Dragon Age DLC in Dec.

Most of us haven’t even scratched the surface of BioWare’s Dragon Age: Origins, and yet BioWare seems overly anxious to gives us more content to play. The company is kind of like an overly excited parent rushing their child through presents on Christmas morning. Meanwhile, we’re still trying to enjoy the original game’s various nuances and secrets.

But despite that, BioWare is moving forward with downloadable content in Dec. The first bit of DLC, Return to Ostagar, allows players to go on a quest to collect the mighty arms and armor of the once great King Cailan in Ostagar, the site of the Grey Wardens’ darkest hour. Besides these mythical arms and weapons, players will learn the secrets of Ferelden’s fallen king. Players will discover King Cailan’s secret political agenda and go behind enemy lines to revisit a place that many believed was forever lost to history. This location is particularly forboding because it was here that the Grey Wardens were almost wiped out.

Return to Ostagar will be available for $4.99 on the PlayStation Store, for 400 BioWare Points on the PC (yeah, BioWare points. Really) and 400 Microsoft Points on the Xbox 360 in North America. Return to Ostagar will be released this Holiday season worldwide.  Figure out what BioWare Points are by visiting dragonage.com.

Dragon Age Journeys now live

BioWare has launched the first chapter of Dragon Age Journeys, a free to play browser based game set in the Dragon Age world. Dragon Age Journeys lets players explore the underground dwarven kingdom of Orzammar, uncovering a dastardly plot that threatens to unleash a great evil that won’t stop until it destroys every single living thing. Based on BioWare’s original fantasy RPG, Dragon Age: Origins, Dragon Age Journeys also gives players the chance to earn exclusive in game content for Dragon Age: Origins on the day of its release.

The game was produced by a new browser-based production team at EA and an all-star team of independent development talent, with the goal of creating premium quality browser games.

Dragon Age Journeys features tactical combat, a story that ties into Origins and deep customization for a web game. Players can choose from one of six different origin stories, each offering a unique background that shapes how the player perceives the world and how the world will perceive them. The game mostly serves as an introduction to Dragon Age: Origins, which ships on Nov. 3 for PC, PS3 and Xbox 360.

Introducing EA Comics

Electronic Arts has signed a deal with IDW Publishing to expand two of its intellectual properties, Army of Two and Dragon Age, into comics under a new EA Comics imprint with IDW beginning in January. EA and IDW will launch monthly, ongoing series for both Army of Two and Dragon Age. Each issue will be published in print and distributed nationally at comic book outlets, with digital versions released for iPhone) and iPod Touch and other emerging digital platforms.

Under terms of the agreement, EA will fund and manage the creative aspect of the comic book series, while IDW will be responsible for printing and distribution. IDW is the leader in digital comic book distribution and the nation’s third largest comic book publisher overall.

Written by veteran comic book writer Peter Milligan (X-Men, Batman, Hellblazer), Army of Two is being published as a comic starting in January 2010. Chester Ocampo is the cover artist while the interior artist/penciler, Dexter Soy, is a newcomer on the comic scene.

Story details and the interior artist are expected to be announced shortly.

iMEvil for iPhone released

If you’re looking for something a little odd for your iPhone or iPod Touch, then you may be interested in checking out TechPad Productions’ iMEvil application. iMEvil is a soundboard application featuring the professional voice talent of David Sobolov that features 32 creepy utterances that you can use to scare your friends or just creep yourself out.

While the app may not be a game it is game related: Sobolov’s voice acting work has been featured in over 40 games including Halo Wars, Call of Duty 1 and 4, Red Alert 3, Transformers, Unreal Tournament 3, Chronicles of Riddick, Everquest II, Prototype, and upcoming games Brutal Legend, Dragon Age, Aion and Diablo III.

For more information, be sure to check out imevil.techpadproductions.com.

Mythic, BioWare under one umbrella, Jacobs out

According to this Gamasutra story, Electronic Arts is consolidating its BioWare and Mythic Entertainment studios into a single group to be headed by BioWare’s founders. Mythic’s general manager and co-founder, Mark Jacobs, has reportedly left the company. BioWare co-founder Ray Muzyka will serve as the new unit’s Group General Manager, while Greg Zeschuk has been named chief creative officer. Mythic co-founder and Chief Operating Officer Rob Denton has been named general manager.

According to the report, companies’ structures, development team and personnel will change as each team works on various projects including Dragon Age, Mass Effect 2 and Star Wars The Old Republic. The only real change, apparently, is that studio heads will now report to Muzyka. What happens after these projects are complete is unknown, and how this changes development teams handling products like Warhammer Online and Ultima Online is also up in the air. One would assume the maintenance of these games would be the responsibility of Denton.

Creative Minx Scores EA Deal

Creative Minx Marketing has inked a deal with Electronic Arts to represent several of the company’s various wholly owned properties for outbound licensing opportunities. Creative Minx will help EA to merchandise brands like The Sims, MySims, Dead Space, Mass Effect 2, Dragon Age, Dante’s Inferno and Army of Two. This merchandising will include collectibles, peripherals, apparel, and accessories, according to the company.

Creative Minx Marketing describes itself as a full service licensing and marketing agency with 20 years of experience, specializing in acquisition of major licenses, strategic brand building, target marketing programs, and promotional opportunities. The company offers such services as licensing consulting, business development, strategic market analysis, and retail development and planning.

BioWare Opens Montreal Studio

BioWare is opening up a studio within EA’s Montreal, Canada Studio system, according to GameDaily. The studios’ first order of business? Mass Effect 2. The new digs will be populated by about 30 developers - half of which will be moved from BioWare’s home studio of Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. Not much to go on other than a new studio opening and that it is working on the sequel to BioWare’s popular Xbox 360 action-RPG.

“We’re really excited about it, and we think it’s going to be a huge opportunity to tap into the talent base in Montreal while supplementing our existing teams in Edmonton and Austin, which are doing some great stuff on all the other projects BioWare’s working on,” noted BioWare co-founder Ray Muzyka.

Muzyka said that the company’s various studios are working on several “super secret projects” beyond what has already been announced — Mass Effect 2, Dragon Age, and Star Wars: The Old Republic. With GDC coming up later this month, expect to hear more about these games..