Hi Gerard

Xbox has same codes to unlock the armour and Shale. Clocked up a few hours on Dragon age and think its fantastic. Limited to behind the shoulder view on xbox though so PC would be better with its ability for top down views. Can be a little difficult to get the area effect spells in the right place over the shoulder.

I'm a console gamer through and through and will be buying this game on 360 this week or next week despite the problems with the graphics. I buy Bioware games for their story, not their graphics

I'm 99% sure the console versions also come with the codes to download those two extra add ons

I'm still hanging out for payday on the 15th to pick this up on 360.

@ Ballista, what are the controls like?

I played Neverwinter Nights on PC and wonder if the console struggles due to not being able to use a keyboard.

Why don't they release a keyboard for consoles anyway, that would be the nail in the PC coffin I'd say, maybe that's why they don't.

I recently got a bit of spare cash (about $400) and was deciding what to spend it on. My first thought was a 360, but after checking them out, realising I would have to buy a new tele to get the best out of it etc, I plumped for a second-hand PC. I got lucky, it's a good quality one (top of the line about 4 years ago), and not only can I play a whole lot of very good games on it, I can surf the net, code, do word processing, and play online without paying xbox live fees. I think, unless you can afford both, PC trumps console everytime.

I prefer console gaming mostly because of the simplicity. I mean, it's as simple as: turn on console, insert disc, play. It's not like PC games where you can spend hours attempting to update drivers etc. before you can even play the thing. Which may then crash on a regular basis.

Granted there are some games that I just can't imagine playing on a console (mainly RTS's and probably some of the more hardcore FPS's). But overall I just prefer the accessibility of console gaming.

Anyway Dragon Age is still sitting unopened on my coffee table. I've been finding Tekken 6 insidiously addictive, and now the 1000G is sort of within sight as well which doesn't help matters any.

PC gaming will never die, not with its massive install base.

But its many drawbacks such as the mandatory secuROM (or equivalent) installation, high price and lack of decent exclusive titles means that I will continue to mainly play on consoles.

The thing I like about console gaming is that I can buy a game for my Xbox, take it home, load it up and in a few minutes I'm playing the game. If I buy a game for PC I have to worry about what the hardware requirements are, do I have the correct drivers loaded, is Windows going to throw a fit, am I going to have to spend more time or money just to get the thing to work etc. etc. Some games will always be a lot better on PC, but for me consoles are where it's at.

Having played on the PC for most of my gaming life and more recently the XBOX, I've come to the view that the best platform is game dependent.

Car racing simulators are definitely better on a console, first person shooters could fall in either camp (I personally find the mouse easier to use for targeting although prefer the controller to the keyboard for movement and weapon select), real time strategy games appeal to me more on the pc (group select and numbering, click and drag with the mouse etc), RPGs, especially online RPGs, work better on a pc also (quick bar selection, writing text if necessary, inventory management).

However, I've definitely been increasing my console use lately - there is something quite liberating about playing with a wireless remote from the comfort of a couch in front of a larger screen.

Furthermore, PC gaming always seems to encounter a hiccup of some description (drivers out of date, hardware doesn't meet specs etc etc), not to mention the quantum of time involved in installing a game to begin with!

PC used to have a definitive edge on graphics and load times, although I don't feel this edge exists any longer?

I have the Xbox version of Dragon Age and only clocked 2-3 hours. Quite like it. Bioware do a good job of telling stories. Do think Mass Effect was a bit more immersive with your character actually talking and all. On the PC side I will eventually sell the Xbox version and get the PC version...mainly for the modding. Neverwinter Knights had an excellent modding community that create many extra scenarios to try and think Bioware are trying to recreate the same thing.

As for why do these codes rather than just put them in game - money (isn't everything.....as sad as it sounds). Shale the Golem in particular is an attempt to drive new game sales. His character and the various storylines associated with him/it are not available to second hand game buyers.

MY PC hardly gets used for games. I got frustrated with the endless battle with drivers and updates. This is where the Xbox absolutely shines. Put the disk in, any updates are done automatically and are fast. Gaming is easy. I still play the odd game on PC (mainly Dawn of War 2 - excellent RTS by the way! Highly Recommended!!) but prefer the ease and comfort of Xbox. Will eventually get PS3 but seeing that as a media centre device rather than main gaming console.

When I was single I would have picked up dragon for the PC no question. But my girlfreind enjoys watching RPG's even more than I enjoy playing them so it was easier to get it on the console.