Dragon Age 4 - BioWare Teases, Releases 2 Short Stories

ScreenRant reports that BioWare has released two short stories, and speculates on a future announcement.

Dragon Age Day Teases New Game News & Unveils Two Short Stories

In celebration of Dragon Age Day 2021, series developer Bioware expands the franchise's world while teasing announcements about its next installment.

In honor of this year's Dragon Age Day, creator BioWare released two original short stories and teased some upcoming news about Dragon Age 4. The annual fan celebration of the fantasy role-playing series is held on December 4, with BioWare officially joining in on the festivities in 2019. With the franchise's last installment launching back in 2014, many fans are eager for updates on Dragon Age 4's development.

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In honor of Dragon Age Day 2021, BioWare has released two unique short stories while also hinting at further details about the game. Last year, the developer created four short stories taking place within the massive fantasy world of Dragon Age, and this year two more adventures follow suit. The first tale, Won't Know When, sees two Grey Warden monster hunters resting in-between encounters with the dreaded Darkspawn. The Eternal Flame, meanwhile, tells the tale of two necromancers who must give peace to a wailing spirit. Alongside these world-building tales, the Dragon Age team also teased news about the franchise's next installment will be revealed in 2022.

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Cool, I know that question is what it will be, but atm I take any RPG and any news about favourite RPGs, sad but true.

On contrary, I think that new DA game will have stronger competition than any DA game before. Today, there is so many great cRPGs out there. And I think that if Bioware decides that AAA visuals is all that is necessary to succeed, it might be one of last nails into its coffin, as we say.

Hmm all I know is there has been a drought when it comes to RPGs from big developers and publishers. On the other-hand plenty smaller pardon the term B-budget RPGs.

It may surprise some members of this forum and the rest of the vocal internet minority they still have a fan-base. So no I don't foresee that much competition for BioWare.

The sale numbers for the Mass Effect remasters was decent as well. Anyway the lesson to accept is the old BioWare is long dead. So either accept it or move on already.

They will never make another Dragon Age Origins. That was before the EA merger.

As for Dragon Age 4 BioWare has been tight lipped about it since that behind the scenes interview video from last year. It looked like Dark Souls inspired the combat this time.

We'll see if they reveal anything at the Game Awards 2021. Some say they won't, some say they will… it seems, however, that they won't say anything substantial before next year except the hint at single-player (which is empty of any information, I don't see why all those sites are so excited about it).

Since so many things have changed, and so many people have changed too, the game should be a total surprise - it could be anything.

Originally Posted by Redglyph
Since so many things have changed, and so many people have changed too, the game should be a total surprise - it could be anything.

It's been almost eight years since they released a Dragon Age game. We all know the main reason why was Anthem, and that it was re-booted three times already.

I hope to see some actual game-play and information in 2022 as they claim.

Originally Posted by Couchpotato
Hmm all I know is there has been a drought when it comes to RPGs from big developers and publishers. On the other-hand plenty smaller pardon the term B-budget RPGs.

It may surprise some members of this forum and the rest of the vocal internet minority they still have a fan-base. So no I don't foresee that much competition for BioWare.

The sale numbers for the Mass Effect remasters was decent as well. Anyway the lesson to accept is the old BioWare is long dead. So either accept it or move on already.

They will never make another Dragon Age Origins. That was before the EA merger.

As for Dragon Age 4 BioWare has been tight lipped about it since that behind the scenes interview video from last year. It looked like Dark Souls inspired the combat this time.

Visuals and story are great in DA games, but mechanically its bare-bone. I get it, you are in for just a story, but myself, Im rather doubtful I will spend 100 hrs with game which is mechanically shallow if I have many other choices. Im just saying that Bioware doesnt own the cRPG niche as they did in past. Maybe they go mainstream and enjoy huge success, or maybe they forget who their fans are and mainstream wont care enough and it will be flop. I dont know, but Im sure they are getting out of tries quickly.

Hmmm. I need to dig around and see what the best selling "RPGs" have been in the past few years. There has been a bit of a draught when it comes to big developers pushing out new ones. Cyberpunk 2077 was the last big release of an RPG hitting PCs that I remember people being excited about and hey that went well.

Originally Posted by FurtiveNyctophile
Hmmm. I need to dig around and see what the best selling "RPGs" have been in the past few years. There has been a bit of a draught when it comes to big developers pushing out new ones. Cyberpunk 2077 was the last big release of an RPG hitting PCs that I remember people being excited about and hey that went well.

Hmm..I read these comments all the time on this forum but CP 2077 still sold 14 million copies. How many of those B- budget RPGs can say the same. Zero that's what.

Look at Wasteland 3 the latest news today was it only sold 2 million at best.

CP 2077 was not a flop just a disappointment and didn't live up to the hype.

Anyway Starfield seems be the only Big publisher funded RPG game next year. There are some rumors Obsidian's Avowed might get a release next year as well. That's it.

So my point stands there is a drought of big budget RPGs.

It wasn't a flop, but I'd be curious to see if CDPR's next game sells so well, or if they get so many pre-orders.

A few other big successes: old one, but GTA 5 sold 155 million copies in 2021, apparently (November's status), I wonder how they did with their remastered trilogy despite its flaws. Open World had 16 million total players in October (a tenth online simultaneously). Valheim sold 8 millions if that's correct, and ME Legendary Edition must have a nice result too.

Then there are JRPGs but I'm not really following them, I'm probably missing other MMOs as well.

Originally Posted by Andrew23
On contrary, I think that new DA game will have stronger competition than any DA game before.

I still do believe that they destroyed Drakensang.

I still didn't find time to play Drakensang in my library, but DAO was extraordinary when you compare it to any other RPG of that time. For example Kingdoms of Amalur - not a bad game, but compared to DAO it feels very generic. I would say the reason is that DAO was maybe the first game which didn't treat RPGs as infantile world with checkbox, but as a mature story in paralel world.
Everyone will play DA4 - it doesn't matter if it will be good or not (unless it will be really bad) - just out of nostalgia

EDIT:
OK, not a first game, but one of those games.
You could say the same about Mass Effect aswell. I felt like in a movie and still playing it. All the races and their relationships felt so real - I wonder if Starfield will be able to do that, to have those kind of details and depth.

Originally Posted by Couchpotato
Hmm..I read these comments all the time on this forum but CP 2077 still sold 14 million copies. How many of those B- budget RPGs can say the same. Zero that's what.

Oh, sure. It sold well. And by that metric, the best song today is… um, "abcdefu" by "Gayle" I guess. It's the most popular song today. I've never heard it but the masses have spoken. I have found that what is popular is absolutely not what is necessarily "quality" and I'd direct you to read "Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance" for an introduction to that idea.

In all seriousness, yes, CP sold well of course. Nothing else had the budget or advertising of that game, certainly not Wasteland 3. Nothing had the buzz of that game, no other game had the studio that released the LAST huge RPG - Witcher 3 - behind it, either. So yeah, CP sold well as expected. It was still perceived by many (including the developers) as a shoddy release compared to what "might have been" - I still haven't played the game so who knows, it might be the best thing I've ever encountered.

I'm pretty sure that any huge game the creators of "The Witcher" and "Cyberpunk 2077" announce is gonna sell well.

Agree that there is a draught and an opportunity for some AAA studios to make RPGs right now, though. Agree there wholeheartedly.

I think most of the old fans like me will wait until it is on sale before they buy it. I'm sure plenty of the modern console generation will buy it as well. I'd would guess it is unlikely to sell as many copies on PC as the original did though, especially if you account for both inflation and the growth of the PC market since the release of DA:O. DA:O sold over 3 million copies at close to full price. If you include the last 12 years it has probably done another 1-2 million although that would be at a greatly reduced price i.e. 75% off etc.

DA:I sold approximately 6 million units but you have to consider how big the market is now vs when DA:O was released. Additionally the majority of units sold were on consoles. DA:I has had some very deep sales as well which would of helped this number. I paid 5 dollars for the GOTY edition which I thought was a fair price.

Originally Posted by Dafela
I still didn't find time to play Drakensang in my library, but DAO was extraordinary when you compare it to any other RPG of that time. For example Kingdoms of Amalur - not a bad game, but compared to DAO it feels very generic.

KoA was released one year after Dragon Age 2. Closer to Origins release would be games like Fallout 3, Fallout:New Vegas, Alpha-Protocol, Mass Effect 2, Drakensang, Two Worlds II etc.

Only Drakensang would be in a similar style hence DA:O didn't really have any competion at all.

You are right, I will have to play Drakensang to be able to compare it. I did play online version and that was more similar to Diablo for me.
What I meant is that I'm beginning to understand how good writing does have impact on quality of games, I can see that it is also about knowledge of psychology, history, politology when you create those world, without it its just bland, generic.
Maybe that was what players did like about Morrowind, those relations, not only guilds, but also how it felt alive.

At this point I'm not overly optimistic about another DA game from Bioware. But the thing is it's a decent enough fantasy setting. I wonder if they have considered releasing a tabletop source book or two? Maybe license out the setting for a lower budget turn-based tactical RPG?