Bioware launches social network

October 14, 12:46 PMGames ExaminerDaniel Nations

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Move over Facebook, Bioware has built its own social network, etc. -- via a social network. This allows a central resting spot for gamers to find out what's new on the network and connect with other Bioware gamers.

Why build their own social network? We've seen a proliferation of social networks in the last few years with a greater and greater emphasis on moving into niche spots, but we already have social networks like Playfire that focus on social gaming. Why build a social network around one publisher?

It's actually a pretty cool idea, though I would prefer if they used a universal login system like Facebook Connect to make the process a bit more seamless.

Bioware isn't an ordinary game company. Neverwinter Nights developed a large and loyal following, and because one of the main features of the game was the extensive toolset, an entire modding community developed. And no doubt, Dragon Age: Origins will develop a similar community.

One of the neat things about the social network is the ability to see what projects other players are working on, such as creating new campfires to use in the Dragon Age: Origins toolset. The social network also connects the various areas of the Bioware site, so you can see new messages in the forums or link over to the Dragon Age toolset wiki. Unfortunately, the site doesn't do a great job of linking back to the social network, so be sure you save a link to social.bioware.com.

So if you are one of those players who plans to become involved in the Dragon Age: Origins community, whether it be as a modder or someone who wants to play the mods or just someone who loves browsing the forums, the social network might provide a great central spot to reach out to the rest of the network.

Here's what Fernando Melo, a Producer at Biowarel, had to say about the new social network:

"We want to fully immerse players into the world of Dragon Age: Origins and the Character Creator and BioWare Social Network allows us to do just that. This is a great way for fans to connect, create and share their character creations now and in game experiences when the game launches. The creation and connection possibilities are nearly endless."

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