BioWare Begins Development for Handhelds

September 19, 2006, 9:07 am EDT
Total comments: 20

New DS title on the way from the company behind KOTOR and Mass Effect.

BioWare Forms New Handheld Game Group

Leading Game Developer Now Recruiting For New Nintendo DS(TM) Project

EDMONTON, AB, Sept. 19 /PRNewswire/ -- BioWare, a leading video game developer, has announced the formation of a new handheld game development group. Their first game will be produced for the Nintendo DS system and marks BioWare's debut in the handheld game space.

The group will be led by project director, Dan Tudge, former president and founder of independent video game developer, Exile Interactive, Inc. Dan has overseen development of AAA titles for such major publishers as Nintendo, Microsoft, THQ and Sega Sports.

"We're thrilled to have Dan leading our new handheld group," said Ray Muzyka, CEO of BioWare. "Dan has an exceptional pedigree of game development, and we're excited to have him bring his proven track record of successful games to BioWare's new DS project!"

Listed among Canada's Top 100 Employers(x) three years in a row, BioWare has begun actively recruiting for its new handheld team.

"As always, we are committed to creating the best story-driven games in the world, and the Nintendo DS offers us an exciting new platform to engage," said Greg Zeschuk, president of BioWare. "The new project offers tremendous opportunities, and we're looking for talented and passionate developers to become part of that."

Details about available positions for BioWare's handheld group can be found at http://www.bioware.com/bioware_info/jobs/edmonton_jobs/.

Talkback

JonLeungSeptember 19, 2006

I live in Edmonton and want a new job. Hmmm...

StrellSeptember 19, 2006

Awesome.

Now we can have non-Japanese pretentious RPGs.

KDR_11kSeptember 19, 2006

Bring on Baldur's Gate DS.

KaironCarmine Red, Associate EditorSeptember 19, 2006

Quote
Originally posted by: Strell
Awesome.

Now we can have non-Japanese pretentious RPGs.

Yay. Bring on the D&D-spawned generic american fantasy concepts.

~Carmine M. Red
Kairon@aol.com

P.S. But, like a good non-biased consumer and wanting-to-be-helpful Nintendo fanboi, I'll need to check this out.

PopeRealSeptember 19, 2006

Why the sarcasm? I think this is awesome news. Oh wait, I logged onto the "sarcastic, negative nancy site" I forgot....

Anyway I for one think they will make some cool DS games. Now if only Blizzard would jump on board.....

ShyGuySeptember 19, 2006

sarcastic-negative-nancy.com <---- Gentlemen, I believe we have discovered the new site name!

Jome20September 19, 2006

Quote
Originally posted by: PopeReal
Why the sarcasm? I think this is awesome news. Oh wait, I logged onto the "sarcastic, negative nancy site" I forgot....

Anyway I for one think they will make some cool DS games. Now if only Blizzard would jump on board.....

I think the negative comment was mainly a retaliation from the poster who was tired of Japanese RPGs being the exact same.

But at the same time Japanese RPGs tend to be most people's favorites, where would we all be without the likes of Final Fantasy, Dragon Quest, the Tales series, etc.

I don't think that they were really hating on BioWare specifically but that he preferred traditional Japanese RPGs.

I thought KOTOR was great and Mass Effect looks incredible. So if they're going to start making DS games, I think that can only be a good thing for DS owners whether you're interested in American RPGs or not.

CericSeptember 19, 2006

Starcraft Ghost: DS Coming out really... I think so... Well Maybe... Just go play WoW.

I pledge to fill to the utmost the purpose and intentions reflected from the new name. It is not just my right but duty to uphold the new name in every way possible.

WuTangTurtleSeptember 19, 2006

unless bioware is gonna take the THQ route and license up some cartoon show and just use the DS as a profit giving wh@re that it is. Here's hoping they they go the original route and make something totally brand new.

KDR_11kSeptember 19, 2006

Ceric: What does SC Ghost have to do with this?

Viewtiful marioSeptember 19, 2006

Though it would be nice if they made a Wii game this is still good news. I guess you can't have everything.

Unfortunetly for me the Wii has been taking my money with it's awsomeness, I don't know when it's going to be the next time I buy a DS game.

CericSeptember 19, 2006

From: PopeReal

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Now if only Blizzard would jump on board.....

IceColdSeptember 19, 2006

Huh, I didn't know they were based in Edmonton.. Learn something new every day, I guess.

KDR_11kSeptember 19, 2006

Sure they didn't just open the Edmonton location along with their handheld division?

IceColdSeptember 19, 2006

Well, I read this..

Quote
Listed among Canada's Top 100 Employers(x) three years in a row, BioWare has begun actively recruiting for its new handheld team.

..so I assumed that they had been there for a while. Or at least somewhere in Canada. Which I didn't know, either..

BloodworthDaniel Bloodworth, Staff AlumnusSeptember 19, 2006

I met Ray Muzyka at a bar in Vegas years ago, and it wasn't until I got home that I read his business card and saw who he was.

PryopizmStan Ferguson, Staff AlumnusSeptember 20, 2006

This is good news. I love BioWare.

chaingunsofdoomSeptember 20, 2006

They've been in Edmonton since their founding in 1995. I think when they merged with Pandemic they acquired more sites/offices around the US.

DjunknownSeptember 20, 2006

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Dan has overseen development of AAA titles for such major publishers as Nintendo, Microsoft, THQ and Sega Sports.

Wonder what Nintendo and Microsoft titles he was involved in...

Bioware's been a on a roll for the last couple of years. They've been good on quality, and I don't expect this to be any different.

This sounds like its a ways off if they're still looking for people. They still need a lead designer! I wouldn't be surprised if this comes out in 2008-2009.