Dragon Age - Sequel Dated?

VG247 (via 1Up) has an interesting discovery. Apparently retail copies of Dragon Age: Awakening contain a teaser card with an image of the Dragon Age blood dragon - and a date of February 1st, 2011. We already know a sequel is expected around that time, according to a recent EA financial conference call. Is this the specific release date for a sequel?
Thanks, Lemonhead.
More information.

Dragon Age 2 in less than a year from now?

I'll believe it when it happens.

I have my doubts as well.

If it's true I will bet at best for another expansion, like Awakening.

It could very well be, they did something similiar with Baldurs Gate I and II, they can use the same engine and everything with same minor tweaks and just provide a new story.

Anyway… I don't care much for DA… EA completely ruined it (exactly as they did with almost every past game franchise they acquired… hello Ultima?) with their mainstrean approach, filling it with blood, sex and arcadeish elements like auto heal or resurrect.

Originally Posted by Francesco
It could very well be, they did something similiar with Baldurs Gate I and II, they can use the same engine and everything with same minor tweaks and just provide a new story.

Anyway… I don't care much for DA… EA completely ruined it (exactly as they did with almost every past game franchise they acquired… hello Ultima?) with their mainstrean approach, filling it with blood, sex and arcadeish elements like auto heal or resurrect.

I understand how you feel. I was crushed when I found out what Dragon Age was going to be like. I was hoping for it to look something like what Diablo III is looking now with the sharp graphics with the isometric view, and a combat system similiar to Dungeons & Dragons working in the background. Maybe a modern version of The Temple of Elemental Evil is what I feel Dragon Age should have been. The only roots Dragon Age shows from the Baldurs Gate series is you kill monsters… However, I still bought it and think it's a decent game. I like it mostly because there really isnt much out there thats is as polished and well thoguht out as DAO. I still boot my Temple of Elemental Evil to get my computer D&D fix from time to time.

Originally Posted by spiraling69
…
However, I still bought it and think it's a decent game. I like it mostly because there really isnt much out there thats is as polished and well thoguht out as DAO. I still boot my Temple of Elemental Evil to get my computer D&D fix from time to time.

Sure, it's still a decent game and in fact I bought it too, some of the game aspects rock, but far from being the Baldurs Gate sequel I have always been waiting.

It would have been nice if at least EA kept away from the PC all those console elements that, in my opinion, completely ruin the experience. Well.. I guess it was too much to ask.

Probably one of ea's biggest successes, they probably have at least two teams, plus 3 times the normal contractors working, to get another cash cow out the door.

Originally Posted by Francesco
Anyway… I don't care much for DA… EA completely ruined it (exactly as they did with almost every past game franchise they acquired… hello Ultima?) with their mainstrean approach, filling it with blood, sex and arcadeish elements like auto heal or resurrect.

EA did all that? Really? How do you know?

Also, this could well be Dragon Age 2. There should be no surprise there; BioWare's stipulations under EA put them at a very high output of millions-selling AAA titles, so expect their output to be much higher than it was pre-EA.

I hope it's DA2. I don't want to play with my level 30+ characters. My experience of 'epic levels' in all games is … cheese.

Originally Posted by Brother None
EA did all that? Really? How do you know?

My thoughts too. Bioware have long showed a tendency to use auto-heal / resurrection after battles… all the way back to KotOR if I remember rightly, through NWN and then Mass Effect.

Originally Posted by Brother None
EA did all that? Really? How do you know?

Every single PC game franchise buoght by EA is either DEAD or CONSOLIZED, this is a fact. DA is no different.

Originally Posted by Dhruin
VG247 (via 1Up) has an interesting discovery. Apparently retail copies of Dragon Age: Awakening contain a teaser card with an image of the Dragon Age blood dragon - and a date of February 1st, 2011. We already know a sequel is expected around that time, according to a recent EA financial conference call. Is this the specific release date for a sequel?
Thanks, Lemonhead.
More information.

We actually do no know that the sequel is expected around that time, we know a Dragon Age title is expected around then. Which could be an expansion, sequel, unrelated game, ect. This is just more confirmation that a Dragon Age title is coming out around that time. Anything further is just speculation and conjecture.

Originally Posted by Brother None
EA did all that? Really? How do you know

I enjoy Dragon Age; however I am scared that EA will eventually do to Bioware what they did to Westwood, Bullfrog, Maxis, ect

Hey! It's EA! They gotta make $$$ somehow when about all else they've got is their very tired sports games, but I guess it's hard to make a new version every year that's actually worth it any longer. In the 90s they could get away doing major gfx updates every year and implementing more new features. Now it feel more like they should just release roster/stat updates as DLC but I guess that wouldn't make them nearly as much $$$.

Anyways, they'll run DA into ground before long. Spewing out DLC on release was disgusting(wonder where that DLC came from… hmm… cut maybe?), and then IIRC an expansion pack due soon that costs about the same as the original game while not being as large?

Usual EA behavior. I figure that Bioware's got about 5y left… one expensive BW release that tanks and they'll be on the cost cutting floor. (And I remember EA when they were decent. Shame what they've turned into.)

Originally Posted by cutterjohn
Usual EA behavior. I figure that Bioware's got about 5y left… one expensive BW release that tanks and they'll be on the cost cutting floor. (And I remember EA when they were decent. Shame what they've turned into.)

Yeah, I have many great videogames on my shelf released in the 90s by the "old" EA… but at some point they turned into this money hungry powerhouse.
They ruined great companies like Origin, Westwood, Bulfrong, Maxis… and these are just the first that came into my mind, I fear for Bioware.

I guess we can't blame them… as long as people keep buying their games they will feel no need to change. That's why I stopped to support this crap a while ago and stopped buying EA stuff unless I'm really forced to (couldn't resist and had to buy DA).

Originally Posted by Krovikan
We actually do no know that the sequel is expected around that time, we know a Dragon Age title is expected around then. Which could be an expansion, sequel, unrelated game, ect. This is just more confirmation that a Dragon Age title is coming out around that time. Anything further is just speculation and conjecture.

Absolutely correct - that was an error and the newsbit has been edited. That said, this will be a sequel.

Originally Posted by spiraling69
I understand how you feel. I was crushed when I found out what Dragon Age was going to be like. I was hoping for it to look something like what Diablo III is looking now with the sharp graphics with the isometric view, and a combat system similiar to Dungeons & Dragons working in the background. Maybe a modern version of The Temple of Elemental Evil is what I feel Dragon Age should have been. The only roots Dragon Age shows from the Baldurs Gate series is you kill monsters… However, I still bought it and think it's a decent game. I like it mostly because there really isnt much out there thats is as polished and well thoguht out as DAO. I still boot my Temple of Elemental Evil to get my computer D&D fix from time to time.

You COMPLETELY discredit yourself by mentioning Diablo 3 as the pinnacle of RPG.
On the PC, you can get the iso view very easily. Have you actually played it?

It seems some of you guys have been living under a rock for the past 7 years or so.
EA has stopped being the "evil empire" about 3-4 years ago. Activision is the new EA.

As for Bioware making DA console friendly… what are you smoking? Auto Res. has been
the standard long before EA entered the picture. Bioware seems almost completely unchanged
from how they've always been. IN FACT, there are running jokes how all their games are
the same. You guys need to wake up.

Yeah, I can't agree with too much there. DA looked pretty good in "iso" mode to me. And as much as I liked ToEE, it's a pretty limited design with little in common with BG/BG2, other than the D&D rules. BioWare has *always* done character-centric games - why would you expect anything like ToEE?

Originally Posted by countingdown7
You COMPLETELY discredit yourself by mentioning Diablo 3 as the pinnacle of RPG.

He was just talking about the graphical presentation, so that's a bit unfair.