It may not be Baldur’s Gate, but Bioware’s Dragon Age: Origins is shaping up to be the next-best thing. One part dungeon crawler, one part Lord of the Rings (okay, maybe two parts LotR, but hey, it’s set in a fantasy realm, so that comes with the territory), the RPG will aim to combine the visceral thrill of hacking, slashing, spell-casting, and trap-laying with a deep supporting cast and a compelling narrative. Oh, right–and dragons.

If “because orcs are ugly” doesn’t seem like sufficient reason to put your life and credit rating on the line, Bioware has come up with six additional (though not necessarily more convincing–orcs are really ugly) reasons for your character to take up arms. You’ll want to think about these for a while, since your choice will affect far more than the opening cinematic. Each backstory will provide a unique experience throughout the final product’s sure-to-be-lengthy playtime, ensuring plenty of replay value . CYOA below.

From EA/Bioware:

BIOWARE REVEALS ALL SIX DRAGON AGE ORIGIN STORIES

BioWare’s Spiritual Successor to Baldur’s Gate Weaves an Epic Tale
that Begins in One of Six Different Ways

Edmonton, Alberta, Canada (February 12, 2009) – Leading video game
developer BioWare(tm), a division of Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ:
ERTS) announced today the highly anticipated details of all six Origin
Stories featured in the upcoming dark, heroic fantasy Dragon Age(tm):
Origins. Each Origin Story starts the player off with a unique series
of locations, characters and events that establish their motivations
and lay the groundwork for the adventure to come.

With each Origin Story boasting several hours of unique game play, as
well as challenging strategic combat and exploration, these 6 distinct
preludes make Dragon Age: Origins the first BioWare game to offer not
only multiple endings, but also multiple beginnings. Players will
start their adventure in one of the following roles:

Dalish Elf
As one of the last “true elves”, you were content to spend your life
wandering with your clan… until a chance encounter with a relic of
your people’s past threatens to tear you away from everything you’ve
known.

City Elf
You have always lived under the heavy thumb of your human overlords,
but when a local lord claiming his “privilege” with the bride shatters
your wedding day, the simmering racial tensions explode in a rain of
vengeance.

Dwarf Commoner
Born casteless in a land where rank is everything, bound as the lackey
and thug of a local crime lord, you have spent your life invisible…
until chance thrusts you into the spotlight, where you can finally
prove whether you will be defined by your actions or your birth.

Dwarf Noble
The favored child of the dwarven king, you proudly take up your first
military command… only to learn that the deadly intrigues of dwarven
politics pose an even greater danger than that faced on the
battlefield.

Mage
Gifted with a power considered a dangerous curse by most, you have
spent most of your life secluded in the remote tower of the Circle of
Magi to be trained and watched closely by the dreaded templars. Now
your final test is upon you — succeed and prove your strength, fail
and you will perish.

Human Noble
Born to wealth and power second only to royalty, you find your
training in both diplomacy and war put to the test when your father’s
castle is betrayed from within on the very night your elder brother is
to lead the family’s forces to war.

The player’s choice of Origin Story lays the foundation for a profound
journey based on the character’s past experiences, establishing how
they perceive the world and how the world perceives them. ‚ The choices
you made during an Origin Story will influence the way the game
unfolds, including different story elements, dialogue options and even
plot branches, providing a wealth of replayability.

Dragon Age: Origins offers an immersive, beautiful and often
threatening world in which the player will live out a fantasy of epic
proportions. ‚ With six unique paths to choose from, the choice of
Origin Story will be the first of many important decisions players
will face in Dragon Age: Origins.

For more information, visit www.dragonage.com.

Interplay announced Monday that four of its Sega Genesis titles are slated to appear on the Nintendo Wii Virtual Console later this year

Earthworm Jim, Earthworm Jim 2, Boogerman and Clayfighter will be available for download in the coming months, confirmed Luke Haase, spokesman for the game developer. Haase could not confirm a release date on the games.

Interplay is on the verge of a comeback. They are one of the oldest operational video game developers. They ran into serious financial troubles in 2004 and stopped developing games shortly afterward. In November, they announced that they would use the proceeds from selling off their property, Fallout, to Bethesda Softworks — of Elder Scrolls fame.

On April 8, Interplay confirmed it was working on sequels to Dark Alliance, Earthworm Jim, Descent and MDK.

Interplay is responsible for not only those titles in video game history but also Baldur’s Gate, Battlechess, Descent and Alone in the Dark.

Nintendo’s Virtual Console makes games from NES, SNES, N64, NEOGEO, Sega Genesis and TurboGrafx 16 titles available for cheap download and play on the Wii.