Electronic Entertainment Expo - E3 2009

Lead Designer Mike Laidlaw sat down with EA.com to answer some questions about the upcoming Dragon Age: Origins, the latest undertaking from BioWare, makers of Mass Effect. The epic tale of violence, lust and betrayal is BioWare’s deepest story to date, more than seven years in the making.

Q: What was the concept behind the creation of Dragon Age: Origins?

A: In Dragon Age: Origins, you are a Grey Warden, one of the last of an ancient order of guardians who have defended the lands throughout the centuries. Now you are tasked with uniting the shattered lands and stopping the rise of endless hordes of the twisted darkspawn and their leader, the Archdemon--who just happens to be a giant, ferocious dragon. Betrayed by a trusted general in a critical battle, you must hunt down the traitor and bring him to justice.

As you fight your way towards the final confrontation with the Archdemon, you’ll have to face monstrous foes and engage in epic quests to unite the disparate peoples of a world at war... and who knows, play your cards right and you may even be properly rewarded for your efforts...

Q: This game features an incredibly rich story—where did it come from and how did it evolve?

A: BioWare has an experienced team of talented designers and writers who have spent years building the world, developing the characters and crafting a story around the epic themes of violence, lust, and betrayal.

Q: The game is said to have very broad appeal—what accounts for that?

A: Dragon Age: Origins is a dark, mature, fantasy experience. It offers all of the cool aspects of fantasy such as magic, dragons, and badass warriors, without any of the overdone elements. You’re not going to see elves prancing along in little green tights in this game. Instead you’re going to see a hell of a lot of violence, some lust, and a whole lot of options for you to decide how your game plays out in what is easily one of the best stories ever experienced in a video game.

Q: Part of the game is about making tough decisions—how does that play out in-game?

A: The game is littered with choices and ways you can shape the game experience. In fact, we were talking around the office and we figured out that you’d have to play the game something like eight times all the way through to see all of the content in there! With so many choices and ways to make this game a unique experience, we really wanted to make people struggle emotionally and morally with the choices they are going to have to face. There is no Good/Evil slider to help guide you, or let you know if you made the correct choice. There is no correct choice to make in Dragon Age: Origins. Each choice you make will have rewards and consequences. The only gauge you have when playing this game is whether or not you can look at yourself in the mirror after you’re done playing.

Q: What's the one thought/feeling about the game you want people to come away from E3 with?

A: We want people to fully realize that Dragon Age: Origins reinvents fantasy and it is something that you must experience first-hand whether you own a PC, PLAYSTATION 3, or Xbox 360.