Saboteur, Dragon Age slated for Q1 '09

EA CEO tells analysts that Pandemic's WWII stealth actioner and BioWare's fantasy RPG won't make the 2008 calendar year.

Yesterday, Electronic Arts CEO John Riccitiello spoke at the William Blair & Company Growth Stock Conference in Chicago. Besides revealing the existence of a new Need for Speed and top-down strategy elements in Godfather 2, the executive also delivered a double shot of less-welcome news. Namely, that two of the top games from EA's recently acquired BioWare and Pandemic studios won't be arriving this year.

When asked by an analyst about which of EA's new intellectual properties would be among its internal top 10 bestsellers for 2008, Riccitiello began listing his picks. "Mercenaries 2, Mirror's Edge, Spore, Dead Space, including subscriptions Warhammer [Online]--but that won't show up in NPD, Battlefield: Bad Company...that'll certainly get in there," he predicted. Then, the executive added "Saboteur and Dragon Age" before quickly tacking on the qualifier, "but those two won't make the calendar year because they're coming in fiscal Q4." EA's fiscal year ends on March 31, 2009, which means that both games will now arrive in the first three months of next year.

Today's revelation will be a blow to those awaiting Saboteur, which had been expected on the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 sometime in 2008. First revealed last March, the game aims for a different take on World War II, casting players as a member of the French Resistance using stealthy commando tactics to battle Nazi occupiers. After an early version was shown to the press last year, the game has remained largely in the shadows.

Riccitiello's words were less of a shock to role-playing gamers awaiting Dragon Age, which EA previously announced would arrive before April 1, 2009. The PC game is a completely original IP, unlike BioWare's last Western-fantasy RPG, the Dungeons and Dragons-based Neverwinter Nights (2002). (BioWare farmed out development of its 2006 sequel, Neverwinter Nights 2, to independent RPG studio Obsidian Entertainment.) Currently, the Canadian studio's most public property is the sci-fi RPG Mass Effect, which was recently released on the PC after its 360 debut last year.

68 Comments

  • darius_danze

    Posted Jun 18, 2008 3:38 pm PT

    Megawizard1

    May I borrow your time machine and whatever you are smoking.
    EA bought Bioware after Mass Effects release and Spore isn't being released until September so I wouldn't cancel that pre-order just yet.

  • Shantmaster_K

    Posted Jun 18, 2008 3:33 pm PT

    I've been waiting for Dragon Age since I first heard of it. Sounds really good.

  • HummaKavula

    Posted Jun 18, 2008 3:28 pm PT

    Dragon Age! Been waiting a while for this one.

  • Megawizard1

    Posted Jun 18, 2008 3:16 pm PT

    After the influences EA pushed onto Mass Effect & Spore, I don't even want Dragon Age anymore.

  • Kez1984

    Posted Jun 18, 2008 2:54 pm PT

    "I hope Dragon Age comes to consoles too"

    I don't, it will be dumbed down.

  • Terminatort850

    Posted Jun 18, 2008 2:53 pm PT

    Velvet Assassin was called SABOTAGE and its being published by GameCock

    Saboteur is being developed by Pandemic

    I hope Dragon Age comes to consoles too

  • jakob_187

    Posted Jun 18, 2008 2:50 pm PT

    Mmmmm.....Saboteur.

    And Velvet Assassin, as far as I know, is a separate game that was originally called Saboteur as well. I'm not sure.

  • Donkeljohn

    Posted Jun 18, 2008 2:40 pm PT

    Finally! More details on Dragon Age. Anybody else looking forward to another fine Bioware RPG besides me?

  • zeecorner

    Posted Jun 18, 2008 2:35 pm PT

    hopefully there is a bunch of Dragon Age stuff at E3

  • Priest57

    Posted Jun 18, 2008 2:31 pm PT

    I thought Saboteur was renamed Velvet Assassin.

  • Kez1984

    Posted Jun 18, 2008 2:11 pm PT

    Looking forward to Dragon Age on my pc. Bioware rock.

  • GoldenRamoth

    Posted Jun 18, 2008 2:10 pm PT

    Saboteur, that's gonna be great. finally, another view of the war. You can play as a resistence fighter. Soon, all that's gonna be left is playing as a Russian. Or a German. That would add a completely new spin on things. Well, the Russian part would, since you'd need a totally new weapons set.

  • makryu

    Posted Jun 18, 2008 1:58 pm PT

    Dragon Age postponed by a EA-owned Bioware? Maybe, after all, they really won't mess with this one rushing the RPG titles and Bioware will be safe.

  • centuryslayer

    Posted Jun 18, 2008 1:55 pm PT

    Dragon Age

  • stevo_360

    Posted Jun 18, 2008 1:49 pm PT

    Glad to hear that Dragon Age is still being thought of, hopefully I'll have upgraded my PC by then.

  • KayHangman

    Posted Jun 18, 2008 1:46 pm PT

    I'm incredibly glad that Dragon Age is arriving in early 2009. Late 2008 is already filled with releases and fitting another major title in would be difficult for me; it'd mean some cramped gaming time for sure!

  • lamprey263

    Posted Jun 18, 2008 1:30 pm PT

    That's too bad about Saboteur, but at least Velvet Assassin (AKA "Sabotage") was still set to be released in late 2008 last I heard. In all honesty I can't remember which one is which anymore, but I don't care which one I play first, just the idea of playing a WWII stealth action game sounds good enough for me, as long as it doesn't get a horrible rating on release.

  • kos1085

    Posted Jun 18, 2008 1:23 pm PT

    Take as long as you need Bioware because you have yet to diasappoint me.

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