Bioware's Dragon Age: Origins Prequel Novel - Stolen Throne Announced

Bioware has always been the forerunner of excellent dialogue, script, and storyline in its RPG-based games such as Jade Empire, Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, and more recently, Mass Effect. Their latest project for the PC, Dragon Age: Origins, now has a prequel novel slated for release on March 3^rd, 2009. Written by seasoned video game developer David Gaider, the novel is titled Dragon Age: The Stolen Throne, introducing readers and Bioware fans to the gritty fantasy world coming soon to PC.

The Storyline of Dragon Age: The Stolen Throne

Tor Books, the largest publisher of science fiction books worldwide, will be heading the upcoming release, but that does not mean there is no fantasy involved. The two genres have always gone well together and there is no question that this prequel intends to make full promise of bringing everything fans love about the fantasy genre - swords, medieval epic battles, dragons, and clues that will help put together what Dragon Age: Origins will be about.

The Stolen Throne is based on the main hero Maric and his efforts to lead a large rebellion to avenge his mother, The Rebel Queen, who was murdered by the very lords who were trusted to keep the movement alive. The odds are stacked against him as the back cover of the novel fully indicates: "His countrymen live in fear; his commanders consider him untested; and his only allies are Loghain, a brash young outlaw who saved his life, and Rowan, the beautiful warrior maiden promised to him since birth."

All the archetypal elements RPG gamers love are included and it makes sense how the main hero's ragtag team of warriors parallels the seamless party system present in Dragon Age: Origins. Bioware understands that to create a great game, the entire project itself must have a brand behind its storyline. Video games turned into novels are not new to the gaming industry. Bungie's masterpiece first-person shooter series, Halo, is one of the most definitive of the art of turning the action on screen and putting it onto paper. To date, all the Halo novels have been successful in sales as well as promoting the release of all three titles for the console. Halo: Contact Harvest, the fifth and newest Halo novel, has made the New York Times' Bestseller list last month, and surely it won't be the last of the series.

Dragon Age: Origins Will Follow a Path Similar To Mass Effect

Few people realize that Bioware has already ventured heavily into literature to expand upon the fantasy, lore, and storylines of its games. Mass Effect: Revelation, for example, is the prequel novel published in 2007 by Del Rey Books, shedding light on different locations, characters, and other aspects of the blockbuster RPG, Mass Effect, which was released for the Xbox 360 and the PC. The series has been confirmed to be a full trilogy and lately that has been the trend. It is possible Dragon Age: Origins will also be expanded into a trilogy with additional novels to explore the fantasy world.

Dragon Age: Origins' Official Release Date - March 23^rd, 2009

Dragon Age: Origins is now slated for release for early 2009, just twenty days after the prequel, The Stolen Throne, hits the book shelves. The hype has been increasing steadily, especially with the numerous gameplay videos featured on IGN.com.

The PC game will have a deep morally ambiguous setting, where the choices you make determine the quests to be completed, the characters you befriend, the enemies you make, and altogether it ties in with an intensive character customization system. The story is structured well but based on the actions you take in different scenarios, it can all go different ways. The combat gameplay has been well received by fans; the graphics are top notch and Bioware has upped the ante with increased blood, gore, and mature themes. It is definitely not the same done-to-death RPG with two sides - good and evil. Real life has never been that simple and Dragon Age: Origins seeks to show that.

Stay Tuned For The Stolen Throne and Dragon Age: Origins

It's only a matter of time now as the release date draws closer. Will the PC game live up to the expectations and maintain the power of Bioware's brand of storytelling? The Stolen Throne will serve to answer that question because all fans understand that for a game to succeed, it needs that definitive element that most titles lack - the story.