BioWareâ??s Dragon Age to be SecuROM-free

BioWare has announced that its delayed RPG Dragon Age Origins will be circumventing the divisive copy protection program SecuROM.

“The boxed/retail PC version of Dragon Age Origins will use only a basic disk check and it will not require online authentication. In other words, the retail PC version of the game won’t require you to go online to authenticate the game for offline play. We have chosen not to use SecuROM in any version of Dragon Age that is distributed by EA or BioWare,” said a community manager for the developer.

The announcement continues a comprehensive turnaround for EA on the use of copy protection software. Late in march, EA had announced that it will relinquish DRM technology from the upcoming Sims 3.

At the time, the recently-appointed studio head of EA’s Sims Label, Rod Humble, described DRM as “overly invasive” after listening to concerns from consumers.

Now it seems that EA policy will spread right through its subsidiaries, with BioWare – the acclaimed Quebec-based developer that was bought during an 860m EA spending spree late in 2007 – now replicating EA’s position on the matter.

BioWare’s community manager, posting on Dragon Age’s official message board, had also announced the launch of the Dragon Age toolset beta, which offers “developer-grade” tools.

“We’re looking forward to what fans will create with it. We’ll also be supporting the game with a ton of great downloadable content that will be available for purchase after the game’s release,” read the announcement.

Dragon Age Origins is set for release this Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and PC “this Fall”.

It was recently discovered that project head Dan Tudge had departed from BioWare to join Disney’s Propaganda Games, leaving his post during development.