Making video games is all good and well, but the elusive dream for many publishers is creating transmedia franchises. Electronic Arts has gone all-out for BioWare's fantasy series Dragon Age, with tie-ins such as novels, a pen & paper RPG, comic books, a live-action series, and bags of merchandise (including a messenger bag). Now, there's an anime--Dragon Age: Dawn of the Seeker.

The movie focuses on Cassandra Pentaghast--the Chantry Seeker who spent all of Dragon Age II interrogating Varric--as she pokes into a conspiracy within the order, and pokes into people with swords. It's being made by anime studio Oxybot with production company FUNimation Entertainment.

"With our fans, they're really interested in Dragon Age as the world, that's really what Dragon Age is about, it's really the story of the world," BioWare executive producer Mark Darrah declared in a new 'development update' video. Don't forget the tactical RPG gameplay there, Mike.

BioWare creative director Mike Laidlaw added, "Deep down, I want [fans] to understand that this is an authentic Dragon Age property. It adds to the world, it expands the lore, it builds on things we've hinted at, and maybe even answers some questions, and that's really exciting. And exciting on an intellectual level, but on a more emotional level, what I really want fans to do is to walk away going 'Oh my god that is awesome!'"

Dragon Age: Dawn of the Seeker is due to launch in spring via DVD, Blu-ray, and digital channels.

G4TV has a snippet of a bloody battle scene, if you want to see more.