Dragon Age II Released, Launch Trailer

For those of you who didn’t realize that Dragon Age II was on store shelves as of this morning, we have an official launch trailer and a press release for you to digest. First, the trailer, courtesy of our YouTube channel:

Roll the press release:

The Rise to Power Begins Now With Dragon Age II

Highly Anticipated Action RPG from BioWare Begins Hitting Retailers This Week; (Exiled Prince) DLC Launches on Xbox LIVE Marketplace, PlayStation Network, PC and Mac

EDMONTON, Alberta–Leading video game developer BioWareâ„¢, a division of Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ:ERTS), announced today that Dragon Ageâ„¢ II is now available at retail stores in North America and will be available in Europe on March 11. Featuring a gripping new storyline, stunning visuals and what PC Gamer magazine has proclaimed to be (the best RPG combat ever,) Dragon Age II has already been hailed as a success by critics around the world. The game has received a 94 percent from PC Gamer magazine (US and UK), a 9/10 from Official Xbox Magazine and a 9/10 from PlayStation: The Official Magazine, which also said, (Fueled by its brains, a likeable cast, and a sprawling storyline, Dragon Age II delivers.)

(I am very proud of the bold, ambitious direction our team took with Dragon Age II, which I think is some of the best work yet from BioWare,) said Dr. Ray Muzyka, co-founder and Group General Manager of BioWare and Senior Vice President of Electronic Arts. (The Dragon Age team built on their success with Dragon Age: Origins and also focused on innovation for our players, delivering better combat, creating an incredible new art style and introducing a dynamic storytelling technique to really raise the bar for both the franchise and the genre.)

Dragon Age II allows gamers to experience the rise to power of Hawke, a refugee who survives the destruction of his homeland, to become the Champion of Kirkwall. Hawke’s rise to power is shrouded in myth and rumor, with these mysteries being the driving force behind a story that spans an entire decade. Players will experience how the legend unfolds by gathering the deadliest of allies, making tough moral choices, and amassing fame and fortune as they seal their place in history and change the face of the Dragon Age universe forever.

Also available today is (The Exiled Prince,) the first downloadable content pack for Dragon Age II. (The Exiled Prince) introduces the noble archer, Sebastian Vael, with players joining him in the middle of his quest to avenge the horrific murder of his family. Sworn to the priesthood as a boy, Sebastian is forced to re-enter the viper’s nest of princely politics when his family is brutally murdered, leaving him as the sole-surviving heir. Banding together with Sebastian and his unshakable loyalty and excellent aim, players will choose to either avenge Sebastian’s murdered family to reclaim his title or direct his holy vengeance on their own enemies in Kirkwall. In addition to this action-packed storyline, players will also be able to enlist Sebastian as a follower throughout a majority of Dragon Age II. (The Exiled Prince) will be available for purchase separately for $6.99 or 560 Microsoft Points.

Dragon Age II is available for the PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system, the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system, the PC and Mac®. The game is rated ‘˜M’ for Mature by the ESRB and ‘˜18+’ by PEGI. For more information on Dragon Age II, please visit http://dragonage.bioware.com/, follow the game at http://twitter.com/dragonage and (like) the game on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/dragonage.

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 Gateâ„¢, Neverwinter Nightsâ„¢, Star Wars®: Knights of the Old Republicâ„¢, Jade Empireâ„¢, Mass Effectâ„¢ and Dragon Ageâ„¢. BioWare operates in Edmonton (Alberta, Canada), Montreal (Quebec), Austin (Texas), Fairfax (Virginia) and Galway (Ireland). Currently announced projects at BioWare include Mass Effect 3, Dragon Age II, and the story-driven massively multiplayer online game, Star Wars®: The Old Republicâ„¢. In 2008, BioWare was acquired by Electronic Arts, a leading global interactive entertainment publisher. For more information on BioWare, visit www.bioware.com, or follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/biofeed. To join the millions of fans already registered on our community, go to http://social.bioware.com.

About Electronic Arts

Electronic Arts Inc. (EA), headquartered 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: EA SPORTSâ„¢, EAâ„¢, EA Mobileâ„¢ and POGOâ„¢. In fiscal 2010, EA posted GAAP net revenue of $3.7 billion and had 27 titles that sold more than one million units. 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.