Joystiq

EA Week on Steam kicks off with discounts on Dragon Age titles

Griffin McElroy — Mon, 02 May 2011 17:29:00 EST

Every day this week, Steam's offering discounts on select EA titles and franchises. To kick things off, the retailer's knocked a number of bucks off the various installments of the Dragon Age franchise today, including Origins, Awakening and ... um, 2.

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EA Week on Steam kicks off with discounts on Dragon Age titles originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 02 May 2011 17:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Impulse takes dragon-sized bite from Dragon Age: Origins Ultimate Edition price

Richard Mitchell — Thu, 24 Mar 2011 23:00:00 EST

From a value perspective, it's pretty hard to deny the cost to amount of game ratio of Impulse's half-price deal on Dragon Age: Origins. It includes both Origins and the Awakening expansion for 25 bucks. Throw in the fact that it's actually a good game and, well, you've got yourself a heckuva deal.

Continue reading Impulse takes dragon-sized bite from Dragon Age: Origins Ultimate Edition price

Impulse takes dragon-sized bite from Dragon Age: Origins Ultimate Edition price originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 24 Mar 2011 23:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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BBFC: Dragon Age Ultimate Edition to include Awakening and all DLC

Alexander Sliwinski — Fri, 03 Sep 2010 17:40:00 EST

Filed under: Weird But True, Opinions, New In Pop Culture

Despite popping up on GameStop and having been rated by Australia's OFLC, the so-called "Dragon Age Origins - Ultimate Edition" still hasn't been officially announced by EA. Now the British Board of Film Classification has gone ahead and listed the supposed contents of the re-release, which is "made up of a number of separate components," including:

Dragon Age: Origins (original game)
Dragon Age: Origins - Awakening (standalone expansion)
"The Darkspawn Chronicles" (DLC)
"Feastday Combo Pack" (DLC)
"The Golems of Amgarrak" (DLC)
"Leliana's Song" (DLC)
"Return to Ostagar" (DLC)
"The Stone Prisoner" (lDLC)
"Warden's Keep" (DLC)
"Witch Hunt" (DLC)

While the GameStop listing has since been removed, the retailer had posted a $60 price and an October 12 release date for the Ultimate Edition. We'll be sure to note the official details when EA officially announces them.

BBFC: Dragon Age Ultimate Edition to include Awakening and all DLC originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 03 Sep 2010 17:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Dragon Age: Origins Awakening now available on Mac

Griffin McElroy — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 15:00:00 EST

Filed under: Weird But True, Opinions, New In Pop Culture

Mac users, it's time to brush the caked-on dust from the once-shiny pauldrons of your Dragon Age: Origins party. We know you've been forced to wait patienty for months while BioWare readied the massive RPG's similarly sizable expansion, Awakening, for your particular gaming platform of choice. Your wait is over -- the add-on is now available on major digital distributors for the price of $30.

Of course, it's probably been close to eight months since your Warden's seen any combat action. We strongly suggest you do some stretches to avoid damaging your atrophied Darkspawn-slaying muscles.

Dragon Age: Origins Awakening now available on Mac originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 31 Aug 2010 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Dragon Age, Mass Effect 2 gain +10 cheapness on Amazon

Griffin McElroy — Mon, 28 Jun 2010 13:28:00 EST

At their standard retail prices, BioWare titles typically offer players an unparalleled amount of HEPD, or "hours of enjoyment per dollar." That highly scientific ratio has been significantly altered by Amazon today.

Continue reading Dragon Age, Mass Effect 2 gain +10 cheapness on Amazon

Dragon Age, Mass Effect 2 gain +10 cheapness on Amazon originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 28 Jun 2010 13:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sins of a Solar Empire for $4; Mass Effect and Dragon Age bundles part of Impulse sale

Alexander Sliwinski — Fri, 28 May 2010 21:00:00 EST

Impulse's Memorial Day sale this weekend has Sins of a Solar Empire at the heavenly price of $4. Go buy it now -- full stop. Whatever nit-picky issues the 4X strategy title may have can be thrown out an airlock at that price point. It may lack a single-player campaign to teach the ropes of glorious galactic armada warfare, but setting up a medium-sized map using normal AI is a good place to start. Which reminds us: Gratuitous Space Battles is also on sale.

Impulse also has a more mainstream space opera experience on sale with the first two chapters in the Mass Effect saga bundled for $42. Want something not involving spaceships? There's a Dragon Age: Origins bundle, which includes the original game and Awakening, for $48 -- that'll definitely keep you busy all weekend. Check out the rest of the Impulse weekend sales after the break.

Gallery: Sins of a Solar Empire

Continue reading Sins of a Solar Empire for $4; Mass Effect and Dragon Age bundles part of Impulse sale

Sins of a Solar Empire for $4; Mass Effect and Dragon Age bundles part of Impulse sale originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 28 May 2010 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Alienware offering free Dragon Age shield codes for PC

Mike Schramm — Wed, 24 Mar 2010 05:00:00 EST

Ah yes, Dragon Age Origins' storied realm of Thedas, where great warriors and mages do battle against the Demon Spawn, play kings and knights off of each other in political schemes, and register promotional DLC codes for in-game items. What's that? Your heroic Grey Warden hasn't done the last one yet?

Here's your chance -- Alienware is giving away some free DLC keys for an in-game shield called the Bulwark of the True King. If you only have the original PC game, it's a tier 5 shield, but apparently if you have the Awakening expansion, it revs up to a Tier 7 item. All you have to do is run over to the Alienware website, create an account in its Arena community (you didn't think it'd be that "free," did you?), and then redeem the code in-game to claim your shield.

Note that these keys don't work in the console versions of the game -- Alienware only wants you PC users. But it is a pretty easy way to get a new shield. Much easier than slaying the mad mage of Ferelden or saving the Arl of Redcliffe.

[Thanks Wayne!]

Alienware offering free Dragon Age shield codes for PC originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 24 Mar 2010 05:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Interview: BioWare's Greg Zeschuk and Ray Muzyka

Ludwig Kietzmann — Mon, 22 Mar 2010 16:00:00 EST

"Are you saying BioWare fast turnaround?" company co-founder Greg Zeschuk asks jokingly. The respected RPG developer has been known for taking its time with producing hits like Neverwinter Nights and Baldur's Gate, but has seemingly never been as prolific as it has been in recent months -- just over two years after being acquired by EA. How's this for fast turnaround? Dragon Age: Origins in November 2009, Mass Effect 2 in January, Dragon Age: Origins - Awakening in March and several DLC packs in-between (and more on the way).

We spoke with BioWare co-founders and super-doctors Greg Zeschuk and Ray Muzyka at the Game Developers Conference about their improved production pipeline, the practical challenges of creating DLC and, of course, how fast the turnaround could be on Mass Effect 3*.

*"It's not official!" - Greg Zeschuk

Continue reading Interview: BioWare's Greg Zeschuk and Ray Muzyka

Interview: BioWare's Greg Zeschuk and Ray Muzyka originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 22 Mar 2010 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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European PSN releases for March 18

Griffin McElroy — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 17:00:00 EST

Though there's not much on the "new game front" in this week's European PSN update, there's plenty of new stuff for the games you already know and love. There's the release of Dragon Age: Origins: Awakening, new cars for Need For Speed: Shift, some LittleBigPlanet PSP love, the arrival of Patchwork Heroes and, of course, the Gaga-ization of the Rock Band Music Store. Check out the full list of releases after the jump!

Choose your platform to view the corresponding release list:

(Note: Continue past the break to view both release lists.)

Continue reading European PSN releases for March 18

European PSN releases for March 18 originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 18 Mar 2010 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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New Dragon Age Awakening character needs to go eat a sandwich or something

David Hinkle — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 11:55:00 EST

Justice takes center stage in the latest, and perhaps last trailer for Dragon Age: Origins - Awakening (which is due out this week). Justice is actually a "person," and not the principle -- a ghost trapped in a human body by a sorceress. Uh-huh, it's up to you to help him escape this mortal dilemma.

To make things worse, Justice's "new" body is basically Christian Bale's body (and not the Batman one). In other words, he's a skeleton tightly wrapped in skin. We're surprised Justice can even lift that shield and mace! Forget Elfroot, somebody get this guy some delicious Corpse Gall to fatten him up.

New Dragon Age Awakening character needs to go eat a sandwich or something originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 15 Mar 2010 11:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Mystery Dragon Age project dated Feb. 1, 2011

Ben Gilbert — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 16:40:00 EST

[1UP]

It would appear that the still-unnamed next project in the Dragon Age series has been given a date, as spotted by 1UP in an early retail box of Dragon Age: Origins -- Awakening for PS3. Aligning with the release window hinted at by EA hinted earlier this year during a financial call, the scarcely-detailed game will arrive on Februrary 1, 2011 -- or, in the graphic's terms, "02.01.2011."

We're not exactly sure if this is part of the two years of promised content that BioWare outlined late last year, but at very least it's an extremely early (possible) release date for more content in a critically acclaimed series. We've asked EA for more information on the date and will let you know more as soon as we do.

Mystery Dragon Age project dated Feb. 1, 2011 originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 11 Mar 2010 16:40:00 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 videos: meet Sigrun, ogle B-roll

Christopher Grant — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 11:58:00 EST

BioWare recently released a handful of videos promoting the upcoming expansion to its humongous RPG Dragon Age: Origins - Awakening. In the first, posted above, we meet dwarven legionnaire Sigrun, tasked with returning to the old fortress of Kal'hirol. There's talking Darkspawn, those merry band of adventurers known as the "Legion of the Dead," and even a cameo from our old friend Oghren.

The additional two videos (which come to us via IGN) are simply B-roll, but that means gameplay footage. You'll get a look at some of the new characters in action and even some vistas of the new environments. We get it, it's not much, but you've got less than a month until this old-school expansion pack (remember those?) slays its way to retailers.

Continue reading Dragon Age Awakening videos: meet Sigrun, ogle B-roll

Dragon Age Awakening videos: meet Sigrun, ogle B-roll originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 19 Feb 2010 11:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Kal'hirol: Explore this mysterious dwarven fortress in Dragon Age: Awakening

JC Fletcher — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 17:17:00 EST

click to awaken the gallery
BioWare revealed one of the new venues being added for the Dragon Age: Origins expansion Awakening. Kal'hirol was once a dwarven keep, a center of learning and culture for dwarf society. At some point, however, the dwarves were driven out.

BioWare won't say what horror resulted in "the fortress's elite one day [showing] up at Orzammar's great doors, exhausted and in despair over the loss of their home," but we have a theory: a Subway opened up next door, and the dwarves couldn't stand its constant weird baking-bread smell. Either that or some kind of monsters. You can scour our new gallery for any evidence of $5 footlongs.

Gallery: Dragon Age Origins: Awakening - Kal'hirol

Kal'hirol: Explore this mysterious dwarven fortress in Dragon Age: Awakening originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 17 Feb 2010 17:17:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Dragon Age: Origins Awakening on PS3 download-only in Europe

Justin McElroy — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 10:25:00 EST

We usually think we're too smart for FAQs, preferring the sort of random, only moderately relevant questions that no one ever asks. But the FAQ for Dragon Age: Origins Awakening does provide some pretty useful insight. For instance, we learned that the expansion won't appear on disc for PS3 owners living in Europe. It seems like an odd decision to make, but perhaps you European PS3 fans can enlighten us. Do you guys just hate discs without us knowing it? If so, why did you let us keep buying you all those discs for Christmas without saying anything? [Update: We just heard back from an EA spokesperson, who told us "Apparently this is a Sony Europe rule - you cannot have expansion packs be available on PSN and at retail. You can in North America, which is why we have both here." Huh, who knew?]

Less perplexingly, we saw that lovably grouchy dwarf Oghren plays a "large role" in the expansion, which is great news for all thinking people.

Dragon Age: Origins Awakening on PS3 download-only in Europe originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 15 Feb 2010 10:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Velanna joins the growing Dragon Age Awakening cast

JC Fletcher — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 15:00:00 EST

The second character from the upcoming Dragon Age expansion Awakening to be introduced is Velanna, whose main characteristic is that she hates humans a bunch. Also, much like Awakening's other new character Anders, she keeps her arms out at all times.

The Dalish elf is "nature's hand, an instrument of vengeance, and she will never submit" in her unending fight to avenge the treatment of the Dalish at the hands of humans. Which means your relationship with her probably isn't going to be too chummy if you're playing a human character. And by "not too chummy" we mean "she will murder you with a tree."

Velanna joins the growing Dragon Age Awakening cast originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 11 Feb 2010 15:00:00 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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Meet Anders, your new party member in Dragon Age 'Awakening' expansion

Randy Nelson — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 19:45:00 EST

In the run-up to the expansion's March 16 date with store shelves, BioWare has begun to make formal introductions of the new characters who'll be joining your Dragon Age: Origins - Awakening quest. First up: Anders, a Chantry mage and ... "born troublemaker." In fact, BioWare makes him sound more like Han Solo than a robed magic user, what with his lust for "freedom, a good meal and a pretty girl on his arm."

We'd like to point out that there is not a single screenshot in the gallery below in which Anders doesn't have his arms raised to some degree.

Gallery: Dragon Age: Origins - Awakening (02-02-10)

Meet Anders, your new party member in Dragon Age 'Awakening' expansion originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 02 Feb 2010 19:45:00 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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