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[Floex]

Update:

http://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/175775/

BioWare's Star Wars boss takes on broader role Exclusive

August 10, 2012

Recently, Gamasutra caught wind of a notable change at BioWare -- that Greg Zeschuk, co-founder of the prominent Electronic Arts subsidiary, had stepped down from his role as general manager of Star Wars: The Old Republic studio BioWare Austin.

Now internet rumors are swirling, speculating that Zeschuk has left BioWare completely. That's not the case. Zeschuk confirmed in an email to Gamasutra earlier this month:

"With regard to BioWare Austin, I handed off the leadership of the studio to Matthew Bromberg quite some time ago (back in May). Ray [Muzyka, BioWare co-founder] and I picked Matthew to take over and he’s been doing a great job with the studio.

"My time in Austin was always planned to have a finite endpoint (my family was still living in Edmonton throughout my time in Austin) and now that I’ve handed the baton to Matt I will be able to spend more time on a wider range of BioWare games rather than focusing on just one as I did with SWTOR."

--

Rumour: Greg Zeschuk has left BioWare, BioWare Austin to become EA Austin

NewsPublish Date 10/08/2012 - 10:27am GMT+1
Ray Muzyka could follow as BioWare partner is replaced by Major League Gaming CEO.

BioWare co-founder Greg Zeschuk has left the company, rumours suggest.

According to a report on German website GamersGlobal (translated by Google), Zeschuk allegedly "has not been sighted" at the studio for weeks, and neither Zeschuk nor co-founder Ray Muzyka were present at a recent company meeting.

Zeschuk's LinkedIn profile, meanwhile, reveals that he left his position as general manager at BioWare Austin back in May 2012.

He has been replaced by ex-Major League Gaming CEO Matthew Bromberg, according to an alleged quote from EA and Bromberg's LinkedIn profile.

"When Greg Zeschuk announced the reorganisation of [BioWare Austin] in May, he outlined his plan to return to his family in Edmonton for a much deserved vacation," EA told GamersGlobal.

"Greg also announced the new GM of BioWare Austin and Old Republic, Matt Bromberg.

"Greg is still with EA. He's now back in Canada, taking time off and thinking about new projects. No change with Ray Muzyka."

The site's sources also claim that there is a "fear" within BioWare Austin that the studio could be re-branded as 'EA Austin', and that the studio was facing mounting "internal pressure".

Greg Zeschuk co-founded BioWare in 1995 alongside Ray Muzyka. In addition to leading development on classic RPGs Baldur's Gate and Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, the pair have acted as co-executive producers on the Dragon Age and Mass Effect series'.

Zeschuk still lists himself as BioWare co-founder on his LinkedIn profile.

BioWare Austin, which Zeschuk had been overseeing as general manager, was responsible for last year's disappointing Star Wars: The Old Republic.

Following a lengthy development period, the MMO has struggled to maintain its subscriber base since its release in December, with numbers dipping below one million in recent weeks.

EA said that it could not comment on the rumours when contacted by VideoGamer.com this morning.

http://www.videogamer.com/pc/star_w...oware_bioware_austin_to_become_ea_austin.html

It's become pretty transparent lately that EA have got their hands all over Bioware's work in recent years, now it seems people are about to jump from the drowning ship.

Here's hoping they'll setup their own studio and get back to what they do best, make RPGs, not shooters

 

[Dakota47]

Another formerly great studio ruined by EA. GG!

 

[CecilRousso]

Bioware going where all EA bought studios have to go. Hope the founders got enough money to make it worth it.

 

[funkystudent]

Do the Doc's even have much input on story / game design these days?

I figure they mostly do business and management stuff now.



Still I guess someone has to take tha fall for TOR and its not going to be Riccitiello.

 

[Squire]

Do the Doc's even have much input on story / game design these days?

I figure they mostly do business and management stuff now.

They do. They've been at the executive level since the buyout. Not sure why the OP thinks was some sort of force in ME's plot.

 

[Truant]

I think they need to take a good, hard look at what they want to be as a studio. I doubt the doctors, same motherfuckers who gave us the Baldur's Gate series, are proud of turds like Dragon Age 2.

The Call of Duty crowd is a mirage in a desert of feces. Bioware learned that the hard way.

 

[TheOddOne]

Another formerly great studio ruined by EA. GG!

Fuck you EA for closing down Pandemic.

 

[legend166]

Riccitiello should have to give back all the money he made from the purchase of Bioware.

 

[PinkCrayon]

I bet Victory is really happy with their new name.

 

[Harlock]

Mass Effect 4: Exodus.

 

[L1NETT]

I think they need to take a good, hard look at what they want to be as a studio. I doubt the doctors, same motherfuckers who gave us the Baldur's Gate series, are proud of turds like Dragon Age 2.

The Call of Duty crowd is a mirage in a desert of feces. Bioware learned that the hard way.

110%

They must know what they have produced lately (TOR, ME3, DO2) is not as good as what they used to.

If they make a Mass Effect MMO however, I fear the worst.

 

[Floex]

They do. They've been at the executive level since the buyout. Not sure why the OP thinks was some sort of force in ME's plot.

I was totally thinking of Drew Karpyshyn

 

[ZombieFred]

Hopefully the doctors still have an interest in doing RPGs and use all of this experience and go back to the quality of gams these guys were known for and start again fresh. I will give them another chance if they did.

 

[CecilRousso]

While we must make a difference between Bioware Austin and Bioware Edmonton, it really isn´t a good sign for the brand if they rename this part to EA instead of Bioware is it? It seems like a strange move, and I´m not sure what EA will gain by doing so.

 

[Ushojax]

Greg Zeschuk co-founded BioWare in 1995 alongside Ray Muzyka. In addition to leading development on classic RPGs Baldur's Gate and Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, the pair have acted as co-executive producers on the Dragon Age and Mass Effect series'.

One down, one to go. Then maybe these franchises can become good again.

While we must make a difference between Bioware Austin and Bioware Edmonton, it really isn´t a good sign for the brand if they rename this part to EA instead of Bioware is it? It seems like a strange move, and I´m not sure what EA will gain by doing so.

This is what EA always do. They buy a bunch of studios, force them to make shit and then restructure them so they can work on FIFA DLC and Battlefield map packs.

 

[McBradders]

Good grief...

 

[wildfire]

 

[AniHawk]

maybe they can buy platinum games next and ruin them.

 

[Squire]

I was totally thinking of Drew Karpyshyn

^_^

 

[CecilRousso]

This is what EA always do. They buy a bunch of studios, force them to make shit and then restructure them so they can work on FIFA DLC and Battlefield map packs.

But wasn´t this part of Bioware founded after their purchase of the orignal studio? And what do they gain from renaming one of the Bioware studios? Is it an attempt to try and soften the blow of The Old Republics failure on Bioware by cutting the connection between them?

 

[Criminal Upper]

Surprised it took this long, actually.

 

[Derrick01]

Haha this is pretty much the script everyone saw happening within 5 years of EA buying them. They are so predictable.

Another formerly great studio ruined by EA. GG!

Eh the doctors played an almost equally large role in Bioware's downfall. They became obsessed with casualizing their games around the time of Jade Empire/ME1.

 

[More Fun To Compute]

Didn't their Austin based MMO development start long before EA were involved? Not sure how EA ruined them. It seemed to me that EA just a had a lot of unearned faith in them.

 

[MoogleWizard]

So sad. Before EA, Bioware made a nerdy and charming old-school RPG with a lot of heart, called Dragon Age: Origins. Then EA bought them and they made a sequel to said game with a "press A for awesome button" and the aim to "capture the COD crowd".
I guess this explains the influence EA has on Bioware, R.I.P. =(

 

[lastplayed]

Well this doesn't change much. The name BioWare used to get me excited, now it's just another developer.

Hopefully those who leave go back to making RPGs, like the OP suggests.

 

[More Fun To Compute]

I find it a bit amusing that after simplifying/casualizing their games over the years it's only this year that one of their games will hit a Nintendo - the supposedly "casual" - console.

But they have games on mac, can't get any more casual than that.

 

[EatChildren]

This rumour was posted in the other thread a week or so ago, but I'll comment here.

BioWare Austin was formed some time after the EA acquisition and was created specifically to work on The Old Republic. Renaming it as EA Austin isn't all that big of a deal. When we start hearing of EA Edmonton (BioWare's headquarters) then we'll know the synergy is complete.

And, as Nirolak noted in the last thread, Zeschuk and Muzyka staying out of the offices might not mean much more than "we don't want to hang around while lay offs are going on".

 

[Nibel]

You know what's the most shocking about this?

It's fucking unsuprising. History repeats itself.

 

[Killzig]

Hopefully the doctors still have an interest in doing RPGs and use all of this experience and go back to the quality of gams these guys were known for and start again fresh. I will give them another chance if they did.

They will probably make something terrible and F2P. The exact kind of shit that Bioware's EA-affiliated remnants will be churning out soon.

 

[HP_Wuvcraft]

Well, this is disappointing news. Hopefully it was because he wanted to leave rather than EA pushing him out.

I think they need to take a good, hard look at what they want to be as a studio. I doubt the doctors, same motherfuckers who gave us the Baldur's Gate series, are proud of turds like Dragon Age 2.

I think you'd be surprised. They've always wanted to be the big guys on campus. They have said countless times that they wanted to be the GTA of video games storytelling.

I mean, they signed with one of the biggest publishers in the world. You don't do that just cause.

 

[Metalmurphy]

I find it a bit amusing that after simplifying/casualizing their games over the years it's only this year that one of their games will hit a Nintendo - the supposedly "casual" - console.

It's only this year that Nintendo has a console that can actually run the games.


Also, didn't they do that sonic rpg?

 

[AppleMIX]

This rumour was posted in the other thread a week or so ago, but I'll comment here.

BioWare Austin was formed some time after the EA acquisition and was created specifically to work on The Old Republic. Renaming it as EA Austin isn't all that big of a deal. When we start hearing of EA Edmonton (BioWare's headquarters) then we'll know the synergy is complete.

And, as Nirolak noted in the last thread, Zeschuk and Muzyka staying out of the offices might not mean much more than "we don't want to hang around while lay offs are going on".

EA did something similar to westwood after they released a disastrous MMO. Although SWTOR isn't nearly as disastrous as Earth and Beyond.

 

[Elginer]

who didn't see this coming? Come on now...

 

[GoofsterStud]

who didn't see this coming? Come on now...

Dragon Age 2, rage fest...
SWTOR, a flop that no normal Developer could recover from.

This isn't a surprise. I love old Bioware, and hoping that we get great games as a result of those leaving like GW2, Torchlight, and more.

 

[Castor Krieg]

I think they need to take a good, hard look at what they want to be as a studio. I doubt the doctors, same motherfuckers who gave us the Baldur's Gate series, are proud of turds like Dragon Age 2.

I disagree, I think they are very happy with turds like Dragon Age 2 as long as they get that delicious bonus paycheck.

 

[speedpop]

It's only this year that Nintendo has a console that can actually run the games.

Where were they for the GameCube?

 

[More Fun To Compute]

Where were they for the GameCube?

Microsoft money hat.

 

[TheOddOne]

Microsoft money hat.

Say what you will, but they were producing better games under them. Which is hilarious.

 

[More Fun To Compute]

Say what you will, but they were producing better games under them. Which is hilarious.

IGN 9.9/10. You can't argue with that sort of timeless quality.

 

[Sentenza]

Fuck you EA for closing down Pandemic.

Well, fuck you EA for closing Origin and Westwood, if we want to go down this road...

 

[duckroll]

I don't really understand the logic in the article. Everything they are describing seems to specifically be about Bioware Austin. This is not the same company that makes the Bioware RPGs like Dragon Age and Mass Effect. There is no indication that Greg or Ray has left EA or management of Bioware itself. Bioware Austin is just the MMO studio which was absorbed into Bioware to make TOR.

Is there anything I'm missing here?

 

[Micerider]

RIP Bioware...you made me dream for a long time.

Now, Greg, Ray, if you're reading this, use your pocket money from EA to build a new studio keeping the spirit of the Bioware of origins (no pun intended), I'd be the first to back you up.

Edit : same as duckroll, I am a bit confused by the crop of information in the OP, it clearly states that Greg was gone but seems weird as it's related to Austin, not the Canadian branch.

 

[Basileus777]

I didn't say it was completely unjustified, just amusing.

What's amusing about it? Bioware hasn't been going after the audience that buys Nintendo games, they've been chasing after the COD/Gears crowd.

 

[CecilRousso]

Is there anything I'm missing here?

Nope. that seem to be it.

Peoples reaction seem to be based on either not seing the difference between Bioware Austin and Bioware Edmonton, or seeing this as the first step on the natural lifecycle of all EA aquisitions.

 

[More Fun To Compute]

I don't really understand the logic in the article. Everything they are describing seems to specifically be about Bioware Austin. This is not the same company that makes the Bioware RPGs like Dragon Age and Mass Effect. There is no indication that Greg or Ray has left EA or management of Bioware itself. Bioware Austin is just the MMO studio which was absorbed into Bioware to make TOR.

Is there anything I'm missing here?

Well Bioware Austin is the MMO studio founded by Bioware before the EA purchase. Supposed to be Greg Zeschuk's baby for the past 6 or so years so.

 

[Basileus777]

Nope. that seem to be it.

Peoples reaction seem to be based on either not seing the difference between Bioware Austin and Bioware Edmonton, or seeing this as the first step on the natural lifecycle of all EA aquisitions.

The title and opening parts of the article could mislead someone into thinking Muzyka was leaving EA. There's some misleading language in there.

 

[duckroll]

Well Bioware Austin is the MMO studio founded by Bioware before the EA purchase. Supposed to be Greg Zeschuk's baby for the past 6 or so years so.

Yes the part about Bioware Austin being in trouble is very clear, but is there any indication or evidence that either of the founders have left Bioware/EA? It seems to be some sort of weird conjecture based on the fact that Bioware Austin is going down the shitter.

 

[Mindwipe]

If they make a Mass Effect MMO however, I fear the worst.

Prior to ME3, I thought a Mass Effect MMO was a fine idea. The fictional universe was set up for it nicely (indeed, better than Warhammer 40k unless you're willing to ignore Space Marines, or Halo, which were other great white hopes of sci-fi MMOs). But post ME3 I can't see it, both because you'd have to do it as a prequel (which would suck as you can't do anything dramatic, as they've just proven with TOR) and because they've killed love for the franchise.

We're not going to see a Mass Effect MMO, we're going to see a Mass Effect FTP game funded with an in-app purchase model. Keeps the franchise alive and seems to be making cash.

 

[More Fun To Compute]

Yes the part about Bioware Austin being in trouble is very clear, but is there any indication or evidence that either of the founders have left Bioware/EA? It seems to be some sort of weird conjecture based on the fact that Bioware Austin is going down the shitter.

But it's not like the Austin studio was always some wacky out of the way EA project that he wasn't emotionally invested in.

 

[Dead Man]