Dragon Age Legends - Shutting Down in June

I've had this in my inbox for a few days but I'm only just getting to it. I doubt many will shed a tear but the social game Dragon Age Legends will be shut down in June. On the other hand, a free downloadable version will be released after the servers have been closed, which seems like a win to me:

Sad news to report today: On June 18, 2012 we’ll be turning off the Dragon Age Legends servers. This is by no means a reflection on the quality of the game; the awesome team who created it; or the incredible, passionate community who has supported it. The unfortunate reality is that DAL doesn’t make enough revenue to sustain itself.

While it’s never fun to say goodbye, consider it only temporary. We’re also hard at work on our next core social projects, and we promise you they will be even more epic than anything we’ve done before. We hope you’ll join us again when they launch.

Head over for the exact details. Originally spotted at GameBanshee but a new post at RPS reminded me.
More information.

I will try this free downloadable version!

I'd like to read into this that, when the time comes to disable the online integration/activation elements for games like ME and DA, they'll behave equally as benevolently. But I'm far too cynical anymore. Still, kudos to them for doing this under the circumstances of "having" to take down a game people are still playing.

Shutting down the server is absolutely no reflection on the quality of the game --it's a great game!-- unfortunately, you know, nobody wants to play it.

I'm rather looking into this downloadable game … I bet it will be distributed via "Origins" ?

Well, that or nobody wants (or "wanted") to adopt the payment model they're using to play it.

Me, I'd have dropped 10 or 15 bucks on a game like that if they'd just given me a game and said "there it is, enjoy". But the Free2Play/microtransaction model they use instead?

To me, if I were being charitable in my assessment, that's just an additional challenge of the game: How far can I get without dropping any real money on the game, without getting any upgrades for my castle, without getting the best equipment? Games are usually balanced such that I find I have a fair bit of leeway when it comes to the character I feel like playing vs. the min-maxed powergamer's character you need to win-win-win. I find that I don't need the best equipment, spells, or skills in order to progress, so in this case, that meant I didn't spend a dime.

Viewing it from a more accurate perspective, though, it was ultimately that model that drove me away from the game, despite the fact that I rather enjoyed playing it. Being wary of every single action in the game, all the time, just so that I don't lose those precious Crowns, an energy bar designed such that I can only advance four or five squares on the game board every play session UNLESS I start spending money… over and over and over again… I find that a pretty offensive sort of design, truth be told. Not content with getting my money up front, they feel they have to nickel and dime their way to riches every time I feel like playing?

Am calling shenanigans on the entire notion, and will simply not support it. It gets in the way of the fun FAR too much.

But, if they're going to remove that aspect of the game and simply let me play without dangling in my face all the time all those wonderful things that I COULD have if only I'd open up a permanent connection from my wallet to their coffers, I can see myself taking advantage of that offer. It is, after all, a fun little game… even if Bioware has somehow managed to kill off all of my previous interest in the Dragon Age setting.

And Big Head mode is still good for a giggle.

"Big Head Mode" ?

I was always interested to see if this would be a commercial success. To me, only fools play a game that requires an open-ended amount of real-life cash to play. RPG gamers are generally not fools. So how would a coin-op game aimed at RPG fans do? Well, today we have the answer.

Next question - how long will it take for this lesson to filter through to The Doctors before more jobs are lost on these silly ventures?

It should have been free to begin with…

Thanks for that assessment, Mithter Thibbs. It sounds just as aggravating as I imagined it would be!

Originally Posted by JDR13
It should have been free to begin with…

It was free, except that without spending money in it you could only play 30 minutes per day.

Originally Posted by Alrik Fassbauer
"Big Head Mode" ?

Is a mode they came out with for April Fools day… last year, I think? Can't remember which year it was, but it was just an April fools dasy thing.

Guess some people liked it enough for them to make a permanent option out of it.

Couple screenshots for reference:
http://www.rpgwatch.com/forums/attac…1&d=1337810838

Edit: Incidentally, since hearing that they'd be shutting down the servers, I tried playing again, just to see what had changed since I'd last been on. Turns out they've removed the time limits on a couple of the most limiting aspects of the game: The Energy bar is always full now, so you don't have to wait X number of minutes before advancing to the next challenge, and the time limit on how frequently you can re-use people in your group. Time was when you could only use any given "NPC" once in a three or four hour time span (or more if they died in the encounter… unless you spent crowns (money) on an item to revive them sooner, naturally) Now you can use them as often as you want.

All they need to do now is get rid of the Crown mechanism entirely and just replace it with straight in-game gold, and it'll be as if it was a normal game from the get-go.