日前，BioWare面向硬核掌机及PC游戏用户推出了《龙腾世纪2》，为了进一步推广这款史诗般的角色扮演游戏，该公司在此之前还向Facebook平台投放了该游戏的内部测试版本《龙腾世纪：传奇》。通过Facebook体验该游戏的用户，可以开启一些可用于Xbox 360、PlayStation 3和PC版本游戏的道具。

Dragon-Age-Legends

尽管我们还没有预先体验测试版本，但这款被称为“为讨厌Facebook游戏的用户而设计的Facebook游戏”确实很值得关注。游戏邦获悉，用户通过自己的帐号信息登录《龙腾世纪：传奇》后，他们在这个Facebook版本游戏所获得的成就，可以转移到《龙腾世纪2》。在这个游戏过程中，他们至少可以开启五项强大的道具，例如指环、符咒和其他防具等，这些道具均可用于硬核游戏版本。

这是一个很有意思的推广方案，之前还没有其他游戏公司推出类似的活动。虽然法国育碧公司在去年秋季为《刺客信条》等游戏推出了Facebook版本，但实际上这些Facebook版本游戏只是一种服务于原硬核游戏的市场营销工具，所以并没有取得多大成效。至少从社交性这一点上看，它们并不成功（游戏邦注：比如《刺客信条》的Facebook版本用户人数就非常少）。

不过，《龙腾世纪：传奇》的最大不同之外在于，它具有高度的社交性，是自成体系、可独立成章的一款游戏。它的创意在于，通过可用于硬核版游戏的道具，吸引玩家体验Facebook版本，同时又以后者的魅力增强用户黏性。

尽管这是个好创意，但同时也是一项很有难度的任务。许多硬核玩家，尤其是BioWare游戏用户，已经深深为原版游戏的玩法和故事背景所折服，所以即使Facebook版本是一款很好的社交游戏，那也很难满足他们的喜好。

这就会产生一个问题，那就是这种操作究竟能否有效吸引硬核玩家体验Facebook游戏。尽管BioWare游戏具有极强的可玩性，它的游戏道具也可以重复使用，但Facebook版本的道具究竟是否比得上硬核游戏中的其他道具，这确实是个大问题。另外，Facebook玩家开启了这些道具后，他们会继续玩这款游戏吗？游戏邦认为，正如上文所述的情况，《龙腾世纪：传奇》在设计上比其他的品牌游戏的Facebook版本费了更多心思，而且兼容了HTML5技术，所以比较有可能获得成功。

据游戏邦了解，尽管《龙腾世纪：传奇》在重重疑问中通过Facebook展开了测试，但该游戏的月活跃用户在过去几个月中持续增长，目前已超过了10.6万人。《龙腾世纪2》的正式面世，有可能进一步刺激其Facebook版本的用户的增长。以高质量的道具吸引硬核玩家体验Facebook游戏，然后用高质量的社交玩法增强用户黏性，似乎是一种很有潜力的推广策略，但只有时间才能证实这种方法究竟是否可行。（本文为游戏邦/gamerboom.com编译，转载请注明来源：游戏邦）

Can Dragon Age Legends Hook Core Gamers With Console Tie-Ins?

Dragon Age LegendsBioWare and Electronic Arts have launched Dragon Age II today for core consoles and PC. To go along with the release of the epic role-playing game, purchasers of the title can gain access to the closed beta version of Dragon Age Legends, on Facebook, from EA2D. Once in, users that play far enough into the game will be able to unlock items accessible through the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, or PC versions.

While we’ll have a full review of the game coming later, this is one of the key points of interest to the game as it has been dubbed a “Facebook game for people who hate Facebook games.”

Using their EA account information, users that log into Dragon Age Legends will have their accomplishments on Facebook linked to that of Dragon Age II. As they progress through the Facebook app, they will unlock up to five (at least only five are displayed initially) powerful items, that look to be equipable rings, charms, and other such armors, for use in the core counterpart, as pictured below.

Account UnlocksIt’s an interesting incentive, but not one that hasn’t been done before. Fall of last year, Ubisoft did a number of tie-ins for some of its major franchises, such as Assassin’s Creed with Project Legacy, but the level of implementation was limited. Moreover, this title, and others, have often been more of a marketing catalyst for the primary console game. At best, they weren’t very social (like Project Legacy, which in turn, led to low user numbers), and others were simply laughable.

However, the key difference now is that Legends is both highly social, and a decent game in its own right. The idea, it seems, is to utilize the implementation of unlockable items in the main game to attract core gamers to the Facebook app, and use the app’s quality of it to hook them.

It’s a good idea, but still a tall order. Many core gamers, especially players of BioWare games, are extrodinarily enthralled by deep role-playing game play and epic storylines. Even as a good social game, these appetites may not be sated within Legends.

This raises the concern as to whether or not this hook will be measurably effective. With BioWare games being highly replayable, quality items that can be reused time and time again is a huge plus, but how they compare to other items in the console game will be the big question. Moreover, once a Facebook player has unlocked these, will they continue to play? As noted, Legends is a much bigger effort that previous core franchisetie-ins, and hosts a convenient HTML5 mobile companion for minor game play elements, so this is also very possible.

Despite the questions hovering about, Dragon Age Legends, in its closed beta state, still earns over 106,000 monthly active users and has continually grown over the past month. Now, with purchasers of Dragon Age II able to access it, that will likely grow further. As it seems, the plan is to attract core gamers with the promise of quality items, and hook them with quality social game play. In theory, this has potential, but only time will say for sure.（source:insidesocialgames）