Gamedeveloper reports that senior writer Mac Walters leaves BioWare:

Longtime Mass Effect writer Mac Walters departs BioWare

From Jade Empire to the Mass Effect series and some Dragon Age, Walters was involved in much of BioWare's big games over the years.

BioWare's lead writer Mac Walters is no longer at the developer. On LinkedIn, Walters revealed he made the "very difficult" choice to depart the Canadian studio he's worked at for almost two decades. 

"These past 19 years have been a life-changing experience," wrote Walters. "It’s hard to fathom it all, and I know I’ll be reflecting on it for years to come. Thank you to everyone I’ve had the joy of working with, and I wish everyone at BioWare the very best in everything you do. It’s truly been a pleasure."

His leaving marks BioWare's first high-profile departure of 2023. In recent years, the RPG developer has lost big names such as Christian Boyd, Jonathan Warner, Casey Hudson, and Mark Darrah. 

Walters originally joined BioWare in 2003 as a writer for its 2005 game Jade Empire. From there, he would become a senior writer for the original Mass Effect and lead writer for its respective sequels. He also directed 2017's Mass Effect Andromeda and was the narrative director on 2019's Anthem. 

[...]

Thanks Couchpotato!

GamesIndustry.biz retraces the transformation of BioWare after it was acquired by EA and the branding around it. The article is part of GamesIndustry.biz's 10 Years Ago This Month series (don't get confused by the following, unrelated stories).

BioWare plays the name game

EA tries to get the most out of the beloved studio behind… Command & Conquer?

[...] Electronic Arts has had reputation problems for a very long time. [...]

People just plain didn't like the company. But there was one exception: BioWare.

EA acquired the RPG developer in 2007, a month before the launch of the original Mass Effect.

People loved BioWare. Even before Mass Effect and Dragon Age gave EA hit RPGs on both sides of the science fiction/fantasy spectrum, people loved BioWare for making instant classics like Baldur's Gate, Neverwinter Nights, and Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic. It helped that BioWare was one of the earlier developers to lean into direct lines of communication with its players and really cultivate an enthusiastic fandom. (As is often the case, the company was eventually held hostage by that fandom, but that's a discussion for the March 2022 edition of 10 Years Ago This Month.)

The BioWare name was so powerful, its reputation so built up, that not even existing under the umbrella of EA could tarnish it. EA no doubt noticed this and looked to capitalize on it.

It started almost reasonably. In 2010, EA took another acquisition, Mythic Entertainment, and renamed it BioWare Mythic. It raised some eyebrows, but Mythic was an established MMO developer and BioWare was working on its own Star Wars MMO at the time. Given EA's lack of other RPG or MMO developers and the fact that the two studios had actually been merged into their own division of the company the prior year, it was fairly defensible. The fact that Mythic had actually already been re-branded as EA Mythic and then regained its identity by dropping the EA tag also suggested a certain distance from the larger EA operation that likely helped mute any backlash to the change.

[...]

Computer Gaming Yesterday posted a video on BioWare's debuts and Baldur's Gate, a few months ago. This documentary is based on a thorough research and on a number of documents and videos that are detailed and linked in the show notes.

Granted, there have been numerous videos and articles on the subject, but if you are interested in the early history of this company, this is one of the most accurate.

How Baldur's Gate Saved Western RPGs: A Definitive History of Bioware's Breakout Game

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Redglyph spotted that two key people just announced that they are leaving Bioware:

• Casey Hudson, who had been working as a developer on most titles since 2000, and had already left in 2014 to come back in 2015. He's currently General Manager of the studio.
• Mark Darrah, Executive Producer for Dragon Age since 2009, he has been working for Bioware since 1997.

USGamer writes on the steady decline of BioWare.

But looking back, the success of Mass Effect feels more and more like a poisoned chalice. It propelled BioWare to undreamed of success, but it also robbed it of its soul. It's hard to imagine it ever returning to the heights of Baldur's Gate 2, when BioWare was an independent PC developer catering to a limited but ferociously loyal audience. Anthem is the natural endpoint of a process that began more than a decade ago, when BioWare decided its traditional approach was incompatible with large-scale success.

The kicker is that hardcore RPGs are in vogue right now. Witcher 3 is the best game of the generation. Divinity Original Sin 2 has proven that there's still an audience for hardcore isometric RPGs. Even Assassin's Creed is an RPG now.

[...]

Thanks Farflame!

Polygon relays some of the history of modern Bioware and talks about the inspirations for their current project Anthem.

As the video game industry has changed these past few years, one big lesson BioWare has learned — from its own mistakes as well as those of other developers — is communication. When Casey Hudson returned to Edmonton in 2017, he started a blog on the company’s website. Since Anthem’s reveal, Mark Darrah has fielded hundreds of questions from would-be players on Twitter, making certain that folks understand what, exactly, the game is meant to be. And starting almost a month out from the game’s release, BioWare held two weekend demos for all platforms — PlayStation 4, Windows PC, and Xbox One.

“The casual comparisons to other games are very easy to make until you play it, and see the story development, and see the character development, and see how it actually plays on the sticks,” says Gamble. “Then people are like, ‘Oh, yeah, this is different.’ I wouldn’t call it an experiment. Anthem is Anthem; it’s a different game. Studios are allowed to make different games than the ones they’ve done before.”

[...]

Thanks Farflame!

The November update for Bioware teased more Mass Effect and hinted at a Dragon Age reveal this December.

November Update

by Author - Casey Hudson

Posted on - November 29, 2018

General Manager of BioWare

Things are always busy at a game development studio, especially when we’re finishing a game.  A few years back, I toured a friend around the office as we were finalizing a game, and he said it was like being on a submarine – the tangible energy of professionals doing their jobs with intensity and purpose.  As we approach the release of Anthem, it’s starting to feel like that again…

First, Anthem.  Now that we’re past our Alpha milestone, we’re at the part of the project where we’re doing final tasks and changes, and doing a ton of testing and bug-fixing.  And we’re able to do one of my favorite parts of game development: the Play From Home build.

It’s a tradition at BioWare.  Late in a project, when the game is good enough and finished enough to really enjoy it as a complete experience, we enable it to be played at home by our developers.  It’s an incredibly important step, because it allows us to get out of the mindset of being at the office, and just be at home experiencing the game like a player instead of a developer.  Everything that prevents you from loving the game becomes a task or a bug, so we know that when we finish that work, we’ll have something really special.

As creative people, we have a need to try new things.  And while Anthem is definitely something new and different, my first Play From Home session with Anthem started with some things I expect from a BioWare game: discovering a vast new universe to explore, being drawn into a compelling story, and meeting characters that I want to learn more about.  But for me, it also quickly started to deliver its own magic: superheroic gameplay that makes me want to come back just for the feel of it, and being able to have friends join with me on my adventure so we can explore and fight as a team.  Seeing Game Director Jon Warner arrive in my game, resplendent in his white-and-red Ranger Javelin, was particularly inspiring – especially when he led me to a secret location with Legendary treasure.

There is of course a lot of work ahead to get things ready for Anthem’s Feb 22 launch date.  And, since what you get with Anthem isn’t just the launch game but the ongoing story, features and content that will follow in live service, there are teams already working on entire seasons of post-launch content.  It’s scary and exciting to work on something on this scale and complexity, but we’re doing everything we can to make sure it’s an amazing experience for you.

As busy as we are with Anthem, there’s a lot more going on at BioWare.  A couple of weeks ago it was once again N7 Day.  It’s one of my favorite times of the year – a day when people around the world share their experiences with Mass Effect.  It’s so inspiring to know that there are so many fans of the series out there that are enjoying the games we’ve made, and hoping that we’ll make more.  We announced one of the things we’ve done recently (a 4k enhancement to Mass Effect: Andromeda on Xbox One) but as we alluded to in our N7 Day video, that was just a small part of the plans we’re making for Mass Effect going forward.

If you’ve been following these blogs, or myself and Mark Darrah on Twitter, you know we’re also working on some secret Dragon Age stuff.  Dragon Age is an incredibly important franchise in our studio, and we’re excited to continue its legacy.  Look for more on this in the coming month (though I won’t tell you where to look…)

And even as we gear up for new projects, our Star Wars: The Old Republic team is hard at work delivering ongoing entertainment – envisioning new worlds and storylines that are some of the most ambitious and exciting that I’ve seen yet from that game.

What’s common across all of these things – SW:TOR, Dragon Age, Mass Effect, and Anthem – is that each one in its own way delivers on our studio mission.  They create worlds of adventure, conflict, and companionship that inspire you to become the hero of your story.  That has always been at the core of the best BioWare games, and it’s our commitment to you on everything we do going forward.

Thanks again for your continued support, and we’ll have lots more to share in the coming weeks!

Casey

Gamewatcher report on Bioware hinting at more Dragon Age and Mass Effect.

While the gaming community at large has been mostly thrilled with Bioware's upcoming flagship - Anthem - a rather large subset of Bioware fans has also been fairly vocal in regard to their Mass Effect and Dragon Age IPs. This is why Bioware have chosen to address the matter via their latest blog post.

In what is somehow both surprising and utterly expected at the same time, Bioware have outright stated that there are, indeed, some unannounced Mass Effect/Dragon Age projects currently undergoing active development, though they're not nearly done yet.

[...]

James Ohlen has left Bioware to develop modules for Dungeons and Dragons. His new passion is a publishing venture called Arcanum Worlds. The first project is a hardcover sourcebook for fifth edition called Odyssey of the Dragon Lords.

Our first project is a hardcover sourcebook for the fifth edition of the world's greatest roleplaying game. This epic adventure is set in a fantasy world inspired by Ancient Greek mythology.

Even the gods are bound by oaths and prophecies...

At the dawn of time, a war between gods and titans left the landscape of Thylea forever changed. Thousands of years later, the first mortals arrived by ship and by dragon.

The Dragonlords were the champions who threw down the titans 500 years ago and forged the Oath of Peace. But the power of the oath has waned, and the titans seek vengeance.

You are one of the heroes called by prophecy to end this conflict once and for all. Poets will sing of your exploits for centuries to come... if you survive to tell the tale.

The first book I'm working on is called Odyssey of the Dragonlords. I'm working on it with another former Creative Director from BioWare - Jesse Sky. Plus a mystery writer that I've worked with before 😉 https://t.co/uhUqy4Y6rf

— James Ohlen (@JamesOhlen) July 12, 2018

Eurogamer report on how Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic 2 might have turned out if it stayed in Bioware hands in this interview with James Ohlen.

How do you follow a game like Knights of the Old Republic, the most famous original Star Wars tale a video game has ever told? Forget about Obsidian's sequel for a moment and imagine it was BioWare staring at a piece of paper wondering how to follow a twist like Revan's. Because once upon a time BioWare was - and it came up with an idea.

Yoda. Not the actual Yoda, because canonically he's untouchable, but someone a bit like him; we know so little about Yoda's almost nonexistent species even someone in his likeness would have the same effect: trust. "We felt like Yoda was the ultimate - everyone trusts Yoda," James Ohlen tells me, lead designer of Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic.

'Everyone trusts Yoda...'

James Ohlen was also lead designer of Baldur's Gate 1 and 2, Neverwinter Nights and Dragon Age: Origins, and director of Star Wars: The Old Republic, the online game. These days he's creative director of BioWare Austin, and he's working on Anthem. He's BioWare through and through.

Yes, Yoda would have been the perfect tool for deceiving you.

[...]

After 14 years Mike Laidlaw leaves Bioware. He posted on Twitter:

Hey Everyone,

It’s with a mix of emotions that I’m announcing my time with BioWare has ended. After 14 years and a chance to work on Jade Empire, Mass Effect and all things Dragon Age it’s time for me to move on.

In my time at BioWare I have been lucky to work with some of the most talented and hardworking people in the industry. It’s been an honor to be a part ofthe Dragon Age team, and I have every confidence that the world we’ve created together is in good hands and I'm excited for the road ahead.

For the near future, I plan to spend my time reconnecting with all the amazing games and worlds that my peers have created, and I look forward to sharing those experiences with you all on Twitch and Twitter.

To everyone who’s taken the time to share feedback and experiences, your amazing cosplays and artistic creations: thank you. You’ve made my time "in Thedas" amazing. Your passion inspires and I look forward to our next adventure together.

Ma serannas.
-Mike

TechRaptor reports that BioWare Montreal, the development team behind Mass Effect: Andromeda, is merging with Motive Studios:

BioWare Montreal Merging with Motive Studios

The news was circulating for the past few days that Electronic Arts, the parent company of both studios, would go forward with a merger. Previous reports noted a statement made by CFO Blake Jorgensen during the quarterly EA conference call (transcript here), where he stated that the BioWare Montreal team and the EA Motive team are now in the same studio together.

“We’re building out a new studio in Montreal, as we’ve told everyone. And we’ve hired over 100 people into that studio that are brand-new to EA. This is to build the new IP around Jade Raymond’s team that she’s been building. I was in that studio last month. And it’s a wonderful new addition to our team. And we brought our BioWare Montreal team into that same facility. So they now all sit in one new studio together,” stated Jorgensen.

An official EA spokesperson informed us that the statement is indeed true, and the two teams will be merging.

“The teams in EA Worldwide Studios are packed with talent, and more than ever, we’re driving collaboration between studios on key projects. With multiple major projects in development in Montreal, we are merging BioWare Montreal with Motive Studios. This is an ongoing process, but there are many exciting roles and opportunities for everyone on the team.”

BioWare continues its work on new titles – including the highly-anticipated game, Anthem. What’s coming next for BioWare is very exciting, and we’re thrilled to have Casey Hudson returning to lead the studios in Edmonton and Austin.”

[...]

Unseen64 explore unreleased games. With this video on Bioware RPGs they look at Jade Empire 2 and Revolver.

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► ► You can read more about Jade Empire 2, Revolver and other cancelled games in the book "Video Games You Will Never Play", available on Amazon & Createspace: https://www.unseen64.net/2016/09/19/v...

► Thanks to ItsaDogandGame for the voice over! You can check his channel at https://www.youtube.com/user/ItsaDoga...
[...]

@Gamasutra Casey Hudson returns to Bioware to lead the studio now that Aaryn Flynn is departing.

Casey Hudson returns to head up BioWare as Aaryn Flynn departs the studio

After a brief stint with Microsoft, Mass Effect executive producer Casey Hudson has returned to BioWare to head up the studio as its new general manager.

Hudson, who had previously clocked nearly sixteen consecutive years at BioWare, first departed the studio in 2014. Soon after, he went on to join Microsoft Studios as the company's creative director and worked closely with HoloLens and other emerging technology.

[..]

Farflame spotted an article about good game design at Gameindustry.biz featuring Bioware's James Ohlen:

Bioware: Humility and compromise are key to good game design

At Digital Dragons, Bioware design director James Ohlen tackled the differences between the "dream" of game development, and the practical reality

In a talk at Digital Dragons today, Bioware's James Ohlen championed humility, empathy and a willingness to compromise as key attributes for game designers - both at Bioware, and in the games industry as a whole.

Ohlen, who is design director at Bioware, addressed what he believes is a mismatch between the way young designers are educated and trained, and the working environments they encounter when they enter the industry proper. "The way think about [being a designer], the way you dream about it, is probably you being the vision holder, the creative director," he said. "The person calling the final shots."

[...]

Farflame spotted on PCGamesN that the new Bioware IP is delayed until April 2018:

BioWare’s new IP is delayed until April 2018 at the earliest, according to EA conference call

During EA’s recent financial conference call, EA CEO Andrew Wilson has announced the delay of BioWare's new IP. Initially planned for release by the end of this fiscal year, the project has been put back in order to improve its live service.

Speaking directly about BioWare’s unannounced project, Wilson stated that “the game is built around a live service” and due to the studio’s desire to add to its “disruptive new social design”, EA have decided to delay the game's release until April 2018 at the very earliest. However, Wilson was keen to say that EA are “pleased with the progress” made by BioWare on the project, with the game showing "stunning design" and "excellent gameplay mechanics".

[...]

Xian spotted that the Bioware forum is offline now:

The BioWare Forum is now offline

If you're looking to contact us, here are some ways you can reach out.

Tech Support: Dragon Age, Mass Effect
Twitter: BioWare, Dragon Age, Mass Effect
Facebook: BioWare, Dragon Age, Mass Effect
YouTube: BioWare, Dragon Age, Mass Effect
General Inquiries: contact@bioware.com

The Star Wars: The Old Republic boards are still active.

@Equityarcade, Matthew Loffhagen examines the exodus of Biowares creative talent and what it means for Bioware and the rpg industry at large.

In addition to losing many of its key staff members (including the company's founders, who departed shortly after the release of Mass Effect 3 in 2012), the studio has also announced the cancellation of several new projects in recent years, including Shadow Realms, a game which was intended to see release last year but which was ultimately canned.

All of this upheaval has led many speculators to wonder how much of the original company's creative spark remains intact.

The Canadian developer, known primarily for a long legacy of immersive choose-your-own-adventure style roleplaying games, was sold to Electronic Arts in 2007. Gamers noted that future titles from the studio were far more visually impressive, but lacked much of the depth that BioWare had previously been known for.

[...]

With so many key members of the BioWare team leaving for greener pastures, though, the studio's future is uncertain. As EA replace more key staff members, the original creative spark that made BioWare games unique becomes further diluted, as BioWare assimilates further into the EA brand.

Meanwhile, with so many veteran RPG makers moving to work on new projects with different companies, fans of the classics may be pleased to see more games emulating BioWare's storytelling style. Chris Wynn, for example, having left the Mass Effect franchise behind, has already found a place for himself working with Daybreak to produce H1-Z1, a zombie MMO. Similarly, Casey Hudson, the creator of the Mass Effect franchise, has joined the team working on Microsoft's HoloLens peripheral.

While the future of what's left of the BioWare company is anything but certain, it's likely that the next few years will see a variety of high quality games and technologies appearing from various corners of the gaming industry, as artists and writers who honed their creative skills at the legendary developer move on to grace other companies with their talents.

VGS has an interview with Patrick Weekes about how you get into writing for videogames. 
Things talked about cover the subjects below - and more:

- His origins
- Training the player to do the wrong thing
- Looking at the evolution of the media comparing it to the beginning of film
- It's harder now to get a job than ever before, focus on the nonlinear narrative
- Get the application called TWINE! Get a job.
- Weekes talks extensively about the HORROR of "Peer Reviews"
- The most common mistakes that still happen in the writer's room
- Key piece of advice "Make sure the player knows where to go next, and what he has to do when he's there"

Thanks to Capone666 at the Bioware forum for making this interview. 

GameRant  has the story that David Gaider leaves Bioware. According to an email to
Polygon (via GameRant) it was Gaider's own decision to leave:

It was indeed my decision [to leave], one not made easily since BioWare's been very good to me, and the parting is amicable...it's simply time to move onto a new challenge."

Gaider announced, according to GameRant, that he would be leaving Bioware on
his Twitter account:

Unfortunately, Gaider took to Twitter to announce today that he would be leaving his position at BioWare after seventeen years: "Some news: I must sadly announce that, after 17 years, today is my last day at BioWare. I'll miss my team, and wish everyone here the best."

Gaiders legacy, in writing for crpgs, will probably be this:

Perhaps David Gaider's biggest contribution to gaming, however, was his decision to design a fully gay party member for the first time in video gaming history. Gaider, who is openly gay himself, wrote Dorian in Dragon Age: Inquisition as part of a personal effort on his part to make games a much more inclusive environment for fans of different backgrounds, beliefs, and sexualities.

The Bioware blog has ben updated with a Happy New Year message that looks back
at 2015:

As we look back on 2015, we want to thank you for being part of an incredible year. We saw the story and characters of Dragon Age: Inquisition mature and evolve, and travelled to undiscovered areas of Thedas in Jaws of Hakkon, The Descent, and Trespasser. An epilogue is something we've never done before at BioWare, and we were happy to share the closing chapter of Inquisition with you. We were ecstatic to finally be able to give you a taste of what's to come in Mass Effect: Andromeda at E3, and we got a real kick out of seeing how you reacted. Then on N7 Day we said goodbye to Commander Shepard and got ready for the road to Andromeda. This is our fourth year celebrating with Mass Effect fans, and each time we've been blown away by the love and support we receive from the community.

Bioware shares some more holiday cheer with us in the form of some delicious drinks inspired by Dragon Age and Mass Effect.  Cheers!

Thanks, Couch.

Lady Insanity interviews Conal Pierse, Lead Community Manager at Biowar, about Chatting about his origins, how Bioware and its community team works with every team, and the realities of getting into the game industry.

Thanks Couch.

Video Game Sophistry talks with David Gaider about the story, what characters failed, what is next and what was cut from the game.

Thanks Couch.

Casey Hudson made his name at Bioware as the -- somewhat polarizing -- director of Mass Effect 3. He left the studio in August of last year and Kotaku now reports that he's found a new gig as creative director for Microsoft.

His main focus is going to be on Microsoft’s augmented reality headset, the HoloLens. “I am extremely passionate about the potential of this kind of technology, as anyone who’s talked with me over the last couple of years can attest,” Hudson said in a press release. “I feel that the work being done at Microsoft on mixed reality and holographic computing will have a tremendous impact on how all of us interact with technology in the coming years.”

HoloLens won’t be his only focus. Hudson will be “involved in driving a creative focus for Xbox and Windows gaming” too.

Inevitably, among the first comments on the article was one asking whether HoloLens could be used to apply three different color filters to otherwise identical content.

Video Game Sophistry tyalks with Bioware's Lead Writer David Gaider on Krem, Dorian and sexual diversity in gaming.

The BioWare blog celebrates the pending release of  the second volume of the World of Thedas by sharing a few short stories for free. Here are the details.

On May 12, we release unto the world of Earth the second volume of the World of Thedas. It’s a hefty tome of some 311 pages, lovingly penned and drawn by the Dragon Age writing and concept art teams. In it, you’ll find an ultimate authority on myriad colorful characters, both legendary and contemporary, who populate the Dragon Age universe. More than 176,000 words cover three games, five novels, three comic series, and an anime feature film. There are recipes and children’s stories—entire chapters ripped from in-world books like the Chant of Light. The book is meant to complement the first volume of the World of Thedas, now in its third printing.

To celebrate its release, we thought we’d share something special not found in the book: twin short stories penned by Joanna Berry, a BioWare writer and the creator of Corypheus’s favored followers: Samson and Calpernia. Today, we better get to know Samson, a rogue templar with a thirst for red lyrium.

Supposedly a new survey was released by BioWare that leaks the plot, and other details for the next Mass Effect. Now this might not be legit so don't take it to seriously.

I wont spoil anything on the frontpage so click the link to find out the deails.

BioWare released another video on their Blog with Steve Valentine the man who voices Alistair’s in the Dragon Age series taking about the role he plays in the games.

Behind Alistair’s candid earnestness lies a conflicted character. Steve Valentine, Alistair’s voice actor, shares his thoughts on the man who might be king of Ferelden. As it turns out, there’s plenty more to Alistair than witty one-liners and great hair.

Steve Burke of GamersNexus is back again with a new industry article this week about  BioWare's  shortcomings, and using heatmaps to study players from ECGC 2015.

The annual East Coast Game Conference -- a 1500-attendee attempt at GDC-style development gatherings -- welcomed Mike Laidlaw of Bioware for its keynote today. The Bioware Creative Director has been tasked with oversight of the company's Dragon Age product line, drawing from his experience to discuss world design and storytelling at the conference.

Laidlaw's presentation spanned behind-the-scenes aspects of the development process, including unique considerations taken into account when producing a more open-world title. Throughout the keynote, Laidlaw made playful jabs at Bioware's own shortcomings with Dragon Age 2 and Dragon Age: Inquisition, often referencing the Hinterlands and player defiance for migration.

GamingBolt has information about the new Mass Effect games combat, and claims it might be released in Spring or Fall 2016 based on the word of an industry insider.

Gamespot is hosting a new video presentation from BioWare at Pax East 2015, The panel talked about "Identifying with Our Virtual Selves" in RPG games.

Check out this panel from PAX East exploring the connection between players and the characters they choose to play as.

Creative Director Mac Walters asked what fans want to see in the New Mass Effect game on BioWare's Twitter webpage. The following link has more information.

Bioware is currently hard at work on the next Mass Effect and it’s rumored that the developer will be showcasing a new trailer for the title at E3 in L.A.

Fans are very eager for some new info regarding the game and hopefully the rumored trailer proves to be true. As for now the creative director of Mass Effect has send out some tweets on Twitter in which he asks fans to share their ideas of what they would want (new feature, system or gameplay) in the new game.

David Gaider announced on his twitter page he is stepping down as Lead Writer for the Dragon Age series, and moving on to a new project. Here are the details.

So a bit of news: I have decided leave Dragon Age and move onto a new, upcoming BioWare project (which I can't discuss).

Its probably a new Star Wars RPG , or the new SC-Fi RPG they wont talk about.

Hardcore Gamer has information that BioWare is now hiring for a new Producer to help implement online play for the next Mass Effect game in development.

Although BioWare games remain a decidedly single player focused experience, BioWare has proved they can deliver diverting online content in both Mass Effect 3 and Dragon Age: Inquisition. Now the studio looks to be continuing that trend as a career listing has popped up for BioWare seeking a Online Producer.

Here are some highlights from the job description (roughly translated from French):

“Create and defend the vision multiplayer connected experiences and characteristics of online gambling in accordance with project management objectives and be due in respect of quality targets and achievements”

“Create and champion the vision of the multi-player, connected experiences and online features of the game with respects to the project leadership goals. Be accountable for the quality targets and the results Achieved.”

Jason Johnson of Kill Screen Daily published an article that takes a look at BioWare’s progressive sexual politics, and is based on a PBS Game/Show on YouTube.

Sonic Chronicles was the exception to the rule, thankfully, but BioWare has earned the reputation as the RPG studio who lets you go to bed with your party. The tradition goes back to the inception of the stone-cold classic Baldur’s Gate in the ‘90s and has continued into the modern day, as we saw with last month’s Dragon Age: Inquisition. They haven’t always gotten this right, as we witnessed when queer players were exiled to their own remote gay planet in Star Wars: The Old Republic, but there is a refrain of sexual liberation that you don’t find in other big studios’ games. Players are free to live out any sexual orientation they want, including, gay, lesbian, or bi.

Still, there is always room for games to be more gay-friendly. Previously, being gay was an opt-in activity in BioWare titles. If you weren’t interested, homosexuality was totally off the table and you didn’t see it in your game. But for Dragon Age: Inquisition, BioWare included two exclusively gay characters: the mustachioed and chiseled elemental mage Dorian, and his female counterpart Sera, an elf raised by humans who only dates other women. No longer do your love interests waffle between sexualities depending on your inclination. These characters are decisively gay.

The BioWare Blog has a new video from Pax South about making Dragon Age.

You’ve played the game, now see the panel. Learn what it takes to ship a modern AAA title along with some behind-the-scenes stories from the production process. Featuring creative director Mike Laidlaw, art director Matt Goldman, lead editor Karin Weekes, cinematic designer Frank Gordon, and Aidan Scanlan, BioWare’s director of writing and design.

Gameranx has posted information they claim is leaked about the new Mass Effect.

A video published by Youtuber MathChief aggregates some very interesting data from around the web. He's got multiple Bioware developers going on record about Mass Effect 4. One piece of information reveals that there were only fifty developers working on Mass Effect 4 before Dragon Age: Inquisition released, but now that number has quadrupled. With so many talented people working on what is assuredly a massive budget, we only expect great things from Mass Effect's fourth iteration.

Just hurry and officially announce the game already Bioware.

Onlysp has more game rumors this week for the next Mass Effect game. They claim the game will be at E3 2015, and the release date will be sometime in 2016.

We know that a new Mass Effect is in development, and just a few months ago we were shown some glimpses of concept art from the game, but until now we haven’t really heard much about the game itself. According to Shinboi, that’ll change at E3 this year.

This isn’t exactly all the unexpected, however, considering we reported in May 2014 that the game was about halfway through its development stage. This, may or may not have changed since that time as game development is a constantly changing process, but all signs are pointing towards an E3 2015 reveal. Normally we’d say this is a no brainer, but with many supposed big E3 reveals coming and going over the last couple years, you never really know for sure anymore. Fallout 4 anyone?

With the release of Dragon Age: Inquisition out of the way, there’s now reportedly over 200 people working on the next Mass Effect and the game has entered full production stages.

As for a release date, it would seem that Bioware is aiming for a 2016 release. I would imagine though that the game is still far from completion, and will probably release around the same time Dragon Age: Inquisition did in 2014, which would be late in the year.

Gamingbolt has more information about the next Mass Effect based on more supposed insider knowledge. I wonder when the game will officially be announced by Bioware?

AusGamers has a short post about the latest Mass Effect 4 milestone review were Producer Michael Gamble OF Bioware revealed it "Feels Like Mass Effect".

Mass Effect producer Michael Gamble took to Twitter to voice his excitement at a milestone review of Mass Effect 4's development progress.

Naturally this is good news, though I can't imagine he'd jump on Twitter and say they failed the milestone review or that the game doesn't feel like Mass Effect, but for fans this asserts that this thing is real and is happening.

Of course being the slow news period, punters couldn't help but fuel some rumour fire by suggesting the game will land as an Xbox One exclusive in either full form like Tomb Raider recently did, or timed. To this rumour mill though, Mike chimed in by stating it's just that: rumour.

So enjoy your Sunday and read another top ten list from Whatculture. This time the list has 10 things Mass Effect 4 must learn from Dragon Age: Inquisition.

Mass Effect 3 was one of Bioware’s most controversial games. Following the near universal acclaim for Mass Effect 2, expectations were incredibly high for Bioware to deliver the spectacular ending fans were promised. While Mass Effect 3 was a good game in its own right, certain design choices were clearly influenced by corporate interests, and this left many fans feeling betrayed. For the first time faith in the developer was shaken. Some of the more extreme fans even declared that they would never purchase another of their games again.

Enter Dragon Age: Inquisition. In a time where the video game industry is being infested with shameful business practices and a lack of transparency, Inquisition is a reminder of why people play video games. In terms of sheer scope and wealth of things to do it is the biggest game of 2014. Its diverse characters and world building are second to none. Not only is it one of the best games of the year, in many ways it is one of Bioware’s best games.

What does this have to do with Mass Effect you may ask? Well, if Inquisition is anything to go by, then the Mass Effect series appears to be in more than capable hands. For anyone still sore over the Mass Effect 3 debacle, playing Inquisition is a must. It shows that, even with all the changes that have transpired over the years, Bioware continues to make some of the best video games.

Dragon Age: Inquisition is so good that the next Mass Effect could learn a thing or two from its design choices. Given the sour note the series last left off on, a lot is riding on the success of the upcoming Mass Effect 4. Here are some of the things the next Mass Effect should learn from Dragon Age: Inquisition in order to make the best game possible.

If you feel like reading more information about Biowares next Mass Effect game then head on over to gamingbolt who has a roundup of Twitter posts from Bioware.

Bioware hasn’t showered us with Mass Effect 4 information in the past year (we’re still waiting for an official name till this point) but it has offered one tiny bit of information after another. The latest bits come via designer Jos Hendriks who talked on Twitter about traversing the space in the game. Hendriks first tweeted that, “I’m in space now, you guys. Space sure looks pretty these days.

The rest deal with the Mako, and talk about the game.

Bioware's latest blog entry talks about what the writers of Dragon Age: Inquisition, and what music they listened to for inspiration to write the game.

If you wandered into the Writer’s Pit while Inquisition was in full swing, you probably would’ve seen seven writers (and one editor) with headphones on, eyes fixed on monitors, typing furiously. Most of the writing happens when we can shut out the rest of the world and immerse ourselves fully in the story and characters. For many of us, this requires music. Often the music we listen to informs and even inspires what we write.

Bioware released a new video on their official blog page with Composer Trevor Morris who gives us a look at how the music was made for Dragon Age: Inquisition.

Enter the iconic Ocean Way Studios in Nashville, where award-winning composer, Trevor Morris, works with strings, brass, and choir to bring the music of Dragon Age: Inquisition to life. Trevor shares his process, inspiration, and what it’s like to create a brand new voice for an established franchise. Listen to the main theme for Dragon Age: Inquisition here.

Bioware hosted a live Twitch stream two days ago with more information about their new upcoming Mass Effect game.  Here is a YouTube version of the stream.

On Nov 7th, Bioware hosted an N7 Day roundtable where they discussed the upcoming Mass Effect game in the Mass Effect Universe. Enjoy!

Well here is another rumor about the next Star Wars RPG from Bioware. According to a site called junkiemonkeys it will include Chewbacca, and release next year.

As usual take this with a grain of salt.

Last year EA confirmed that their video game developers Visceral, DICE, and BioWare were working on three separate Star Wars titles. Not much has been said about BioWare’s untiled Star Wars game, but a recent job posting has revealed that Chewbacca is set to appear in the game.

A Star Wars game centered around Wookies and starring Chewie? Probably not, but while I was roaming around Craigslist, I stumbled across this recent ad searching for voice talent to mimic Chewbacca in an upcoming Star Wars game from BioWare.

BioWare is currently working on another Star Wars RPG under EA and if we are to believe what this post is saying, that means we can expect a release in 2015!

Considering little to no details have been revealed for BioWare’s Star Wars project, it’s hard to believe that this title will launch next year. Only time will tell at this point.

Bioware annouces the text based game Last Court is now available.

Available now in the Dragon Age Keep, The Last Court is a very Failbettery game of lordship where you play as the ruler of Serault, an eclectic fiefdom at the farthest end of Orlais. As the Huntress or Scholar, you’ll guide the realm through its most crucial period in its history.

Will its ancient Shame be forgotten? Will Serault fall into obscurity?

Manage the affairs of your court. Choose a lover, a counselor, a bodyguard, and an accomplice. With stories to explore and secrets to unravel, you’ll meet a host of new characters and encounter a few familiar faces in The Last Court.

This free text-driven, story-rich game is a great way to satisfy your Dragon Age cravings ahead of the release of Inquisition. The Keep will record the choices and decisions you make in The Last Court, but don’t worry: it won’t have an impact on your story in Dragon Age: Inquisition and is entirely optional. (That being said, we totally suggest you play it because it’s incredibly fun.)

Kotaku has information that Bioware is polling fans if they want to see another Mass Effect Trilogy Re-Release built for the new consoles, and PC.

Bioware's Edmonton & Montreal studio GM, Aaryn Flynn, has been canvasing for opinions on a Mass Effect trilogy re-release in a NeoGAF post.

Well if true who didn't see this happening. So whats your opinion on the re-release?

Aarynn Flynn has updated the Bioware Blog with info on the new leads for the next
Mass Effect game. The Lead Writer, Chris Schlerf, has written for Halo 4:

He moved into game writing with 343 Studios, where he worked as lead writer for the critically acclaimed Halo 4. And though writing for an interactive medium requires a different approach than writing for the screen, Schlerf says the heart and soul of his work remains the same. "As a writer, I write for characters," Schlerf says. "To me, it's always about what makes my characters tick and what stories I can tell through those characters that will actually engage people about their own lives. It provides a mirror to that player's experience [so that they are] not just sitting back in an armchair."

Polygon has this comment on the news:

Halo 4 featured a more human, interesting story than past games in the series, which is quite the trick when you're writing for a faceless soldier and an AI construct. The new Mass Effect game seems to be in good hands.

Producer for this game wil be Mike Gamble:

One of his primary roles is to represent the voice of the fan, and advocate for what the player wants and expects from a Mass Effect game. As such, Gamble is heavily involved with gathering feedback from the community and then sharing it with the team. He also closely watches the video game landscape as a whole, monitoring how other games are received, what they do well, and what they could improve on. Combining these perspectives through what Gamble calls a bit of a "black art," he's then able to advise the teams as to what players are looking for, while ensuring they stick to the core tenets of the franchise and maintain the vision of the game.

You can watch concept art for the game here.

Polygon brings news on the game:

The next Mass Effect game will introduce new alien races and species for players to encounter, BioWare announced during a Mass Effect N7 Roundtable. According to Mike Gamble, these new alien races will have their own special worlds complete with unique architecture. Producer Fabrice Condominas added that the game's new focus on exploration extends to these new characters. "That entire aspect of exploration is not only about the geography," Condominas said. "It's really about discovering other species, human species and yourself."

Gamer Headlines has news that Bioware will be showing off the next Mass Effect game at Honorcon 2014. I have never heard of this convention so here are the details.

According to Canadian developer, BioWare, the next entry into the beloved Mass Effect series (Mass Effect 3‘s ending aside) is still a considerable ways off in terms of an official release date, however, the press and public alike continue to speculate on what Mass Effect 4 may bring to the proverbial gaming table.

Fortunately for Mass Effect fans around the world, some new developments regarding the series’ follow-up, Mass Effect 4, may arise from this year’s Raleigh, North Carolina-based military science fiction convention, Honorcon, where the game will be featured in a panel – “Science Fiction in Video Gaming.”

The article also has more infomation on the game.

In related news, the next entry into the Mass Effect universe will most likely not be called Mass Effect 4, with BioWare’s community manager, Chris Priestly stating:

“To call the next game ‘Mass Effect 4′ or ‘ME4′ is doing it a disservice and seems to cause a lot of confusion here. We have already said that the Commander Shepard trilogy is over and that the next game will not feature him/her. That is the only detail you have on the game. I see people saying ‘well, they’ll have to pick a canon ending.’ No, because the game does not have to come after. Or before. Or off to the side. Or with characters you know. Or yaddayaddayadda. Wherever, whenever, whoever, etc will all be revealed years down the road when we actually start talking about it. I do not call the game ME4 when I talk about it ever, [because] that makes people think of it more as ‘what happens after ‘Mass Effect 3′ rather than ‘what game happens next set in the ‘Mass Effect’ Universe. Obviously fans are going to speculate content, character and story until we actually reveal details in the years or months to come as you have almost no actual details, just don’t get bogged down in ‘well how are they going to continue ME3.”

The above statement was then added to by BioWare chief, Yanick Roy:

“What Chris is saying is that thinking of the next ‘Mass Effect’ game as ‘Mass Effect 4′ would imply a certain linearity, a straight evolution of the gameplay and story of the first three games. Story-wise, the arc of the first trilogy has also been concluded, and what we will do is tell a new story set in the ‘Mass Effect’ universe. That doesn’t mean that events of the first three games and the choices you made won’t get recognized, but they likely won’t be what this new story will focus on. I apologize for being cryptic right now, but it’s early enough in development that we don’t have much to share – things still fluctuate quite a bit.”

PC Gamer has a new article from Andy Kelly who writes about the best, and worst companion in Bioware games. Here is a small sample.

Warning! The following article contains MASSIVE SPOILERS for the Mass Effect, Baldur’s Gate, Knights of the Old Republic, and Dragon Age series.

With a new Dragon Age on the way, we've been reminiscing about our favourite, and least favourite, BioWare companions. Interesting buddies, and sometimes enemies, have been a staple of BioWare games since Baldur's Gate, and the studio is famous for creating people you actually care about. So I decided to ask the entire PC Gamer team who among the vast pantheon of BioWare NPCs they hate, and who they love. Some of the answers may surprise you. Especially Chris Thursten's.

I found another website called Video Game Writers where they posted a new opinion article about why Mass Effect 4 should be set after the trilogy.

Obviously, it’s very possible – and even likely – that Mass Effect 4 will be set during the original trilogy, or before. Maybe the game will take us to some dark corner of space, away from Shepard and the Reapers, in order to tell a new story. But if BioWare decide to move the franchise forward, to explore the changed world post-Mass Effect 3, to break the industry trend of doing prequels and spin-offs, then Mass Effect 4 could be the start of an incredible new era for the series. A time without the Reapers, or the Mass Relays; a time where all synthetic life has been wiped out, or possibly combined with organics to create the next phase of sentient existence. It would be a risky move for BioWare, no doubt, but one that could result in some of the most compelling and thematically challenging science-fiction stories in video games.

Bioware has released a video with the voice actor of Vivienne Indira Varma, and Bioware's community managerJessica Merizan about how to destroy bullies.

I really have no clue why they posted this, or why I did so enjoy.

When reputation is on the line, nothing else matters. So when Mary Kirby, writer of Vivienne, oversteps in snark toward Jessica Merizan, something must be done. Indira Varma, who voices Vivienne, demonstrates in true Orlesian fashion how to deal with bullies. After all, it’s not enough to merely rebuke one’s detractors – they must be destroyed.

IGN has a four minute video of Bioware's new MMO RPG Shadow Realms.

See what the online co-operative title looks like in action.

GamerHeadlines has written an editorial about how Bioware's approach to LBGT issues
benefits all gamers.  A quote:

However, regarding a role-playing game, gamers should rejoice that Bioware is embracing a universal approach to their games that strives to meet the needs of the entirety of the gaming population (LGBT or otherwise). Many will ask why, but the answer is quite obvious. The RPG genre of video games is, ideally, about the freedom of choice. While many comparable RPG's give players the option of choosing gender, race, abilities, statistics, and attributes, very few give the ability to specifically choose their player character's sexual orientation, and if they do, it is often ambiguous in nature. Not every gamer is going to opt into that opportunity, but the fact that it is available exemplifies a mature step forward in terms of the sociocultural dynamics and gameplay systems of video games as a whole. It shows that Bioware is truly committed to allowing players to create a character that conforms exactly to who and what they want their character to be.

PC Gamer has a short interview with Bioware Austin about their next game Shadow Realms. You can check out the games details in another post on our site.

James Ohlen, our creative director, said that [despite how amazing some RPGs are now], we still don't have that thing we had in D&D—a dungeon master sitting at the edge of the table creating things and changing things and being dynamic in the game. We have AI, it's awesome, but imagine if you enhanced it with a dungeon master."

From that starting point, BioWare built out the capabilities they wanted their DM to have: spells that affect the heroes, the ability to spawn monsters, controlling the overall monster makeup of a level, spawning tricks and traps. "That was the pretty straightfoward stuff," Hickman said. "Then you get into: can we allow him to change the world? In its simplest form, as players are passing through [a level], the shadowlord says: there's two doors in the room. That door will open, that door will not. Or there are two destructible walls, or whatever—he makes a choice and says that one won't open, that one will. By giving the shadowlord those kinds of things to do, we can change the flow of the environment."

Hickman also hinted that BioWare has ambitions about how the shadowlord may even be able to affect the story. "The shadowlord is part of the story. As of right now, he can't change the story directly, but he definitely has an impact on the story in some ways...[that's something] we're going to continue to experiment with."

BioWare plans to use the Shadow Realms alpha to get feedback on the 4v1 shadowlord gameplay—the feel of the action RPG combat, difficulty, balance. "When we get to the point where the players and us think it feels good, we'll put the progression system in, and the loot system, and the story," Hickman said.

Dual Shockers had the chance to get a look at the Next Mass Effect game at Gamescom, and posted a short article about it's graphics from Bioware.

Today I had a chance to check out Dragon Age: Inquisition at Gamescom, and to chat with BioWare Creative Development Senior Director Alistair McNally, who is also working on the next Mass Effect.

While Dragon Age: Inquisition definitely looked impressive running on PC (and you’ll learn all about it in a dedicated preview soon) McNally was very clear in mentioning that the next Mass Effect looks a generation beyond the upcoming fantasy game visuals-wise.

That’s because Dragon Age: Inquisition is still a cross-generation game, and there are a lot of factors limiting the current generation version due to the fact that the gameplay needs to be the same on old-gen consoles.

The next Mass Effect (unfortunately I could not convince McNally to reveal its actually title, to the surprise of no one, even if he did confirm that the previously leaked code name Mass Effect: Contact was indeed used by BioWare, but it’s not the official title) will not suffer from the same issue, so BioWare will be able to complete the generational leap.

Well we all know graphics are the most important part of a game.

Eurogamer brings news that Bioware has revealed its new game called Shadow Realms.

Being developed by Bioware Austin,

it is a a novel online RPG with a modern fantasy setting. It's coming to PC in late 2015 - no other formats were mentioned. It's an asymmetric multiplayer game, with four hero characters cooperating against a single player-controlled enemy, the Shadowlord, who has extensive powers to manipulate the game world.

Apparantly it is

an attempt bring back the magic of pen-and-paper role-playing, with players collaborating to pit their wits against a human game master.

James Ohlen writes at devblog for this game that

It is a game that finally fulfills that fantasy of a never-ending RPG where the players meet up regularly to keep their epic adventures going for as long as they want. All the enemies, traps and challenges are squarely in the hands of another player, who controls them just like a Dungeon Master. The monsters and villains are smart and unpredictable, making every battle a test of strategy and power. Best of all, everyone gets to enjoy a story that plays out like their favorite TV series, but where they decide the fates of its world and characters. Shadow Realms isn't just hearkening back to those early BioWare PC games-it's finally bringing the magic of tabletop RPGs to the digital realm.

The game has as website which you can visit here.

Do you think Bioware will succeed?

It seems Casey Hudson has left Bioware according to a new post on the Bioware Blog. 

After nearly 16 years of game development at BioWare, Executive Producer Casey Hudson has made the decision to move on from BioWare and enter a new stage of his career. We thank Casey for his hard work and dedication as we look back on his time with BioWare.

Starting as a Technical Artist on Neverwinter Nights and MDK2, Casey moved into the Project Director role with 2003’s Game of the Year Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic. He then led the team in the development of the Mass Effect trilogy, an award-winning series that I and many others consider to be one of the most important science-fiction universes of our generation. Casey’s focus on production quality, digital acting technology, and emotionally engaging narrative has made a substantial impact on BioWare and the video game industry as a whole.

Bioware has released a video detailing the Comic-Con 2014 event where the developers talk about how they want to develop the next Mass Effect game.

Mass Effect developers from the Edmonton and Montreal studios discuss what it's like to expand on a well-established and beloved video game franchise. Panelists Carl Boulay (lead animator), Fabrice Condominas (producer), Mike Gamble (producer), and Noel Lukasewich (senior artist) share their experiences in shaping the next Mass Effect game with new possibilities while staying true to the critically acclaimed series. Moderated by Malik Forte from Nerdist.com. From San Diego Comicon 2014.

You can view the video here.

Nerd Appropriate has been to the this panel at Comic Con 2014. In an article at the site they sum up the talks given by the developers as well as the audience Q and A.
Here are some of them:

What are some of the trials you have to face making a [series] like Mass Effect? - "[Creating] a new entry into a series like this is extremely difficult. The precedent we've set before, the fans, the press, fans like you [the audience] who are willing to camp out during various panels to see it... so we've got the expectations of folks like you and our own creative ambitions [regarding] the things we want to do. At the same time we don't want to retread old ground, right? We want to make sure that we're doing something fresh, something that has not been done before. [We want to make] a Mass Effect for the next generation; we don't want to make a new Shepard story, right? That's not the point whatsoever; [the point is] to refresh things [and create] a spiritual successor to the game as opposed [to having the same characters]. - Mike Gamble

A quote on the Mako:

So, the Mako is back [note: crowd goes crazy], but this isn't the Mako that you remember, this is a DIFFERENT Mako. The point here is that it is a really agile Mako, it's different than the one you've seen before. There is no cannon on it. Maybe it can hover, maybe it can jump, I don't know. We've [had] a lot of help designing it, it's gone through a lot of iteration." - Mike Gamble

And a quote from the audience Q and A:

Will we be seeing characters like Aria T'Lok again? "We haven't decided... well, we've decided (but aren't telling yet). The theme is [that] we want to create new experiences for the player, but we still want to bring in elements of what you know and love about the previous trilogy that might include certain characters and it might not. So guaranteed, either way that we end up going you're going to see a certain amount of the old with the new." -Mike Gamble

Bioware was at Comic-Con 2014, and shared a few more details about the next Mass Effect. I couldn't find a video so the images with the articles will have to enough.

IncGamers - New Mass Effect details from ComicCon, Mako returns and more

The Mass Effect panel at San Diego’s ComicCon has proved to be of far more interest than the underwhelming showing at E3 2014. Unlike that rather rubbish E3 video, this event had actual information about the next game in the Mass Effect series.

There was still plenty of vagueness and hints of course, but a couple of concrete details were mentioned. Incidentally, IncGamers is not at the San Diego event so I’m getting this all second hand from the Nerd Appropriate twitter account (who was watching the panel.)

Hardcore Gamer also posted two short articles from the panel.

HardcoreGamer - First Glimpse of Male and Female Armor Designs in Next Mass Effect

During Bioware’s “Charting a Course: Developing the Next Mass Effect” panel at Comic-Con, the first glimpse of male and female armor in the next Mass Effect (which was stressed not to be called “Mass Effect 4″) were shown off.

HardcoreGamer - Mako Returns to Mass Effect 4

During Bioware’s “Charting a Course: Developing the Next Mass Effect” panel at Comic-Con, it was announced that the fan-favorite “Mako” vehicle will make its return to Mass Effect 4. No word on if it will differ from past games, but its visual aesthetic certainly seems sleeker.

Update: Here is a new video from Escapist News to add to the roundup.

Bioware has a short blog post about the developer will be attending the San Diego Comic-Con 2014, and list what time you can join the different panels.

We’re very excited to announce that BioWare will be attending San Diego Comic-Con next week, and we’re bringing Dragon Age: Inquisition with us. We’d like to thank our friends at Microsoft and AMD as our show sponsors this year.

If you’re going to the show, we’d love to see you! Here’s a schedule of where you can find us throughout the week.

Bioware released the second audio only video from their GaymerX 2014 panel. The video has no transcript Log for those interested in just reading it.

Freaking out the Neighbors: What is "good representation" in games and why would anyone be opposed to it? Considering the romance elements in BioWare games, we've heard it all, and it's worth discussing where some of these feelings come from and how it's possible for a developer to be inclusive in a way we can feel good about. Let's talk about where this is going for the industry and what expectations LGBTQ fans have.

Bioware released a new audio only video today from the GaymerX2 2014 panel.

Building a Better Romance: A discussion of how romances came to be in BioWare games. Why are they done as they are? What purpose do they serve in the overall game? What issues exist, and is there a better way to make them that isn't simply "add additional content?"

A new Twitter post from BioWare's Michael Gamble has news of a Mass Effect 4 survey. So go share your opinions as who knows they may listen to you this time.

Help us make the next Mass Effect game the best one yet. Id appreciate it if you folks did this short survey.

Dual Shockers has news that Bioware will be at Comic-Con 2014, and will share details about the next Mass Effect game. They also promise to stay true to the series.

If you’re looking forward to the next, still untitled Mass Effect game, July 26th is a date to mark on your calendar, as BioWare will be at Comic-Con International in San Diego and will have developers in attendance of a panel titled “Charting a Course: Developing the Next Mass Effect” to discuss the upcoming game.

The panel will be held at 2 PM in Room 25ABC and is described as follows:

"Mass Effect developers from the Edmonton and Montreal studios discuss what it’s like to expand on a well-established and beloved video game franchise. Panelists Carl Boulay (lead animator), Fabrice Condominas (producer), Mike Gamble (producer), Noel Lukasewich (senior artist), and Jessica Merizan (community manager), share their experiences in shaping the next Mass Effect game with new possibilities while staying true to the critically acclaimed series. Moderated by Nerdist.com."

Considering the recent trend of rebooting everything, even when it doesn’t really need any rebooting, it’s good to hear that BioWare intends to stay true to the franchise. Hopefully we’ll be hear something more specific during the panel itself.

What Culture has posted another of their infamous lists that takes a look at Mass Effect IV, and talks about tens things they think will ruin the game.

The Mass Effect franchise has fast become one of the most popular action-RPG franchises of all time, and a legendary sci-fi series in its own right. The first two games were critical (and commercial) darlings, while Mass Effect 3 was still a worthy entry despite not quite meeting the high expectations. Bioware’s creative universe, inhabited by bizarre creatures and filled with incredible locations, has resonated with fans worldwide.

Thanks to the series’ cult-like following, Mass Effect 4 is by far and away one of the most hotly awaited sequels of all time. While the game has been officially announced, EA and Bioware have been extremely tight-lipped with regards to the project, with only a few titbits of information being shared here and there.

For example, they’ve made it clear that Shepard’s story has ended, and the fourth entry won’t be a direct continuation of the original trilogy. Of course, we also don’t know whether that means it’ll be taking place a few years after Mass Effect 3, just with new characters, or if it will be set hundreds of years later.

Either way, Bioware need to take some lessons from the more questionable aspects of Mass Effect 3, if they want the franchise to live on beyond the fourth game. In this list, we’ve put together a list of 10 things that would totally kill the franchise if they were included in Mass Effect 4.

Bioware has updated their blog with news about the company being at
GaymerX 2014 in San Francisco.  A quote:

We're excited to return to GaymerX again for another year to celebrate its inclusive mantra #EveryoneGames! If you're planning on attending the convention, here's a rundown of panels and signings where you can find David Gaider, Jessica Merizan, Robyn Theberge, Karin Weekes, and Patrick Weekes throughout the weekend. For those of you at home, we're hoping to record and upload some coverage of the event to share with you.

Here's tomorrow's event for Bioware:

Saturday July 12
Yes, And? An Improvised Approach to Inclusion (with David Gaider, 12:00PM Room A)
Meet BioWare's David Gaider (2:00PM Room B)
Building a Better Romance (with David Gaider, Jessica Merizan, Robyn Theberge, Karin Weekes, Patrick Weekes; 3:30PM Room A)

Bioware's facebookpage is the source.

Twinfinite has a new article that I fully agree with about fans of Bioware games, and the constant complaining on the internet. So bring on the replies.

Being a BioWare fanboy isn’t always easy, especially since the mainstream opinion of them has been pretty negative, at least as of late. Despite the critical acclaim of their recent titles (read: almost all of them), their popularity isn’t exactly at an all-time high. And this is not the way it should be.

Baldur’s Gate. Kotor. Mass Effect. Dragon Age. Games that we here at Twinfinite and many others have fervently enjoyed. Games that have prompted almost shocking backlash from the “community” over things like Dragon Age 2′s lack of area variety or Mass Effect 3′s ending controversy. Events that, in light of BioWare’s incredible track record, shouldn’t dictate the company’s public image.

And recently, with a Q&A the producers of Dragon Age: Inquisition just conducted, it is clear that anyone should be proud to enjoy BioWare and their games. Setting themselves apart from the other prominent developers today, they have shown themselves now and in the past that they are a company that listens to and cares about its gamers.

The message is clear: BioWare is listening. BioWare never stopped listening. The developers, after all, haven’t changed in their mission. BioWare is still BioWare; they’re the name on Mass Effect and Dragon Age, the franchises that made them the giants they are. They’re the company responsible for one of the largest and greatest gaming communities in the last two decades thanks to Neverwinter Nights. And they are, as always, making games because they love games. And they want to make games that are loved.

Bioware is back again another behind the scene video this time with voice actor Alix Wilton Regan. I found this one sillier than the other videos on the blog.

Alix Wilton Regan, one of the voices of the Inquisitor, discusses her method for producing convincing spit takes. There are certain things you just can’t fake in the booth, and this is one of them.

Eurogamer brings us news about what we know about Mass Effect 4 so far:

The story will focus on a fresh protagonist who won't be another version of Commander Shepard, BioWare has said, but while there will be no direct continuation of the Commander's story, nods to past adventures will be included.

Here's a little more information abouy two new alien races in ME4:

The attendee had claimed that the two new alien types they were shown included an "arrogant", skeletal race with glowing eyes and an "ancient, advanced guardian" race with a sci-fi golem-like look. Mako-esque land vehicles were also apparently shown, with different models for various environments.

It seems that ME4 will be Bioware's main focus in 2015, according to a post written by Chris Priestly, Bioware's former community manager, in the official forums:

Then, after the success of DA:I and at least 1 major DLC, we'll learn about MENext at E3 2015 and the focus for BioWare will shift from DA:I to MENext for 2015. Then MNext becomes the focus for 2015, launching in 2016 (or maybe late 2015 dependng how Montreal ramps up as a studio). Then things repeat as above in 2016 as Casey reveals the new IP his team is working on, then in 2017 DANext.

A few key developers of Bioware talk to OXM in a new interview about the future of Mass Effect, a few possible spin-offs, and talks about entering the unknown.

The new Mass Effect continues to be quite the enigma. EA devoted several minutes of its E3 presentation to concept footage for the game (and BioWare's unannounced new IP) but declined to say anything specific about it. If you're worried that this is evidence of a creative roadblock, the below, enormous interview with key staff should be reassuring.

Conducted a month or two after Mass Effect 3 hit shelves, and originally published in OXM US, it's effectively a laundry list of feature concepts, narrative directions and assorted musings for future games in the series. Much time has passed since these thoughts were recorded, of course, so try not to extrapolate too wildly as to the next game, which takes place in a new region of the galaxy and seemingly features a new lead character. Kudos to Francesca Reyes and the former OXM US team for their questions and insights. Oh, and in case it isn't obvious, watch out for thermonuclear spoilers.

Bioware has a new post on the company's official blog with a new video with actor Freddie Prinze Jr. who is back again this time to voice Iron Bull.

Meet the voice behind the Iron Bull! Freddie Prinze Jr. tells us what it’s like to take on the mantle of the biggest, baddest, toughest mercenary in all of Thedas.

Hardcore Gamer has a new article that goes into detail about BioWare, and the new video from E3 about The Next Mass Effect.

For a while now, it has been common knowledge that a new Mass Effect game was in development at Bioware Montreal, the studio behind the surprisingly great Mass Effect 3 multiplayer. Aside from the fact the game would not feature Commander Shepard and wouldn’t be a direct continuation of the original trilogy’s story, we didn’t really know anything about it going into E3 2014. Though many were hoping for a proper reveal of the game during EA’s press conference, what we got was a brief documentary style video featuring some ambiguous prototype footage and discussion from the development team. Even though we weren’t able to actually see the game in action and received no real concrete information about it, there were certainly hints and clues about what the next Mass Effect game could entail.

VGU has a new article where they talk about what they want in the next Mass Effect.

EA’s press conference featured a lot of tiny looks at huge projects that are coming in the future from DICE’s Star Wars: Battlefront to a brand-new IP from BioWare. While it was exciting to hear about all of these anticipated titles, the one that I personally can’t wait for is the next Mass Effect game.

Bioware’s Montreal studio is working on another title in the popular Mass Effect series that will break away from the previous three games and not be the story of Commander Shepard. Mass Effect has been one of my favorite game series since it came out in 2007 (Mass Effect 2 is my favorite game of all time), so I am eagerly awaiting the next installment in the franchise.

We don’t know a whole lot about this next Mass Effect game but we do know that BioWare is breaking away from Commander Shepard and bringing us a whole new story. There is a lot of potential for this game to be either great or a disappointment. Here are some things I would love to see happen in the next Mass Effect game.

Xbox Magazine has just released a trailer where Bioware shows conceptual prototypes
for the next Mass Effect game.

The next Mass Effect is indeed in development and will be "taking you to a whole new region of space"......The Bioware trailer also revealed that the team are working on an all new IP, although no concrete details were provided.

Bioware released another video this week with a recap of their time at Pax East.

Three days, fifteen panels, and zero sleep: it was another PAX East. And now that it's over, we can finally answer the burning question we fielded again and again: "What's with the camera?"

Over the course of the weekend, we recorded a ton of footage at the BioWare Base and throughout the convention center to give those at home a glimpse of what they missed.

We met hundreds of fans from all over the world and heard stories about how our work touched their lives. Thank you to everyone who came by the base—and to the army of people proudly wearing N7 gear who made us feel right at home.

Bioware released another behind the scene video this with voice actor Steve Valentine who voiced Alistair in the last two games, and will voice him again in Dragon Age: Inquisition.

Steve Valentine, the voice of Alistair, isn't just the king of Ferelden—he's the king of our hearts. His smooth accent is unmistakable, which is probably why so many Dragon Age fans recognize him on sound alone. He's had nothing but positive interactions with our fans at conventions and in public—that is, until he met our community manager, Jessica Merizan.
Swooning, it turns out, is also bad.

Ex-Bioware founder Ray Muzyka was interviewed on the University of Alberta website.

Ray Muzyka and Greg Zeschuk stepped onto the Princess Anne Theatre stage in London, England, to applause from 220 gaming professionals and students who had come for the British Academy of Film and Television Arts’ annual video games lecture. The topic was “Games as Art,” and who better to deliver it than the co-founders of BioWare?

Through their upstart gaming company, the MDs-turned-game developers had helped revitalize the genre of computer role-playing games. They were among the first to show that video games could be artful — more than a grab for points, more than a battle for bragging rights, a wholly emotional experience. By the time Muzyka, ’90 BMedSc, ’92 MD, and Zeschuk, ’90 BMedSc, ’92 MD, stood onstage at the end of 2011, the BioWare brand had become one of the most beloved in the gaming industry. Not long after the lecture, its most highly anticipated title, Mass Effect 3, would sell 1.5 million units in a single month.

So it might have come as a shock to audience members to know that “the Doctors,” as they were known in the industry, were having a change of heart about their careers.

“Entrepreneurs can change the world in a meaningful way. They can dream and imagine, they can work at problems from different angles and they can create enduring change.”

In a small, subtle exchange backstage as they waited for the auditorium to fill, Muzyka had turned to his best friend and business partner of 20 years. “You know,” he said, “I think this might be the last time we ever give a speech together while we’re still in the industry.” This was the first tacit understanding between them that they might each be considering retirement.

The former University of Alberta med students had grown up parallel to the industry as it went from 16-bit cartridges to online stadiums. They had turned a gaming hobby into an industry-changing company bought up by the world’s fourth-largest gaming company, Electronic Arts, for more than half a billion dollars.

Now, the effervescent Zeschuk, general manager of BioWare’s Austin, Texas, office and a vice-president for Electronic Arts, was losing interest in games and thinking about transferring his unbridled passion to, of all things, craft beer. Muzyka, senior vice-president and general manager of Electronic Arts’ BioWare label — spread across eight cities in three countries — was considering shifting his focus to impact investing. He wanted to put his good fortune toward for-profit social enterprise, working with socially responsible companies that would, in ways big and small, improve the world.

The Bioware Blog has another update for the Mass Effect games with facts about what where the most common names for Commander Shepard.

We analyzed player data from Mass Effect 3 to determine the most popular names for Commander Shepard. The most common choices by far were the defaults, John and Jane, but for those players who ventured off the beaten path, these are the top five names for each gender.

Gamemoir has a new article that talks about what they think our the five most agonizing choices from all BioWare Games. Here is a small sample I picked out below.

BioWare has given us dozens of memorable choices to make over the years, and have pushed forward storytelling in video games to previously unthought-of heights along the way. The true test of whether or not a choice has any meaning is how it makes you think and feels, and BioWare regularly serves up some emotional doozies.

The way I play these types of games is to make my choices and stick with them; even if I regret them. Most of the time, I don’t go back and load a previous save. I prefer to deal with the consequences of my actions as if the story wasn’t just a game. My first playthrough is my canon playthrough for always; no takebacks allowed. I want to see how the game bears out my on the spot decisions made with good intentions, even if things end up going full Breaking Bad on me.

In the best cases, I may make the decisions I think are right, and the results may seem horribly wrong when it’s said and done. That’s when you know you’re playing something that’s more than a simple video game. That’s when it’s interactive art. Here are the moments BioWare has given me control and left me wondering for years afterwards if I did the right thing or regretting that I failed to do it.

Bioware has posted an update on the contest were anyone could send in videos to get a chance to get their voice in Dragon Age Inquisition.

It’s been a week since our little “Take Your Place in the Inquisition” contest closed, and we’re still sorting through the mountain of entries received.

There have been loud ones, quiet ones, husky ones, gruff ones, soft ones, squeaky ones, intense ones, and pretty sure that’s helium ones. We’ve also seen skits, cartoons, the occasional housecat, and plenty of damn fine voice acting.

In the end, we received more than 2,000 entries. You put a lot of work into them, and we wanted to take the time to show our appreciation. Thank you all for making this such a great success and for bringing our scripts to life.

Bioware has another post on the company's official blog with a new video were Claudia Black and Brian Bloom talk about how they voice their ingame characters.

Claudia Black and Brian Bloom, the actors behind Morrigan and Varric, talk about their art.

Bioware has a new post to the company's official blog thats gives us a look behind the scenes with Claudia Black on how she voices her role as Morrigan.

Ever wonder how the pros get ready for voice acting? Claudia Black took us behind the scenes to show us how she warms up for her role as Morrigan.

It’s invaluable advice for any aspiring actors out there—especially if you’re planning on entering our contest to voice a character in Dragon Age: Inquisition. It’s not too late for all you golden-voiced procrastinators.

Today is the International Women's Day. Bioware did decide to make a blog entry about this. Bioware's David Hulegaard talked to a few female Bioware employees about what women can do if they want to work in the game industry.

Advice from Karin Weekes:

Constantly hone your skills and keep being really good at what you do-your craft is more important than anything else. Work to be a good communicator and listener. Connect with other women in the industry for support and problem solving. If game development is your passion, you deserve to be here, and there is a place for you. If someone tells you otherwise, they're wrong.

Melanie Faulknor's advice:

I work with some of the most talented people in the industry, and that includes women who are Level Designers, Cinematic Designers, Directors, Editors, Writers, Programmers, and Producers. Tons of our fans are women too. Women in the industry provide a very valuable perspective, so don't let anything stop you from pursuing a career in games if it's something you love.

According to a post on the Bioware Blog I missed earlier they have launched a new forum site. The site will be used for all past, and future games. Here are the details.

Announcing “the BioWare Forum”

One of my favorite moments at a convention is one that you guys never see– it’s the moment right before we open the doors. After months of planning — and shortly after inhaling coffee that’s just a bit too hot –we’re ready to let you in and see what we’ve been up to.

Today, we’re sharing another one of those moments with you. We’re launching the BioWare Forum, which I believe will be an exciting addition to our online space.

Before we get into details, this is not the discussed community destination site currently still in development. That site—which builds on fan and employee surveys, interviews, and other feedback—is still to come, and we can’t wait to share details as we continue working towards this. However, this reveal is part of the roadmap to get us there, and brings us one step closer to the promise to both ourselves and fans to continue rebuilding a positive, constructive community.

The BioWare Forum replaces the old discussion forums, adding new features designed to foster an entertaining, educational, and safe space for developers and players to engage one another. Among the improvements is updated technology that allows for much more robust moderation, along with a new set of guidelines with more clearly enforceable rules. A new design lightens the look and feel of the site while keeping the tone of the modern BioWare brand. Other notable features and changes include:

• Mobile skinning and functionality for the first time ever
• Converting posts from the (now “legacy”) BioWare Social Network over to conserve pre-existing threads
• Rebranding social.bioware.com as a new landing page to guide players to our key online spaces including Dragon Age Keep, the BioWare Forum, N7HQ, and EA Answer HQ
• Curating Legacy BSN as a Read-Only web portal available as a link at the bottom right-hand corner of the new social.bioware.com

Thanks to RPG Codex I have news that BioWare is developing a new game with Failbetter Games. Here are the details from the website.

Most Secret

Keeping secrets doesn’t come naturally to us. We are excitable: we love our work: we love talking about our work.

But for the last year, on and off, we’ve been working in absolute secrecy on a project for a much larger company. When we’ve gone quiet for no obvious reason, it’s because we’ve been heads-down on this. When I’ve mentioned that we don’t take client work any more, with rare exceptions, this is the rare exception.

We’ve finally been allowed to lift one corner of the veil. I can’t tell you anything at all about the project – not for a little while yet – except to say that it’s a Failbettery one, down to its bones. But I can tell you the name of the company:

BioWare.

We are thrilled about this. We can’t wait to say more.

Gamer Headlines has gathered together all the information the next Mass Effect game.

Gamers have an interesting stereotype associated with them: they don’t like reading. Or at least, that’s what many people tend to think. Apparently, Mass Effect 4 has changed all of that. Gamers are Googling the title at the speed of light trying to squeeze out every last bit of information they can possibly get from the title. There’s no denying the fact that Mass Effect 4 will be huge when it hits, but we still have a way to go before we get the controller in our hand.

This isn’t helped by the fact that Bioware continues to throw tiny hints and gestures toward progress without revealing too much information.

While there are still many aspects of the game that we’re very unsure of(and trust me, there’s a lot), we’ve compiled some tidbits we’ve gathered ourselves and it’s information we can both observe, and discuss.

Gameranx has news for Mass Effect IV based on a few new Bioware tweets.

Motion capture has begun on the next Mass Effect at EA's Vencouver studio while supposedly amazing new enviroments have been added to the game according to BioWare developers, who've been hard at work on the game for some time now. The developers at BioWare have yet to reveal any solid details about the game. Not so much as an image or detail about who the game's main character will be has been released as of this time.

OXM has an article about David Gaider, and romance options in  Bioware games.

"I can easily imagine a time when the romances in Inquisition are revealed (whether that will be before or after release, I have no idea)," Gaider wrote. "There will be an inevitable reaction from people who are disappointed they couldn't romance someone with their character of choice, and some of them will rant at length as to how they were only deprived of said romance because of some agenda.

He then talks about both sides, and mentions they might try something different.

"I know some fans would be happy if we just abandoned the effort altogether," Gaider went on. "Generally those are people who don't use that sort of content in our games anyhow, so us not pursuing it naturally wouldn't bother them. I'll just ignore the element who see romances as a thing that only 'fangirls' like, and which is thus of lesser value to a 'real game'.

"It's possible we could answer that question. We've made a few games without romances before, and we could do it again. Perhaps, if we made a new IP, we might decide it's best not to open that particular Pandora's Box (which, yes, romances have always been) and go with something else...but that 'something else' better be something damned good, as there are a lot of people who enjoy that part of our games immensely and who might not be willing to buy into a new series which didn't have it.

"Some folks might be eager to write those fans off, but I'm not really sure that BioWare feels the same."

As for me I don't mind them in my games, but it would be nice to see something different.

Dual Shockers has news that BioWare Austin is working on unannounced games.

Looks like the cogs are in motion at Star Wars: The Old Republic‘s studio BioWare Austin, as showcased by quite a few job opportunity ads published by Electronic Arts, all including the same introduction, like this one for a Senior Software Engineer (discovered by NeoGaf user Nirolak).

"BioWare Austin is home to the critically acclaimed and award winning Star Wars®: The Old Republic™ MMO. After the hugely successful addition of its Free 2 Play option and the highly praised launch of space PVP with the Galactic Starfighter expansion, the Austin team continues driving forward with SW:TOR and is also hard at work on several unannounced projects. Apply today and learn about the exciting opportunities at our Studio. It’s an amazing time to come and work with us!"

Unfortunately the posts don’t give many solid hint as to what those “several projects” entail, but at leas one may be a MMORPG or an action game, or a mix of both, as hinted by another ad seeking testers.

"BioWare is hiring temporary game testers. Our ideal candidates have played both online games such as MMORPGs (Star Wars the Old Republic, DC Universe Online) and action games (Bayonetta, Devil May Cry, Infamous)."

Of course we won’t know much more than this until something else leaks out, or an official announcement is made. For now we need to be content with knowing that something is brewing, or “several” somethings, to be more precise.

The National Post has a new article were they talk about a few things Bioware’s Mass Effect team can learn from Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag.

Exploring the galaxy has always been one of my favourite parts of the
Mass Effect series. The hardcore sci-fi nerd in me adores the way these
games let you seek out and learn about new star systems and their
planets, explore interstellar phenomena, and engage in deep space
activities, such as boarding derelict craft.

The problem, though, is that this exploration feels disconnected from
everything else we do, with the work of travel taking place on various
star maps over which little ship icons crawl, and travel depicted by
loading screens and repetitive Mass Relay cinematics.

I’ve always been aware of this problem, but was willing to chalk it up
to technological limitations. Creating an open galaxy for players to
explore would surely prove a daunting challenge.

However, Black Flag‘s innovations in ship-based exploration combined
with the recent advent of more powerful living room hardware is making
me wonder whether Bioware might not now be in a position to begin
solving this problem.

Lead Writer of BioWare's Dragon Age games David Gaider answers a question on his blog about the characters he didn’t write.

Here was the fans question.

So as lead writer I’m sure you tend to get first choice, but I was wondering have you ever wanted to write another person’s character? Maybe because they just seem so interesting to you or because you found how they were progressing interesting?

And here is part of his response.

If there was a character I really wish I’d had the chance to write, it’d probably be Jowan in DAO. I thought he was a challenge, taking a character who was a coward and bring him through an arc of redemption, saying something about courage and what it takes to come back from doing something terrible. He wasn’t planned to join the party from the beginning, but for a while he was in the roster and I was very fired up to do it—and then we had to cut him, perhaps in part because others in the team thought he was lame. Which he was, but I saw him in terms of what he could become—not what he was in that plot. So that was difficult to let go of.

PC Gamer has a new article about what they want in the next Mass Effect.

How do you follow an act like the galaxy's most high-stakes game of three-card monte? Apparently by completely starting over. BioWare has long insisted that Mass Effect 3 marked the definitive end of Commander Shepard's story arc, regardless of whether you picked the green pill, the red pill, or the blue pill. The good news, of course, is that it's created a universe that leaves plenty of room for other stars.The big question is who that star will be. BioWare has only dropped a few hints that yield some clues as to what kind of ride we're in for during the next installment, and thus we'd like to put forward a few of our own ideas about how the next chapter in the Mass Effect saga should unfold. (Also, there are spoilers ahead, particularly if you somehow missed the furor over the ending of Mass Effect 3 last year. For convenience, the upcoming game is called "Mass Effect 4," even though BioWare has stated that this won't be the title.)

Aaryn Flynn, General Manager, on Bioware, said on Twitter that he had had a

Great time playing the next Mass Effect game in Montreal. Ambitious. Beautiful. Fresh but recognizable. And fun.

Thanks to Darth Revan91 for this news. You can view the thread about this at the Bioware forums here.

Unigamesity has posted another article this time about next Mass Effect , and asking if the Reapers will make a return again. Frankly I would perfer they don't what about you?

The reapers are definitely the core enemy faction of the Mass Effect series, they simply seek the destruction of everything and everyone. But it’s not that simple, in theory they seek to maintain a fragile balance between species. They believe that without the extinction cycles, the synthetics would completely annihilate all organic life and as a consequence, new species wouldn’t even have a chance to come to existence. The Mass Effect trilogy is set in the end of a cycle but for the first time there’s enough resistance. This generation of organics and synthetics has discovered all the secrets behind the reaper existence but it’s up to players to decide the final fate of the reaper race – destruction, control or synthesis. Any of these options result in a direct defeat and obliteration of the race as we once knew it.  So the question arises, will the reapers return in Mass Effect 4? I would be more than glad to say no, they won’t come back, but unfortunately, there is a huge chance that these ancient aliens will be back regardless the timeline of the upcoming story. Let’s analyze the prequel and sequel cases.

According to DSO Gaming Bioware hinted that an incoming announcement for the next  Mass Effect is coming soon. StickSkills also has info that it will be revealed at The 2013 Video Game Awards.

During the 2010 Video Game Awards, fans of the Mass Effect series were treated to the announcement and reveal of Mass Effect 3. The game ultimately saw a delay, but suffered from quite the controversial ending.

While we’ve known for quite awhile that Commander Shepard won’t be involved in any future titles for the series, Bioware teased the next Mass Effect via Twitter yesterday. From a new character to various looks at the environments in the game, we still weren’t able to take much from the images.

The 2013 Video Game Awards are set to take place next month, and we’ve been informed that the next Mass Effect title will receive an announcement there. The source that passed this information to us is also the same that helped us bring forth the first details on the existence of Resident Evil: Operation Raccoon City.

Similar to the reveal of Mass Effect 3, we’ll be given a title and a CGI trailer. We weren’t able to obtain information regarding the game’s protaganist, but as we’ve mentioned above it will not be featuring Commander Shepard.

The game is expected to hit next-generation consoles and PC in late 2014, but early 2014 is also a release window being discussed.

Bioware annouces on the companys blog that N7 Day 2013 is just around the corner. Now I have no idea what it is but give it a look if your interested.

November 7^th, 2012 marked the inaugural N7 Day — a day to join together as a community and celebrate the Mass Effect universe. Through the power of social media, we connected with over 12 million fans around the world and delivered a day’s worth of content and activities! With additional support from our family of partners, we were also able to offer some great deals on Mass Effect merchandise.

Play.tm has a new article looking back at the entire Mass Effect series, and calling it one of the series that defined this gaming generation.

Over the course of the three games the Mass Effect trilogy showed that gamers can become truly emotionally invested in the characters of a series and even more so given that their survival or less depends on the decisions of the player.

BioWare also managed to show a real character development arc for almost everyone that Shepard encounters and managed to tie up what could have been a never-ending cascade of loose ends in the ending of Mass Effect 3 (the Extended Cut, although the original ending was not without its merits).

The real test of how well the series has gone down is just talking to others that have played the trilogy from start to finish. In sharing my playthrough stories with others I have learned just how much the experience varies from player to player. It stands testament to just how well the Mass Effect trilogy was constructed to see just how personal other players experiences were.

There are plenty of other series that have managed to make this generation what it was but none did it in such an emotionally engaging way and, it makes me excited to see what BioWare have planned for the next console generation.

The Complex has a new interview with writer Mac Walters at the NY Comic-Con were he talks about the comics, and the controversial ending of Mass Effect 3.

Complex: So with Commander Shepard gone, are you starting anew, or are you going to continue any of that story?

Mac Walter: Well, I can’t get into details, but the idea is that we have agreed to tell a story that doesn’t relate necessarily to any of the Shepard events at all, whatsoever. Beyond that, that’s what we’ve been deciding for awhile. But throughout it all, one of the key things is that it has to be Mass Effect. It can’t just feel like a spin-off. It has to feel like a Mass Effect game at its heart, at its core. Just without the Shepard character or the Shepard specific companions.

Complex: What are your thoughts on all the people who complained about the third game’s ending?

Mac Walter: It’s been 18-19 months since it came out and my thoughts on it are that we addressed it the best we could in the extended cut. We’re obviously not going to be changing anything now. We’re only going forward. But you know what’s interesting? The only view I’ve had on it was, well, I was watching Breaking Bad, and that deals with (spoiler alert) the main character dying. And in no way do I think that anybody was surprised that he died. It was set up, even from the get-go, that this was a character that was going to die. But the interesting difference there is that that’s not a character that people had control of. They didn’t have any say at any point at what would happen to Walter White. Period.

And I think that’s one of the things we really underestimated, which was how much ownership people would take over a character that they could do that. You know, you’ve been given free choice to make all these decisions with this character, with the fates of millions of people, and then, you don’t get to choose your own fate. And I’m not saying that our decision was wrong or right. I think we just underestimated the impact that would have on certain players. To be fair, I get people, especially at the Cons, who will say, “I loved it. It was heart-wrenching, but I felt it was right for my Shepard.” And to me, that’s why it was the right path. But because there was no choice, it was going to be right for some people, and for others, in the middle, and other people were obviously very upset about it. In hindsight, I don’t think there was anything we would have changed about that, but it is a really good lesson learned.

David Gaider has a new post on his Tumblr blog about being Lead Writer at BioWare.

I get asked this question in various permutations quite frequently— and, even when I’m not asked it, I get the impression that people have wildly different interpretations of what it might mean.

So, okay. Bit of a boring post if you really have no interest at all in learning what a Lead Writer for BioWare actually does. If you do, then here you go.

First thing you’d need to understand is that there’s no single definition in the game industry as to what a “Lead Writer” is or does, or indeed even what a writer does at one company to the next. Some companies bring in writers after the rest of the game is designed, often on contract, to add a story and dialogue. Others have writers who also wear other hats, as level designers or even programmers. Only a few have full-time writers who only write, and who participate in the game’s design from the get-go— though that number does appear to be growing.

Second thing you’d need to understand is that the position at BioWare has changed over time. Back in the days of Baldur’s Gate 2, there was no such thing as a “Lead Writer”— all creative decisions and management were handled by the Lead Designer. As the team sizes grew, it became too much work for the Lead Designer to manage the entire design team directly— so some of the work began to be off-loaded to “sub-leads”. At first the Lead Writer was just the sub-lead responsible for keeping an eye on the overall narrative, making sure it flowed throughout the game and alerting the Lead Designer if something needed to change. Over time, more responsibilities were off-loaded to the sub-leads, until the Lead Designer became a position that is as much co-ordination of his sub-leads as it is creative leadership.

Nerd Appropriate has an archive of old and new podcasts with Bioware about a variety of topics. Most of the new ones deal with Dragon Age: Inquisition.

Thanks so much for checking out Nerd Appropriate’s coverage of the 2013 BioWare Base at PAX Prime. We were happy to bring you coverage of the base at PAX East and are absolutely excited to do it again for PAX Prime 2013.

For over 3 years we've been producing our podcast, Rated NA. We have had guests from Bioware like Jennifer Hale, Ali Hillis, Patrick Weekes, and Jessica Merizan as well as non-Bioware friends like Abbie Heppe from Respawn, Ashly Burch from Borderlands 2 and Courtnee Draper from Bioshock.

Upcoming Schedule

We have another full week of releases for you, here is a quick look:

Monday, Sept 16: (BioWare) - Women in Gaming, (Dragon Age: Inquisition) A Look Behind the Scenes

Wednesday, Sept 18: (BioWare) - The Future of Gaming, (Dragon Age: Inquisition) Playable Races

Friday, Sept 20: (BioWare) - Seventeen Years of BioWare, (BioWare) How to Get a Job at BioWare

VentureBeat has news that Matthew Bromberg who was General Manager of BioWare Austin has been appointed Head of the whole BioWare label.

Electronic Arts has named Matthew Bromberg as head of its BioWare Label, elevating him from his role of general manager of BioWare Austin.

The job has been open since the founders of BioWare, Greg Zeschuk and Ray Muzyka, left last year after decades of developing games. The post is an important one because BioWare has some of EA’s most successful game franchises — Mass Effect and Dragon Age — and also some of its biggest budget games such as Star Wars: The Old Republic.

Bromberg will now be the group general manager of the BioWare label. He will retain leadership of the BioWare Austin division and extend his responsibilities to include BioWare Canada (Edmonton and Montreal), as well as the Victory studio in Los Angeles and the Waystone Studio in Redwood City, CA.

Reporting to Bromberg will be Aaryn Flynn (for BioWare Canada); Jon Van Caneghem (for Victory and Waystone); and Jeff Hickman, who will become the new general manager of Bioware Austin.

Thanks go to alrik for sending in this story.

Bulltox has made an interview with Bioware's Matt Rhodes for the Dragon Age France fanpage. You can read the interview in French here.  If your French is a a bit rusty,
you can read the English version here.

An interesting fact about how Matt Rhodes started at Bioware:

2- How did you start your career? BioWare found me at art school. I was just finishing my 3rd year when they came to look at portfolios. They took me on as a summer intern where I drew Jade Empire characters and began designing characters for the first Mass Effect.

A quote on how he works with the writers:

8-........ We worked very closely with the writers to create the looks for the cast. It started with writing sending us about 40 simple descriptions of potential character directions. We pointed out which ones excited us and did some very rough drawings based on them. The writers then expanded on a smaller group, giving us a paragraph or two. We went back and forth quite a bit. I think that the cast of Inquisition followers are the strongest we've ever put together because of that collaboration.

A quote on which videogames he likes:

14- I guess you might be a gamer right? Do you have time to play video games? If yes, what are your favorites? I don't have a lot of videogame time these days (especially now that I'm a father). I'll usually play for a couple hours at a time at work. I really enjoyed Skyrim and Bioshock Infinite. I was feeling nostalgic and dug Thief II out of the games library at work and fell in love all over again.

Bioware is taking part of the Drop Zone Charity Auction. The event is for a good cause so give it a look, and who knows you might even get the best item for sale.

We recently assembled a team to participate in the Edmonton Easter Seal’s Drop Zone fundraiser. Our 28-story drop date is fast approaching, and our fundraising efforts are now in full force. We are incredibly thankful for all the support we’ve received so far, and we want to extend the invitation to our fans.

Enter… the BioWare Drop Zone Charity Auction! On August 19, we will be auctioning off a number of exciting items on eBay. Here’s a way to support a great charity event and also score some great BioWare swag! I’ll just say that when word spread ’round the studio about what we have available for auction… there were more than a few envious gasps.

We have numerous collections up for grabs. We have a (very) limited edition Dragon Age lore book, a collector’s edition Mass Effect art book, multiple comic book collections, copies of our games, and more. And as a special thank you for helping us reach our fundraising goals, the auctioned items will be autographed by BioWare developers. This is a one of a kind opportunity to get really cool BioWare memorabilia!

Eurogamer has news that Jennifer Hepler has left BioWare. You may remember her from being fan-harassed last year.

Jennifer Hepler, the BioWare writer harassed by fans for her work on Dragon Age 2 - and for comments made years earlier about wishing to skip combat sections in games - this week left the famed RPG studio to work on a book and pursue some freelance work.

She had received death threats, had her family and children threatened and found herself the figurehead of a raging debate about how fans treat game makers in an age of unprecedented access brought on chiefly by Twitter.

She spoke to Polygon about the ramifications it could have for gaming as part of a large and impressive article.

"It's something that comes up in almost every conversation with female developers," she said of her experience.

"Overall, people seem to try to shrug it off publicly and fume privately, and younger women contemplating the field are reconsidering whether they have the stomach to handle what it currently asks of them.

 

"That's the biggest risk in my opinion: that we will lose out on the talents of people who would make fantastic games that we would all be the better for playing, because they legitimately don't want to make themselves into targets.

"A lot of the best artists and storytellers (and quite a few great programmers too)," she said, "tend to be sensitive people - we shouldn't lose out on their talents because we are requiring them to be tough, battle-scarred veterans just to walk in the door."

BioWare was at GaymerX in San Francisco. David Gaider addressed the importance of heeding the demand for diversity.

Hesitation over tackling LGBT issues, Gaider said, can come from pessimistic assumptions made – both by creators and marketers – about how the audience will react. One of BioWare's earliest gay characters, Juhani in Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, was practically snuck into the game. "I think for a long time it was just assumed that nobody would accept it," he said. "That's what the mentality was. It's not like we went and tried to ask permission or anything - we kind of hid it. She never says, 'She was my lover.' She just says, 'We are very close.'"

Gaider tempered assumptions made over EA's bottom line following the (eventual) inclusion of gay romance options in Mass Effect: "It's fair to say that our taking that step affected our sales in no way whatsoever." While some may choose to object and avoid purchasing the game as a result, "I think we have equal evidence of people who bought the games because it included that."

By opting for empathy and inclusion, Gaider said, EA gained new fans that are vocal in their support of those games through forums and social networks. "That's the sort of language that companies listen to," he said. "As developers we are there to make art, but we are also there to survive and make money. In talking about it, they are making their presence heard."

Visit Joystiq for the full story.

Unigamesity has an article explaining why Mass Effect 4 should be a sequel.

There are absolutely no doubts about the continuity of the Mass Effect (ME) series, the fourth game has been announced and it’s currently being developed by the KOTOR team despite the conclusion of Commander Shepard’s story. The protagonist’s purpose is complete; the hero has fulfilled his mission and saved the galaxy from the reaper supremacy. What’s entirely unknown, however, is the upcoming’s narrative content and structure, is it going to be a prequel or a sequel? In fact, it could be both but a sequel would be the most logical option for the series and the hardest one to create as well, since articulating a new future based on the past events of the previous three games is far more complicated than creating a prequel, a brand new world with basically no connections with the world that is yet to come. It does seem a disadvantage point but what do players prefer? Do they want to see an enthusiastic sequel, where they get the chance to explore how the galaxy rebuilt itself after the reaper invasion or do they want a predictable prequel, where understanding the organic alliances seems to be the only preponderant point to consider before Shepard’s dominance.

Lastly twinfinite has more info on a comic called Mass Effect Foundation that is meant to set the stage for the next game.

Mass Effect fans, eat your hearts out, we’ve heard unconfirmed rumblings that Mass Effect Foundation is meant to set the stage for the next game.  For those unaware, Dark Horse Comics has published the first issue of Mass Effect Foundation, a 13 part comic series written by Mac Walters, on July 24th.  Walters was the lead writer on Mass Effect 2 and 3, and has openly said he is actively working on the next Mass Effect game.  In order to not spoil anything about Foundation, there’s not much that can be said about the plot other than it is enjoyable and there is a clear link to the Citadel DLC for Mass Effect 3, though probably not the first one that pops in most players’ minds who played it.

If this is indeed a prelude to the next Mass Effect game, it could mean many things.  Given the timeline, it could be a prequel, which many fans have expressed displeasure in, though only being issue one leaves a lot that could happen to pass time.  Again, leaving out spoilers really negates any real discussion to be had at this point, but I personally have liked what I’ve read so far and plan on grabbing future issues.

BioWare Concept Artist Matt Rhodes gives a look back at the concept art of various games he has worked on while at Bioware.

The role of a Concept Artist is the role of an explorer, tasked with charting a world without sunlight. Bear with me here.

You start off with your reference and research. These are well established base camps. They’re well lit, highly populated and safe. The better your reference the better your bearings will be. The artist’s job is to start at base camp with a bag of torches and run furiously out into the darkness. Every doodle, sketch, painting and storyboard is a torch lit somewhere out in the black. You mostly find weeds and rocks out there. But if you keep pushing you sometimes find a rich landscape that can hopefully become a new basecamp.

I was inspired by my friend Hethe Srodawa, who recently posted his most nitty-gritty of concept work: his paintovers. We can tend to keep our less pretty, less refined work hidden away on our drives but I think it paints a disingenuous image of the roll of concept artists. There’s a lot more to the job than the few polished portfolio pieces that get released. Hethe pulled his pants down and it has inspired me to do the same.

What follows is a smattering of rag-tag concepts.Some saw the light of day, some were changed dramatically, some were scrapped entirely. All were necessary.

GameSpot has posted their coverage of Bioware at Pax Australia 2013. Visit the link if you have time to spare. I mean it the video is over one hour long.

Chris Priestly, Cameron Lee, Patrick Weekes and Karin Week from BioWare make the long journey from Canada to hang out with all their Australian fans and answer a gamut of questions!

Bioware has been busy lately on twitter announcing a few updates. First up Softpedia noticed a new tweet about the next Mass Effect game.

The next game in the series will take the franchise into a new direction with a new hero but, according to BioWare Montreal boss Yanick Roy, the title will welcome both longtime fans and new ones.

While talking on Twitter, Roy confirmed that, while it's unclear just how the story of the original trilogy will be delivered to new players, the game will share with them the backstory of the universe.

What's more, he also pledged that homosexual romance options will be available to players no matter the genre of their protagonist.

Next DSOgaming noticed BioWare’s Casey Hudson revealing that his team is currently working on a new IP for BioWare.

Admit it; Star Wars: KOTOR was one of the best Star Wars games. Good news then for everyone as BioWare’s Casey Hudson revealed that this talented team is currently working on a new IP for BioWare.

As Hudson pointed out, the Core team – the studio responsible for KOTOR that was also behind the Mass Effect series – is now working on a new, unannounced, IP project that will most likely hit next-gen platforms.

In case you’re wondering, this Core team is consisted of David Falkner (Lead Programmer), Steven Gilmour (Lead Animator), Casey Hudson (Producer / Project Director), Drew Karpyshyn (Lead Writer), James Ohlen (Lead Designer), Preston Watamaniuk (Assistant Lead Designer), Derek Watts (Art Director).

The Bioware Blog has a few developers sharing their opinions about the tenth anniversary of KOTOR.

Today marks the tenth anniversary of Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic and we’re ready to celebrate! We checked in with a few members from the old KotOR team and asked them to put aside their current projects for a bit and share their memories about working on the game.

In this thread at the Bioware forums, Fast Jimmy mentions that Chris Priestly is to leave Bioware.
Chris confirms this from his Twitter account:

@BioEvilChris leaving Bioware. I wish this was April's Fools Day. :(

In this now locked thread Chris Priestly confirms that he's indeed leaving Bioware, and adds this statement:

My time here at BioWare is indeed coming to a close. I thank all of our fans for supporting us over my years here. I do look forward to watching Dragon Age Inquisition develop from outside the company, so when it does come out, I can play a BioWare game as a fan instead of as an employee for the first time in over 12 years. DAI is gonna be great.

I am attending PAX Australia this month and my time isn't up till the end of the month. However, this isn't really DAI news. So it gets closed.

So, one Chris (Priestly) is leaving and another Chris (Wynn) is joining the Bioware team.

Chris Wynn one of the senior producers who has created Gears of War: Judgment earlier in the year, announces that he is now a part of the BioWare team that's working on the next Mass Effect title. The information arrived via a Twitter message that reads,

"Thrilled to announce that I will be joining @Bioware as the Sr. Development Director on the next Mass Effect!"

So is this good news or bad news?

Bioware announces that they will be attending the San Diego Comic Con.

Hi Everyone,

BioWare is pleased to be visiting San Diego once again to be part of San Diego Comic Con. This year, BioWare will be part of the Dark Horse Comics booth inside the exhibit hall; as part of our booth presence, Community Manager Jessica Merizan will have members of the Dragon Age and Mass Effect teams, along with special guests.

Come out and meet Jessica, along with Mass Effect producer Mike Gamble, Dragon Age editor Ben Gelinas, and Dragon Age artist Nick Thornborrow. Ben and Nick are the creators of the Dragon Age: The World of Thedas lore book, and will be on hand at the BioWare section of the Dark Horse Comics booth to sign autographs with fans; they look forward to talking with fans in attendance. We are also working to have some special guests visit us; we’ll update everyone when they are confirmed.

Visiting the Dark Horse booth is your only chance to get your hands on the San Diego Comic Con exclusive, the Bronze SR-1 Normandy. There are only 300 of these available and are limited to two per person, so make sure you come to get yours before they run out.

BioWare's GM Aaryn Flynn shares his thoughts about this years E3 on the company's blog.

What did it feel like to show the first glimpse of Dragon Age: Inquisition to the world during the E3 press conference?

[Aaryn Flynn]: Very humbling. Many team members who are much closer to the game could have stood up there, but I got chosen because I’m more ‘expendable’! To represent their collective effort, in front of thousands of people is a big responsibility.

I wish I could convey how hard the team has been working for the past couple of years on the game. They had a vision to not do a CG trailer, but instead to show a trailer made from in-game footage, and they accomplished that in spades. But beyond that, there’s so much we haven’t shown yet, and we will very soon. This was just the team’s way of showing a small window into the game for fans that’ve been with us from the beginning.

You shared just a few of the first details about the game during the conference, but for those that weren’t able to watch, could you leave us with a refresher?

[AMF]: Dragon Age: Inquisition will launch in the Fall of 2014 on PC, PS4, Xbox One, PS3, and Xbox 360. We’ve shown Varric, a Qunari (who has a name, we’re just not releasing it yet!), Cassandra, and Morrigan.

With the breach of the Fade happening in the sky, demons have poured out and created a pretty big problem for the Inquisitor, the character you will play. You’ll have to cover huge areas of Thedas to uncover what happened. As you do, the choices you make will impact the world and bring everything to an ultimate conclusion.

Well if you live in Australia this little bit of news from Bioware might be interesting.

G’Day! I’m very pleased to announce that BioWare will be attending the very first PAX Australia in Melbourne from July 19 to July 21. BioWare has been part of both PAX Prime and PAX East for years, and we are thrilled to now be able to come to Australia and meet our fans there.

Come out to PAX Australia for your chance to meet Cameron Lee (Producer), Patrick Weekes (Senior Writer), Karin Weekes (Lead Editor), and “Evil” Chris Priestly (Community Event planner) as they hold their first-ever-in-Australia panel “BioWare Goes Down Under” Friday July 19 from 4:30-5:30 in the Dropbear Theatre.

We’re still finalizing other activities for our visit and want to hear from local Melbournians… Melburnians… Melbournites…. BioWare fans about where we should go and what we should see. We want to see the sights and meet our fans during our stay, so any suggestions for gatherings, parties or ways we can talk with you are very welcome! Email us your ideas to community@bioware.com or contact me through Twitter at @BioEvilChris and visit the BioWare Facebook Page for updates on our Australian trip.

We hope to see you mad blokes and ace sheilas for a fair dinkum chin wag when we come down under for PAX Australia! (Ok, ok – I promise no more Canadian guy trying to use Australian slang. No worries.)

OXM  has an article from their magizine with Casey Hudson, Mac Walters, Dusty Everman, Mike Gamble and Preston Watamaniuk. One of the topics included more Mass Effect games that might be spin-offs.

The clear favourite for Shepard's replacement appears to be our old Turian chum Garrus, despite his insidious penchant for calibrating things. "There's so much that could be told in the Mass Effect universe," Hudson began. "It'd be cool to do something completely unrelated to the larger storyline, like a story about a private investigator on the Citadel. Or maybe something detailing Garrus' time in C-Sec."

Everman's also carrying a candle for the G-Man. "While being one of Shepard's most loyal friends, Garrus has also had some of the most driven personal goals. He's a hero in his own right, as Archangel and beyond. Who wouldn't want to see the further adventures of the bold, charming Garrus Valkarian (there's a lot of guns out there to calibrate)." Watamaniuk, however, reckons "a game centred on brutal Krogan combat with more of a melee focus could be pretty exciting". I'm sure Grunt would be up for it.

Walters can't make his mind up. "Aria. The Illusive Man. Kai Leng. Any henchman. The list goes on. I think most of them could have successful spin-offs of their own in some fashion." Aria, it's worth remembering, got storefront billing in Mass Effect 3's Omega DLC - on the strength of your adventures together, would you say she's got leading lady potential? And what about Mr Illusive? I reckon he'd do rather well out of a prequel set during the First Contact War.

Gamble, finally, thinks there's more to be told about Javik - the galaxy's sole surviving Prothean, introduced by the From Ashes DLC. "Following the story of Javik a little bit more would be pretty cool. As the last remaining member of a lost race, I think that we could tell a lot of stories about his adventures in the Milky Way, and coming to terms with his place in the new Galaxy."

OXM has an interview with Bioware, and asked why every character in MassEffect is Humanoid. Simple answer time and money.

"In Mass Effect 3 we had a moment where the player took on the role of Joker during the Normandy assault," Everman recalled.

"Similarly, we'd planned on having the player take on the role of a Quarian scientist before Tali's loyalty quest, and a colonist on Horizon during the Collector attack. It was a bit controversial to not be Shepard, and we thought it better to put the development energy into other places."

"Yeah, we always start with some fairly radical ideas when we're putting together a level or gameplay sequence," Gamble elaborated. "For many of these, what you see in the end product is a result of constant iteration and transformation of these ideas.

"In certain circumstances, we like to explore some of these ideas more in DLC. The car chase mission, in Lair of the Shadow Brokers, was something new that we'd wanted to try for some time, and found a perfect venue for it in that DLC."

BioWare once gave serious thought to adding a non-humanoid squadmate, but eventually decided that the effort involved would detract from the rest of the game. "We knew some races would figure prominently in the storyline," Hudson explained. "So they had to function like the human characters, be able to carry a gun, etc. But we also wanted a sense of "other aliens" around the periphery - species that may eventually play a major role but are really there to suggest that there's an exotic universe out there.

"For Mass Effect we developed a set of additional aliens, that would mainly be featured in the Citadel. Each developed a bit of a following, so over the series we found ways to make them play more important roles."

"All party members needed to use a humanoid skeleton," Everman added. "If we'd ever tried to use a non-humanoid, the cost would have been huge. Instead, we took all the development effort that we could have put towards an odd squad mate and made a larger, more polished game."

BioWare programmer Owen Borstad has a new post on the official BioWare blog to explain how he created a  Qunari logo/symbol from the Dragon Age series.

I spent a ridiculous amount of time playing with sizes, trying to figure out how big I wanted it, at what size to print it out, etc. I made a smaller version as a prototype, which looked decent even if I didn’t finish it (I don’t have a picture of this; it was destroyed in one of my trips to and from work). After making the prototype, I discovered I had it backwards (inside out), as I didn’t want my numbers to show when I finished making it, so I fixed that up, then re-exported and re-imported.

I finally decided how big to make it so as to fit on the wall, and saved out a PDF of the exploded structure (see PDF). I printed it on 11×17 Cardstock Ledger paper, and started cutting it out. I had to score the thing backwards to what the PDF said to do to keep the lines and numbers on the “inside” of the structure.

After gluing the back all together with thinly spread white glue and cutting/scoring every piece, I finally started assembling it. It turned out that gluing the “boxes” and then gluing to the back was the easiest way to put it together, and so I eventually finished gluing to the back, then worked on “zipping” the model together.

After a total of about 30 hours, I finally finished it, and cut a circular hole in the back by which to hang it, re-enforced the hole, and stuck it on the wall with a pushpin. And that’s how I came to be the prince of… oh, wrong story, anyway, that’s how I made the giant logo! I might do another one if I feel like it, or go do something completely different for my next project.

David Gaider has been interviewed (again) by RPS.   This time he's talking about the weaknesses of DA2.

A quote about the forums:

RPS: You mentioned the forums. BioWare is a company that seems very tuned in to what people are saying about their games - even if you don't always manage to please everyone.

Gaider: Yeah, it factors not as much as some people would think, but more than some others would think. If you aren't getting feedback from somewhere like a game forum, then where are you getting it from? The worst thing is to just ignore it utterly and work entirely in a vacuum. Even with the input from the fans, the feedback from the fans, at some level you have to make what you think is right. With something like the forums, their opinions are all over the place. Often when a fan will speak on a forum they speak as if everybody on the forums agrees about their concern and they all think exactly the same thing. I've never found that to be true.

And Gaider on the themes in DA2:

RPS: Yeah, you were just sort of surviving. Is that what you were intending with that story?

Gaider: Yeah. The themes that were going on in Dragon Age II weren't about heroism, necessarily. That wasn't a theme. It was about freedom versus security, which I thought was a good, timely issue. How much freedom do you let people have versus how much security is necessary for people? Like the mages versus templars. That had more application than just that, that struggle between the need to have a secure society versus the struggle for individual freedom. We had family as a big issue we wanted to focus on. That came up a lot in the game. Maybe we had too many themes going on?

Thanks to Willowhugger in this thread at the Bioware forums.

RPS talked to Lead Writer David Gaider from Bioware about sexism and sexuality in games. Here's Gaider's thesis:

RPS: So what's the basic thesis of your GDC talk? I know you're discussing sex and sexism, but what conclusion are you ultimately trying to draw?

Gaider: Basically I'm saying that, from the perspective of a writer and a designer who's had to deal with a lot of romance in games - romance and sex - which brings me directly into confrontation issues and sexism and sexuality... Until we had broached that topic, it was kind of a side issue. I guess back in the day, when we were first starting with it, it wasn't something that the industry kept in mind at all. But the fact that we have charged directly into that field, that means... Sexism and sexuality issues are things that I end up having to deal with on a regular basis. I thought I could offer some feedback on that.

Gaider on diversity in games:

RPS: For you personally, is that the next step: to discuss more and create awareness? I mean, clearly, that's what your doing here.

Gaider: That's something that we've always done, at least on the BioWare side. I don't know that it's an agenda of mine, per se. I have an actual game to write. That's not my first concern. But it is a concern. If we're talking about how we need our big-budget games to sell to more people and have a larger audience, to say that that larger audience should only be 18-25 males exclusively... So, what, we're all going to fight over the same demographic? There are actual reasons why having diversity in your games and being inclusive of a larger audience has sound financial backing. If you're talking about that, maybe that's the only way the industry is going to listen. It takes somebody to do it and do it well and prove that this is something that makes financial sense before the industry will accept that maybe it's a thing.

According to Kotaku, Bioware is developing a totally new universe as well as a new ME 3 game:

For the new game, Casey Hudson, said this:

"We are developing a whole new fictional universe at BioWare for myself and Preston [and other main Mass Effect trilogy creators.] That's kind of our next thing," Husdon said. "We're focusing on building something new the way we did at the very beginning on Mass Effect.

For the new ME 3 game, Casey Hudson said this:

We want to be able to give fans an opportunity to get back into the world with these things you've come to know and love about the Mass Effect experience but start something fresh and new-a new way for you to explore the whole universe in Mass Effect."

In a post at the official Bioware forums (the BSN) Chris Priestly states in post that the
next ME game wille not be called ME4 - and here's the reason why:

We have already said that the Commander Shepard trilogy is over and that the next game will not feature him/her. That is the only detail you have on the game. I see people saying "well, they'll have to pick a canon ending". No, because the game does not have to come after. Or before. Or off to the side. Or with characters you know. Or yaddayaddayadda. Wherever, whenever, whoever, etc will all be revealed years down the road when we actually start talking about it.

Likewise Yanick Roy, studio director at Bioware Montreal also in post on the official
Bioware forums (the BSN) states:

What Chris is saying is that thinking of the next Mass Effect game as Mass Effect 4 would imply a certain linearity, a straight evolution of the gameplay and story of the first three games........... Story-wise, the arc of the first trilogy has also been concluded, and what we will do is tell a new story set in the Mass Effect universe. That doesn't mean that events of the first three games and the choices you made won't get recognized, but they likely won't be what this new story will focus on. In other words, because the game takes place before of after the first trilogy does not mean it necessarily is a straight prequel or sequel.

Voice actor Robin Sachs has passed away at the early age of 61 - tells Strategy Informer.
This tragic news first appeared on the official site and the Daily Mail has a nice orbituary on him.

Gamers know him perhaps best for voicing Saul Karath in SW:KOTOR and Zaeed Massani, a companion for one of  ME2's DLC as well as Lord Harrowmount in DA: Origins.  Othes might know him for his character in Buffy: The Vampire Slayer and his apperance in Babylon 5. 

Condolences from Bioware can be found here.

A quote from the Bioware blog seems most appropriate here:

Our thoughts are with Robin's family and friends during this difficult time, and we thank him for bringing Zaeed to life in the way that only Robin could.

BioWare has posted a memorial for voice actor Robin Sachs, who has passed away:

It is with great sadness this week that we learned about the passing of our friend Robin Sachs. Robin was a talented actor best known by BioWare fans as the voice actor who played Zaeed Massani in the Mass Effect series.

Robin also played Lord Pyral Harrowmont in Dragon Age Origins, Admiral Saul Karath in Knights of the Old Republic and had many memorable roles in games, film and television.

Our thoughts are with Robin’s family and friends during this difficult time, and we thank him for bringing Zaeed to life in the way that only Robin could.

David Gaider has taken to his blog to write about the difficulty developers face making comments on the internet. It's not specifically about RPGs but a few readers might find it interesting:

On the occasions when I do speak publicly, however, I’m certainly not going to trash-talk decisions made by my company or my team that I happen to disagree with. Not only is that unprofessional, that’s highly suspect behavior. For one, I was there. I know how that decision got made. I’m aware of the issues that went into it, the ugly stuff and all, and once that decision’s made there’s really no point in continuing to bitch about it or airing dirty laundry in public. If we operated like that, we’d never get anything done… we’d be a group of squabbling children constantly pulling the project in multiple directions. Great for fan forums, not great for actually getting the project shipped. Secondly, whoever I’m talking about, whoever made those decisions, won’t be present to defend themselves. People outside the team would be listening to my opinion, getting half the story and bringing their own agenda into their interpretation and leaping to conclusions— which would probably be wrong. Some people might find it informative, but my experience on the Internet has been that a great many posters have the reading comprehension skills and self-awareness of a toddler. So that would be incredibly unfair and back-handed criticism to expose a co-worker to.

Then again, it doesn’t take much for fans to think that anything I speak on involves either my personal support or my personal condemnation (see above comment regarding reading comprehension on the Internet). If I say “this is what we’re doing and why”, that will be taken as me personally thinking it’s awesome, and that it was my idea. And the company is awesome for agreeing. And if you disagree with that, you’re a bad person. That’s actually pretty rarely the case. Sometimes I think these are good ideas and superior to other approaches, and I will say so, but usually I’m just explaining. Most times a given approach will have its upsides and downsides, and whether the upsides make it better overall really depends on the context (both of the given project and its other features as well as the preferences of whomever is reading). But I’m aware of this, and the fact that many people will equate me with BioWare itself regardless of whether what I’m speaking on is even something over which I have any control. I am the big, bad Godzilla rampaging over their sensibilities. Oohhh, run in fear!

The online edition of Los Angeles Times has a rather interesting interview with Greg Zeschuk, one of the two co-founders of Bioware who left the company in September 2012. It's interesting because of what he says in it. Apparently he doesn't lile console games much these days:

“Console stuff has become really boring,” he says, adding that it’s indie publishers these days who are doing the “progressive stuff.” “The big guys,” he says, “are doing these really boring same ol’, same ol’ games,” he says, referring, broadly, to action titles and games of the “Call of Duty” ilk.

And what does he say about Bioware's own games? Well, here's what he say about
those, although first his praises go to a game called Spaceteam

created by former BioWare employee Henry Smith. It’s a mobile game, designed for iOS, and it requires at least two players. Players must be in the same room, as they’ll need to shout instructions at each other as they try to prolong the inevitable explosion of a ship. It’s fast, simple and not at all similar to the massively complex heavily layered games of BioWare, be it the “Mass Effect” series or its online multiplayer game “Star Wars: The Old Republic.”

Do I detect a slight dissatisfaction with how ME3 and SW:TOR turned out in his
comments?

Polygon has an article format interview with ex-BioWarian Greg Zeschuk on his career journey. Although the piece discusses his next foray into a beer video blog, a fair amount of space is dedicated to BioWare and the reasons for leaving:

Just why Zeschuk lost his passion for gaming remains a bit unclear. Was it because of the sale to EA, Star Wars: The Old Republic's relatively small subscriber base, the anger some fans felt over the ending of the Mass Effect trilogy?

"Everything's a factor," Zeschuk tells me. "There's nothing that's not a factor, but there's no single one thing. I think the best way I can describe is: Do the same thing for twenty years and it's very, very intense. It's very high pressure. It's very high stress. It's challenging. It's sometimes rewarding and sometimes it's not. And you just get tired of it after awhile. That is probably the easiest way to for me to describe it. Sometimes you just need to change things.

"One of the few things I find kind of funny is the responses of the fans, because they sort of respond that they are kind of mad at us for leaving because they think we owe them more games. You know it's sad I wish I could deliver on that, but I don't think I would be as good as I was in that space historically. Like I said, the fire wasn't there."

In hist latest blog post, David Gaider discusses the difference between writing novels, games and comic books. A quote on how con change when you're writing for a game:

And content is something of which you have to be mindful. Unlike with a novel, you are not writing this story alone. You can’t simply write “They rode on their horses to the castle where the dragon awaited!” unless you have horse models, the ability to have character models ride those horses, an area in which they are ridden, a visible castle towards which they must ride, a dragon model and a combat system that allows fighting such a large creature. If the team comes back and says, “letting the player see the castle from the outside will be really expensive… are you sure you want to do that? If so, we’ll need to cut some other levels.” At which point you change what you wrote to “They rode swiftly through the forest, and then there was a fade to black as they arrived in the courtyard. There the dragon awaited!”......“Hmm. Are you sure you want that dragon? Those horse models are really complex to do properly, especially if we need all the character models and their variations to have all the riding animations. Plus you said you wanted jousting. That’s a whole system. To do that and add a dragon, and dragon combat? I dunno.” Then you change what you wrote again: “They ran swiftly through the forest, and there was a fade to black as they arrived in the courtyard. There the dragon awaited!” “We have to cut some levels. That castle courtyard is really expensive, especially considering you only need it for the one scene. I mean, they go there and have the fight and leave after, right? Is it really that important?” Then you change what you wrote again: “They ran swiftly through the forest, and there was a fade to black as they arrived in the forest clearing. There the dragon awaited!” It’s a constant series of back-and-forth compromises, so even once you’ve written a good story and it’s passed muster with the rest of the team you’re still going to have to make changes on the fly. Big ones that will drive giant dump trucks through your plot, sometimes without leaving you enough time to go in and patch the holes.

David Gaider has penned a blog post on game romances, responding to a discussion arguing that all party members should be romanceable:

Actually, I would not.

Surprising? Perhaps. If we had more resources, I suppose I wouldn’t mind allowing the player to try romancing every follower, but to allow them to successfully do so? No, I can’t say that appeals to me very much for two main reasons:

 

1) Romances are a side show, not the main game. Yes, some people like them a lot, and I have absolutely no beef with them doing so. In fact, it’s very gratifying. While I suppose a game could be made where the romantic plot takes a level of importance equal to that of the critical path, that has never been the case with the games BioWare makes. These plots are tertiary, optional content… something to add to your enjoyment, and add to your level of emotional investment in the characters… and that seems to get forgotten when people discuss it at length.

Such is the case whenever any piece of content gets discussed online. Under a microscope, whatever you’re discussing seems like all there is… and thus is clearly the most important thing ever. I cannot do that. I always have to keep my eye on the bigger picture, and there is an entire rest of the game that needs to be contended with… which includes a lot of elements that have much more pertinence to the game than who someone does or doesn’t get to have sex with. Romances are a nice extra, and naturally we’re always going to struggle with how to do them right, but they’re well down the list on things I need to concern myself with. I could, in fact, happily have a game without any romances at all… or spend an equal amount of time developing relationships with followers that are non-romantic.

Occasionally the focus on romances reaches such a fever pitch that idea seems rather attractive, actually. But only occasionally. [...]

Gamer Syndrome caught up with the Mass Effect "team" to talk about the past and future of the series:

GS: Now that another Mass Effect game has been announced, why was it decided to not only change studios (Edmonton to Montreal) but also to change game engines? Will we still experience the same style, choices, and action we’ve come to know in Mass Effect games? Does changing engines delay the games release date?

BioWare: While I can’t comment on why it changed studios, fans can expect a similar style of choices and action that they’ve come to know in Mass Effect. Casey Hudson is very much involved in the new Mass Effect game, as well as many from Edmonton. BioWare Montreal is a great studio and they did fantastic with the multiplayer for Mass Effect 3, so fans should know the series is in good hands. The game isn’t far along in development so I can’t comment on specifics because they isn’t any yet, Frostbite 2 is a really good game engine that we are also using on Dragon Age 3. As far as release date, there’s nothing to be announced yet. You’ll hear more about the new Mass Effect game [next year] in 2013.

GS: If you were to give a rough idea on a release window, what would you say?

BioWare: Late 2014 to Mid 2015. I honestly can’t tell you an exact because full development on the game started a month or two ago.

Update: Interestingly, the piece has been pulled from Gamer Syndrome with EA telling G4 "at no time did EA or BioWare provide any answers to questions from Gamer Syndrome."

Drama!

I keep forgetting to catch up with David Gaider's personal blog on tumblr, The Bitterweetest Thing. A couple of days ago he posted Part 5 of a series on Narrative Design (the previous part is linked from this one, so work back if you want) and offers some amusing anecdotes on the design of Dragon Age - specifically, naming things:

These are laws that, since I created them, have yet to fail me.

Gaider’s Laws of Naming Things

1) If the name is a made-up word for something, everyone will have different connotations and immediately dislike it.

2) Within 3-6 months, people will begin to associate that made-up word with the thing… and they will forget that they ever had an objection. Of course it’s that name. What else could it be called?

You think I’m kidding? I am not kidding.

“Qunari” was initially despised. Some people thought it sounded too much like canary. Some people thought “the Qun” was difficult to pronounce, and sounded too much like a bad word (seriously?). It was allowed to remain as a temp name, and we would look at it later for what it would actually be. Lo and behold, when we turned around 6 months later, suddenly nobody wanted to change it. That’s what they were. What else could they be?

The Dragon Age world was not initially called “Thedas”. There was a name that existed, but I didn’t like it and refused to use it in the documentation or in conversation… so, when we had to refer to it at all, we called it “the Dragon Age world” or “the Dragon Age setting” (with the understanding that eventually we would have to give it a real name).

It amused us to find on our forums that, lacking a provided alternative, someone had begun using the acronym “TheDAS” (The Dragon Age Setting) …and it stuck. Funny! So we started calling it Thedas in conversation, mostly because that was shorter. Then, lo and behold, when we sat down for the meeting to give the world its real name, we couldn’t settle on anything. Every option didn’t seem right. Nothing fit. Sheryl asked, “Can’t we just call it Thedas?”… and we realized the truth. For good or ill, Law #2 had already taken hold.

“Grey Wardens”. What else could they be called? Plenty! The oldest name I recall (it may not be the first) was the “White Rangers”. First we had to change the word ‘rangers’ because that was felt to be too close to the Tolkien group. There was, oh, about twenty different iterations. My frustration began to mount as each was was countered with, “Oh, I don’t know… I just don’t like it.” No suggestions, just concern about how important this group would be for DAO and how the name had to really sparkle. Ugh. I eventually threw out ‘wardens’ in desperation, and was surprised it stuck. Then the conversation turned to whether ‘White’ made them sound too much like good guys. Cue me losing more hair.

Not surprisingly, the original link has disappeared so take this as rumour. Gamers Hell reports EA Shanghai designer Tao Gu claimed Dragon Age 3 has slipped to 2014 - according to his now-gone Linked In profile. Supposedly the game is being changed to next-next-gen consoles:

Tao Gu, a game designer at EA Shanghai has updated his LinkedIn profile saying that Dragon Age 3: Inquisition, has been delayed to 2014 and will arrive on next-gen platforms: "Scope of the DAIII has been chaged, which will target next gen platform and will be postpone to 2014."

BioWare's Casey Hudson has asked via twitter whether fans would prefer a prequel or sequel for the next Mass Effect game. From IGN:

"Parsing through your thoughts on the next #ME game," he revealed. "Would you be more interested in a game that takes place before the trilogy, or after?"

The Bioware Blog has been updated with this news. Yanick R. Roy from Bioware Montreal introduces himself and his team:

A few years later, in January of 2006, I was lucky enough to join my favorite game company! I was immediately assigned to the original Mass Effect, which was in very early production at the time, as its Senior Development Director. I worked closely with Casey Hudson and the Leads team through the rest of ME1 and the first half of ME2, when BioWare decided to open another studio in Montreal. I was honored to be asked to lead the team, so I wrapped up my work in Edmonton and moved back to Montreal in the summer of 2009, where our small team was being put in place.

.....

We started by building about half the cinematics for ME2, then most of its N7 missions, and finally we played an important role in the development of much of its post-release content. Then on ME3, we took charge of the multiplayer portion as well as making significant contributions to the single-player campaign. Most recently, we built a large piece of DLC that will be released on November 27 and that you know under the name of Omega. With each new portion of work, we took on deeper and broader responsibilities, but we always worked in conjunction with Casey, the Mass Effect leads, and the developers in Edmonton.

They will still have support from Bioware Edmonton:

To ensure a proper and effective transition, we’ll continue to be supported by the Edmonton studio through the game’s development, working with and learning from them on some critical initiatives. On top of that, Casey remains the Executive Producer, but he will have a Project Director under him, working in Montreal, leading our development team and making day-to-day decisions for the game. We all care very much about Mass Effect and make our decisions based on what’s best for the game.

....

The other thing I can tell you is that, while it will be very respectful of the heritage built over the course of the first three games, with the original trilogy now concluded and the switch over to a new engine, we are exploring new directions, both on the gameplay and story fronts. You can still expect the pillars the franchise is known for to be fully intact though, including diverse alien races, a huge galaxy to explore, and of course rich, cinematic storytelling.

Thanks felipejiraya at this thread in the BSN's ME3 forums.

A tweet from Casey Hudson, executive producer for Mass Effect, mentions that a sequel is being worked on:

We're in early stages of designing a completely new Mass Effect game. What would you want to see in it?

In Spring 2012, IGN had an article about what they wanted to see in the next Mass Effect game. Bioware has also hinted the it might be a good idea for players to keep their save games.

External Producer Ryan Warden provides an update on the Mass Effect Trilogy at the Bioblog:

We began work on Mass Effect Trilogy in earnest last April, shortly after Mass Effect 3 had shipped. The trilogy was complete, but there was a slight complication — there are people who had missed out on one (or more) titles in the series. From day one, we had announced that Mass Effect would be part of a trilogy. Jumping into the series at a midpoint could be intimidating. One thing you should know about our development team is that we’re all very passionate about the trilogy, the entire Mass Effect universe. So we started looking at ways to take away any intimidation or barriers players new to the franchise might feel, while also providing an amazing overall experience at a great price for the holidays. So the Mass Effect Trilogy was born.

Now I know that may sound like an easy thing to do, but it actually took a lot of talented people and a lot of effort to make this happen – for every version of Mass Effect Trilogy. Even for the platforms we’ve launched all three games on before, reissuing a game isn’t easy. There isn’t a switch in the game code that you can flip and suddenly it runs on newer, completely different hardware architecture or a new online client. There is no such thing as “just a port.” Luckily, we have great partners at Microsoft and EA who were instrumental in helping us make as seamless of an experience as possible for all three games.

Then there was building the original Mass Effect for the PlayStation 3.

...and there's a trailer via VG247.

GameFront has penned an article on how Bioware can bounce back after the BioDocs, Ray and Greg, has left the company.  In it, the say that Bioware needs to return to its roots, stop counting the beans, as well as focus on new IPs and rebuild their community.

A quote on rebuilding the community:

In short, BioWare needs to essentially do the opposite of what it’s done since Dragon Age 2 was launched. This isn’t to say BioWare should simply do whatever fans tell them – they really should care about their, yes, artistic integrity, enough that they make the games they intend to make, regardless.

A quote on how Bioware should focus on new IPs:

BioWare should put Mass Effect 4 on hold, and focus on this unnamed new IP. In fact, they should release at least one other new game before even considering revisiting the Mass Effect Universe, or Dragon Age 4. Everything should be devoted to making these games as excellent as their previous successes.

Speaking with VG247, BioWare is taking feedback from the team on the direction of Mass Effect 4:

“This is really our starting point. Now the Mass Effect universe is vast, and very, very rich. So at this point in time, we don’t even know what kind of time frame we’re going to be in. All we’re doing is more gathering ideas from the teams, gathering feedback to see several things.”

“So first, we don’t want to make ‘Shepard 2′, or Mass Effect 4 with like, ‘oh there’s no more Shepard but you’re a soldier in the universe’. So this will be a very, very different context for sure, and nothing has been decided on the rest.”

The Koalition has penned an editorial named "Why I Have No Hope for Dragon Age 3" about this game. A quote about the story direction:

From what we know so far about Dragon Age III: Inquisition there seems to be a number of ways that Bioware can spin the story back in the direction we desire. But will they? The fact that they swayed the story in the second game leads me to believe they’ll have to account for those events specifically in the next game, more-so than the first game. I highly doubt whether Bioware will neglect to fall back on the events of Kirkwall, seeing as DA2 likely sold more than Origins did. Also, judging by how Mass Effect 3 turned out we can’t be too optimistic.

Brent Knowles, a former employee of Bioware, has penned a blog entry about "What Bioware Has Learned". A quote about Mark Darrah's blog entry announcing the game:

I think it is clear from how this post has been written that BioWare has learned that they need to be more upfront on who is working on their titles, to help mitigate the idea that BioWare has lost all its original staff. Mark makes it clear that he is a gamer and that he has loads of experience with traditional gaming. Mark was with BioWare from the beginning, well before I started.

Bioware announced today that a Mass Effect Trilogy Bundle, spanning all three ME games will be released on November 6th. An snip from the announcement:

Mass Effect Trilogy

When does the Mass Effect Trilogy release? Mass Effect Trilogy releases on November 6th 2012 for Xbox 360 and PC, and later for PlayStation 3.
What does the Mass Effect Trilogy include? Mass Effect Trilogy includes all three Mass Effect titles, featured in a new premium foil box featuring artwork of Commander Shepard.  Is the Mass Effect Trilogy compatible with other versions of Mass Effect, for example multiplayer?  Yes, the Mass Effect Trilogy will be compatible with other versions of Mass Effect. You will be able to play Mass Effect 3 multiplayer with other players.

No word so far if the DLC for all three games are included or not. However, Chris Priestly's thread on this announcement on the BSN forums ca be accessed here.

In an editorial about the BioDocs leaving the industry, Venture Beat's Dean Takehashi shares his thoughts about the BioDocs and how "they build games the nice way." Here's a quote about a personal experience with the Ray and Greg, the doctors at Bioware, after Dean reviewed the first Mass Effect game.

But the reaction from the doctors was kind. When I talked to them about it, they said that my review had taught them something. I’m sure they weren’t happy with what I wrote, but they didn’t say that. They said they appreciated the second piece and instructed their team to draw lessons from my gaming experience. They made it easier to learn the proper way to play in Mass Effect 2 and said that I had influenced how they designed the sequel. A lot of other people had no patience for me — loudmouth that I had been. But the doctors didn’t drop the hammer on me, and I appreciated that. After all, they seemed to recognize that journalists are people, too. And my experience was probably similar to a lot of other gamers’ out there.

In an article named Jaded Empire, Gamesindustry.biz mentions how other developers feels about the announcement that the BioDocs retire.  It seems he BioDocs have gained both recognition and respect.  A couple of quotes are relevant here, this time from Brian Fargo and
Chris Taylor:

Chris Taylor, Gas Powered Games founder

Greg and Ray are two of the industry's smartest and most respected superstars. They worked extremely hard to accomplish what they did, and it's no secret that passion, hard work and a true love of the art of making games is what got them there. If they are both serious about moving out of the gaming business (and I hope they're not) then they will be truly missed… and the business won't be quite the same without them.

 Brian Fargo, InXile Entertainment CEO

I was quite surprised to hear they both are retiring from the industry altogether. And I'm sure many fans will be disappointed but I'm certain their Bioware legacy will continue. It sounds like they are very passionate about their new ventures so they are in a good place.

After we've told you that the BioDocs retire,  it seems only appropriate that we tell you of the future of Bioware. Aarynn Flynn, General Manager at Bioware Edmonton and Montreal, shares what's in store for Bioware in the future here. He, of course, also comments on Ray Myzyka and Greg Zechuck leaving Bioware. Head over for the full text here.

A quote then on the future of Bioware:

DRAGON AGE 3: Inquisition – Yesterday, we announced that BioWare is now developing the next chapter of the Dragon Age series. Executive Producer Mark Darrah and our teams have been meeting with fans about what they want in a new Dragon Age game. I love spending time with the Dragon Age team as they work on Inquisition. The thought-provoking discussions, the fun, and most of all, the discovery of what’s possible on a new engine is both exhilarating and humbling.

 MASS EFFECT – Executive Producer Casey Hudson and his team are coming off an amazing eight-year run with the Mass Effect trilogy. But they’re not done yet. We are releasing more multiplayer content and we have more single-player stories coming throughout the next six months, including Omega which is coming in the Fall. But the Mass Effect universe is vast, and Casey and our teams have plans for another full game. “Where to go next?” with such a project has been a question a lot of us have been asking, and we’d all love to hear your ideas.

 BRAND NEW GAMES FROM BIOWARE – Both Dragon Age and Mass Effect started as single games but grew into vast universes. But we aren’t stopping there. While Casey continues to oversee the development of our new Mass Effect project, he and his leads are putting together their vision for an all new game set in a fictional universe, built from the bottom-up with all new gaming technology.

Chris Priestly's announcement on the Bioware blog can be found here.

After what feels like ages of speculation, Ray Muzyka and Greg Zeschuk have simultaneously announced their retirement from BioWare and the industry. In lengthy blog posts at BioWare, Ray and Greg thank their teams and fans for the last 20 years.

From Ray, who confirms the rumours from earlier in the year:

After nearly two decades in videogames, I’ve decided to move on to pursue an entirely different set of challenges. This has been an incredibly difficult decision to make; after thinking about it for many months, I made the decision to retire from videogames back in early April 2012 – at that time I provided six months’ notice to EA, to help enable a solid transition for my teams at BioWare.

...and Greg, who is clear he will leave the video game industry altogether:

Writing a note like this is something one imagines doing once in a lifetime, if at all. The experience of following a dream, achieving it and along the way working with the most talented, passionate and engaging people imaginable isn’t something I’m likely going to repeat again. Building BioWare over the years with Ray and the many other people involved was a once in a lifetime opportunity, and I’ll cherish it always.

After nearly twenty years working at BioWare I’ve decided it’s time to move on and pursue something new. This decision isn’t without significant pain and regret, but it’s also something I know I need to do, for myself and my family. I’ve reached an unexpected point in my life where I no longer have the passion that I once did for the company, for the games, and for the challenge of creation. For the people I have had the privilege of working with, however, my passion burns as brightly as it did the day we started. The people I work with now, and that I have worked with in the past, have inspired me and really made all of the challenges we’ve collectively faced over the years worthwhile. We have been blessed with tremendous success over the years at BioWare, and the reason is simply down to a large number of great people doing great work. Successful people or companies have to admit luck also plays a part in their success, and it certainly did for us; a few times over the years we made the right game at the right time and success flowed as a result. When we got it right, it was like a hole in one or a home run; it was a magical feeling and incomparable in positive impact for everyone involved.

Head over for the full texts. Thanks, Avantenor!

The Border House has an interview with Ann LeMay,  a writer for Bioware. They talk about what her role is in the company, what games she's been working on, how building the world - in the games - works and much much more. A quote about a typical day - when a game is in preproduction:

Basically, it depends on which phase of the project we’re currently in. If we’re in preproduction, there are a lot of meetings and defining of things, along with documenting all the decisions taken and then expounding on them. And approving said material, then taking it all down and rebuilding it, and so on and so forth. Over and over and over and over again.

A quote on the difficulties a writer is facing when writing for a video game:

As a writer in videogames, you are never, ever an island. Any writing done away from a team will see revisions to adapt it to the work being done on the floor, I can guarantee you. Any writing that’s done on the floor will see regular revision, tweaking, etc. The more the narrative is important to the team and project, the more iteration you’ll see on all sides. And if a whole level is cut at the last second, then you – and level design and cinematic design and everyone else and their pet cat/dog/jackalope – will have to scramble to adapt and adjust.

And finally, a quote on books:

Among the good books I’ve read recently are Alpha by Greg Rucka, Libriomancer by Jim C. Hines (get his Jig the Goblin books, btw, NOW), and the Eli Monpress series by Rachel Aaron.

Since we don't have a listing for DA3: Inquisition as of yet, I've filed this newsbit under Bioware. I think it is appropriate though, because Mark Darrah tells us about this news
at the Bioware blog.   After a rather lengthy introduction, talking about how long
he has worked at Bioware, he confirms this:

• The next game will be called Dragon Age III: Inquisition.
• We won´t be talking about the story of the game today. Though you can make some guesses from the title.
• This game is being made by a lot of the same team that has been working on Dragon Age since Dragon Age: Origins. It´s composed of both experienced BioWare veterans and talented new developers.
• We are working on a new engine which we believe will allow us to deliver a more expansive world, better visuals, more reactivity to player choices, and more customization. At PAX East, we talked about armour and followers… Yeah, that kind of customisation. We´ve started with Frostbite 2 from DICE as a foundation to accomplish this.

Link to Chris Priestly announcements on the BSN here.

Link to Upsettingshorts thread on Bioware using the Frostbite engine for DA3: Inquisition here.

Link to the general forum for DA3: Inquisition here.

Eurogamer has talked to Peter More, the Chief Operating Officer, COO, of EA. He is pleased with Bioware's performances, and stands behinds the the team's decision, both for SW:TOR and ME3. Apparantly both games have done well financially. He talks about how Bioware dealt with the trouble over the endings for ME3; the more important stuff seems to be in this quote:

In May EA announced Mass Effect 3 had generated $200 million in sales. "Mass Effect has been enormous for us. It's done great," Moore said. "The public numbers bear that out.

Drew Karpyshyn left BioWare way back in February but since our interest stems from his work with them, I'm going to file it under "BioWare".

Eurogamer caught up with Drew to discuss a number of BioWare-related topics, including his thoughts on the ending of Mass Effect 3, although he doesn't really take a position:

BioWare once intended Mass Effect 3 to end differently than it did. One possible ending concerned the spread of Dark Energy - a force used for mass effect fields and biotic powers. It goes that Reapers were created to stop the spread of Dark Energy, which would ultimately destroy everything. That's why Reapers, every 50,000 years or so, processed (turned into a Reaper) an entire species - to slow the spread of Dark Energy. The Human Reaper was to be the last throw of the dice for the Reapers. The ending of Mass Effect 3 would be you deciding whether to sacrifice the entire human race, and create a Human Reaper, or take your chances that humanity could come up with another alternative.

That ending, Drew Karpyshyn came up with. It was one of several, apparently.

In response to that being aired, Drew Karpyshyn wrote a lengthy blog post on his website. "Yes, we had a plan, but it was very vague. We knew we wanted to focus on some key themes and bring in certain key elements: organics vs synthetics; the Reapers; the Mass Relays. Beyond that, we didn't go into detail because we knew it would change radically as the game continued to evolve," he explained.

BioWare's Fernando Melo has explained the business proposition for Day 1 DLC and other paid DLC in a speech for GDC. In essence? Players buy them. From IGN:

Yet that still didn’t address the question of why the DLC wasn’t just part of the base game. As the production timeline Melo presented during the talk showed, multiple packs of downloadable content must go into production before the base game is complete. Melo couldn’t provide specific sales figures, but showed a high percentage of players, particularly with Dragon Age: Origins, purchased the content made available day one. Even significant percentages of those who purchased titles used from game stores went on to activate online passes and purchased additional DLC.

The piece also discusses the completion rates for several of their games (Joystiq lists a couple more) - don't expect new games to be as long as Dragon Age: Origins, with only a 36% completion rate; Mass Effect 2 was highest of the games provided at 56%.

Thanks, Avantenor!

We should catch up on the rumours about the Biodocs which, not surprisingly, turned out to be premature. From Eurogamer:

UPDATE: Greg Zeschuk's role as General Manager at BioWare Austin was "always planned to have a finite endpoint", the company co-founder has explained to Gamasutra, addressing speculation around his departure.

"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."

Zeschuk also affirmed his continued presence within BioWare as a whole.

ORIGINAL STORY: "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." 

We normally bypass MMOs but CountChocula sends in this article at Gamasutra, titled What went wrong with Star Wars: The Old Republic.

A. Cooperative Play: Taking on an opponent with five, 20, or even 100 of your friends and teammates adds a great deal to the excitement level of a game. Not only does the result of an encounter require a lot more communication and team work, it also adds additional randomness that can make every encounter unique. Doing well in such situations also can bring great prestige as others will come to admire you if you perform well under pressure when they are depending on you.

The best parts of SWTOR are the story line missions. Their cinematic quality makes you feel like you are in a movie that you control. The weakness of this design is that the focus is on a single player, and that a full group could be just two players and AI companions. This gives SW:TOR the feeling of a "Massively Single Player Game". While there are missions that can accommodate more players, the game never manages to escape this feel. 

EriK Kain from Forbes has written an editorial entitled "In Defense of Bioware."  

Here's his main argument:

Personally, I think the gaming industry would be worse for wear without BioWare. Already, many people believe that EA purchasing BioWare in the first place was a tragedy but if BioWare were to be shut down, I think a lot of great potential for new games would be lost. Role-playing games in particular would take a serious blow.

German site GamersGlobal is running the rumour that Zeschuck and Muzyka might be leaving BioWare and/or BioWare Austin might be coverted to EA Austin. The basis of the rumour is thin at this point, so please take this with a huge grain of salt. Here's a translation of the original German source:

Star Wars - The Old Republic is suffering from a shrinking subscriber base. An optional switch to F2P in autumn is supposed to turn things around. And in May, for the second time, several employees of Bioware Austin have been let go in a "restructuring effort". Another bad news could be that Bioware founders Greg Zeschuk and Ray Muzyka might have left Bioware or could be in the process of leaving – possibly because of the limited success of the MMO that started as a challenger of WoW.

A trustworthy source has been told by an employee of Bioware Austin yesterday that neither Greg Zeschuk nor Ray Muzyka have been present at a Bioware Company Meeting in Austin, Texas, just a few days ago. The employee claimed that this has not been the case before at such a meeting. The six others members of Bioware Austin's leadership have been there. Also, Greg Zeschuk has not been seen for several weeks now, the Bioware Austin employee claims.

There are supposed to be internal rumours at Bioware Austin that Ray Muzyka (pictured left) and Greg Zeschuk have left Bioware. According to our source, some employees at Bioware Austin fear that the company will be transformed into EA Austin.

Please note that this news is a rumour without any official confirmation.

There's an Ultima Forever interview at Rock, Paper, Shotgun featuring lead designer Kate Flack. There are also two screenshots that I don't I've seen before. Here's a snip on modernising Ultima:

RPS: So to reboot it, what do you think has to be changed for a modern audience? Admittedly, as someone who bangs the drum for the series all the time, I do appreciate that it can be difficult to show them to one of these youths I hear about and try to get them interested, particularly with the early ones.

Flack: There’s some basic stuff to do, like core controls, which have to fit the platform you’re on. Having it so you don’t need 27 differnet function keys to remember. Nice menus, quest logs, maps. Things we take for granted now.

We’ve also focused gameplay into segments. The shortest loop you can play the game for is fifteen minutes, so it’s built into these fifteen minute chunks. This isn’t sit down for six hours like with something along the lines of Skyrim. You can get in and get out fairly quickly. So, short dungeons, get in, get to the end, get out. That’s both to facilitate play on the iPad but also to accomodate groups coming in and coming out. Not everyone has hours to sit down and raid anymore. I squeeze my gaming in around a whole bunch of stuff I’m doing in my life.

You can play for fifteen minutes and have a viable and productive session, but if you do have two hours you can do multiple game loops, dungeon runs, quests, advance your virtues some more.

Do you play a lot of MMOs?

BioWare aims to reinvent Ultima with Ultima Forever offers some snippets from the game's lead designer, Kate Flack:

To begin, it will be an iPad game. It will eventually move to other platforms (though Flack couldn't say yet how soon that will happen), but at first it'll be specifically a tablet-based title. "All these tablet devices," Flack told us, "there's something very personal about picking up the game, and touching the screen to make things happen in the game."

You'll tap to move and run your character around, and of course tap to navigate the redesigned menus. The game will also take advantage of the iPad's built-in virtual keyboard, Flack told us, "to chat with other players." A virtual joystick or buttons won't be an option at all. "I don't like them," said Flack.

As we've heard previously, the game is a reboot based on Ultima 4, so it will include many of the same situations and quests, but also updated content. Flack said the map is generally the same, though "we've expanded some things, we've moved a couple of things around on the map. We have quite a graphical fidelity now, so we're able to go into more detail on what things look like." The conversation system has changed as well. "You won't sit there and try to get keywords when you're clicking on things," Flack said.

I got to see a few gameplay shots at Comic-Con (though, unfortunately, EA's PR declined to approve those for posting), and the game does look like Ultima 4's flattened isometric view, albeit with the generous additions of next-gen resolutions and models. Some of Sosaria's original landmarks are in there as well, though they look more like later games in the series than Quest for the Avatar specifically.

BioWare's latest Dragon Age Question of the Month asks yet another vital question of the community:

We love attending live events and meeting with fans. Which events or conventions do you think we
should be attending? And what type of presence is most important to you
(playable demo, immersive booth experience, parties, exclusive swag, panels,
developer meet/greet, etc)?

--
For context, some events we've attended this year and scope include PAX East (BioWare Base) and SDCC (Multiplayer Lounge & Purgatory Bar). I'll also be at Geek Girl Con, Gamescom, and PAX Prime in August! Who knows where we'll go after that. 

We're intersted in events big and small and what you like about them! Really excited to read what you have to say. As usual, this is a chance to have your voice heard, not to engage in debates. Everyone's opinion is valid here. Feel free to get creative with your thoughts. 

We don't follow MMOs but Thaurin sent in a new CGI trailer for SW: The Old Republic featuring HK-51 assassin droids that fans will enjoy.

Joystiq asks Can Ultima Forever be a worthy entry in the legendary series?

But my alarm bells started ringing when I saw that only two classes were available in the game: Fighter and Mage. Character class in the middle Ultima games (IV, V, VI) was intrinsically tied to its Virtue system, which was equally connected to the game's geography, as well as individuals. Eight classes, eight virtues, eight towns, eight dungeons, eight recruitable characters. For example, a Bard was associated with Compassion and the town of Cove, with Iolo joining your bard.

The entire point of Ultima IV was to have your character embody those virtues, by either being or recruiting that class, by acting according to the virtue (for Compassion, donating to the poor), understanding the town of Cove in order to learn about the symbols of Compassion, and in proceeding to the associated nearby dungeon to cleanse the evil from the area. That formal symmetry gave Ultima IV power. It wasn't just "collect the seven runes to save the universe!" as so many games had, it was a structure that gave both the game and its world structure. In an interview with MMORPG.com, creative director Paul Barnett suggested that there would be more classes to tie into those virtues, although they might lie behind a paywall.

Moving on to the MMORPG.com preview:

The story itself is quite literally a reboot on Ultima IV. It begins 21 years after that title ended, with Lady British now on the thrown in place of her father Lord British. This makes sense given that the lead designer is no longer Garriott, but Kate Flack who’s been handling UO now for some time. It’ll sport the same isometric view we’ve come to know and love, and have all the cool stuff we remember from Ultima IV like hot air balloons, sea travel, and more. Paul says many on the team liken it to Baldur’s Gate with Friends in a lot of ways, getting back to BioWare’s roots in that way. 

Ultima Forever is everywhere today and although none of the articles shed great light on the game, BioWare Mythic's Paul Barnett makes a few comments here and there.

An overview from GameSpot:

Ultima Forever: Quest for the Avatar is set to launch on iPad and PC later this year. The game, which Barnett said will be playable "start to finish" for free, is the second major free-to-play project from BioWare, the first being Facebook tie-in Dragon Age Legends. He said the team took several lessons from the EA2D project which was recently discontinued online.

"It had a lot of good ideas in it, it struggled to find a long-term audience, and perhaps was too aggressive with its monetization policy," Barnett said. So instead of "glass walls" preventing advancement through the game, Ultima Forever players will be able to buy additional means of transport or the ability to fast travel through the world.

Ultima Forever will feature the same set of virtues from its 1985 counterpart, but players will find new choices and consequences reflected in the game's fully integrated multiplayer. "Virtue is how you treat other people, in lots of games that's how you treat NPCs," said lead designer Kate Flack. "We want to take that same idea of how you treat other people and then apply it to the players." 

Kotaku has the best information and has Paul Barnett saying "We've taken Ultima IV, and then we've re-imagined it. We've basically taken the Batman reboot option. The Spider-Man reboot option."

What we've done is we've picked Ultima IV, because we think Ultima IV is really cool, and it's neat, and it's ace, and then we've made it so it's small groups of people, three or four people down [in] the dungeon, going through the world of Ultima, going in to see all the famous towns and all the NPCs and the entire world's available...

Going into hot air balloons and flying over mountain ranges, getting into galleons [and] sailing across the oceans, surviving the great big storms, getting back to sea monsters, going to Stygian Abyss, and then competing to collect the actual Virtues, the eight Virtues that make you a good person, which is why Ultima IV is neat.

[We'll be] doing that by giving you quandaries, actual conversations that you have to solve. Which are things like... you find some money. You've got the merchant who lost the money, and you can give it back to him which is the Just thing to do, or do you give it to this poor person who's starving, which is the Compassionate thing to do.

They're both good answers. But they're both challenging answers. You've got to think about both of them. And that's basically the driving force behind this game.

He goes on to describe some basics:

In this case, that means a top-down isometric view, with hand-painted backgrounds and 3D characters. According to Barnett, "It plays fast, it's clicky, but the combat's fluid and fun rather than tactical and mind-numbing. The character progression is soft with a smooth up ramp... You're going to get in conversation trees which are much more like you would get in Dragon Age."

Read the full Kotaku article for Barnett saying it can be completed (slowly) solo and without paying anything.

Barnett tells IGN the game is almost finished:

While Barnett was unable to provide a release date, he did tell IGN that "it's mostly finished. We're in the polished phase." Hopefully we'll get to play it soon to find out if it lives up to the legacy of the Ultima franchise, but for now you can learn a bit more and sign up for the upcoming closed beta on the official website.

From Massively:

And what about the gameplay? Is Ultima Forever an MMO?

No, though Barnett says it has "a lot" of players in it. "It's very tribal in the way we're building it," he explained. The game is a small-group affair, with "tactical, positional" combat that is less about hotbar abilities and more about where your characters stand, what kind of equipment they have, and how you use your abilities together.

Barnett compared the game to the hunting areas in older BioWare titles like Baldur's Gate, and he pointed out that the essence of Ultima Forever is focused on improving your virtues through a BioWare storyline and plenty of dungeoneering. "It's very much a classic RPG adventure. It's more in Dragon Age's territory than that of an MMO," he explained.

Remember Ultima Forever? The free-to-play project from BioWare Mythic is now accepting Beta signups. We don't have much to go on - the official title is Ultima Forever: Quest for the Avatar (no, I didn't get that wrong) and here's the accompanying description:

The first great Western RPG has been lovingly restored in Ultima Forever - return to the Ultima series in BioWare's new cross-platform action RPG. Accept the challenge from Lady British and save the land of Britannia. Play as the Fighter or the Mage and travel alone or with friends, restore virtue and become the Avatar!

It's about time a F2P MMO featured Lady British!

Thanks, CountChocula.

If you recall, BioWare recently announced a "Question of the Month" on their forums to garner feedback on the next Dragon Age game. I wasn't impressed at the time with the first question and the second does even less to show they are genuinely seeking player feedback to improve the game:

If you wanted to own a piece of Dragon Age history in a collector’s edition of a future hypothetical title, what item (or kind of item) would you most treasure?

We recognize that not everyone has dragon-like inclinations to hoard pieces of treasure, so if you’re not interested in collector’s pieces, there’s always next month’s question!

Let us know what high-end physical item you would most like in a collector’s edition here! 

We don't follow MMO projects but I'm sure some readers will be interested in the fate of BioWare. Greg Zeschuk has taken to the forums to announce layoffs from the SWToR team in Austin to allow them to "refocus". No numbers are provided, but the team apparently remains "very substantial":

Hey folks, since you’re reading this you may likely have heard that we’ve done some restructuring here on the SWTOR team. Sadly, we are bidding farewell to some talented, passionate and exceptionally hard-working people who helped make SWTOR a reality. Impacting people’s lives this way is always very hard, but we’re ensuring the affected people are treated with dignity, fairness and respect. 

Looking back at launch, we all came together and did something historic. We executed one of the largest, most successful and stable launches of any MMO yet in industry history. That is not an easy feat for any development team or company and we are humbled and honored by our fan community’s strong support both at launch and beyond. 

Looking forward, the studio remains vibrant and passionate about our many upcoming initiatives for Star Wars: The Old Republic. We still have a very substantial development team working on supporting and growing the game, and we feel we are in a strong position, with your continued involvement and feedback, to continue to build Star Wars: The Old Republic as one of the most compelling and successful online experiences in the world today. There are many strong initiatives planned for cool new content and new features that we’re excited to tell you about in the upcoming weeks and months.

Rest assured that we remain dedicated to delivering a high quality service in SWTOR to you, our fans, and we will continue to support and grow Star Wars: The Old Republic over the weeks, months and years to come.

Thanks,

Greg and Ray

The Bioblog has a new Dragon Age feature, titled Question of the Month (Discovery and Learning). This is essentially a way to engage fans on the future of Dragon Age - though based on various previous comments, I find it hard to believe they aren't further along with planning than this would suggest:

Beginning today, we’ll do a series of questions and discussions around Dragon Age. Consider this a conversation between fans, the community team, and the developers. Everyone at BioWare is incredibly excited about the future of the franchise but we’re interested in what you have to say. Every month, we will discuss a topic or question about Dragon Age and game development. You will have one week to post your thoughts, desires, and hopes before we close the thread for review. Moderators and developers will pop into the thread to chat every now and again, so keep an eye out.

These questions and discussions are not only for future games, but other potential products like novels, animated features, pen and paper RPGs, and comics – all of which offer us opportunities to expand on parts of the world.

However, it’s worth reminding that we’re not making promises, we’re talking about ideas. We won’t guarantee that things we discuss will materialize and we’re not showing anything until we’re ready. And as a last bit of housekeeping, the purpose of these exercises isn’t crowd sourcing or soliciting your game dev concepts (keep those close in case you want to make a game someday!). This should remain a discussion between BioWare and fans about what you loved about Dragon Age Origins and Dragon Age 2—what this franchise means to you.

BioWare co-founder Ray Muzyka has mentioned that we’d like to open up more in future Dragon Age titles, so now we turn to you: What kinds of things would you like to learn more about? Antivan weddings? Orlesian balls? The remnants of the Tevinter empire? Burial customs among the Chaisind?

What kinds of things would you like to discover and learn about the Dragon Age world?

Let us know your answer here!

Take this with a grain of salt but market analyst Michael Pachter believes a "significant portion" of the Dragon Age 3 team was moved over to SW: The Old Republic to help boost end-game content, delaying DA3 into 2014. From GamesIndustry.biz:

Dragon Age III appears to have slipped to FY:14. We had previously expected the next Dragon Age to be released in Q4:13, two years after its predecessor. However, we believe that a significant portion of the BioWare team responsible for the game was reassigned to Star Wars in order to create content and fix bugs to keep the game's audience engaged," Pachter commented.

David Gaider expands on the PAX panel about armour customisation in the next Dragon Age game. There are art examples and then David poses questions for people like me, who just don't get it:

I’m sure this all brings a few questions to mind:

What’s wrong with the inventory system used in Dragon Age: Origins? Why not just use that?

There’s nothing wrong with that system per se. It was, however, a lot of resources that led to end results which weren’t ideal… namely that we had less appearances overall in addition to very little visual identity for the followers. Morrigan was the only character in Origins who had a unique appearance, and one which was immediately lost the moment you put different armor on her. Other followers had little visual identity at all outside of their faces, and ended up looking like every other character who wore that armor. Again, that’s not terrible in and of itself (characters are defined by more than just their appearance, after all)—but we’d like to do better.

We posted some summary comments from Mike Laidlaw's Dragon Age presentation at PAX East the other day but you can watch the entire thing yourself on the Bioblog courtesy of GameSpot.

Gametrailers reports on a presentation from BioWare's Mike Laidlaw at PAX East about the next Dragon Age game. Laidlaw discusses several items but warns "we're not making promises here, we're talking about ideas". For my money, most of the "ideas" are minor elements and there is little discussion of the core issues but here is a sample:

"Suppose, in your party, you have a Gray Warden. And suppose you had a Seeker," he said, showing a male Gray Warden and female Seeker. "And you had this thing: a suit of armor, a chest piece, and it had stats and stuff."

Laidlaw showed that armor set applied to the Warden, then to the Seeker, in concept art form. The armor looked slightly different on each, with "thematic" aesthetic differences applied so "they don't lose their identity in the process." Laidlaw then showed a slew of concept art, with various armor pieces from helmets to shoulder guards to bracers, then full sets, each applied to the two different classes.

He also teased the possibility that players might be able to fully customize armor pieces, applying color and types of material (cloth, leather, mail) to armor sets.

At G4, Ray Myzyka and Greg Zeschuk from Bioware discusses the future of gaming with Randy Pitchford from Gearbox Software, Time Schafer from Double Fine Studios as well as other game developers. You can watch the three minute video here.

If you've been around for a (long) while, you might vaguely remember a gaming site centred on female gamers called Killer Betties and a 2006 interview with BioWare writer, Jennifer Hepler. I recall the article raised a few eyebrows - and we moved on. An example:

What is your least favorite thing about working in the industry?

Playing the games. This is probably a terrible thing to admit, but it has definitely been the single most difficult thing for me. I came into the job out of a love of writing, not a love of playing games. While I enjoy the interactive aspects of gaming, if a game doesn't have a good story, it's very hard for me to get interested in playing it. Similarly, I'm really terrible at so many things which most games use incessantly -- I have awful hand-eye coordination, I don't like tactics, I don't like fighting, I don't like keeping track of inventory, and I can't read a game map to save my life. This makes it very difficult for me to play to the myriad games I really should be keeping up on as our competition.

It seems someone dredged up the interview and the slightly controversial comments from Hepler and used it to troll Reddit - and from there, the internet took over and personally maligning Hepler became a sport. From Kotaku's article on the story:

The original screencap posted on Reddit included the words: Cancer, Infection, Sewage, Plague. These are not light comments. Reddit's ohemeffgee also said that Hepler has been harassed with phone calls and emails from people echoing the statements made by Reddit user corporateswine, who uploaded the first Reddit post that spurred the witchhunt.

Thanks, Razvan.

BioWare: Choices and Consequences isn't what you might be thinking - it doesn't really examine the role of choices in BioWare's games as wonder about the choices against the backdrop of BioWare's narrative intent. Heavy spoilers apply in the actual acticle:

BioWare wants you to choose. Throughout the course of Mass Effect and Mass Effect 2, your Commander Shepard has no doubt made some pretty hairy decisions. In Mass Effect 3, we're hoping to see the final manifestation of those decisions, some of which have been developing over the unprecedented course of two games. Yours truly rocks a goth FemShep with noir lip-balm and a renegade way of solving everything. A promiscuous bisexual with an appetite for destruction, she really has no business commanding the Normandy – or taking advantage of its crew. First she melded naked minds with Liara's blue allure, then she rode Thane's terminal green machine. Finally, she sampled the perilous erotic delights of Morinth and, well, perished. Zevran nodded approvingly when I reloaded after that last one. "I would have done ze same thing," he'd said.

She's my Shepard, and I wonder what the end of her story has in store for her. 

But is she BioWare's Shepard?

On the Bioware blog, there's an interview with cinematic designer Jonathan Perry  talks about how he got into the industry, what he does at work everyday, the proudest moments in DA2's development and much more. Here's a tidbit:

What does an average day look like for you?

As a lead I spend a lot of the day attending planning meetings and coordinating with the other departments to make sure we get the assets we need from them and vice versa. The rest of an average day might include building stages for conversations, creating cutscenes (which could be anything from an emotional romance scene to a high-action combat scene), tweaking our various digital acting systems, and sometimes attending VO recording or motion capture sessions.......

Do you have any advice for those wishing to get into the video game industry?

Make something! Make characters, textures, animations, machinima, a mod or whatever you’re interested in doing. There are lots of easily accessible game engines and toolsets out there to play with. The results might not be very good at first, but keep making things and they’ll get better. I love it when candidates have a big portfolio of work that shows they’re passionate about what they’re making and would be doing it even if they weren’t trying to get a job in the industry. And play lots of games! Be able to discuss a variety of games and what they did well or what could have been improved.

Wired has comments from Dr. Ray Muzyka that BioWare is "checking out" Skyrim, although the suggestion that might take any real inspiration seems unlikely to me, especially given the doctor goes on to say "I’ve seen something in the last couple of weeks that is really the future of that franchise", which suggests they are (unsurprisingly) well into the design, if not the production. Anyway, here's the quote:

“We’re checking [Skyrim] out aggressively. We like it. We’re big admirers of [Bethesda] and the product,” he said. “We think we can do some wonderful things.”

“[The next Dragon Age] is gonna have the best of features from the prior Dragon Age games, but it’s also gonna have a lot of things I think players are gonna find compelling from some of the games that are out now that are doing really well with more of an open world feel,” Muzyka said.

Thanks to Frozen Fireball, via GameInformer.

Not even vaguely RPG-related but we've tracked BioWare for the better part of 10 years, so we'll cover this latest announcement this once before moving on.

As promised, the latest "BioWare" game has been revealed at the VGAs: Command & Conquer Generals 2 - you can watch the debut trailer at Gametrailers.  The development comes from a studio called Victory Games - freshly re-named BioWare Victory, so this isn't a BioWare-developed game beyond the new label - though RPG fans might be interested to know Jon Van Canegham (New World Computing, Might & Magic) heads up BioWare Victory.

Presumably EA thinks the BioWare label will add credence (or they think the RPG and RTS genres should be grouped together).

Kotaku has an article claiming information from an "insider" that BioWare is working on a Dragon Age game with multiplayer, built using DICE's Frostbite 2 engine. The insider didn't know if this is supposed to be an offshoot or Dragon Age 3 so take the source and reliability into account:

Apparently, dragons will also be playable in Dragon Age multiplayer, giving players the chance to go head-to-head with foes in fire-breathing, swooping-through-the-air dragon form.

The insider wasn't sure if Dragon Age multiplayer was going to be part of a full, stand-alone title (ala Dragon Age 3) or available separately as a downloadable game. It is apparently being developed on DICE's Frostbite 2 game engine (used for Battlefield 3), and even early-on the game apparently looks stunning.

The multiplayer is supposedly an arena-based affair and features player versus environment (PvE) elements as well as player versus player (PvP), as well as humans fighting dragons. Details on what PvE battles entail are scant.

Here's another VGA teaser for Bioware's new game. It's about three seconds long. According to the teaser it's a new direction from a new Bioware studio.

CVG has a profile of BioWare, although it's little more than a broad overview with little depth. You get a couple of paragraphs on the Biodocs and a brief overview of the games the studio has worked on:

The studio was founded in February 1995 by Ray Muzyka, Greg Zeschuk, and Augustine Yip, a trio of medical graduates hailing from the University of Alberta. In its early days the studio was dedicated to developing games exclusively for the Interplay Enterainment, the publisher with its name attached to classic franchises including Baldur's Gate and Fallout.

During the partnership BioWare created a number of titles including Shattered Steel, a few entries in the Baldur's Gate series and MDK 2. Following a dispute with Atari involving the Dungeons & Dragons license BioWare moved on to develop critically acclaimed Star Wars RPG Knights of the Old Republic as well as ancient China inspired action-RPG Jade Empire.

As promised, GameInformer has a single image from Rage BioWare's untitled new game that is purportedly from a new studio. It's hard to draw any conclusions other than it looks like a AAA action game - looks like my guess of a Facebook / mobile / social game was way off but it doesn't look any more RPG for that.

Thanks, Frozen Fireball!

This thread on the Bioforums exposes a tweet that points to a "new franchise" being launched by BioWare at the VGAs in December, although GameInformer will apparently have some teaser images as early as Monday.

Here's Geoff Keighley's tweet:

Also at the VGAs: Alan Wake returns and @Bioware unveils a new game from a new studio. Teaser images in December Game Informer mag.

So, heading off to GameInformer we find:

Three promised reveals include a look at a brand new franchise from BioWare, the developer behind Mass Effect and Dragon Age. We'll also get a look at the next Alan Wake title and a full reveal of Metal Gear Solid: Rising. We'll have the first teaser images of these titles this Monday at Gameinformer.com (also featured in the December issue), so check back then.

Note the "new studio" part in the first quote, so that presumably excludes Edmonton and possibly could even mean a completely 3rd party titled published under EA's new BioWare label.

This video has been up for a week and I've finally had the time to watch it. Mike Laidlaw and David Gaider lead this presentation at NYCC, covering the Dragon Age franchise. The video starts with discussion of the next Dark Horse comic product but around 3:02, turns towards the next Dragon Age video game. Laidlaw promises more strategic combat, saying "you're gonna want to make sure you are worried about positioning...expect this to take a much, much, much stronger part of future Dragon Age titles". He also says they'll make use a larger map with more locations that DA2, although it won't be an open-world game, because that's not what BioWare do. All in all, it's positive stuff but the proof will be in the pudding, as they say.

The Biodocs were interviewed by the Sarcastic Gamer at the recent Eurogamer Expo. The article-format conversation covers their attitude on working with the Star Wars IP and some very general comments about BioWare's future:

“The vision for us is a broadening of the genre,” Muzyka said. “We see a lot of other genres incorporating features of RPGs and in turn RPGs are incorporating features of other genres.  There are more action elements, there’s different ways to tell a story, there’s different ways to have characters interact for adventure games, action games, shooters, and that’s exciting to us.

“It’s actually making a lot of other games more engaging in the same way we could make RPGs more engaging and successful … by incorporating features that are popular in different genres. But we want to bring our core fans along with us on that journey too, so it’s not always easy to get a balance that does both, but we’re striving to do that.”

Chris Priestly has posted that BioWare will be attending the New York ComicCon, with Mass Effect 3 and DA2: Mark of the Assassin on offer - full details in the post on the Bioforums.

In vaguely-related I-don't-think-it-deserves-it's-own-newsbit-news, Rock, Paper, Shotgun is highlighting a trailer for the live-action video series Dragon Age: Redemption (and sniggering just a little).

I forgot to post this yesterday - the latest Irrational Podcast features Ken Levine interviewing Ray Muzyka and Greg Zeschuk, which might make it more interesting than the typical Biodoc interview. From the description:

As a fellow entrepreneur, Irrational creative director Ken Levine chats with the doctors about the challenges and perks of running a video game company–all three have seen their studios grow from small PC-exclusive teams to modern, triple-A, multiplatform dev studios. They also share the experience of starting out in fields not particularly related to games, Ken in screenwriting and Ray and Greg in medicine.

“We were having lunch one day after having made some medical education software,” recalls Ray, “then we realized what we’re really passionate about is video games. Why don’t we just make some video games? Take everything we own, and everything we make as doctors on weekends, to fund the company. …That was the extent of the conversation.”

It seems to have worked out.

Greg Zeschuk spoke with VG247 at Gamescom about BioWare's promotion from a studio to a full label within EA and their approach and work in general. I have to take this sensationalist quote because it's so obvious - but it can be viewed from different angles; on how RPGs are "less relevant":

Do you see Bioware as ‘the’ RPG studio for EA now, or do you see yourselves as being broader than that?

I think broader. I mean – it’s funny – RPGs are and always have been our bread and butter, our heart is there, but at the same time I think – well, we had the RPG panel breakfast at GDC yesterday – and what was interesting about that was that we had the conversation about ‘what is an RPG’ and it’s a blend. The genres are blending right now, you’re getting lots and lots of progression and RPG elements in shooters – online persistence and so on.

It’s funny because the RPG in the context of the current world is – well, it’s not specifically irrelevant, but it’s becoming less relevant in and of itself. It’s more a function of ‘hey, this game has a great story’. For us having that emotion but also having other great features like combat and persistence of character progression and stuff.

It’s kind of what we are, but more importantly we’re just about great games.

Bioware has uploaded another one of their tv broadcast to Bioware Pulse TV. This time it is about Comic Con in San Diego. VP of Marketing Patrick Buechner talk about how Bioware are showing off Mass Effect 3, SW: TOR, and finally the DLC for Dragon Age 2, called Legacy at Com Con. They also show fanart submitted for the Mass Effect and Dragon Age franchises.

On that note, in this thread at the Bioware Social Forums Chris Priestly encouraged people to submit fanart to be showcased at the San Diego Comic Con from 21th of July to July 24th.
A quote:

Whether you drew, painted or graphically rendered a piece of art depicting a BioWare game 10 years ago or last night this is your opportunity to have your art displayed at the BioWare Art Gallery and help us show the world that we have the most talented fans! You have the option to have your artwork entered into the judging process where our talented team of BioWare artists will deem who's piece is the best. Prizes will be awarded and you do not need to be at Comic Con to win.

Submission deadline is July 15, 2011

You all know by now that Bioware was hacked. Bioware is now announcing this fact and sending out emails to their customers. The gist of the emails is to change your passwords for your own protection. Here is the email I received from Aaryn Flynn GM BioWare E. minus a few links:

We recently learned that hackers gained unauthorized access to the decade-old BioWare server system supporting the Neverwinter Nights forums. We immediately took appropriate steps to protect our consumers’ data and launched a thorough ongoing evaluation of the breach. We have determined that no credit card data was compromised from the servers, nor did we ever have or store sensitive data like social security numbers. Our investigation shows that information such as user names, encrypted passwords, email addresses, mailing addresses, names, phone numbers, CD keys and birth dates from these forum accounts on the system may have been compromised, as well as other information (if any) that you may have associated with your EA Account. In an abundance of caution, we have changed your password to ensure account security. Please visit this XXX to reset your password immediately.

We take the security of your information very seriously and regret any inconvenience this may have caused you. If your username, email address and/or password on your EA account are similar to those you use on other sites, we recommend changing the password at those sites as well. We advise all of our fans to always be aware of any suspicious emails or account activity and report any suspicious emails and account activity to Customer Support at 1-877-357-6007.

If you have questions, please visit our FAQ at http://support.ea.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/5367/ or contact Customer Support at the phone number above.

 

Aaryn Flynn

Studio GM, BioWare Edmonton

VP, Electronic Arts

I don't trust emails that ask me to do anything to my password so I went to the site myself and did it then. Turns out that I was just being a little paranoid since this is a legitimate email from them. I would encourage anyone who hasn't done so to change their password just to be on the safe side.

Our sources in the Bioware Social Forums has told us that Christina Norman, Lead Gameplay Designer for ME2, has left Bioware. Apparently she's been hitched - married. Here's a quote from the social forums over at Bioware, Chris Priestly says:

I removed Christina Norman from the Twitterinformation section as Christina has left BioWare (she recently got married and she and her husband moved away from Edmonton). You are still welcome to follow Chistina if you want (she is a very interesting person and a lot of fun on Twitter), but she isn't part of the Mass Effect or BioWare teams anymore, so I removed her info.

This is getting tiresome. BioWare joins the list of sites hacked recently with the old community forums (e.g., NWN and NWN2) compromised. This is presumably the reason the old forums were offline, rather than a pre-planned obsolescence. Here's the announcement on the Social Network:

Yesterday (June 14), we learned that a hacker gained unauthorized access to the decade-old BioWare community server system associated with the Neverwinter Nights forums.  We immediately took appropriate steps to protect our consumers’ data and launched an ongoing evaluation of the seriousness of the breach.  We have determined that no credit card data was compromised, nor did we ever have or store sensitive data like social security numbers.  However hackers may have obtained information such as user account names and passwords, email addresses, and birth dates of approximately 18,000 accounts--a very small percentage of total users.  We have emailed those whose accounts may have been compromised and either disabled their accounts or reset their EA Account passwords. If you did not receive an email from us, or if your password still works for your EA account, your username and password were not compromised.  Nevertheless, changing your password regularly is always helpful to protect your account.

We take the security of your information very seriously and regret any inconvenience this may have caused you.  If your username, email address and/or password on the Neverwinter Nights forums are similar to those you use on other sites, we recommend changing your password at those sites as well.  We advise all of our fans to always be aware of any suspicious emails or account activity and report any suspicious emails and account activity to Customer Support at 1-866-543-5435.  

Aaryn Flynn
Studio GM, BioWare Edmonton
VP, Electronic Arts

http://support.ea.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/5367/

The EA support link at the end has additional details. A snip:

ANSWER

Q: How extensive was EA/BioWare’s data breach?
A: The data breach was extremely limited.  The only server system known to have been affected by the unauthorized attack was that associated with BioWare Edmonton’s Neverwinter Nights forums.  Approximately 18,000 accounts were affected—a very small percentage of total users.

Q: When did EA/BioWare learn about the unauthorized access to the server system associated with the Neverwinter Nights forum?
A: June 14.  We quickly assessed the exposure, communicated to our fans and re-issued accounts we believed may have been compromised.  

Q: What has EA/BioWare done in response to this breach?
A: We acted immediately to secure the server system associated with Bioware Edmonton’s Neverwinter Nights forums.  We also launched an ongoing evaluation of the seriousness of the breach.  To further enhance security, we have disabled all legacy BioWare accounts that were affected, and reset the passwords of any EA Accounts that were affected.  Emails have been sent to all affected users alerting them to the issue with instructions on how to change their passwords and/or create new accounts (as applicable). 

Bioware used the E3 last week to launch their own tv-channel, called Bioware Pulse. Here's a snip from the Christ Priestly announcement on the ME3 forums:

The BioWare Pulse brought you interviews with BioWare notables, like Ray & Greg, Casey, and Daniel, it brought you behind the scenes glimpses at the E3 demos and we even did a live question and answer with fans of both ME3 and SWTOR. If you missed any of the 5 episodes, you can watch them here.

A tweet by BioWare's Alistair McNally confirms Dragon Age 3 development:

I'm looking for exceptional environment artists to join me at #BioWare Edmonton, Canada to work on #DragonAge3 #gamejobs #jobs #3D #artists

Thanks also to Zohaib for a similar submission.

Gamasutra has interviewed the Biodocs, covering a wide variety of areas. Apparently a real-world setting might help them sell more units - I'd recommend a military shooter, personally:

BioWare has made all kinds of games, but right now it's the fantasy and the sci-fi genres that you're very focused on. Do you consider moving beyond that and trying to get more people that might not be into sci-fi or fantasy settings, and try more real world-type settings? It seems like that would be an opportunity to deliver emotions.

GZ: Yeah. That's something we've absolutely debated over time. As we look forward, that's something we consider more and more. It's interesting, I think. Initially, I remember, the debates were kind of entertaining. I think our context initially was from a very traditional RPG perspective.

So, think of the discussion 10 years ago. Okay, [compare] Baldur's Gate to current day. ... You look to where both Dragon Age II and Mass Effect 2 and then 3 have evolved to, and it's very, very different.

You can imagine the cop drama set in the Mass Effect sort of framework. You can imagine a spy adventure in that context. I think actually that what's happened is our ability to conceive and understand different game contexts has evolved. Then that starts opening up new platforms into things that are maybe less traditional than we have historically [done].

We're not confirming anything today, but it's something we discuss a lot, because one of the things we want to do is really try and broaden our appeal, broaden our reach, sell more units, get more fans.

Hooked Gamers writes The Cracks Are Starting To Show:

Gamers have been polarised by the news that Mass Effect 3 has been delayed until 2012. Some were left weeping uncontrollably on their knees, whereas others were glad to hear that BioWare had grown the balls to spend more time developing one of the most beloved franchises in gaming.

It is an alluring thought that the delay could be a reaction to feedback received from players on BioWare’s most recent release. After all, thousands of fans expressed their disappointment in Dragon Age 2 and Mass Effect 3 suffering a similar fate would be devastating to BioWare’s standing in the community. I fear, however, that other reasons are behind the decision. Those reasons can be found in statements made by EA CEO John Riccitiello during EA’s latest 'investors update':

"[Bioware] is adjusting some of the gameplay mechanics and some of the features, which we'll see at E3, that can put this into a genre equivalent of shooter meets RPG, and essentially address a far larger market opportunity than Mass Effect 1 and Mass Effect 2 began to approach."

Oh dear.

While we're talking the Mass Effect series, GameInformer notes a Normandy miniature in the works for those who collect stuff. Thanks to Zohaib for both of these.

GameBanshee has picked up on a LinkedIn profile for former BioWare designer Rafael Jabulani Brown. Jade Empire 2 is listed in the "unreleased" section, though given that he worked for BioWare in 2006 - 2007, it seems reasonable to speculate the project was canned or put on hold but we don't really know.

With Dragon Age 2 released it's time for the rumour machine to spit out the latest blurb: Dragon Age 3 is in the making. The source of this is the Official Playstation Magazine of which the information can be found on CVG. The hottest part of it is probably that Dragon Age 3 is multiplayer.

The gears of Official PlayStation Magazine's rumour machine have been turning and according to the mag a third game in BioWare's fantasy role-playing series Dragon Age is currently in production, complete with an all-new multiplayer mode.

The Bioblog's latest Facebook Friday profiles Patrick and Karin Weekes. Patrick used to post here occasionally and it's a shame he doesn't these days; head over to learn more about the couple.

This one is just for interest because it's now lost in time - or perhaps the idea became Jade Empire.  IGN has a snippet from the DICE summit where Biodoc Ray Muzyka revealed they once prototyped a kung-fu game using the Infinity Engine, called Five Fingers of Death:

Speaking at DICE last night, BioWare's Dr. Ray Muzyka revealed that many, many years ago, he created Five Fingers of Death, an adventure that combined the successful Baldur's Gate formula with a love for kung fu movies. In fact, those movies were going to play a pivotal part in Five Fingers, as cutscenes to punctuate the action and advance what sounded like a rather unserious narrative. Apparently, Muzyka himself edited old footage in Premiere and provided a good number of the voice overs.

Sounds crazy, right? Too bad Bioware's then-publisher didn't quite see it that way.

"We took it out to Interplay and they laughed us out of the building," said Muzyka.

Ausir writes in to say the Wikia sites have a BioWare giveaway with six prize packs on offer, including a copy of Dragon Age 2, a hoody and other swag.  Head over for all the details

Omega also points out comments fom Gaider a couple of weeks back defending the inclusion of same-sex romances in Dragon Age 2.  I've no idea why this would bother people (any more than normal romances in RPGs, which aren't my thing) but there you go.  Head to Joystiq for the story.

The BioDocs will be inducted into the Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences Hall of Fame in February, according to Gamasutra:

The Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences is inducting BioWare co-founders Dr. Ray Muzyka and Dr. Greg Zeschuk into its hall of fame, and the pair will speak at AIAS' 2011 D.I.C.E. event.

The BioWare Doctors make the 14th and 15th inductees to the AIAS Hall of Fame -- marking the first time the honorees have been a pair rather than an individual. According to AIAS, Muzyka and Zeschuk were chosen for "their emotionally engaging and detailed cinematic games," which include Baldur's Gate, Neverwinter Nights, Dragon Age and other respected titles.

The latest Facebook Friday developer profile on the Bioblog is Assistant Art Director, Matt Rhodes.

Bioware's Ray Muzyka and Greg Zeschuk are asked a few questions by Develop.

What is your favourite game ever, and for what reason?
Zeschuk: I really like Wasteland, which was a precursor to the Fallout stuff. It was one of the first open-world RPGs, and one of the first of that type, so I was just blown away by that. I think it was the game that opened my eyes to what you would eventually be able to do. It let me see the possibilities.

Muzyka: Mine was probably the original System Shock. It was awesome. I think I finished that game four times in ten years. I loved the way it was the first true 3D adventure. The shooter mechanic in 3D meant it was very hard to control in a way, but the richness of the world was amazing. Our IT guys hate us for it, but we use a fan website with patches to make sure System Shock will work on our current gen laptops.

Bioware has a teaser trailer out showing a little more of the new game. They will announce the game at the Video Game Awards on December 11th:

Source: Destructoid

Kotaku has a rumour that the new game teased by BioWare yesterday is a Mass Effect multiplayer spinoff designed to appeal to the Call of Duty market.  The evidence is pretty light but BioWare certainly made it clear they are interested in that market.  We'll find out on December 11.

BioWare is treasing the official announcement of a new game, which they will unveil at the Spike Awards on December 11th.  I say "new" but Mass Effect 3 is my bet though it isn't guaranteed by any means.  Rock, Paper, Shotgun examines a cryptic tweet and then a teaser video that shows a glimpse of a man with a gun:

They said it couldn’t be done, but Bioware did it anyway. Their next – as yet unrevealed – game will feature a man with a gun. We at Rock, Paper, Shotgun have often said that more games should feature a) men, or b) guns, but to combine the two in a single videogame product is something we had hardly dared to dream of.

I can scarcely contain myself for the full announcement of what this teaser image is implying about the future of videogames. I’m crying here. Crying.

Thanks also to BlackCanopus for a similar submission.

This week's Facebook Friday is BioWare concept artist, Nick Thornborrow:

What does a concept artist actually do:

We design all of the characters, costumes, set pieces and anything you see in game as drawings and paintings. As for what I do specifically, I do the bulk of the 2D artwork that appears in Dragon Age, such as the fresco sequence seen in the prologues of Dragon Age: Origins, and Awakening.

BioWare's Christina Norman - designer of the gameplay systems in Mass Effect 2 - has been profiled at the Bioblog:

What is your average day like at the office?
The great thing about being on the gameplay team is every day there is something new and interesting to review. Whether it’s changes to our cover mechanics, or a new combat animation, a new creature, a new power, or a new programming system for weapons every single day I see something new and awesome that will likely make it into our next game. I tend to spend more time reviewing work done by others and providing feedback, but I also manage to sneak in dev time on my own features.

Dragon Age Online Producer Fernando Melo gets profiled at the BioBlog:

Coffee. Check email, server traffic graphs, sales reports, social forums/PMs – usually undo whatever plan I had for today based off what new things may be on fire. Coffee. Daily DA2 play session with the senior leads – call out top issues for the day. Coffee. Then off to some stand-up meetings with some of the game teams. Coffee. Next deal with whatever needs attention – this can be a variety of things: meetings formal or impromptu, emails, phone calls, IM’s… try not to be too distracted by new incoming emails and calls (or adjust plan as needed). Coffee. Roll resistance check…fail…sneak a peek for any Steam deals today. Coffee. On a “light” day, actually do some proper work and catch up on documentation and feedback, non critical emails, review bugs, play the game and have lunch. On a “normal” day, usually I’m packed with meetings and conference calls – so scurry between these (with coffee runs in between), and gather up notes from all these throughout the day. Starting mid-afternoon, there is a similar daily ritual of meetings – a larger daily playthrough of DA2 open to anyone on the team where we pick up where we left off the character and call out issues as we go, followed by the daily bug triage with senior leads – a 1 hour fun-filled session of reviewing new change requests, new (and old) bugs, and breaking people’s dreams (sorry, no unicorns in DA). Coffee. Daily call with Victor Wachter on what’s happening on social & the community. It is now anywhere from 6-7pm – time to document all those notes from today’s meets, move calendar items around to make tomorrow pretend to be a reasonable day. Depending on the day – in the evening (after kids are in bed) pop by social and catch up on the PMs and forums, or play DA2, or play other games.

BioWare Producer Jesse Houston gets profiled in the second Facebook Friday:

What does a “producer” actually do:
I get coffee for the developers. In actuality I’m the front man for the team.  I’m a mix of leader, spokes person and responsible for the day to day activities of about 50 people.   Let’s say that a project needs ‘doing’, the Executive Producer will come to me, have me build a team, create the schedule and lead the team through the various development phases until it goes to market. This means that I am one of the Executive Producer’s right hand men.  I am responsible for Mass Effect 2 PS3 as well as the various other versions of Mass Effect 2 still in development.  I am also responsible for the GUIs for the franchise and a bunch of other unannounced things!

The BioBlog has kicked off a series of "Facebook Friday" dev profiles, starting with community rep Chris Evil Priestly:

Hello BioWare fans.

We thought we’d show you that those of us who work at BioWare are regular people just like the rest of you. So we thought we’d start a series of weekly staff profiles where each week a chosen staff member will give you some details about who they are, what they do for fun and their job here at BioWare. The selected staff member will give you a little insight into their personality and their job here at BioWare.

Since it was my idea to do this, I get to be the first person for Facebook Fridays here on the BioWare Facebook page and BioWare Blog. In the coming weeks we’ll have more BioWare staff, some you may have heard of others you may not have, all of whom will give you a little look into who they are and what they do here at BioWare. We hope you enjoy these looks into our lives here at BioWare.

VG247 thinks BioWare is working on an unannounced handheld game, based on a LinkedIn profile:

Per Mitchell Fujino’s profile, he’s the current QA Lead for the unannounced title, as he was for BioWare’s only other handheld game, Sonic Chronicles: The Dark Brotherhood.

I have the feeling we've seen this before but perhaps I'm thinking of the hype leading up to Mass Effect 2.  Anyway, Casey Hudson has told CVG that Mass Effect 3 will have 1000 variables from ME2 to use:

"We plan out the larger plot points of the story from one game to the next, but it would be impossible to plan it all in advance," he told PC Zone issue 224 (in all good stores now, folks).

"More importantly, we'd never be able to plan as many creative opportunities if we'd do it all up front. Instead, we record what a player has done in a play-through, and then we have all of those choices available that writers can refer to as they build storylines...

"Numerically, it's over 1,000 variables that we'll have access to for shaping the Mass Effect 3 experience for people who've played the previous games."

Omega and wolfgrimdark on our forums point out this interview with Greg Zeschuk at VideoGamer.  It's a general conversation that covers BioWare's approach, the console reaction to Dragon Age, changes to DA2 and so on - but this quote is probably the headline:

Q: I enjoyed your keynote speech this morning. You mentioned that BioWare had been lucky to have a few 'minor hits'...

Greg Zeschuk: Well, not minor!

Q: I was going to say. If Mass Effect 2 is a 'minor hit', I can't wait to see a major one.

GZ: Well, we need to sell 10 million units. That's actually the new target, right? We do Top 10 games, our stuff is quite successful. I know Mass [Effect 2] is number eight so far this year, in North America. Sometimes I'm facetious when I say some of those things, knowing that we can sell a few million but seeing that someone else can sell 25. You're kinda like, 'Well, that's a hit!' We always joke that if we only do half as well as Blizzard on Star Wars: The Old Republic, we'll be quite satisfied. We've been very fortunate. I always joke about that, but...

Greg Zeschuk has been interviewed at Telegraph.co.uk, discussing a little of DA2 and ME2 and then a fair bit on their Star Wars MMO.  On streamlining Dragon Age 2:

Looking at the success this system has had in Mass Effect 2, will BioWare look at making the RPG elements in games such as Star Wars: The Old Republic and the forthcoming Dragon Age sequel more streamlined too?

Yeah, to a certain degree. Like I said, we want to make each game better than the last and to a certain degree, the easier we can make the gameplay while maximising the depth of the game's detail, is something to aim for. We announced Dragon Age 2 a short while ago and of course we've been talking about Star Wars: The Old Republic for a while now – and people have had a chance to play it and probably see what some of our objectives are with the game. We try to do a lot of focus testing and usability testing with our fans. We're always trying to make our games as fun and easily usable as possible.

Thanks, Omega!

NowGamer has an extensive and rather detailed interview with Greg Zeschuk. Topics include
Dragon Age 2, Mass Effect and Star Wars:The Old Republic as well as some thoughts on where the game industry is heading. The quote is from the beginning of the article where he talks about how Bioware plans their games:

Speaking of worlds, you guys put a lot of effort into creating yours – could you give us a quick overview of the effort required?
The interesting thing is, when we build a game - especially for a new franchise – we spend almost a year exploring the world and creating documentation. Usually anytime you start prototyping your technology, we’ll literally spending months to a year figuring our the world, who the characters are and the setting. If you’ve got a really fleshed-out setting it’s very easy to lay a game on top of it.

Eurogamer is another site to catch up with Dr. Greg Zeschuk at Develop to discuss small scale MMOs and everything else.  A bit on Dragon Age 2:

Eurogamer: People are saying, 'I loved Dragon Age. Why are you changing it?' It must be a difficult balancing act to keep the fans happy while implementing the changes you want to.

Dr. Greg Zeschuk: Yeah. We're careful about it. Sometimes we'll do stuff for effect. You go back to Dragon Age 1, everybody was freaked out about that one trailer with the Marilyn Manson music. They were like, 'ah!' It was another facet of the game.

The interesting thing about doing PR is there is no way at this essentially early moment we can reveal everything. We can't show all the facets. Say we show one facet, and everyone freaks out. Then we show another piece, and they say, 'Oh, well, I'm okay now.' When you play it, you get a sense of what the gameplay is like. You go, 'oh, okay, it all fits together'.

From a PR perspective, just people talking about something is a good thing. They'll give it a look regardless. You'll see when we show all the elements, people will go, 'oh, okay'. They'll probably be less freaked out.

Eurogamer: Some people are saying you're turning Dragon Age into Mass Effect.

Dr. Greg Zeschuk: It's different. It's not quite going that way. You could make that case based on what we've shown. It's like looking at the game through a keyhole. You go, 'oh, well that's all there is'. Well, there's a lot more than that. But that's what we're showing right now.

Not quite.

BioWare has presented at the Develop conference and a bunch of sites have coverage and quotes from the event.

There's a general overview of "Creative Game Development: How We Do It At Bioware" at Rock, Paper, Shotgun.

VG247 has a full interview with BioDoc Greg Zeschuk.  He talks about the differences in the Dragon Age 2 versions, the controversy over not choosing your race, their commitment to review scores, Mass Effect 2 DLC and more:

You’ve made the decision to only have a human lead character in Dragon Age II, and not allow people to choose their race. Can you explain why?

Greg Zeschuk: With all our games, we don’t always want to create a true sequel in the sense that it’s more of the same. You can see it from Mass Effect 1 to Mass Effect 2 that you’ve changed up quite a bit of stuff.

We decided to sort of change and create a different type of game at least on the surface. And the interesting thing is that in the case of Dragon Age II, we’ve only shown a little slice of it so far. And everyone’s very excited, right? If you’ll remember with Dragon Age 1, we had the Marilyn Manson trailer and everyone freaked out and we said, “Don’t worry: we’re just showing you a different perspective.”

Over time, I think people will kind of understand what we’re doing and probably really like it.

We like to challenge our players on a sequel. It’s still a Dragon Age game, that hasn’t changed. But it’s going to be challenging and interesting in many ways. We think it’s ultimately going to be a better game, so I think ultimately the fans will agree when they get to play it. That’s the fundamental thing.

CVG reports BioWare as saying "consoles are the past", as they look to Facebook and mobile and everything else.

Eurogamer reports a similar thing but with a different slant - apparently BioWare is exploring small-scale MMOs.

We know further Dragon Age products are underway with both financial news and a teaser card in Awakening referencing a new DA game early next year - assuming a full sequel isn't much of a stretch but we don't know for sure.  IGN and Kotaku believe Dragon Age 2 will be fully revealed tomorrow, following a couple of indicators today.  First, an EA announcement on Warhammer Online mentioned DA2 in the corporate stuff at the end.  We received the PR ourselves but didn't read the fine detail because we don't cover MMOs any more.  Checking again...

About BioWare
BioWare develops high quality console, PC and online role-playing games, focused on rich stories, unforgettable characters and vast worlds to discover. Since 1995, BioWare has created some of the world's most critically acclaimed titles, including Baldur's Gate^TM, Neverwinter Nights^TM, Star Wars^®: Knights of the Old Republic^TM, Jade Empire^TM, Mass Effect^TM and Dragon AgeTM. BioWare operates in Edmonton (Alberta, Canada), Montreal (Quebec), Austin (Texas) and Fairfax (Virginia). Currently announced projects at BioWare include the development of ongoing downloadable content for Mass Effect 2^TM, one of the highest rated video games of all time, Dragon Age 2, the highly anticipated sequel to 2009’s “RPG of the Year” Dragon Age: Origins, and the story-driven massively multiplayer online game, Star Wars^®: The Old Republic^TM.

Emphasis mine.  Then the BioWare twitter feed produced this:

2morrow will be a great day for BioWare fans. Just sayin'

Well, not long 'til we find out.

Omega points out some comments from BioWare over at CVG.  Apparently BioWare is all about the PC, though that doesn't match my memory:

Bioware has told CVG that the PC is "made for gaming" - and that there is "no question" over whether it will continue to lead development of its games on the format.

The studio is now hard at work on hugely ambitious MMORPG Star Wars: The Old Republic - which will be exclusively released on PC.

Bioware designer and writing director Daniel Erickson said that the PC's interface was "less restrictive" than console equivalents.

IndustryGamers has a new interview with the Biodocs, which essentially serves as a general marketing platform for them.  Here's the only interesting snip I can see:

IG: Yeah, and, of course, he mentioned the BioWare games. Whether it's BioWare, or Lionhead, or Bethesda, the Western RPG makers really seem to have stolen the thunder of the Japanese developers. I’m just curious about what your thoughts are on the Japanese RPGs and what’s going on between East versus West. 

Greg Zeschuk: Well, it’s interesting. I think in the past year we saw a very interesting counterpoint to that argument, which was Demon’s Souls. That title was, in my mind, probably one of the most innovative RPGs/games in ages. So, there’s still flashes of brilliance, obviously, and I think… I haven’t played Final Fantasy XIII yet, but obviously I hear a lot of how they’ve gone a very different direction than one they’ve traditionally gone: much more streamlined, which is interesting. So, I think what happened is they got very complacent for a very long time. They kept making the same thing, and the same thing, and, in a sense, almost provided an opening for all of us to jump in with our style of games. I know first hand that they’re looking at our games now; they’re kind of looking at our stuff, the Fable stuff, and Fallout, and all that, and going, “what are these things?” I think they had gotten used to making the same thing over and over, and it was working. I think the other thing, too, is that the Japanese market has gotten quite a bit weaker and weaker. It’s just not as strong a market. It used to be a tremendously strong game market, so I think they’re kind of looking at it going, “man, we’ve got to figure out where else we can sell these,” and I think the traditional, very structured, old-school structure RPG wasn’t selling anymore; so now, I think we’re going to see some changes. I think Final Fantasy XIII, you know, I can’t say first hand... but I know definitely Demon’s Souls was a very, very different direction than any Japanese RPG I’d seen before.

CinemaBlend has noticed a job advert that would seem to indicate multiplayer will be a feature of Mass Effect 3:

Maybe "suggests" is too weak a verb - the BioWare Montreal opening (picture below) is for a "Multiplayer Programmer (Mass Effect Franchise)." Not much room for interpretation, there. The ideal candidate will have to come up with "solutions to deal with network latency, de-synchronization of data between networked machines/players, packet compression, cheating, and interrupted connections." They'll also have to "work with databases that allow for chat rooms, client/server games, player matching, player stats, etc.".

Bioware's Greg Zeschuk recently talked to Gamasutra. This resulted in a 4 page interview. Topics covered are how Bioware writes their games, the massive amount of lore in their games, how they create user interfaces and they cover the Mass Effect and Dragon Age games as well. And much much more...

 Here's a snip from the interview:

When playing both Dragon Age and now Mass Effect, I got the feeling that these were two games coming from a similar mindset but with slightly different takes on it. Was that at all the case?

GZ: That was absolutely the case. I think there are sort of two reasons for that. One is because the RPG/MMO division has really a portfolio strategy, in the sense that there's multiple games that are serving multiple audiences. Absolutely, there's a crossover, but there's diversions.

So, by no means do we think that everyone that plays Dragon Age will play Mass Effect 2. There's going to be some crossover; there's going to be some difference. The second reason is that it's reflected by the respective teams. So we had absolute distinct teams in those two games. They have different things they're trying to accomplish, different things they're trying to do. The game is really a reflection of the game and what the team wants to accomplish. That's how things naturally diverge. We think that's to our advantage to try and cover more of the potential market that way.

If you've saved up your points over the last week, BioWare's swag auction is now under way.  Seems like you'll need a lot of points to even get a t-shirt.

Dr Ray posts on the Bio forums, apologising for issues with their Bazaar and promising upcoming events for the international community:

Hi everyone - 
 
The BioWare Bazaar was launched this week as the start of a year-long celebration around BioWare’s 15th anniversary. 

We recognize that BioWare has a global community, and the Bazaar this week was originally intended to be an international event to reflect our truly global fanbase. Unfortunately, we encountered some last-minute legal complications around how contests can be structured in different parts of the world that prevented us from including all territories in this first event, even though that was our original goal.  And for that, we sincerely apologize – our goal with this sort of celebration is to show all our fans worldwide how much we appreciate your support!

BioWare definitely really values all members of our world-wide Community, no matter where you live.  Accordingly, in the coming weeks, we will be announcing details about future events specifically for fans living in those territories which were excluded from participating in the first BioWare Bazaar.  The future events will be a bit different from the first Bazaar in how they’re set up and structured, but our goal is to feature the same caliber of awesome prizes and great BioWare collectibles.  We’ll announce more details in the coming weeks :)

The reception from those fans who have been able to take part in this first event has been incredible – thank you for participating! - and we’re looking forward to future events where we can enable fans from additional territories to also join in the fun.

Thank you all for your continued and ongoing support and participation in the BioWare Community – we really appreciate all your support over the past 15 years, and the future will be even brighter!


Sincerely,


Ray Muzyka and Greg Zeschuk
Co-founders, BioWare

BioWare's countdown has finished and I just know you didn't pick this as the result. Announcing the BioWare Bazaar:

We are pleased to announce the BioWare Bazaar http://social.bioware.com/bazaar

The BioWare Bazaar is a chance for eligible fans to get their hands on some awesome BioWare swag. There will be t-shirts, novels, hoodies, high end PC memory, headphones, even some amazing PCs custom painted with Dragon Age or Mass Effect art.

Earn tokens for the BioWare Bazaar by registering your games and DLC, taking surveys, following us on Twitter and completing challenges, then next week, you will be able to redeem your tokens for fabulous prizes through the BioWare Bazaar auction. Every 15 minutes new items will be available for you to bid on. You can check out the full list of prizes here: http://social.bioware.com/auction_rules.php#prizes

Check out the BioWare Bazaar and start earning your tokens here: http://social.bioware.com/bazaar

Omega points out a piece at IGN about a tweet from BioWare's Christina Norman.  She teases about changes in Mass Effect 3 as she starts work on "Project Wombat":

Lead gameplay designer Christina Norman recently teased on her personal Twitter account she's starting working on something new for the third game. "Today I started work on 'Project Wombat' for Mass Effect 3," she wrote. By comparison "The ammo system in Mass Effect 2 was originally called 'Project Sasquatch,'" she added.

How about a third ammo system?

The BioDocs are still hard on the campaign trail and Omega points out two more today. The more substantial one is at Joystiq, where the conversation covers "communicating" the Mass Effect 2 changes to RPG fans, DLC and Mass Effect 3:

Joystiq: Mass Effect 2 garnered almost universal praise from reviews, but there's still a small audience that feels it was a step too far from what they consider to be an "RPG." What are the challenges in communicating to people that you're combining genres in a way that is attempting to satisfy both groups?

Greg Zeschuk: It's a tough one. I think the challenge is the only way to really experience it is to play it. It's funny because, both for Ray and myself, we sat down with Casey way early in the process and Casey said, "These are our goals, here's how we're going to evolve this game." We thought, oh, cool. And then, literally, fast forward a year or so and we start playing it and go, "Wow." We go up to Casey and say, "This is way more streamlined." And I wasn't sure about it for the first little bit, but then when you actually play it, you see most of the functionality is there, it's just done differently.

Ray Muzyka: Actually, all the RPG features that players would expect, I think, are there. They're manifested a little differently, they're a little more integrated, a little more accessible. You know, like you grab your weapons off the rack as you're heading to an away team mission, you're changing your armor up and your cabin's got collection mechanics for various things. Your codex is there with a lot of backstory and you can upgrade your ship -- your ship is almost a character in itself, with progression mechanics.

The UGO article is obviously a piece of a larger interview but this fragment discusses the number of games planned for Dragon Age and sees the Doctors saying "we've got some tricks up our sleeves for Mass Effect 3.

According to GameBanshee, Bioware has put up a countdown on their homepage that expires on March 29th 2010 as well as all their game-related subsites. There's no hint as to what this countdown is actually counting down to, the clock is just silently ticking away.
As to what it is, your guess is a good as mine. I haven't a clue to what it is, but maybe you do? Or are willing to take a (wild) guess?

Kotaku reports BioWare's Vision Statement and the advantages they see in the RPG genre to deliver those benefits:

I spoke to the men running the studio behind many of the world's biggest role-playing games a couple of weeks ago, to discuss a variety of things. I left with a bonus: The BioWare Vision Statement.

Here is that vision, from the mouth of Ray Muzyka, EA's general manager for (as he named them) BioWare Edmonton, BioWare Austin, BioWare Mythic and BioWare Montreal: "Create, deliver and evolve the most emotionally engaging gaming experiences in the world. That's the vision for the BioWare group across the four studios, and they all have different ways to approach that."

Thanks, Omega.

Omega sent in a handful of BioWare interviews, so I'll collect them here.  DLC is the common thread, though other topics are tackled.

GameReactor has a video interview with Fernando Melo on Awakening.  He confirms more content to come for DA:O, which isn't a surprise given the two-year plan explained in the past.

UGO has an interview with the BioDocs on DLC strategies and they deny efforts like the Cerberus Network are related ti used game sales:

UGO: Obviously something like Cerberus Network (Day One DLC free for new buyers) encourages people to purchase the game...

Muzyka: Cerberus is very specific. We wanted people to feel like they belong to something. Like clubs, like a membership.

Zeschuk: We want to reward (the players).

UGO: Do you think offering Cerberus has made an impact in used sales?

Muzyka: We don't really look at that; we think of it more in a long-term strategy. For us, we want to have a really good relationship with the customer: Mass Effect 1, Mass Effect 2, DLC stuff, Mass Effect 3, future things. What we are most concerned with is having that customer relationship. I think something like Cerberus is a great way to cement that because part of the game comes up in beginning messages from Cerberus, and it's part of the community.

GameInformer also has a BioDoc interview, suggesting they'd like to expand on their current line-up of sci-fi and high fantasy:

Ray: Our portfolio includes a lot of different things short term and long term, different business models, different levels of risk, different IPs, different technologies. Different settings I think we are very interested in. We would love to build some new IPs and settings that are different than the ones we’ve currently got while continuing to build within the frameworks of the franchises we’ve got, too. We’re going to have a mix of all those things going forward.

Finally, Edge Online has excerpts from a "fire side" chat at GDC on building blockbusters.  Apparently, BioWare now has a franchise team planning those cuddly Urdnot Wrex toys I just know you're dying to buy:

Myzuka further noted that Bioware now has a dedicated 'franchise team' working on expanding this consumer experience in future. “Franchises have a lot more to them than just games; there are books, music releases, toys. You have to co-ordinate the effort of many teams and productions; it’s a multi-year plan. I could tell you what we plan for Mass Effect for the next ten years.”

Ars Technica has a quote from BioWare's Casey Hudson on the legitimacy of Day 1 DLC:

We spoke with Casey Hudson, the project director for Mass Effect 2, at GDC. He's a man who knows a little bit about post-release content, and he explained it in a way that makes sense. The simple answer? It takes time to get discs into the hands of gamers.

"People may not be aware of it, and people may say if you have content available day one, why not put it onto disc? What goes out on disc, it takes about 12 weeks to debug and certify and get into the trucks to go out into stores," he explained. "That gives us a period of 8 to 12 weeks where we can make content, but we can't put it onto the disc because it's already out there. But we can insert it digitally, day one."

Thanks, Omega!

Drs. Ray Muzyka and Greg Zeschuk have been interviewed at GameSpy about EA, Mass Effect, Dragon Age and more.  Much of the conversation is about the day to their day to day input and, as usual, they are very careful to say little.  Here's a bit about their involvement with BHG's Project Mercury:

GameSpy: It just seems like your scope has really expanded since the days when it was just BioWare. Now you've got your hats in so many different rings. So when it's announced that you're going to be collaborating on Curt Schilling's 38 Studios game [ed. note: developed by Big Huge Games], what does that entail? Is that saying, let's have a talk over dinner? Or is that, "let's work on your game and really try to bring it up to BioWare quality?"

Dr. Greg Zeschuk: I think it was the Big Huge Games title, so it's the one that Ken Rolston and those guys are working on. That was right from the beginning, we worked with the EAP [EA Partners] guys, we looked at the game, because they wanted an opinion, what we think of it. Then the next phase would be, as it's getting made, maybe giving the same, similar type of feedback. Talking to them. We actually know Tim Train and those guys... You're poker buddies with him, right?

Dr. Ray Muzyka: Yeah, I chatted with him for an hour at DICE, good folks. But it's necessarily, it's a level removed from the products that are within our own group. But yeah, it's a product distributed by EA, and we're trying to help them out, trying to give them feedback. It's a little more infrequent, we might fly out there periodically, every few months or something, just chat with them. It would be that level of feedback, and ultimately they're the ones building it. We're not building the game or anything.

Thanks Omega!