Bioware working on an MMO

[Schadenfroh]

From the makers of Star Wars KOTOR and Never Winter Nights:

Text

BioWare Corp. Announces New "BioWare Austin" Studio
New Studio Recruiting for Massively Multiplayer Online RPG Project

EDMONTON, Alberta, Canada, March 13, 2006

Canadian videogame developer BioWare Corp. has announced the opening of a new studio, BioWare Austin, based in Austin, Texas. It is the second of BioWare's studios and the first to be located outside of Canada.

BioWare Austin has already begun work on a Massively Multiplayer Online roleplaying game (MMORPG) title; the new game will mark BioWare's debut in the Massively Multiplayer Online space. BioWare has recruited some of the top talent in MMO and RPG development, both to manage the development efforts at BioWare Austin and to collaborate with the experienced team at BioWare Edmonton, to develop a game that combines the best of BioWare's great past games with a compelling persistent online experience. Joining the Austin team as lead designer is James Ohlen, BioWare's Creative Director, whose previous credits include lead or co-lead design roles on Star Wars®: Knights of the Old Republic?, Neverwinter Nights?, Baldur's Gate? and Baldur's Gate II?. Also leading the BWA team are MMO veterans Richard Vogel and Gordon Walton. Richard Vogel brings 15 years of experience to BioWare Austin, previously serving as VP of Product Development for Sony Online Entertainment's Austin studio, as well as launching Ultima Online? as a senior producer at Origin. Gordon Walton recently served as VP, studio manager and executive producer at Sony Online Entertainment as well as VP and Executive Producer at Electronic Arts.

"BioWare is committed to a seamless collaboration between our two studios to ensure the same high standards of quality and creativity our dedicated teams have always delivered," said Ray Muzyka, co-founder and Joint CEO of BioWare. "With our extensive heritage in the roleplaying genre, BioWare Austin is extremely well positioned to innovate in the massively multiplayer online space for BioWare's valued community of fans."

The new BioWare Austin comes soon after the formation of BioWare/Pandemic Studios, a partnership facilitated by private equity firm Elevation Partners. The new entity combines top videogame developers BioWare Corp., an industry leader in the role-playing game genre, and Pandemic Studios, an award-winning developer of best-selling action titles.

Both BioWare Austin and BioWare Edmonton currently have job openings for programmers, designers, artists, animators, world builders and writers, with new jobs being posted regularly. Applicants may view job postings and submit materials through jobs.bioware.com. BioWare Austin will also be recruiting, along with BioWare Edmonton and sister studios Pandemic Studios LA and Pandemic Australia, at the Game Developers Conference at the San Jose Convention Centre in San Jose, California, March 20-24, 2006.

 

[Zugzwang152]

no word on what the theme for the game will be though... and/or what new features, if any, they'll bring to the table.

i can only hope for the first fantasy-based MMO with real-time first-person action combat.

 

[microAmp]

Some people are speculating in MMORPG.com SWG forum, that it'll be Star Wars Galaxies 2, or a transfer (SWG) from SOE to Bioware, with other rumors floating around about a MMO release when Star Wars gets its debut on TV in 2008. Nothing concrete.

 

[HeroOfPellinor]

Not SWG2. SWG is current SWG3.

 

[shortylickens]

I'd much rather they invest their time in Baldurs Gate 3 or KOTOR 3.

But since MMO make a lot more money for much less work, I think I should just stop complaining and accept it.

 

[videogames101]

Originally posted by: shortylickens
I'd much rather they invest their time in Baldurs Gate 3 or KOTOR 3.

But since MMO make a lot more money for much less work, I think I should just stop complaining and accept it.

baldurs gate MMO? That would be so sick...

 

[shortylickens]

Originally posted by: videogames101

Originally posted by: shortylickens
I'd much rather they invest their time in Baldurs Gate 3 or KOTOR 3.

But since MMO make a lot more money for much less work, I think I should just stop complaining and accept it.

baldurs gate MMO? That would be so sick...

NO,NO,NO,NO,NO,NO!

I guess I didnt make it clear by the way I posted.
I HATE MMO games of all types! :|
I just want Baldurs Gate 3 and KOTOR 3.

BUT since it seems like the developers only like MMO games nowadays, I'll just have to go without.

 

[everman]

Not too excited about that here, I'd also much rather see BG3 or KOTOR3. I think NWN2 is comming out soon, that should be nice. MMOs just take too much time.

 

[RedBeard]

umm have them steal the rights to make fallout 3 FTW ->>>

 

[Ika]

Fallout 3, Icewind Dale/Neverwinter Nights/Baldur's Gate sequels...

heck, even Jade Empire sequel will work.