BioWare Offers PC Users Free Copies of Mass Effect 2 With Copies of Dragon Age II

[Widgetcraft]

It seems that PC gamers make out like bandits again with BioWare's new customer appreciation promotion (http://dragonage.bioware.com/me2offer/). Those who have purchased, or will purchase, copies of Dragon Age II (for any platform, including both consoles and PC) before April 30th, 2011 will receive a free download code for last year's Mass Effect 2 on PC:

Thanks to gamers like you, Dragon Age II is off to a great start – breaking the 1 million mark in less than two weeks and faster than Dragon Age: Origins. We appreciate your support. As a special thank you for helping with the game's early success, BioWare would like to present you with a download code for 2010's Game of the Year, Mass Effect 2 on PC. As always, we sincerely appreciate your support and passion as we remain focused on delivering quality interactive experiences now and in the future. Look for more exciting things coming from Dragon Age, Mass Effect, and Star Wars: The Old Republic in the future, including our recent launch of Mass Effect 2 Arrival DLC.

If you're considering purchasing Dragon Age II, now may be the time to take the plunge. Please note that this does not include access to the Cerberus Network, and that this offer is only good for PC downloads of Mass Effect 2.

EDIT: EA seems to have updated the promotion page, and it now says that you do get access to the Cerberus Network.

[Shjinta]

Just to let you all know. The copy of ME2 doesn't come with the Cerberus Network. So if you want it, you'll have to buy it.

[jpublic]

And you can't pass it on to anyone else, so if you already own PC ME2 (like me) you're SOL.

[TheKeck]

What's Cerberus Network?

[JayK47]

Sounds like a weak promotion. They know most gamers who would buy DA2 most likely have ME2. And without the cerberus network, it is like saying you are getting half of ME2 free. A coupon for ME3 would be more appreciated.

[Knightsaber]

Worked out nicely for me, well kinda...already have the 360 version but still, a freebie is a freebie.

[Stoke]

What's Cerberus Network?

It's Mass Effects DLC hub basically. It's included in every new copy of ME2 and available for $15 otherwise. If you have the Network then you get some "free" DLC like a few missions and a new character. It's great to have but no where near essential.

[SilentScreams]

Only on CoG could people get something for free and still complain.

[Iron Past]

Only on CoG could people get something for free and still complain.

You said it first.

[Gerbs]

Only on CoG could people get something for free and still complain.

People are complaining along the same lines on the Facebook page.

I already had this Bioware! Fuck you!

[Cavalier]

And you can't pass it on to anyone else, so if you already own PC ME2 (like me) you're SOL.

Why not? As far as I can see it just gives you a EA downloader code so I assumed you can give that to anyone.

I'll have to check with the person I gave my code to.

[Lint of Death]

Only on the Internet could people get something for free and still complain.

OK, I think I've fixed that for you. Personally, I'd love it if they let me redeem my Mass Effect 2 code for Dragon Age 2 :p

[Vermillion]

You said it first.

Actually he didn't. See the DA:2 thread :)

[Shjinta]

Only on CoG could people get something for free and still complain.

Technically it's not free, I had to waste 60$ on DA 2 to get this "freebie" I never owned ME 2. Played it on 360 got bored halfway through. Figured i'd try it again on PC.

[Stoke]

Why not? As far as I can see it just gives you a EA downloader code so I assumed you can give that to anyone.

I'll have to check with the person I gave my code to.

I would be surprised if it's not tied into your EA account in some way. Definitely let us know if that's not the case.

[MalReynolds]

no Cerberus Network thats bullshit :(

[Ink Asylum]

How dare they give you a game for free without giving you a bunch of DLC for free, too! Bullshit!

[Deadend]

My god! the comments on here!

I just facepalmed so hard, my palm is now permanently fused to my face. Thanks.

[The Doctor]

No Cerberus network? I'm pretty sure you get it.

http://tonytoon.home.insightbb.com/faq.png

http://tonytoon.home.insightbb.com/cerberus.png

[Savok]

"We're sorry Dragon Age 2 was such a terrible game, here's a much better game as compensation, please don't abandon us."

[Widgetcraft]

No Cerberus network? I'm pretty sure you get it.

http://tonytoon.home.insightbb.com/faq.png

http://tonytoon.home.insightbb.com/cerberus.png

Hah, they changed it. The FAQ section used to say that you didn't get it, and actually gave a link to the place where you could buy a code for it.

[Savok]

Ah EA revisionism, fantastic.

And this wasn't so much a lack of free DLC as lack of the actual game, since the Cerberus Network only exists to punish those filthy used game buying peasants.

[Lithium Flower]

It's a fantastic promotion, if I didn't already have the games. Alas!

[Shieldmaiden]

It's cool that they u-turned on the Cerberus thing. I'll probably pick up the Kasumi and Shadow Broker DLC now.

[Ink Asylum]

I love this alternate reality where Dragon Age II is some colossal failure that has caused Bioware/EA to take "desperate" measures to placate gamers.

The game was good not great, it sold well, will continue to sell well (even without this promotion), and less people hate it than a disproportionately vocal niche wishes.

I guess the fantasy of Bioware execs rending their garments over the possibility that DA2 will ruin their company if they don't do something drastic is too appealing for the haters.

[Khrymsyn]

Hmmm, already have ME2 for 360, and wasn't planning to pick up DAII until some sorta steam sale =P

But this... this might make me turn around on that, which is what I'm guessing this promotion is trying to do.

[Serapth]

Sounds like a weak promotion. They know most gamers who would buy DA2 most likely have ME2. And without the cerberus network, it is like saying you are getting half of ME2 free. A coupon for ME3 would be more appreciated.

These kinds of comments are why I can rarely participate in gaming threads. The sense of entitlement is just overpowering.

[Widgetcraft]

These kinds of comments are why I can rarely participate in gaming threads. The sense of entitlement is just overpowering.

Hey, for the record, I don't even like BioWare and I still think this is a cool promotion :p

[Shieldmaiden]

I love this alternate reality where Dragon Age II is some colossal failure that has caused Bioware/EA to take "desperate" measures to placate gamers.

The game was good not great, it sold well, will continue to sell well (even without this promotion), and less people hate it than a disproportionately vocal niche wishes.

I guess the fantasy of Bioware execs rending their garments over the possibility that DA2 will ruin their company if they don't do something drastic is too appealing for the haters.

CoG is actually the only place I've seen reasonable, thoughtful discussion about the merits and flaws of DA2. The rest of the internet is consumed by fanboy rage over the changes to the combat system. It's a damn shame, because they've done some interesting things with the structure of the game and instead of a useful dialogue we have entitled manchild bitchwhinging.

Seriously, I fucking hate gamers. :mad:

[Blue]

Cool on Bioware for giving away ME2 with DA2. I'm not planning on picking up DA2 until the "super" edition hits (and I already have ME2), but great incentive regardless. I just finished ME1 and have jumped into 2 and it's night and day how good ME2 is (and 1 was stellar to begin with) so this would be a no brainer.

Makes me laugh that Bioware caved on the Cerberus thing. Some people need to grow up if they're going to start moaning when receiving a free game.

"I'm hungry!"
"Here, have my sandwich."
"What, no mayo? This sandwich sucks!"

Hurray for the internet and gamers.

[SonofSeth]

I don't game so I would get free stuff, I game so I would get great and interesting experiences. I work to buy stuff I like.

When the experience I get is underwhelming (even if just for little ol me) no amount of freebies will make the bad good.

I'm not against free stuff, I'm for games that make you want to give more money to developers because the experience was that good, not making them feel obligated to give away free stuff just to make the haters quiet.

This could be a discussion about why EA is doing this, which is far more interesting than a discussion about how much people like free stuff, everyone knows the answer to that.

[Khrymsyn]

This could be a discussion about why EA is doing this, which is far more interesting than a discussion about how much people like free stuff, everyone knows the answer to that.

I'm going to go out on a limb, and say that EA is doing this to sell more copies of DA2... that's just a guess though.
=P

[Philonious]

This could be a discussion about why EA is doing this, which is far more interesting than a discussion about how much people like free stuff, everyone knows the answer to that.

I honestly think it was an attempt to see how much revenue they could generate on DLC alone and that they ended up caving on the Cerebrus Network because the offer backfired.

I'm going to go out on a limb, and say that EA is doing this to sell more copies of DA2... that's just a guess though.

This too. They sent out an email announcing the offer to non-owners today.

[Ink Asylum]

I'd also add in "Build hype and player base for Mass Effect 3".

[SilentScreams]

And to do something nice for people. Let's not overlook that.

If this were Valve doing this, people would be sucking Gabe's dick right about now.

[Philonious]

And to do something nice for people. Let's not overlook that.

If this were Valve doing this, people would be sucking Gabe's dick right about now.

I don't doubt that the Bioware people are doing this out of the kindness of their hearts, but EA holds the purse strings and they can't just give stuff away without explaining themselves to investors.

[SonofSeth]

EA must be raising some eyebrows with this. What about other publishers who got large libraries. If this stunt works well enough, it could have interesting consequences. Most of the sales on a new game are withing first couple of months from release, leaving the publisher with mostly useless library of games, at least until a sequel or a reboot.

Giving away a code and letting people download whole games becomes a real interesting proposition, it's basically free for them and free for us. We saw in these threads how powerful the idea of free is.

[Shieldmaiden]

I'd put it down to the fact the consumer goodwill is always a good thing for business, plus it'll probably have a positive effect on DLC sales. As well as the obvious selling of more copies of DA2.

[JayK47]

Makes more sense now with Cerberus Network.

I hear the term fanboy being used improperly. If you defend a franchise no matter how good or bad a game is, you are a fanboy. If a sequel comes out and changes the game in a way you do not like, I do not see what is wrong with pointing that out. Yes, some people throw a tantrum. Not as much as being a fanboy as being immature. I played the demo, did not like the new combat and overall "extreme!!!" makeover, and plan to hold out for a price drop or a complete edition. Being level headed is being able to admit the game has its faults. Feel free to still enjoy the game. I plan to one day as well. Just not for full retail plus nickel diming for DLC for a total price of over $100.

[Shieldmaiden]

Makes more sense now with Cerberus Network.

I hear the term fanboy being used improperly. If you defend a franchise no matter how good or bad a game is, you are a fanboy. If a sequel comes out and changes the game in a way you do not like, I do not see what is wrong with pointing that out. Yes, some people throw a tantrum. Not as much as being a fanboy as being immature. I played the demo, did not like the new combat and overall "extreme!!!" makeover, and plan to hold out for a price drop or a complete edition. Being level headed is being able to admit the game has its faults. Feel free to still enjoy the game. I plan to one day as well. Just not for full retail plus nickel diming for DLC for a total price of over $100.

You can be a fanboy of a single product. I have read a few well-reasoned arguments as to why people preferred DA:O, however I have read many more irrational rants from people who were clearly reacting to the simple fact that they made changes at all.

[Hotcod]

well it's the same basic idea of the steam sales... after a given point you have sold all the copies of your game you are going to sell at a given price point. If you are at the point of making profit on the game then you are likely going to be able to make more money but dropping the price point to a place more people will buy than waiting on the dribs and drabs of sales at full cost.

In this case there's a few thing balancing out giving the game out for free. First and foremost to get it you have to buy a full priced product, not only that but those of us who have already brought DA2 at full price are in a group that is very likely going to own ME2 in some other form. If you have brought DA2 but do not own ME2 it's also likely that you either never will or will wait for a price drop or buy used. With that in mind even with the turn around on the starting DLC pack they dramatically widen the group they can sell ME2 DLC to with likely very little loss to actual sales of the game.

On top of all that you are an extra incentive to people who own neither game to pick up a full priced copy of DA2, you produce good will from the consumers and you have good PR and marketing of both games. Using DA2 as a way to keep ME2 profiles up just after a DLC pack has come out and at the start of the build up for ME3 is likely worth a large chunk of marketing budget in it's self.

There is no reason why something can not be good for gamers and good for the devs and publishers. People will fawn over Valve a lot for what they do but Valve almost always has a solid business reason behind what they do that is more than just "good will". It just seems people have a hard time equating the idea that good business practice can in fact be good for the consumer as well and it's kind of silly to get wound up over a company doing something nice that benefits every one by assigning "sinister motives" to what is in fact a well rounded choice on there part.

[Widgetcraft]

You also stand a greater chance of bringing people into the Mass Effect franchise by giving them one for free. I could see some DA fans not giving ME a chance due to the more shooterish nature of ME.

[Hotcod]

point is, there are money grubbing reasons behind it, of course there are... that dose not make it bad in fact if it proves to EA that doing things like this which are good for us as gamers can be also be very good for them then we may get more stuff like it in the future and EVERY ONE WINS! isn't that nice?

[SonofSeth]

You can be a fanboy of a single product. I have read a few well-reasoned arguments as to why people preferred DA:O, however I have read many more irrational rants from people who were clearly reacting to the simple fact that they made changes at all.

I have to say though, comments on this forum are really of higher quality than almost anywhere else I went to Dragon Age 2 threads. Both sides had some good arguments and name calling and character assassination was down to minimum, such a pleasant surprise.

[Khrymsyn]

Thing that bums me out is that it's a digital only copy through the EA downloader...
I'm not a big fan of the EA downloader...

But I do have a $20 gift cert to them... so maybe I should just pull the trigger and pick up ME for $11 they have on sale too....