Buy Dragon Age II, get ME2 free

By Fred Dutton Published 5 April, 2011

BioWare says thanks for 1 million sales.

Any gamer who buys – or has already bought – Dragon Age II can claim a free PC download of Mass Effect 2, developer BioWare has announced.

As detailed on the game's official site, the offer is a thank you for helping the RPG sequel pass the one million sales mark in less than two weeks – a faster pace than predecessor Dragon Age: Origins managed.

To qualify, you'll need to grab the title before 30th April. Once you boot the game up, activate the Online Pass content that came with it and log in using your EA Account. Then head on over to the dedicated BioWare site and, again, log in with your EA Account.

Enter your Online Pass code, hit submit, and you should then be given a Mass Effect 2 download code, redeemable via the EA Download Manager.

The BioWare site also offers instructions for those who've bought the game but lost their Online Pass info, and for those who've picked up a used copy.

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About Fred Dutton

Fred Dutton is Eurogamer's US news editor, based in Washington DC.

Read more articles from Fred by visiting the Fred Dutton archive page.

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Comments (47) Latest comment 1 year ago

Comments for this article are now closed, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • JohnnyHD #1 1 year ago

    I'm assuming this is just to promote anti-piracy since they didn't do it for consoles?

  • Hunam #2 1 year ago

    Maybe. Though I bet for most players this offer wont be of much use.

  • Poggins #3 1 year ago

    actually, buying it on any console gets you a free version of ME2 on PC. Says so on Joystiq (http://www.joystiq.com/2011/04/05/biowar... as well as in the email i got

    EDIT: also says this on bioware's website "GOOD ONLY FOR NEW PURCHASES OF "DRAGON AGE™ II FOR PC, PLAYSTATION 3 OR XBOX 360" ("PRODUCT";). MASS EFFECT™ 2 IS ONLY AVAILABLE AS A DOWNLOAD FROM THE EA STORE AND ONLY FOR THE PC. " at http://dragonage.bioware.com/ME2Offer
    Edited by Poggins at 05/04/11 @ 19:59

  • breedob #4 1 year ago

    I bought the ps3 version and they emailed me saying I could get mass effect 2 free for pc. Pity my laptop is shit! Thanks anyway :)

  • Gunship #5 1 year ago

    It's a great gesture - few companies are willing to (effectively) apologize for a bad game (like DA2) with a free successful one from their stable. Note this is not some free little bit of DA2 DLC. Especially since ME2 is still selling well. Kudos to BioWare for realize the strength of disappointment among their fans AND doing something very positive about it.

  • Gastrian #6 1 year ago

    Post deleted at 17:56:43 13-04-2012

  • Hunam #7 1 year ago

    Thing is ME2 sells for pennies these days, but they can still make a fair bundle on the PC DLC.

  • JohnnyHD #8 1 year ago

    @Gunship

    "It's a great gesture - few companies are willing to (effectively) apologize for a bad game (like DA2) with a free successful one from their stable. Note this is not some free little bit of DA2 DLC. Especially since ME2 is still selling well. Kudos to BioWare for realize the strength of disappointment among their fans AND doing something very positive about it."

    I'm not so sure this is bioware apologizing to their fans... Surely by now most bioware "fans" would have already bought ME2, no?

    On the other hand it doesn't do much for "fans" like me who bought ME2 for PC on release day and bought it again for 360 this Christmas. Yes a new and not used copy.
    Edited by JohnnyHD at 05/04/11 @ 20:10

  • Eraysor #9 1 year ago

    Buy our bad game, get our old better one free to make up for it!

  • MojoDex #10 1 year ago

    bioware deserve massive props for this! shame my pc is old and weak :(

  • Dannyboy1100 #11 1 year ago

    Will this work on my mac as well as my pc?

  • Scimarad #12 1 year ago

    That's an awesome offer, EA! I was considering giving the PC version of ME2 a go and now I can get it for free:)

  • Bigmac1910 #13 1 year ago

    What about us Mac users?

    Edit: LOL, being down voted for being a Mac user and would like to play a game on it.
    Edited by Bigmac1910 at 06/04/11 @ 10:02

  • StarchildHypocrethes #14 1 year ago

    Sweet!

  • Mockerre #15 1 year ago

    DA2 sold 1mil in 2 weeks? Very sad, it's such a mediocre, forgettable cash-in :(

  • sabbede #16 1 year ago

    Still not worth buying DA2.

    And the fact that its sold over a million makes me sad. They'll think they did a good job with it and keep the awful, horrible changes.

  • sabbede #17 1 year ago

    Hey Mac guys, I'll forgo the normal teasing to let you know that you should be able to use BootCamp (or something similar) to install windows and play it there. Or use some emulation (though I don't know if there will be severe performance implications). VMware should also help...

    Oh, what the hell. Why did you buy a Mac when you could have gotten a computer?

  • Murton #18 1 year ago

    So entice me to buy a severely dumbed down RPG by offering me another, year old dumbed down RPG for free?

    It's a great deal for those who want to take advantage of it I'm sure, but both games lack the depth to hold my interest for more than a few hours. Think I'll keep my money in wait of Brink and Dungeon Siege to be honest.

  • NeonKitten #19 1 year ago

    Hunam has it right, I think - the potential DLC sales to people who otherwise wouldn't have bought the game far eclipses profit from retail sales. Note that the free "Cerburus" DLC pack is NOT included with this freebie. And it's not cheap to buy separately. Oh, and for those wondering if their PC can run this game, it uses Unreal Engine 3.5, which means pretty much any PC from the past 5 years will handle it just fine.

  • Raiftel #20 1 year ago

    I'm kind of fascinated by the reaction to Dragon Age 2. I loved elements of it, but became fatigued by the actual gameplay and as such I view it as something of a flawed gem. However the narrative amongst geeks seems to be that it's the worst thing ever and I wonder if we'll ever have a reasoned consensus on the game. I think the people who hate the game are probably far too vitriolic for the games positive aspects to be ever truly embraced.

  • Softie2k #21 1 year ago

    Woah. Listening to the drones EA?

  • jonbwfc #22 1 year ago

    My immediate reaction upon receiving the email with the offer in was

    1) I've already bought Mass Effect 2.
    2) Surely EA already know that, since I had to log into the cerberus network when I bought it.
    3) Is there anyone who bought Dragon age 2 who doesn't already own Mass Effect 2? Is it just people who will only play games that involve goblins?

    I'd imagine they can offer this because the takeup will be minute.

    Jon

  • skyrend #23 1 year ago

    What they're actually saying is "Oh god, oh god! DA2 sales are dropping faster than Isabella's nopants! Let's at least try to get ME2 DLC sales out of it!"

  • ZuluHero #24 1 year ago

    Hell, a free game is a free game. I don't look a gift horse in the mouth! Thanks Bioware! :)

  • outy #25 1 year ago

    Wow, nice one Bioware!

  • MrWonderstuff #26 1 year ago

    Got ME2 on the 360 already but will give this a shot as my PC seemed to run the demo just fine.

  • hiddenranbir #27 1 year ago

    Bit cheeky, surely majority already have both?

  • Demiath #28 1 year ago

    @jonbwfc: I've been thinking about buying the PC version of ME2 for quite some time. I own the PC version of DA:o,DA2 and ME1 but only the Xbox version of ME2. So, yes, there are probably a sizeable minority of players who doesn't own the PC version of ME2 specifically...

  • gott_sei_dank #29 1 year ago

    How about giving away the future DLC instead as an acknowledgement that the game was released unfinished, I would have preferred randomly generated dungeons as a compromise rather than the repetitive use of limited assets.

  • SlackMaster #30 1 year ago

    It's great that they are giving ME2 away but it's of no use to me. I already own it on 360 and my PC and laptop are too shit to play games on. Some free DLC would possibly have been better as more could have taken advantage of the gift.

  • Caimbeul #31 1 year ago

    thats nice of them.

  • subedii #32 1 year ago

    Wow this is impressive. Bioware give away a game completely free in concert with a currently released title because it's been selling really well and they want to promote it even more, and this has somehow been turned into a bad thing.

    It's like saying your free copy of Portal 1 is a pre-emptive mea culpa for how Portal 2 is obviously going to be crap, and not simply a promotional measure.

    Digital Distribution allows for promotions like this. If the older game isn't selling as much anymore, this can be a fantastic way to still use it to boost sales of a current, full priced title. And also promote usage of your content delivery system, getting in those people who haven't used it yet. Again, a bit like Valve and their giving Portal 1 away for free. From a business perspective this also cuts down on the second-hand market / piracy as a result.

    And in return the fans are getting another extremely awesome game for free.

    Man I haven't even bought DA2 yet, and I already own ME2 anyway, and I still think this is an impressively foresighted move on Bioware / EA's part. Shareholders would naturally baulk at the idea of giving away a relatively new blockbuster title for completely free, so this can't have been an easy thing to do. Who knows, maybe a part of this is simply leading up to greater promotion for EA's own store. Would probably be a better competitor for Steam than Gamestop / Impulse.

    EDIT: Come to think of it, this ALSO ties in really well as additional marketing for the upcoming Mass Effect 3. A lot more people are going to own ME2 now and that can only be a good thing for when Mass Effect 3 hits at the end of the year. That's a pretty solid all-round win for Bioware and EA right there.
    Edited by subedii at 06/04/11 @ 10:23

  • michaelius #33 1 year ago

    If someone wonders why they are giving only PC copy of ME2- it's because it costs them nothing - just server bandwidth you use to download it.

  • MrWonderstuff #34 1 year ago

    Doesn't work.

    Used the Ea downloader...downloaded...'ready to play'...nothing. Looked in download folder...a zip file...unpacked that and ran the launcher...'Missing Awc.dll'. Installed Adobe AIR as it was suggested.

    This is why I gave up on PC gaming. It really is for people with more time than sense.

  • arcam #35 1 year ago

    @michaelius

    ME2 is available to download for console too, no?

  • StarchildHypocrethes #36 1 year ago

    Only gaming nerds can moan about free stuff.

  • geeza2020 #37 1 year ago

    You do realise your calling people gaming nerds on a comments section of an article about games on a website dedicated to games? Pot/kettle/black?

    Anyway, its a nice offer, just a shame I already have ME2, but for the 360.

  • tyrant1 #38 1 year ago

    I really think the impact of this promotion is going to be minimal.

    For starters I think the majority of people who have bought or are going to buy DAII already have ME2.

    Second, its EA. If they are doing it, theyve probably looked at some numbers already and essentially realised its a free offer thats only going to benefit a scant few.

    Personally, I like to look at it as "well if you didnt like the dumbing down in DAII, why not try the dumbing down in THIS instead! Dumbed Downs for everyone!"
    Edited by tyrant1 at 06/04/11 @ 11:18

  • hiddenranbir #39 1 year ago

    tyrant, I don't really see it as something for existing customers but more they're trying to get new customers and by framing it like this they sound really kind and thoughtful.

  • defdaz #40 1 year ago

    Just finished DA2. Epic? Only if Epic means running around for most of the game just doing sh*tty side errands with no actual point to it.

  • tyrant1 #41 1 year ago

    @defdaz: Yeah, like ME2. Unless you count justifying it all for a 25 minute final mission as somehow vindicating.

    @hiddenranbir: Oh yeah, it reeks of "look at us, arent we generous", and all the while its about scheming for yet more profits.

    I think its trying to leg up: A) Dragon Age II sales, as that game has probably the worst word of mouth going around in recent gaming history for a supposed AAA title. Also B) to try and flog as much DLC as possible.

  • arcam #42 1 year ago

    These days games are like the razor while DLC is the razor blades.

  • Raiten #43 1 year ago

    @arcam, sure it's downloadable on consoles too but think about it.
    It is much easier to release it on pc for free, than having to hammer your head against microsoft or sony before they allow you graciously to release it for free over their services.. but anyway, yeah it's simple and easier to just give away the pc version.

  • urbanphilosopher #44 1 year ago

    @NeonKitten - the cerberus pach is included - it says so on the website
    @ Everyone saying that most DA2 owners would already have ME2: Why would you think that, are you under the impression that they're similar games (and if so, that people will be buy multiple similar games)? Personally I knew ME2 wasn't for me 3 minutes into the demo when I was forced into a FP shooter scenario.
    @Eurogamer: the fact ME2 had FP shooter elements was something you completely missed from your review. Try harder next time please.

  • sabbede #45 1 year ago

    @MrWonderstuff
    No. For people with any sense it takes no time. You have it totally backwards.
    Besides, if you can't figure out something as simple as getting a PC game to work... Well, good luck surviving in the modern world of high technology.

    Tell you what, for 10 quid, I'll do the two minutes worth of work for you. Well, I'll charge you for two, It'll take less than one.

  • Nekator #46 1 year ago

    Don´t worry about the "sold 1 million already" - great part of it were the pre orders, one had to do for getting their last "present for the fans" the Limited Editon.. aka the nearly full game, without having to pay for Day 1 DLC.
    Bios presents are a bit shady imo ..

  • payback7 #47 1 year ago

    BAH!! Already bought and played through ME2 on the PC - how about some bioware points or something instead ey? Oh well - not gonna stop me playing DA2! HAHA