Gamers who preorder Dragon Age 2 before January 11, 2011, will automatically be upgraded to the BioWare Signature Edition of the game, featuring $20 of additional content at no extra charge.
The Bioware Signature Edition of Dragon Age 2 is a sexy little package. It includes not only the anticipated follow-up to BioWare’s hit RPG Dragon Age: Origins, but also a whole bunch of extra stuff: A download code for a bonus playable character and missions, a downloadable soundtrack, an “exclusive in-game digital armory” featuring weapons like the Adder of Antiva and Might of the Sten, and additional downloadable items, all wrapped up in a unique Signature Edition box. Best of all, it’s a free upgrade for anyone who preorders Dragon Age 2 before January 11 of next year. And only those who preorder will get it; BioWare says that after January 11, the Signature Edition will not be available for preorder or purchase.
“The BioWare Signature Edition of Dragon Age 2 is a chance for us to reward loyal fans who preorder the game by providing them with additional high-quality content for free,” said BioWare co-founder Ray Muzyka.
It’s also a great way for EA to get two birds stoned at once by rolling its Project Ten Dollar program into the near-obligatory preorder bonus that accompanies almost every major videogame release these days. That may sound cynical but it’s not actually a complaint; I’m quite happy to get free stuff no matter how it’s handed out.
How the BioWare Signature Edition will jibe with a Dragon Age 2 Collector’s Edition, assuming one is released (and I think that’s a fairly safe assumption), remains to be seen. I suppose it’s possible that this is the Collector’s Edition, although that would be kind of a letdown; as a Signature Edition it’s great, but I really expect more from my Collector’s Editions. Dragon Age 2 in all its variations is set for release on March 8 for the PC, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360.