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    BioWare is a game company that is currently owned by Electronic Arts (EA). It specializes in making role playing games that usually involve deep and engaging stories.

    Greg Zeschuk, Ray Muzyka Are Leaving BioWare

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    Zamir

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    #151  Edited By Zamir
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    FateOfNever

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    #152  Edited By FateOfNever

    Part of me feels like these guys kind of knew this was coming when they were bought by EA. In a sort of "we both kind of want to call it quits, for our own reasons, but if we just bail on Bioware as it is now, who knows what will happen to all these workers."

    Or maybe I just want to imagine a "happy" ending and not "EA crushed their souls and devoured every desire they have to be in the gaming industry any longer!" like so many other people are want to do.

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    Make_Me_Mad

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    #153  Edited By Make_Me_Mad

    Don't mean to sound rude, but it looks like you have some things backwards in the article: Zeschuk was the one who said he'd lost his passion, and lines from Muzyka's letter were likewise attributed to Zeschuk.

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    KlUMZeE

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    #154  Edited By KlUMZeE

    Fucking bummer, man. I love Bioware despite the criticisms people have thrown at them over the past few year, but with the heads leaving, who know what the studio is going to be like in the future. This scares the shit out of me...

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    SmilingPig

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    #155  Edited By SmilingPig

    Good for them, working on something that you no longer love is a pain in the ass.

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    chilibean_3

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    #156  Edited By chilibean_3

    Truly, the age of dragons is over.

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    printedcrayon

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    #157  Edited By printedcrayon

    I know EA are the big evil monster that everyone loves to blame, but why is everyone jumping to conclusions? The Doctors have made a decision to leave, and for everyone calling the end of BioWare, that's completely unfair to the hundreds of talented people at the company who are responsible for the titles they have crafted.

    Please stop with this Anti-EA Circlejerk.

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    SomethingClever

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    #158  Edited By SomethingClever

    I should probably care about this but my initial reaction is "meh."


    Maybe it's ultimately a good thing, they might go do something cool somewhere else.

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    RedRoach

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    #159  Edited By RedRoach

    RIP Bioware? Could you people be any more of an asshole to the HUNDREDS of people that work there? Yeah, they don't mean anything, the only talent at bioware was the Drs.

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    forkboy

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    #160  Edited By forkboy

    Well that's a bummer. Those 2 guys have been at least partially responsible for some of my favourite video games & if they are really gone for good then that's sad. The RPG gaming world has taken another blown unfortunately. Raise a glass to the memory of Baldur's Gate, KotOR, even Jade Empire which was terrific.

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    valiantgoat

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    #161  Edited By valiantgoat

    Now people don't have any reason to look forward to an upcoming Bioware releases.

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    Suicrat

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    #162  Edited By Suicrat
    @AlexW00d It's not about laziness it's about saving space so the whole headline can be read.


    Also, I think this is more a sign that the doctors have become fabulously wealthy and would like to spend their time pursuing their passions.

    And maybe EA's co-opting of the term Iinfinity Engine" was somehow related.
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    brownsfantb

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    #163  Edited By brownsfantb

    Whoa.

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    Raviyn

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    #164  Edited By Raviyn

    heavy shit :(

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    Olqavtoras

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    #165  Edited By Olqavtoras

    Damn...

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    Ravenlight

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    #166  Edited By Ravenlight

    So how is this EA's fault? Not trying to defend EA or anything, I legitimately don't understand.

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    l4wd0g

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    #167  Edited By l4wd0g

    When doing a search for Dr. Greg I found this article. Look at the date. http://www.develop-online.net/news/41691/Rumour-Greg-Zeschuk-has-left-BioWare-Austin?utm_source=feedburner&utm;_medium=feed&utm;_campaign=Feed%3A+developmag%2Fifbh+%28Develop%29

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    Phatmac

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    #168  Edited By Phatmac

    Guys, they left because they wished to pursue other goals in life. They're both incredibly smart and imaginative. After working for nearly 20 years in the games industry, wouldn't you want to do something else?

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    Rasmoss

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    #169  Edited By Rasmoss

    It's hard not to think that SWTOR played a big part in this.

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    Maitimo

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    #170  Edited By Maitimo

    This doesn't feel especially surprising.

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    ZeroSignal

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    #171  Edited By ZeroSignal

    If I read the blog post correctly, the only quote you've got there that should be attributed to Zeschuk is the beer one at the end. The rest was Muzyka.

    Edit: Sorry, you've updated it already. Still mis-attributing the Entrepreneurial stuff, but otherwise good now.

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    fox01313

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    #172  Edited By fox01313

    Part of me is thinking that it's whatever pressure comes from EA that might have sucked some of the passion out of the Bioware ppl as they're games lately feel like there's been a bit of a break between the game they want to make & the product EA wants to make money with.

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    EXTomar

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    #173  Edited By EXTomar

    It would be easy to make EA as the bad guys but I wonder if instead they were hit with "euphoria" from being brought into EA. When they were independent they made some iffy decisions but they were clearly decisions they came to where afterwards it felt less and less so. For whatever reason, they were making less decisions or fighting for things they wanted. I'm not surprised they felt changed and think it is time to leave where it is always better to get out sooner rather than later if one "doesn't feel the passion any more".

    Or the "euphoria" clouded their heads and made bad decision after bad decision after bad decision and this is a "graceful" way to get them out of the way. Something about "the first thing you do when are in a deep hole is stop digging".

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    BrianP

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    #174  Edited By BrianP

    @Triphos said:

    Leaving games for craft brewing? Trading up.

    Yeah, basically this. Still a stressful position, but at least you can drink on the job.

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    monkeyking1969

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    #175  Edited By monkeyking1969

    Whatever. There is a wide gulf of difference between people leaving of their own accord because they are tired or uninterested and people who are pushed out or fired. They wanted to leave because their hearts/mind ain't in it, so bon voyage is all you can say.

    To say the company or the games are doomed is to TOTALLY disrespect the coders, writers, artist who work for them. Oh, wait...the fans of Bioware's games regularly disrespect the coders, artists and especially the writers...so what was I thinking.

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    ProfessorEss

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    #176  Edited By ProfessorEss

    I'll always have to wonder if they were just "done", if it was corporate bullshit with EA or if they were just tired of dealing with this industry and it's childish fans.

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    HH

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    #177  Edited By HH

    surely leaving was part of their plan, they knew what they were getting into with EA, and they did it for financial reasons.

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    AssInAss

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    #178  Edited By AssInAss

    It's ok, I moved on from Bioware too, after Jade Empire. More excited for ex-Bioware games like Banner Saga

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    ahgunsillyo

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    #179  Edited By ahgunsillyo

    @Ravenlight said:

    So how is this EA's fault? Not trying to defend EA or anything, I legitimately don't understand.

    As far as I know, there isn't any definitive proof that it is EA's fault. Everybody's just looking for a reason to hate EA and riding that "Oh, I see now why they got voted the Worst Company in America" bandwagon.

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    Hailinel

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    #180  Edited By Hailinel
    @Phatmac

    Guys, they left because they wished to pursue other goals in life. They're both incredibly smart and imaginative. After working for nearly 20 years in the games industry, wouldn't you want to do something else?

    Yeah, there's nothing particularly sinister going on here. They're just moving on. Now, who replaces them could be a concern, depending on who steps in and who puts them there.
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    fattony12000

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    #181  Edited By fattony12000

    :(

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    Shaanyboi

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    #182  Edited By Shaanyboi

    @ProfessorEss said:

    I'll always have to wonder if it was corporate bullshit with EA or if they were just tired of dealing with this industry and it's childish fans.

    After all the bullshit about the ending, I wouldn't have to work somewhere that gets that amount of childish vitriol either.

    Not to suggest that's the key reason for them leaving or anything but... yeah. Gamers on the internet are fucking dicks.

    That said, they spent nearly 20 years at Bioware. I can understand that they'd want to move on.

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    Krakn3Dfx

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    #183  Edited By Krakn3Dfx

    It wouldn't surprise me if some sort of lawsuit coming out of one of the involved parties surfaces over the next month or so.

    I'm just saying.

    It wouldn't surprise me either way.

    Drama, thy name art videogame development.

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    ltwood12

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    #184  Edited By ltwood12

    Best of luck to those guys.

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    sweetz

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    #185  Edited By sweetz

    I don't blame EA. It seemed obvious the moment that the Bioware Dr.s sold the company to EA that they were just looking for a big check to retire on. You never sell a successful company you built from nothing to a big corporate entity for any other reason.

    Thank god that Gabe Newell is still interested in helming Valve. The moment he's ready to cash in his chips will be dark times :(

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    CrystaljDesign

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    #186  Edited By CrystaljDesign

    @pbhawks45 said:

    How much of an impact does this really have, though? It had seemed like their influence on the studio had greatly diminished over the years. Seems more symbolic, though I could be totally wrong.

    This was my understanding as well. In any case, it looks like the industry (EA) sapped the energy they had for making games but thankfully these are 2 extremely smart dudes and have all sorts of other things to occupy their time with!

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    Funkydupe

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    #187  Edited By Funkydupe

    Terrible news. This makes me sad.

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    striderno9

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    #188  Edited By striderno9

    I wonder if being partnered with EA has something to do with it.

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    MeatSim

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    #189  Edited By MeatSim

    Making games can be grueling work so I can understand if someone wants to move on and do something new.

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    CptBedlam

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    #190  Edited By CptBedlam

    So, looks like this German website was right about the doctors leaving then.

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    Foil1212

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    #191  Edited By Foil1212

    I'd watch a video series about craft beer. That sounds awesome!

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    mackgyver

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    #192  Edited By mackgyver

    Damnit! I wonder if Bioware will last with their current reputation without them.

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    AndrewB

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    #193  Edited By AndrewB

    The only sad part is that they won't be involved in making games (at least for awhile). Otherwise, I'd be ecstatic to see them leave and start the new project of their dreams. I mean, hopefully that's what they *will* be doing, even if their dreams don't involve video games.

    Maybe the fear of losing the whole of Bioware will force EA to ease up a little. I'd still be interested in seeing what the team(s) there could do under a different leader. I still fear the worst, but I'm often pessimistic.

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    Icecreamjones

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    #194  Edited By Icecreamjones

    What do these guys ACTUALLY DO? I have no idea, they aren only credited as Executive Producers on everything from Shattered Steel on - in other words they never actually made the games themselves. I don't want them on Obsidian games either, they already have far better team leaders in place.

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    EchoForge

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    #195  Edited By EchoForge

    Thanks for the memories, docs. It started with KOTOR on Xbox for me, then Jade Empire, the Mass Effects and then Dragon Age Origins. Between Bethesda and Bioware as we knew it, I'll always appreciate how you introduced choice-based RPGs to the masses over the last decade or so. Long live the king(s)!

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    dofferos

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    #196  Edited By dofferos

    I havn't enjoyed any bioware game that was created solely under EA's management as much as those created before.Atleast there are still other companies developing AAA rpg's. I wonder how much remains of the old staff and their ideals?

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    Hector

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    #197  Edited By Hector

    This is all that's left.

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    Novis

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    #198  Edited By Novis

    Wow. Didn't see this coming at all. Well, hope Bioware will be alright after this. EA can suck it though (j/k. I don't want anyone to lose their jobs.)

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    ArbitraryWater

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    #199  Edited By ArbitraryWater

    @ProfessorEss said:

    I'll always have to wonder if they were just "done", if it was corporate bullshit with EA or if they were just tired of dealing with this industry and it's childish fans.

    Probably all 3. They were going to leave at some point anyways and the constant whining of their fans and the overbearing directives of their corporate overlords just served as additional motivation.

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    lockload

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    #200  Edited By lockload

    EA would have required them to stay on for a number of years following biowares sale to EA. Im dure this was always their plan to get away from EA as soon as they could they dont seem like the kind of people who want to work for someone else

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