ChaosTheory
Virtual Reality Hero
Even before the BSN was created (aka in the old DAO forums and before EA was in the picture) the devs didn't hide the fact that each new game in the DA franchise would have a different protagonist. That was the plan from day one, it's not a "post-EA" thing.
(sigh…) Sorry, but I'm going to call you on this one.
Unlike today, I was a daily follower of the Bio forums, both before and after BSN, because I loved Mass Effect (11/2007) and was obsessed with this new universe they were creating with Dragon Age: Origins. I soaked up every word the devs and PR folks were saying about the game. Hell I even read the novels…
When DAO (11/09) came out, they had long since made the decision and announcement that your character in Mass Effect would continue into ME2 (and later ME3) which was to release a few months later. BioWare did everything they could to suggest that the whole point of the origin stories in DAO was so that the character you created can continue beyond the first game— presumably for a 2, possibly 3 game arc as had already been decided for Mass Effect. If you can somehow dig up posts from 2009, you'll see that they (devs, moderators, writers) all but outright said that the story of your protagonist will continue, as it did with Baldurs Gate— which they also repeatedly compared DAO to.
Then suddenly there was a huge shift, which many including me believe was EA-invoked and DA2 became an awesome button story of self discovery in a boring city by a man named Hawk, instead of the sweeping 3 game arc that I guarantee you was planned involving your Origins character. In addition, there were significant art style changes. There were significant system changes, etc. It was a complete reboot of Dragon Age. It was EA'inized so that it could appeal to a younger, less patient audience.
In addition, DAO was in development too long for it to have been a single game concept. I think it took them something like 5 years to do it, which is crazy even by the old-school game production standards. It was meant to be much more, and I'd bet EA didn't want to spend the money to do it.
So here we are with DA3. It was delayed once already, by a year I guess. Now this? Something's up. I think BioWare saw what Witcher 3 is turning into and figured they should take another look at it.
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