Microsoft has announced the latest additions to its list of backward-compatible Xbox 360 games on Xbox One: BioWare's divisive RPG sequel Dragon Age 2, and Volition's delightfully outlandish open world adventure Saints Row 2.
Dragon Age II News
Mike Laidlaw, the creative director of the Dragon Age series, has announced his departure from BioWare, where he's worked for 14 years.
Years later, BioWare reveals why Dragon Age 2 expansion Exalted March was canned
Had "some really interesting stories to tell".
When BioWare moved from Dragon Age 2 to Dragon Age: Inquisition, something was lost. It was an expansion called Exalted March.
We didn't know about Exalted March until BioWare canned it, and we weren't told why it was dropped. But we assumed; we assumed BioWare wanted to get away from the negative reaction to Dragon Age 2 and onto something new ASAP.
"But not so!" Dragon Age creative director Mike Laidlaw revealed on Twitter last night. "It was the move to Frostbite.
Veteran BioWare writer David Gaider seems to have a new job
"He seems pretty cool so far."
UPDATE 09/02/2015 7.50pm: Beamdog CEO Trent Oster offered the following statement about Gaider's recent employment at the studio:
Writer David Gaider leaves BioWare after 17 years
HK-47, Morrigan and many more salute you.
David Gaider has announced his departure from BioWare after 17 years working there.
The first draft of Dragon Age: Origins didn't even have Grey Wardens
And a narrator you thought was Flemeth turned out to be an old Morrigan.
When BioWare finished work on Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic (2003) and second Neverwinter Nights expansion Hordes of the Underdark (2003), two separate teams began work on two separate new games. One was a science fiction game that would become Mass Effect, and one was a fantasy game that would become Dragon Age.
BioWare have the years gone?
Mass Effect and Dragon Age developer BioWare has turned 20 today, but it doesn't look a day older than 19.
Dragon Age loses lead writer to new BioWare game
"10 years is a long time to work on any one project."
Dragon Age lead writer David Gaider has moved onto "a new, upcoming BioWare project" and left Dragon Age behind.
Dragon Age Keep was once World Vault for DA2
Then, "after many many months", it changed.
BioWare's Dragon Age Keep aims to consolidate everyone's previous-game choices on one interactive web platform, and make world states - save files - importable to Dragon Age: Inquisition on any platform.
When will we see a gay protagonist in a triple-A game?
Not for a while, reckons Far Cry 3 Blood Dragon writer, because of a fear it would impact sales.
The writer of Far Cry 3 Blood Dragon reckons it'll be a while before we see a gay protagonist in a triple-A video game.
Should BioWare give up romances?
Dragon Age writer David Gaider mulls the answer.
Remember all that hullabaloo about revealing lesbian sex in Mass Effect? However ludicrous the criticism, it's the sort of steamy content BioWare fans have come expect - love stories, love scenes, and often quite daring and progressive ones (for video games, at least).
Fan-harassed writer Jennifer Hepler leaves BioWare
Questions whether abusive fans scare away talent.
Jennifer Hepler, the BioWare writer harassed by fans for her work on Dragon Age 2 - and for comments made years earlier about wishing to skip combat sections in games - this week left the famed RPG studio to work on a book and pursue some freelance work.
EA makes some Online Pass content free on Xbox Marketplace
UPDATE: EA confirms it's eliminating Online Pass from all its existing titles.
UPDATE: EA has told Eurogamer it is in the process of eliminating Online Pass from all its existing titles.
There's an RPG sale on PSN that includes Ni No Kuni for £20
PS Plus free games in June are ICO & SOTC HD, and Demon's Souls.
There's a role-playing game sale on PlayStation Network today with some enticing deals.
More romance in BioWare games or less? Writer discusses
"...wish fulfllment on a level that reduced the characters into romantic playthings, sex dolls."
BioWare adventures are known for their romances. It's one of the first thing players talk about with their friends; "Who did you go for?"
BioWare's "increasingly toxic" forum repels Dragon Age writer David Gaider
"Perhaps there is something to be said about whether the games BioWare makes still satisfy our core fans."
David Gaider has worked at BioWare for 14 years. He first helped make Baldur's Gate 2 and now he's lead writer of the Dragon Age series of games. He's a part of the old BioWare and the new.
BioWare announces Dragon Age 3: Inquisition
UPDATE: It's coming in late 2013.
Update: EA has announced that Dragon Age 3 will arrive in late 2013, which presumably makes PC, PS3 and Xbox 360 likely candidates - although platforms were not specified.
"Lots of questions RE: platforms!" echoed BioWare community coordinator Tully Ackland on Twitter. "We are not talking about them at this moment in time."
Original story: BioWare has just announced Dragon Age 3: Inquisition.
Peter Moore gives BioWare vote of confidence after tumultuous 18 months
"They're doing great. Mass Effect has been enormous for us."
EA COO Peter Moore has given BioWare a vote of confidence after perhaps the most tumultuous year in the developer's history.
Mass Effect, Dragon Age dev BioWare defends fan criticism
"It's interactive, so you're going to have your say."
BioWare has addressed the importance of gamer feedback in the wake of the Mass Effect 3 ending furore and the company's recent request for fan suggestions on the future of its Dragon Age series.
BioWare asks fans to help brainstorm Dragon Age's future
"We're not making promises, we're talking about ideas."
BioWare has called on fans to voice their opinions on where its Dragon Age RPG franchise should go next.
BioWare shares new Dragon Age (3) concepts
Hints at saved game integration, Orlais setting, party members.
BioWare's Dragon Age team held a PAX East panel at the weekend to share ideas for a "completely hypothetical project" that you can more-or-less take to mean a work-in-progress, and unannounced, Dragon Age 3.
BioWare moves Dragon Age team fully onto The Next Thing
DA2 expansion Exalted March was scrapped.
Post-release work on Dragon Age 2 has ceased and the entire team repositioned on "the next phase of Dragon Age's future", BioWare has announced.
Origin auto-adds EA games bought from Steam
Uses EA's game registration records to do it.
Origin auto-adds EA games bought from rival digital platforms such as Steam, gamers have noticed.
Origin sale offers Mass Effect 1 and Dead Space 1 for £3
Sequels not much more expensive either.
You-hoo, PC gamers, there's a juicy sale going on over at EA's digital distribution shop Origin.
Dragon Age developers "checking Skyrim out aggressively"
BioWare says next game will draw on outside influences.
While the next game in the Dragon Age series will stay true to the format laid down by its predecessors, it will also draw on outside influences, including Bethesda's Skyrim, according to BioWare boss Ray Muzyka.
BioWare adding multiplayer to Dragon Age - report
Arena PVE and PVP fights. Can be a dragon.
BioWare will offer multiplayer either in or around Dragon Age 3, according to an insider-based report on Kotaku.
Origin wants "fair and open marketplace"
Third parties can sell DLC how they like.
EA has recommitted to having third party games on Origin and, in a dig at rival service Steam, talked about how to treat other publishers.
Dragon Age 2 DLC Mark of the Assassin
Stars Felicia Day, due October.
Dragon Age 2 will welcome new downloadable content pack called Mark of the Assassin on 11th October.
BioWare's early Dragon Age 3 plans
Equippable followers! Morrigan! Old god?
The next Dragon Age game will probably allow you to swap your follower characters' armour, BioWare has revealed.
Upcoming Xbox Live schedule detailed
Bulletstorm, Gears of War deals incoming.
Deals on Bulletstorm DLC, an XBLA release for Street Fighter III: 3rd Strike and new content for Dragon Age 2 head up the latest Xbox Live content schedule.
How Legacy hints at Dragon Age's future
BioWare discusses "hot-button items".
The Dragon Age 2 Legacy DLC shows BioWare is listening to fan feedback, the developer has said.
Dragon Age 2 response surprised BioWare
But fan passion is "better than apathy".
BioWare has admitted surprise at just how polarised fan response was to its recent RPG sequel Dragon Age II.
EA: Valve removed Steam Dragon Age 2
"Restrictive terms of service" to blame.
EA did not remove Dragon Age 2 from Steam - Valve did.
Dragon Age 2 removed from Steam
EA Hawkes wares on Origin.
Dragon Age 2 has been removed from sale on Steam.
Crysis 2 racks up three million sales
Dead Space 2, Dragon Age II pass 2m.
FPS sequel Crysis 2 has now sold in three million copies worldwide, publisher EA has announced.
Portal 2, Dead Space 2 and Dragon Age II, meanwhile, have all broken the two million mark, while FIFA 11 nears 15 million units and Battlefield: Bad Company 2 nine million.
The numbers come from EA's fiscal Q1 earnings report, which saw the publisher log non-GAAP net revenue of $524 million, down slightly from $539 million this time last year. Digital revenue was picked out as a highlight though, increasing 11 per cent to $209 million.
Dragon Age 2 Legacy DLC release date
You get to leave Kirkwall.
Dragon Age 2 downloadable add-on Legacy launches on 26th July, EA has announced.
It costs 800 Microsoft Points on Xbox 360, 800 BioWare Points on PC and Mac, and $9.99 on PlayStation 3.
BioWare described Legacy as a "major, story-based DLC".
Dragon Age II DLC Legacy spotted
Achievements leak online.
The Xbox 360 Achievements for the Dragon Age 2: Legacy downloadable add-on, which BioWare plans to unveil at the San Diego Comic-Con, have leaked online courtesy of Xbox360Achievements.org.
"From a gamer's perspective it's a positive."
Some criticised game show E3 2011 for its focus on sequels, but for one game developer they're a good thing.
That developer is BioWare, creator of Dragon Age 2 and Mass Effect 3, the third game in the science-fiction shooter role-playing series.
"There are a couple of reasons why sequels are actually good in the games business," BioWare boss Greg Zeschuk told Eurogamer.
Dragon Age 2 DLC to address fan feedback
Future games to appeal to a wide audience.
BioWare plans to release downloadable content for Dragon Age 2 it hopes will address some of the feedback it received from core fans.
EA: we lost some fans with Dragon Age 2
Will take feedback on for Dragon Age 3.
EA has admitted it "lost some fans" with the release of fantasy role-playing game Dragon Age 2.
BioWare looking for Dragon Age 3 staff
The story continues.
BioWare has rubber stamped development of Dragon Age III.
New Dragon Age II DLC released
Item packs for Mage, Warrior, Rogue.
BioWare has released three new item packs for Dragon Age II.
New Dragon Age II PC patch goes live
PS3, Xbox 360 update due later this month.
A new Dragon Age II patch has gone live for Mac and PC users, BioWare has announced.
Available from the developer's official site now, the 1.02 update fixes a number of bugs, improves general performance and limits crashes.
BioWare also revealed that the update is on its way to PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 too.
Buy Dragon Age II, get ME2 free
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.
Crysis 2 EA's biggest UK launch of 2011
Bigger than Dragon Age II, Bulletstorm.
Crysis 2 is EA's biggest UK launch of 2011, sales-counter GfK Chart-Track has revealed.
That means the 8/10 shooter developed by Crytek has enjoyed a bigger opening weekend than Dragon Age II, Dead Space 2, Bulletstorm and Fight Night Champion - the games EA has already released this year.
Crysis 2 topped the UK all-formats chart this week, selling a 57 per cent majority on Xbox 360. The remaining 43 per cent was split 29 per cent on PS3 and 14 per cent on PC. Remember, digital sales aren't counted, which excludes Steam and its ilk.
Is DA2 "unrealistically bisexual"?
It's not just for "the straight male gamer".
BioWare writer David Gaider has launched an impassioned defence of the romance system in fantasy role-playing game Dragon Age II after a player accused the developer of neglecting "the Straight Male Gamer".
Dragon Age II patch 1.01 released on PC
Same as beta, now on Steam.
The full Dragon Age II patch 1.01 has been released on PC.
That means Steam users can now download the file which, among other things, fixes a voice over problem when switching languages in the Steam version of the game.
The patch notes for 1.01 suggest nothing has changed from the beta version - they're exactly the same.
Dragon Age: Legends now open to all
Facebook game unlocks DAII items.
BioWare's Facebook game Dragon Age: Legends is now available for all to play, EA has announced.
PC Dragon Age II beta patch 1.01 arrives
"Users apply this patch at their own risk."
BioWare has rushed a patch out for Dragon Age II on PC that updates the game to version 1.01.
Fixed are saved games for single-core processors, DAII asking for non-existent drives, release control issues and voice over issues when switching language on Steam.
The only problem with the latter, wrote BioWare on its forum, is that this patch can't be used on Steam yet - it's in beta state and Valve won't allow untested files to be handed out to its customers.
Dragon Age II sales: Xbox 57%, PS3 22%
21 per cent on PC.
More copies of Dragon Age II were sold on Xbox 360 across UK shops than any other platform - by far.
Chart-Track told Eurogamer this morning that Xbox 360 commanded 57 per cent of the total, whereas PS3 managed only 22 per cent.
The remaining 21 per cent was attributed to PC. Chart-Track doesn't count digital sales, such as those made on Steam.
UK top 40: Dragon Age II tips the scales
Fantastical for BioWare.
Beefy BioWare role-playing game Dragon Age II has completed its UK quest and topped the all-formats video game chart.
BioWare forum ban locks-out DAII
"I've got a dead game for 50 Euros."
A member of the BioWare Social Network has had his account suspended for 72 hours for referring to EA as the devil.
Dragon Age II DLC "beefier" than Origins'
"What exactly constitutes a DLC 9/10?"
BioWare has more Dragon Age II downloadable content besides Exiled Prince and Black Emporium "in the works" - and we're promised "beefier" experiences than were offered for Dragon Age: Origins.
Dragon Age 3? "There are always ideas"
Multiplayer "absolutely would" work.
Forget Dragon Age II, what about Dragon Age 3 - has BioWare started work on that?
Dragon Age II bug fix patch in the works
"Two biggies" are DirectX 11, auto-attack.
BioWare's epic fantasy romp Dragon Age II arrives today and there are bugs - "two biggies", lead designer Mike Laidlaw told Eurogamer.
His team is "aggressively patching" these and hopes to offer fixes "as soon as humanly possible".
"There's been a few minor [bugs] and a few technical hiccups on PC. The two biggies that I'm aware of - that we're looking at aggressively right now - are on PC there seems to be some compatibility issues with DirectX 11," said Laidlaw.
Hi-res texture pack for PC Dragon Age II
Got an extra 1GB going spare?
PC gamers looking for a little extra definition from their copy of fantasy RPG Dragon Age II can download a high resolution texture pack, developer BioWare has announced.
EU PlayStation Store update 2nd March
Black Ops demo, maps; PixelJunk Shooter 2.
A 1.3GB single-player demo for Call of Duty: Black Ops can be downloaded from the PlayStation Store today. It coincides with arrival of the Black Ops First Strike Map Pack (locked until tomorrow), which costs £11.49 and measures 1.4GB.
PixelJunk Shooter 2 also arrives today (7/10 Eurogamer), as does old PSone game Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver.
There's a lorry-load of DLC to bolster your games with, as revealed by the EU PlayStation Blog, even some for Dragon Age II, which isn't out until next Friday.
Dragon Age II campaign shorter than DA's
But "a bit longer" than Mass Effect's.
Dragon Age II's campaign is shorter than Dragon Age: Origins' – but it's longer than Mass Effect 2's.
BioWare: don't be scared of RPGs
You're ready, insists Dragon Age II dev.
Gamers shouldn't feel intimidated by the RPG genre, so says Dragon Age II developer BioWare. They might not know it, but they already have the necessary skills to jump in and have fun.
Dragon Age II signs Florence + Machine
Part-one of soundtrack only £2.
Grammy Award winner Florence + The Machine are on the Dragon Age II soundtrack.
EU PlayStation Store Update 23rd Feb
Dragon Age II, LEGO SWIII, Yak 4 demos.
Demos for Dragon Age II, LEGO Star Wars III: The Clone Wars and Yakuza 4 headline today's PlayStation Store update.
Both DAII and LEGO:SWIII are 1.5GB files, so leave yourself plenty of time to download them.
New games (free to trial) are Alien Breed 3: Descent (7/10 on Eurogamer), TNT Racers (7/10 on Eurogamer) and The Undergarden (7/10 on Eurogamer). What do you mean we favour a certain review score over others? Where is your evidence?
Dragon Age II "more tactical" than DA
"It's time we learned from action games."
BioWare has moved to calm concern that it has dumbed down the Dragon Age experience with the second game in the series, insisting combat is more tactical this time around than it was in the first game.
Dragon Age II Xbox Live demo is 1.98GB
Massive prologue file out now.
The Dragon Age II demo can be downloaded right now from Xbox Live Marketplace.
Download Dragon Age II demo, get loot
But only if 999,999 others follow suit.
If one million users download the impending Dragon Age II demo, two new in-game items will be unlocked, developer BioWare has announced.
Felicia Day in Dragon Age mini-series
Plays an elf.
Felicia Day, star of comedy World of Warcraft Xbox Live series The Guild, plays an elf in an upcoming Dragon Age II live action mini-series.
Meet BioWare, Crytek, Slightly Mad
Play Dragon Age 2, Crysis 2, Shift 2.
If you can get your bottom to London on 19th February, you can meet the stars of BioWare, Crytek and Slightly Mad studios - and play their games.
Dragon Age 2 has blowjob scene
BioWare allows straight and gay romances.
Dragon Age II offers more than a racy bedtime love scene - one clip shows a woman on her knees before a man, evidently intent on performing more than a simple prayer.
Unlocks an item in the full game.
Our German colleagues at Eurogamer.de have just received a press release from Electronic Arts confirming a Dragon Age 2 demo.
It's out 22nd February on PC, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360.
That's a Tuesday – we assume it'll launch on the European PlayStation Store a day later on Wednesday 23rd February.
Dragon Age II demo is "not confirmed"
"This is speculation," declares BioWare.
BioWare has clamped down on rampant Dragon Age II demo speculation.
"The demo is not 'confirmed'," stated Dragon Age: Origins and Dragon Age II lead writer David Gaider on the BioWare forum.
"We have made no official announcement.
Dragon Age II demo for public or not?
BioWare won't say either way.
Update: I made some errors while reporting this story. Thank you to the people who pointed them out. I'm sorry. The gist of the story still stands.
Dragon Age II PC DRM has online check
BioWare unsure of days offline allowance.
All non-Steam versions of Dragon Age II on PC will require an online check "after a select period of days".
Dragon Age Legends item unlocks named
A belter! Amulet me get away with that?
Complimentary Facebook game Dragon Age Legends will unlock two rings, two amulets and a belt in Dragon Age 2.
Dragon Age 2 has 103 mins of cutscenes
Eat your heart out Killzone 3.
BioWare fantasy role-playing game Dragon Age 2 has a whopping 103 minutes of cutscenes.
Dead Space 2 armour in Dragon Age 2
Ser Isaac of Clarke regalia.
All EA's games are friends, which is why a code is being included in Dead Space 2 that will unlock armour in Dragon Age 2.
EA reveals first Dragon Age 2 DLC
A bonus companion and mission.
The first piece of meaningful Dragon Age 2 downloadable content will be called The Exiled Prince, EA has revealed.
BioWare Docs videogame Hall of Famers
Join Miyamoto, Suzuki, Molyneux, Carmack.
BioWare co-founders Ray Muzyka and Greg Zeschuk have been inducted into the AIAS Hall of Fame alongside videogame greats such as Shigeru Miyamoto, Peter Molyneux and Yu Suzuki.
BioWare: PC Dragon Age 2 is strategic
But also an action RPG – if you want.
In Dragon Age 2, fighting can be handled one of two ways, either as a fast and fluid action RPG or as a stop-and-start strategical RPG.
New Dragon Age 2 character unveiled
BioWare fills out RPG sequel's cast.
Soldier Aveline Vallen is the latest key character to be unveiled for Dragon Age 2.
BioWare: "Too many games today"
Says we gamers can't "keep up".
You think you have trouble keeping up with all the games coming out? BioWare co-founder Ray Muzyka spends up to three hours a night on games and still thinks that's not enough.
BioWare reveals Dragon Age Legends
Facebook game unlocks DA2 content.
Update: A Dragon Age Legends website is up. You can sign-up to beta test the game there.
Dragon Age II gets its own Cerberus
Plus, DLC will be "larger" this time.
BioWare's upcoming fantasy role-playing game Dragon Age 2 will feature a downloadable content platform similar to Mass Effect 2's Cerberus Network.
Dragon Age 2 pre-orders get free content
BioWare announces Signature Edition.
Pre-order Dragon Age 2 before 11th January and you'll receive a free upgrade to the game's Signature Edition, developer BioWare has announced.
Dragon Age 2 imports DAO world
Who did you kill? Who did you save?
You can't import Dragon Age: Origins characters into Dragon Age 2, but your old saves will shape the world you play in.
Dragon Age: Origins gets Ultimate Edition
It only does everything.
BioWare has announced plans to wrap up all add-ons and DLC packs released for Dragon Age: Origins into one tidy package.
Dragon Age 2, Bulletstorm at EG Expo
EA lets loose the 2011 portfolio.
BioWare's mammoth role-playing sequel Dragon Age 2 and People Can Fly's thousand-mile-an-hour shooter Bulletstorm will both be playable at the Eurogamer Expo 2010.
Dragon Age: Ultimate Edition spotted
Contains everything.
The BBFC - Britain's game-rating body (at least for now) - has outed an Ultimate Edition of Dragon Age: Origins.
Sequel here in March 2011.
BioWare has dated Dragon Age 2 for Europe.
PC DA2 camera "won't pull as far up"
BioWare tuning camera as we speak.
The camera in the PC version of Dragon Age 2 "likely" won't zoom out as far as the camera in the PC version of Dragon Age: Origins, developer BioWare has said.
IGN Dragon Age 2 report debunked
BioWare shoots down dialogue claims.
BioWare has corrected an error-riddled IGN preview of Dragon Age 2, explaining that there are more than three dialogue choices per conversation.
Dragon Age 2 dialogue choice simplified
Three icons: good, nasty, "badass".
BioWare has whittled Dragon Age 2 conversation choices down to three.
Story and character details announced.
Dragon Age 2 will be released in March 2011 on the PC, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, EA has confirmed.
First Dragon Age 2 details hit
Updated with even more detail.
Update: The Dragon Age 2 website has been updated with an exciting bullet point list of new features. We've copied them.
Embark upon an all-new adventure that takes place across an entire decade and shapes itself around every decision you make.
Determine your rise to power from a destitute refugee to the revered champion of the land.
Says today will be "great day" for BW fans.
BioWare has said that Dragon Age 2 is in development and the developer's official Twitter suggests that a proper unveiling is due today.
Yesterday the EA-owned studio listed "Dragon Age 2, the highly anticipated sequel to 2009's 'RPG of the Year' Dragon Age: Origins," in the boilerplate regarding current projects as part of its announcement about taking control of Warhammer Online servers.
Separately, the BioWare Twitter said "2morrow will be a great day for BioWare fans. Just sayin'," at about 1pm PST / 9pm BST yesterday.