BioWare teaser counts down to March 29

It's been a busy past few months for EA's Edmonton, Alberta-based studio BioWare. The role-playing game factory has released critically acclaimed installments in its preferred genre--dark fantasy Dragon Age: Origins and sci-fi space opera Mass Effect 2. Beyond that, the studio has supported both releases with substantial helpings of downloadable content. To wit, Dragon Age: Origins - Awakening hit March 16, a week before Mass Effect 2's Firewalker pack.

As a sign that things aren't likely to be slowing down any time soon at the development house, BioWare today launched a mysterious countdown timer. The countdown timer appears on Mass Effect's, Dragon Age's, and BioWare's company-wide Web sites and is set to expire on Monday, March 29 at 9 a.m. PDT.

So what does the countdown timer pertain to? One topic that seems like it can be ruled out is Star Wars: The Old Republic. Developed and published in conjunction with LucasArts, The Old Republic's Web site does not boast the same ticking clock that BioWare's other Web sites prominently display.

However, considering the cross-game promotion, the timer could point to BioWare's as-yet-unannounced "new next gen game." First spotted on a developer's resume in June 2009, the game is expected to be an all-new intellectual property from the Canadian studio. No other information on the project has been made available.

One other possibility is that BioWare could be gearing up to officially announce Dragon Age 2. In February, EA confirmed that the fantasy RPG would receive a new installment during its January-March 2011 quarter. Upon Awakening's release last week, BioWare included a cryptic flyer with the expansion's retail release indicating that Dragon Age 2 will dawn February 1, 2011.