailed originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 07 Jan 2010 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Dragon Age Awakening trailer: just as He foretold

James Ransom-Wiley — Tue, 05 Jan 2010 15:30:00 EST

You'd hoped that after investing 60 hours of your life, you could hang up your sword and catch a breather until the next BioWare RPG, but, oh no, the Darkspawn did not simply disappear. Thankfully, today's announcement of Dragon Age: Origins - Awakening, a retail expansion to ~~IGN's & Spike's RPG of the Year~~ Joystiq's "4th Best of 2009," has been accompanied by this video pep talk. After all, you have quite the task ahead of you.

Awakening will be released March 16 for $39.99 on PC, Xbox 360 and PS3. A copy of the original Dragon Age: Origins is required to play.

Gallery: Dragon Age: Origins - Awakening (Retail Expansion)

Dragon Age Awakening trailer: just as He foretold originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 05 Jan 2010 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Dragon Age: Origins - Awakening announced, dated March 16

JC Fletcher — Tue, 05 Jan 2010 09:30:00 EST

We no longer have to rely on Google-translated rumors about retailer listings regarding an upcoming Dragon Age expansion. EA has officially revealed Awakening, the first retail expansion for Dragon Age: Origins, due in stores March 16 for $40 -- and it's up for pre-order on GameStop now. (There's no word on a downloadable version.)

Awakening takes place after the (many) events of Origins, putting the player in the role of a new Grey Warden Commander, or simply an old, imported character from the main game, taking on new monsters, like the Inferno Golem and the Spectral Dragon, in a new area of the world called Amaranthine. The expansion features an increased level cap, new items, new spells, the ability to "re-spec" attributes, and five new party members with whom to bond.

It seems odd that the DLC delay and the expansion announcements would coincide so closely, though we don't think it's a matter of BioWare trying to starve people for Dragon Age content so that the expansion would appear more attractive. We can't think of any other explanation than "it's a weird coincidence," though we'll attempt to clear it up with BioWare.

Update: Check out the debut trailer.

Gallery: Dragon Age: Origins - Awakening (Retail Expansion)

Dragon Age: Origins - Awakening announced, dated March 16 originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 05 Jan 2010 09:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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