Dragon Age hits shelves and 30 Seconds to Mars hits Dragon Age

by: Tina - posted: 11/3/2009 11:02:00 PM

You know that band you listen/listened to and are sort of embarrassed to admit you once lip-synced to with your headphones in when no one was looking? Well, yeah that’s pretty much 30 Seconds to Mars for me. Dragon Age: Origins was just released today to the delight of many, and the multiple DLCs already available to you are not the only announcement in today’s BioWare news. EA has also announced that the band I deny having listened to in past years is making a debut appearance in the game’s soundtrack with a track from their upcoming album THIS IS WAR. I’m thinking that it’s more an honor for 30 Seconds to Mars to be featured in Dragon Age: Origins than it is vice versa.

Nevertheless, they put out a new trailer featuring the song, so you can all decide for yourselves. The trailer is as badass as I expect it to be from Dragon Age, and the song is as teenage-rock as I also expect it to be. Read on if you’re interested in hearing the full press releases on both stories.

BIOWARE’S Dragon Age: Origins Hits

retail shelves in North America



The Dark, Epic RPG is Now Available in North America

Along With Downloadable Content on Xbox 360, PlayStation3 and PC





EDMONTON, ALBERTA, CANADA – November 3, 2009 – Leading video game developer BioWare™, a division of Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ: ERTS) announced today that the highly-anticipated game Dragon Age™: Origins is now available on the PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system, Xbox 360® videogame and entertainment system and PC. Dragon Age: Origins introduces a dark and gritty approach to the fantasy genre where players must make ruthless decisions and be willing to sacrifice their friends and loved ones for the greater good of mankind. Several downloadable content packs are also now available, including Warden’s Keep, The Stone Prisoner and the Blood Dragon Armor.



“The launch of Dragon Age: Origins is the fantasy event of 2009,” said Dr. Ray Muzyka, co-founder of BioWare and Group General Manager of the RPG/MMO Group at EA. “I am extremely proud of the entire development team - and we’re all very excited to release one of our best games yet!”



BioWare has also launched a robust package of downloadable content (DLC) for Dragon Age: Origins. The Stone Prisoner gives players access to new environments, items, hours of additional gameplay and the mighty stone golem Shale who can become one of the most powerful party members in the game. The Warden’s Keep premium DLC provides players of Dragon Age: Origins with a new dungeon-exploring adventure, new loot including a set of ancient Grey Warden armor, a chance to gain two of six mysterious new abilities, a new base complete with merchants and a party chest to store their hard-earned items. In addition, BioWare has released the Blood Dragon Armor DLC, a set of themed armor that gives players additional protection in combat and will be available for use in both Dragon Age: Origins on the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and PC and in Mass Effect™ 2 on the Xbox 360 and PC.



Players who previously downloaded the Dragon Age: Origins Character Creator to create their player character can now bring their hero to life in Dragon Age: Origins for PC. Screenshots, game data and story information can be uploaded to the new BioWare Social Network at http://social.bioware.com as players share great moments of their own personal adventure with other community members.



In Dragon Age: Origins, players take the role of a Grey Warden, one of the last of an ancient order of guardians. Now, as a rising evil threatens to destroy all life, it is up to players to unite the shattered lands and slay the corrupted dragon known as the Archdemon. On this journey, players will need to make critical choices that affect them and various members of their party.



Dragon Age: Origins is available today in North America on PlayStation®3, Xbox 360® videogame and entertainment system and PC. In Europe, Dragon Age: Origins will be released on November 6th on the Xbox 360® videogame and entertainment system and PC and later in November on PlayStation®3. Dragon Age: Origins is rated M by the ESRB and 18+ by PEGI.



For more information on Dragon Age: Origins, please visit www.dragonage.com.



Thirty Seconds to Mars Brings “WAR” to Dragon Age: Origins



Title Track of New Album “THIS IS WAR” Will Debut in Epic RPG This Week



EDMONTON, ALBERTA, CANADA – November 3, 2009 – Leading video game developer BioWare™, a division of Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ: ERTS), announced today that award-winning rock band Thirty Seconds to Mars will headline the in-game soundtrack for the new epic RPG, Dragon Age™: Origins. The title song from the band’s new album “THIS IS WAR” will make its world debut in Dragon Age: Origins before the highly-anticipated album (EMI’s Virgin Records) drops on December 8th. Available in the game today, fans and press can also get a first-listen of “THIS IS WAR” in an exclusive game trailer co-produced by Thirty Seconds to Mars front-man, Jared Leto. The trailer can be downloaded at: http://press.bioware.com/ThisisWarDAO (Username: media; Password: BioAssets2get)



“EA has always had a forward-thinking relationship with Thirty Seconds to Mars and we are overwhelmed with excitement about the band’s involvement and creative contribution to Dragon Age: Origins,” said Steve Schnur, Worldwide Executive of Music and Music Marketing at EA. “This exciting song debut exemplifies our continued commitment to working with great bands that move the needle to where music is going.”



“We always like to push the envelope in the entertainment and media space and debuting our title track in a game of this caliber is a great way to communicate our music to fans around the world,” said Jared Leto, lead singer of Thirty Seconds to Mars. “We’ve come a long way from having to rely solely on radio to approach and engage music fans, and Dragon Age: Origins is the perfect game to do this with.”



In Dragon Age: Origins, players take the role of a Grey Warden, one of the last of an ancient order of guardians. Now, as a rising evil threatens to destroy all life, it is up to players to unite the shattered lands and slay the corrupted dragon known as the Archdemon. To restore peace, players must make ruthless decisions and be willing to sacrifice their friends and loved ones for the greater good of mankind.



Dragon Age: Origins is available now in North America on PlayStation®3, Xbox 360® videogame and entertainment system and PC. In Europe, Dragon Age: Origins will be released on November 6th on the Xbox 360® videogame and entertainment system and PC and later in November on PlayStation®3. Dragon Age: Origins is rated M by the ESRB and 18+ by PEGI. More information on Dragon Age: Origins can be found at: http://www.dragonage.com.



With more than 100 million views on YouTube, 40 million plays on MySpace and more than one million fans on iLike/Facebook, Thirty Seconds to Mars have always been quick to embrace digital culture. Formed by brothers Jared and Shannon Leto, Thirty Seconds to Mars have won numerous awards and accolades, including an MTV Video Music Award, three MTV EMA’s, an MTV Latin and Asia Award, a Fuse Award, and three Kerrang! Awards. Thirty Seconds to Mars’ sophomore record, “A Beautiful Lie” hit platinum status after almost two years of heavy touring and winning fans over, one by one. The media caught on too - Alternative Press raved that the band "...just might be rock's best-kept secret. He [Jared Leto] sings with a range and ease that makes cathedrals jealous" while the Washington Post exclaimed, "hard-driving guitar riffs and powerful vocals carry this head banging outfit all the way to the rock-race finish line." The record spawned two Top 5 Modern Rock singles, “From Yesterday” and “The Kill” and the latter set a radio record for the longest-running hit in the history of Modern Rock radio play when it remained on the national airplay chart for more than 50 weeks following its #3 peak in 2006. “From Yesterday” was the band’s first #1 at the format and its epic video was the first American music video ever shot in the People's Republic of China. Thirty Seconds to Mars have over 500 live performances under their belts since the release of “A Beautiful Lie”, including major festival shows like Lollapalooza in the United States, Holland’s Pinkpop Festival and Japan’s Summer Sonic, which has earned them a growing, loyal, global fan base.



More information on Thirty Seconds to Mars is available at: http://www.thirtysecondstomars.com/