EA Announce Dragon Age Origins Awakening, The First Expansion Pack For Dragon Age Origins

EA Has announced that they will be releasing the first expansion pack for Dragon Age Origins on March 16th. Dragon Age Origins Awakening will come out for the PC, PS3 and Xbox 360. the expansion has a suggested retail price of $39.99.

The Awakening offers a brand new part of the world to explore. Amaranthine will have a epic story that will help to unravel the secrets of the Darkspawn. there will be creatures morphed by the Darkspawn, evolved and intelligent.

The Awakening will also provide new ways for players to customise their hero and party, including the ability to re-spec attributes. The level cap will be increased, there are new spells, abilities, and new items.

Press Release

Guildford, UK – January 5, 2009 – Leading video game developer BioWare™, a division of Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ: ERTS), announced today Dragon Age™: Origins – Awakening, the first official expansion pack to Dragon Age: Origins, the recent recipient of Spike TV’s Best RPG and PC Game of 2009, IGN’s Best RPG of 2009 and CNN.com’s Best RPG of 2009. Dragon Age: Origins – Awakening will be available for the Xbox 360® videogame and entertainment system, the PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system and PC on March 16, 2010.

Designed and written by the same team that brought you Dragon Age: Origins, the Awakening expansion pack offers a brand new area of the world to explore known as Amaranthine, featuring an epic story that will allow players to unravel the secrets of the darkspawn - and their true motivations! Players will face a range of horrific and terrifying creatures including an evolved, intelligent breed of darkspawn and other menacing creatures such as the Inferno Golem and Spectral Dragon. Dragon Age: Origins – Awakening provides exciting new ways for players to customize their heroes and party, including the ability to re-spec their character attributes, allowing even greater customization and replayability. Featuring an increased level cap, new spells, abilities, specializations and items, plus five all-new party members, players can continue their adventures from Dragon Age, or begin with a brand new party.
“Dragon Age: Origins – Awakening shows BioWare’s commitment to our fans by delivering new story-driven experiences which enrich the dark heroic fantasy universe our fans have come to know and love,” said Dr. Ray Muzyka, Group General Manager of the RPG/MMO Group, EA, and Co-Founder, BioWare. “The vibrant worldwide community of Dragon Age fans will relish uncovering the secret motivations of the darkspawn, revealing how the darkspawn continue to infest the world despite the defeat of the Archdemon.”

Dragon Age: Origins – Awakening, BioWare’s next thread in the Dragon Age: Origins tapestry, occurs following the events of Dragon Age: Origins and puts players into the role of a Grey Warden Commander entrusted with rebuilding the order of Grey Wardens. In addition to rebuilding the ranks of the Grey Wardens, you will be tasked with uncovering the mystery of how the darkspawn survive after the slaying of the Archdemon dragon. How players choose to rebuild their order, resolve the conflict with the mysterious “Architect,” and determine the fate of the darkspawn are just some of the many intriguing moral choices that will shape each player’s heroic journey. Players will be able to import their character from Dragon Age: Origins or start out as a new Grey Warden from the neighboring land of Orlais.
Dragon Age: Origins – Awakening will be released March 16, 2010 worldwide on the Xbox 360, the PlayStation 3 console and PC. Dragon Age: Origins – Awakening will be available for $39.99 on PC, Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 consoles in North America and will require Dragon Age: Origins to play. Dragon Age: Origins – Awakening is rated M by the ESRB and 18+ by PEGI.

For more information on Dragon Age: Origins – Awakening, please visit www.dragonage.com/awakening.

About BioWare
BioWare develops high quality console, PC and online role-playing games, focused on rich stories, unforgettable characters and vast worlds to discover. Since 1995, BioWare has created some of the world's most critically acclaimed titles, including Baldur's Gate™, Neverwinter Nights™, Star Wars®: Knights of the Old Republic™, Jade Empire™ and Mass Effect™. BioWare operates in Edmonton (Alberta, Canada), Montreal (Quebec) and Austin (Texas). BioWare’s announced projects include the dark heroic fantasy adventure Dragon Age: Origins, as well as Mass Effect 2™, the epic shooter-RPG sequel to Mass Effect, and the story-driven massively multiplayer online game, Star Wars®: The Old Republic™. In 2008, BioWare was acquired by Electronic Arts, a leading global interactive entertainment publisher. For more information on BioWare, visit www.bioware.com; to join the millions of fans already registered on our community, go tohttp://social.bioware.com.

About Electronic Arts
Electronic Arts Inc. (EA), in Redwood City, California, is a leading global interactive entertainment software company. Founded in 1982, the Company develops, publishes, and distributes interactive software worldwide for video game systems, personal computers, wireless devices and the Internet. Electronic Arts markets its products under four brand names: EATM, EA SPORTSTM, EA Mobile TM and POGOTM. In fiscal 2009, EA posted GAAP net revenue of $4.2 billion and had 31 titles that sold more than one million copies. EA's homepage and online game site is www.ea.com. More information about EA's products and full text of press releases can be found on the Internet at http://info.ea.com.

BioWare, Mass Effect, Dragon Age and Jade Empire are trademarks or registered trademarks of EA International (Studio and Publishing) Ltd. in the U.S. and/or other countries. EA, EA SPORTS, EA Mobile and POGO are trademarks or registered trademarks of Electronic Arts Inc. in the U.S. and/or other countries. Xbox and Xbox 360 are trademarks of the Microsoft group of companies. “PlayStation” is a registered trademark of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

Nintendo Estimate 3 Million Wii's Were Sold In The United States During December

Nintendo is estimating that during December 2009, 3 Million Nintendo Wii's were sold in the USA. Official sales figures will be released by the NPD group on January 14th.
Nintendo are also estimating that lifetime sales of New Super Mario Bros. Wii are approaching 4 million in the USA.

Press Release

As everyone looks ahead to the possibilities in store for 2010, Nintendo of America is looking to extend the glow of the holidays with some fresh December sales information. The following items were announced by Nintendo President Satoru Iwata in Japan:

Although official U.S. sales data for December and all of 2009 will be announced by the NPD Group on Jan. 14, it appears that U.S. consumers responded enthusiastically to Nintendo's Wii™ home console in December. Nintendo estimates that December sales in the United States will exceed 3 million units.

Nintendo estimates that the portable Nintendo DS™ lineup, including the Nintendo DSi™ video game system, set a new all-time calendar-year U.S. sales record for any console or hand-held system.

Nintendo software also continued to perform well. Although the NPD Group will provide the full sales numbers for each game, Nintendo estimates that lifetime U.S. sales of New Super Mario Bros.™ Wii are approaching 4 million. The game, which is the first Super Mario Bros. game to include simultaneous four-player action, launched in the United States on Nov. 15.

"The millions of people who bought Nintendo hardware during the holidays can look forward to enjoying great games on those systems now and in the future," said Cammie Dunaway, Nintendo of America's executive vice president of Sales & Marketing. "The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks for Nintendo DS, and Wii Fit Plus and New Super Mario Bros. Wii are all currently providing Nintendo fans with amazing experiences and fun adventures for the whole family."

For more information about Nintendo, please visit www.nintendo.com.

Audio Re-Cap of Yesterdays News (oldest to newest)

Here is today's Audio Re-Cap of Yesterdays news.
Don't forget, you can subscribe to the Audio Re-Cap Podcast on iTunes. if you do, it would be great if you can review and rate the podcast.

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Nintendo Announce That The Nintendo DS Is The Best Selling Videogame Platform In Europe

Nintendo UK has announced that there are over 40 Million Nintendo DS and over 20 Million Wii Consoles in Europe. The Nintendo DS, DSi, and DS Lite has not only sold more than any other Videogame in console, but it has also seen the fastest growth in European videogame console history.
The Nintendo Wii is the fastest selling console in europe, reaching 20 million units sold in just 3 years. out of those Wii owners, 9.6 Million own either Wii Fit or Wii Fit Plus. New Super Mario Bros. Wii has also now sold over 2.5 Million units.

From Nintendo UK

Re-Cap of Yesterdays News (oldest to newest)

• QTE Blog: General, Mobile, And PC News In Brief From The Christmas Break http://ow.ly/16gkl8

• QTE Blog: Sony And PlayStation News In Brief From The Christmas Break http://ow.ly/16gmCQ

• QTE Blog: Nintendo News In General From The Christmas Break http://ow.ly/16gmCR

• Wii: Broadmoor Hospital in the UK has bough 22 Wii's for its inmates. Broadmoor is a high-security psychiatric hospital http://ow.ly/SzYa

• UK Charts, Modern Warfare 2, Assassins Creed II, Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games,Wii Sports Resort, Wii Fit Plus http://ow.ly/SzZ7

• PS3: Naughty Dog Co-President Evan Wells says they want to work on the PS3 for 5-6 more years, don't want new hardware http://ow.ly/SA0S

• QTE Blog: Microsoft And Xbox 360 News From The Christmas Break http://ow.ly/16gnHJ

• Fallout New Vegas details reportedly leaked. choose background stories for character, can't master all skills + more http://ow.ly/SA2X

• PS3: PAL BlazBlue release can play online against USA and Japan. there's more customisation options + more http://ow.ly/SA6h

• Wii: ShopTo are selling Sonic and Sega All-Stars Racing on the Wii with a free racing wheel peripheral. http://ow.ly/SA4m

• 360: Its being reported that Microsoft will integrate Natal and Live, it will be groundbreaking. http://ow.ly/SA7F

• JP Consoles Wii 215.129 DSi 113.984, PS3 110.519, PSP 105.801, DSi LL 81.430, DS 17.695, 360 6.489, PSPgo 4.192, PS2 3.747 http://ow.ly/SA92

• QTE Blog: The 2010 International CES Will Have 330 Companies And 2500 Exhibitors With More Than 20.000 New Products... http://ow.ly/16goQF

• QTE Blog: South Peak Announce They Are Bringing Blood Bowl To PC, PSP, And Xbox 360 In 2010 http://ow.ly/16goQG

• Capcom have released the specs for Dark Void. hit the link for the minimum specs. http://ow.ly/SD4u

• Wii: Famitsu is reporting that Red Steel is 95%.there are over 40 different types of enemies/bosses. http://ow.ly/SD3A

• PC: Its being reported that Red Alert 3 is currently unplayable through steam. downloaded copies don't have serial numbers http://ow.ly/SESq

• QTE Blog: EA Reveal The Release Date For The Return To Ostagar DLC For Dragon Age Origins Is January 5th. http://ow.ly/16gqjc

• QTE Blog: Temco Have Released Screenshots And A Trailer For Again On The Nintendo DS http://ow.ly/16gqjd

• QTE Blog: Temco Have Released Screenshots And A Trailer For Monster Rancher On The Nintendo DS http://ow.ly/16grzb

• QTE Blog: Temco Have Released Screenshots And A Trailer For Quantum Theory On The Playstation 3 http://ow.ly/16grzc

• QTE Blog: Sega Announce A PC Version Of Sonic & Sega's All Star Racing And Release New Screenshots http://ow.ly/16guKo

• QTE Blog: This Weeks WiiWare, DSiWare, And Virtual Console Releases http://ow.ly/16guKp

• QTE Blog: Aardman Animations Have Done 2 More Animations For The Legend Of Zelda Spirit Tracks Using Flipnote Studi... http://ow.ly/16gtFU

• QTE Blog: EA Is Going To Shut Down Online Servers For Numerous Old Games From February 2nd http://ow.ly/16gtFV

• Now Gamer, One of the first major Western reviews of Final Fantasy XIII, have given the game a 7.9. http://ow.ly/SINP

• QTE Blog: Its Rumoured Microsoft Is Either Neutering The Natal Processor Or Removing It Plus Halo Reach Won't Use N... http://ow.ly/16gwbl

• PC: EA Have confirmed that Tiger Woods PGA Tour Online Will Still be released later this month. http://ow.ly/SKgG

• Disney Confirm they have completed the acquisition of Marvel. http://ow.ly/SKhw

Its Rumoured Microsoft Is Either Neutering The Natal Processor Or Removing It Plus Halo Reach Won't Use Natal

On the 4 Guys 1up podcast from 25/12/2009, in a discussion between the host, David Ellis, and guest, John Davison, Microsoft's Natal was brought up. The conversation starts at 1:17:05 into the podcast.
David Ellis spoke about a rumour he had heard regarding Natal and how Microsoft may neuter/remove the processor in Natal to reach a cheap price point.

“Microsoft is paring back natal to reach that price point that has been kinda announced out there. Trying to launch it sub 100, sub 70, sub 60 trying to hit 49.99 with it, and as part of that they are having to pair it down”

And that the Xbox 360 Main Processor will have to be used instead. however, he pointed out that this move is not welcomed by some of the Natal developers as it will impact the games they are working on.

"my understanding, this is rumour cause its not 100% sourced, but my understanding is the processor is either being neutered or completely taken out of it and those CPU cycles are going to have to come out of the processor of the 360 now.
Some of the people that were saying similar things to it were saying that it made them less interested in making things for natal as that would mean sacrificing CPU cycles from the the main processor in the system."

David Ellis goes even further to suggest that the games we'll see come out for Natal won't be the big budget Xbox 360 games like Halo or Burnout or even small titles like Katamari. it'll be the smaller games like the Breakout thing they showed.

“they showed some kinda shareware kinda throwaway games. Like the break out thing,. I think that's were they are going, that's the direction. Its not the burnout title, is not a new Halo, its not even Katamari”

When John Davidson asked about Halo Reach Using Natal, David Ellis says its not.

“Reach is supposed to use it?”
“no its not”
“no?”
“Reach is not using it”

There is no official word from Microsoft and this is just rumour at this point.

This Weeks WiiWare, DSiWare, And Virtual Console Releases

Here are the USA WiiWare, DSiWare, And Virtual Console Releases.

Virtual Console

Final Fight 3
this is the Super Nintendo Version of the game. it is a 1-2 player game and it costs 800 Wii Points. in the game you play as 1 of 4 fighters as you try to take down the Skull Cross gang and bring peace back to Metro City.


WiiWare

Heron: Steam Machine
this is a 1-4 player game and it costs 500 Wii Points. in the game you have to keep gauges on a machine stable by connecting pipes. if a gauge goes critical, the machine blows up.


Pub Darts
this is a 1-4 player game that costs 500 Wii Points. you use the WiiMote to mimic the dart throwing action. you play in a local pub where you have a choice of different dart games like 501 and cricket. you can create your own profile, select a avatar pic from a selection.


Fast Draw Showdown
This is a 1-2 player game and it costs 500 Wii Points. use your WiiMote as a gun and shoot the enemy before they shoot you. you don't just need speed to beat the enemy, you have to have accuracy also.


DSiWare

Trajectile
this is a 1 player game only and it costs 500 DSi Points. in the game you have to line up your shot and launch a flurry of missles at enemy targets. you can bounce the missiles of walls to get them to reach their targets. there are 3 different types of missiles available, each with their own characteristics.


Animal Puzzle Adventure
This is a 1 player only game and it costs 500 DSi Points. this is a puzzle game where you have to lead animals to their respective barns on a map. there are 10 stages per level and 5 levels in total.


Hell's Kitchen Vs.
this is a 1-2 player game and it costs 800 DSi Points. the game is based on the USA TV Show. two players go up against each other in a kitchen challenge. there are time management tests where you will be judged and rated by Gordon Ramsay.


Press Release

Should old acquaintance be forgot? We can't remember. But what we can remember is that this week's downloadable lineup from Nintendo asks a lot of questions. The Nintendo DSiWare™ service wonders if you can master missiles with Trajectile™, lead animals to their proper pens with Animal Puzzle Adventure or match wits with TV chef Gordon Ramsay in Hell's Kitchen Vs. The WiiWare™ service puts you in charge of maximizing your rubber duckie output with Heron: Steam Machine, asks you to aim for the bull's-eye with Pub Darts and wonders if you have an itchy trigger finger with Fast Draw Showdown. Finally, Final Fight™ 3 on the Virtual Console™ service makes you wonder if the fight is ever really final.

Nintendo DSiWare

Trajectile
Publisher: Nintendo
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)
Price: 500 Nintendo DSi Points™
Description: Trajectile is a puzzle game that's as much about firepower as it is about brainpower, requiring you to line up your shot and launch a flurry of missiles at enemy targets. Three types of missiles are at your disposal, each one with its own characteristics - but all of them can bounce off walls on their path to smash, blast or drill through enemies and blocks. Along the way, you'll find item blocks just waiting to be destroyed so that you can obtain special power-ups ... and cause even more destruction. Be careful though, as missile type and position are predetermined and you get only a limited number of launches per stage. Complete multiple classes containing numerous individual stages, earning medals when you clear stages in fewer than the given number of turns. Are you ready to take aim at becoming a Trajectile master?

Animal Puzzle Adventure
Publisher: Aksys Games
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E10+ (Everyone 10 and Older) - Mild Suggestive Themes
Price: 500 Nintendo DSi Points
Description: Animal Puzzle Adventure is a simple puzzle game where you have to lead various animals to their respective barns placed on the map, while avoiding pitfalls and cliffs and using the objects on the field to your advantage. There are 10 stages per level with a total of five levels, creating 50 stages in all. After clearing a stage, you unlock a piece of a photo. Once you clear all 10 stages in a level, the wallpaper for that level becomes unlocked and you can then view it in the gallery. With so many puzzles to unravel, you'll find yourself immersed in the puzzle-riffic world of Animal Puzzle Adventure.

Hell's Kitchen Vs.
Publisher: Ludia
Players: 1-2
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)
Price: 800 Nintendo DSi Points
Description: Hell's Kitchen Vs. is based on the U.S. TV phenomenon where world-renowned chef Gordon Ramsay puts aspiring chefs through rigorous culinary tests. The game recreates the show's pressure-cooker atmosphere as two players battle head-to-head in an arcade-style kitchen challenge. Try to conquer your opponent in each time-management test, while taking the heat of Gordon Ramsay judging and rating your performance at every stage of the game.

WiiWare

Heron: Steam Machine
Publisher: Triangle Studios
Players: 1-4
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)
Price: 500 Wii Points™
Description: Heron: Steam Machine is a game about a factory where rubber duckies are being produced by a large steam engine. On this steam engine, there are four different gauges which you will have to watch carefully. By connecting the pipes, you will earn points and relieve some of the pressure, keeping the machine running just a little bit longer. If one of the gauges reaches its maximum, the machine will eventually blow up, and the game is over. If you were lucky enough to achieve a high score, make sure you enter your name in the list so other players can compete with you. In Multiplayer, you are able to cooperate with friends in maintaining the steam machine. When you play with two, three or four players, the screen is divided into sections with different background colors. Each player is able to solve his or her own part of the puzzle. Players are restricted to their own section of the screen, so you will have to work together to make the pipes fit properly. (Additional accessories are required for multiplayer play and are sold separately.)

Pub Darts
Publisher: Big Blue Bubble Inc.
Players: 1-4
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone) - Alcohol Reference
Price: 500 Wii Points
Description: Pub Darts is a simple darts simulation which uses the Wii Remote™ controller's unique controls to mimic dart-throwing motion. The game is set in a local pub where the players will settle in to play some of their favorite dart games, including 501, Cricket, Around the Clock, Killers and Baseball. Controls function just like throwing a real dart. Players are able to create their own personal profiles, including selecting their avatar image from a collection of creative characters and the design they would like displayed on the dart flights.

Fast Draw Showdown
Publisher: Digital Leisure Inc.
Players: 1-2
ESRB Rating: T (Teen) - Alcohol Reference, Violence
Price: 500 Wii Points
Description: When it comes to fast draw there're only two types of people: the quick ... and the dead! Now you have the chance to find out where you stand, or lie, as the case may be. You'll go up against the best quick draws in the business, including one of the world's fastest, Wes Flowers. Unholster your Wii Remote controller and show 'em who the fastest draw really is, in this live-action shooter. You can even take on a friend in multiplayer modes, and see which of you has the quickest draw. You'll need some serious speed and awesome accuracy to take on these gunslingers ... so get ready for some real fast draw action.

Virtual Console

Final Fight 3
Original platform: Super NES™
Publisher: Capcom USA
Players: 1-2
ESRB Rating: T (Teen) - Animated Violence
Price: 800 Wii Points
Description: Following the defeat and subsequent disappearance of the Mad Gear Gang, a small group known only as "Skull Cross" is responsible for a new uprising of vandalism, terrorism and death. The government of Metro City is at a complete loss. Metro City's mayor, Mike Haggar, and Guy are prepared to take on the new gang, but before they can act, the door bursts open, revealing Lucia, Cody's old friend. "Metro City is under attack!" she shouts, "Skull Cross is loose, and they've got something up their sleeves." But before any of them can move, a mysterious man appears in the doorway. "My name is Dean," he says. "I know Skull Cross inside-and-out, and I hate them more than anything. I can help you, and you can help me. We must go!" All four fighters vow to bring Skull Cross down. It will be a tough assignment, and may even be their final fight!

Nintendo adds new titles to the Nintendo DSi Shop and the Wii Shop Channel at 9 a.m. Pacific time on Mondays. Users with broadband Internet access can redeem Wii Points or Nintendo DSi Points to download the games. Wii Points can be purchased in the Wii Shop Channel. Nintendo DSi Points can be purchased in the Nintendo DSi Shop. A Nintendo Points Card™ can be purchased at retail locations. All points from one Nintendo Points Card must be redeemed in either the Nintendo DSi Shop or the Wii Shop Channel. They are not transferable and cannot be divided between the two systems.

Remember that both Wii and Nintendo DSi feature parental controls that let adults manage the content their children can access. For more information about this and other features, visitWii.com or NintendoDSi.com.