Dungeons & Dragons Daggerdale going downloadable

The Dungeons & Dragons license has been dormant on consoles this generation, but Atari is readying a wake-up call for the venerable role-playing franchise. The publisher today announced Dungeons & Dragons Daggerdale, a new downloadable game for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and PC.

Set for release in spring 2011, Daggerdale is an action role-playing game that has players trying to thwart the nefarious designs of Rezlus to save the Dalelands. Described by Atari as an action RPG with "pick-up-and-play combat," Daggerdale will let gamers go it alone or travel in multiplayer parties of up to four.

The game marks this generation's console debut for Dungeons & Dragons. While Atari has been busy on the PC front with the Neverwinter Nights series and Dungeons & Dragons Online: Stormreach, console fans have received little attention since Stormfront Studios' 2004 entry Forgotten Realms: Demon Stone. The series has been slightly more visible on the go, with 2007 seeing the launch of Dungeons & Dragons Tactics for the PSP.

Daggerdale is being developed by Toronto-based Bedlam Games. The studio was previously announced as working on Scratch: The Ultimate DJ after the game's original developer, 7 Studios, was acquired by Activision.