Interview Voodoo Extreme talks to the BioWare duo

[Spazmo]

Tags: BioWare

<a href="http://www.ve3d.com">VoodooExtreme</a> has put up an <a href=http://ve3d.ign.com/articles/551/551714p1.html>interview</a> with the infamous BioWare doctors, Greg Zeschuk and Ray Muzyka. It discusses a bunch of BioWare-related things, from the Unreal 3 engine licensing to Jade Empire to BioWare's dream sequels. Here a bit about the titles licensed to Obsidian.
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<blockquote>VE3D - Speaking of outsourced titles, how is Neverwinter Nights 2 and Knights of the Old Republic 2 shaping up?
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Dr. Greg Zeschuk: We're not able to disclose any secret information about those games, but we can certainly talk about our development partner in those products. Obsidian Entertainment is a really excellent group with which we've had a very long relationship. The majority of people at Obsidian are ex-Interplay and Black Isle employees that have worked with our engine technology in the past on titles like Planescape: Torment and the Icewind Dale series. We've got a lot of confidence in their ability to make great games. Also, the BioWare fan community of over 2 million people still follows these new titles, so we expect BioWare fans to be able to continue their enjoyment of those franchises we helped to launch.</blockquote>
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It's a good thing BioWare has all these new franchises cooking. Obsidian will have sequels to make for years!

 

[Mr. Teatime]

Obsidian started sucking about the time Feargus started his recent interviews, and completed their road to suckiness when their forums were overun with NWN2 fanboys.

 

[tilting_msh]

I don't understand why Obsidian gets so much flack from some people for making sequels. They're a fledgling company, so one would think that getting their hands on a couple high-profile, extremely sucessful franchises would be a good thing, not to mention a damn smart business move. From what I've heard on the boards, etc, Obsidian will be able to use $$ from making these games to have the resources to put out their own IP. Is this not a good thing?

 

[The Pope]

Jade Empire, Dragon Age and the unannounced projects are the ideal games that BioWare should be creating.

This would imply that there's more than one unannounced game, or am I reading too much in that?

What do you think the Eclipse Engine will be used for? BG3?

 

[jiujitsu]

I sure hope so..

 

[Diogo Ribeiro]

Jade Empire, Dragon Age and the unannounced projects are the ideal games that BioWare should be creating.

This would imply that there's more than one unannounced game, or am I reading too much in that?

At the time, Bioware isn't developing BG3. They may, or may not develop it in the future. As for the unannounced titles, speculation suggests that one is Star Citadel, which had its title registered some time ago.

What do you think the Eclipse Engine will be used for? BG3?

Maybe SC.

 

[Sol Invictus]

Actually, Star Citadel is likely using the UE3 engine, as Eclipse isn't anywhere close to completion.

 

[Diogo Ribeiro]

That's interesting to know. With all the branding about of the engine's name, I thought it would be closer to being complete.

 

[Volourn]

"At the time, Bioware isn't developing BG3. They may, or may not develop it in the future."

geez.. How's the BIo checque? You soudned almost 100% like a BIO weenies there.

The Eclipse Engine sounds eerily like the perfect engine for BG3... even though I know nothing about what the actual engine is capable of. LOL

Poor Obsidian. getting picked on; but what do they care. They have 2 *almost* surefire hits on their ahnds. I doubt they're crying about crybaby fans who whine about them making evil sequels.

 

[Avin]

you know, volo, i always think that you became a bio fanboy when you first saw old bio website with the two dudes logo... :p

 

[Volourn]

LOL How old is that site? Was I evena round then? The only two dudes I know of our Timmy and Tommy who are in the shower right now...

 

[Sol Invictus]

I'm actually looking forward to KOTOR 2, though nowhere as much as NWN2. I'm really interested in seeing what Avellone and the gang can do with that. KOTOR 2 seems okay, from a story point of view, but the textures don't look that hot. At first, I thought it was just because they were using X-Box screenshots, but as Saint pointed out to me in #fallout, the screenshots from KOTOR 1 looked a lot better than KOTOR 2 ever did, XBox or not. I'm kind of worried about that, to tell the truth.

Their render of that Mira girl didn't look so hot, either. She looked nothing like the concept art and looked more like a used 40 year old prostitute with a handcannon.

 

[Azael]

Fun game: Count the number of superlatives used by the good doctors to describe a) BioWare b) the technology they're developing c) their games. Bonus round: count the number of times they mention their 2 million+ member community.

 

[Neverwhere]

we're working on the martial arts action-RPG, Jade Empire (to be published by Microsoft for Xbox in Q1 2005); the epic fantasy RPG for PC, Dragon Age (no publisher yet announced); plus a third, as-yet unannounced new IP which will be powered by the UnrealEngine3 which we've been discussing. We're also working on another very advanced technology of our own (the BioWare Eclipse Engine) which will power multiple titles in the future, plus some very cool BioWare Community/Live Team content which will be digitally distributed to our 2 million+ fans on the BioWare Community (more information to be revealed later about this last initiative!)

So those people who thought that the fifth team was the live team are indeed proven right.

I'm happy that the two docs are game developers and not politicians. Even as it is, their propaganda is way more obnoxious than any elections.

 

[Astromarine]

the way these guys talk about IPs instead of settings makes me gnash my teeth in frustration. Where are the developers with passion for their creations?

 

[DemonKing]

Where are the developers with passion for their creations?

They starved to death long ago...

 

[Volourn]

"the way these guys talk about IPs instead of settings makes me gnash my teeth in frustration. Where are the developers with passion for their creations?"


Huh/ There are many things to complain about when it comes to the two BIO doctors; but the passions they ahve for making games shouldn't be one of them. In all their interviews; they sound more like fanboys than game company owners. Stop taking a fit because they used one silly word over another silly word.

 

[Diogo Ribeiro]

I think the folks at Bioware have shown they have a passion for their games... but its likely not the passion some of us are thinking of.

 

[Astromarine]

IP is a very specific word, not a silly interchangeable term. It has legal and commercial connotations, while setting has creative ones. The vibe I get is that they are developing business oportunities first and good games second. I may be ong, but that's the vibe. You're the fanboy, though, so maybe you know your idols more than me. I reserve the right to throw fits at will, though. Because I can and you can't stop me

 

[Volourn]

"Because I can and you can't stop me"

If you give me your address, i can. :wink:


"IP is a very specific word, not a silly interchangeable term."

I'm not gonna fight over words - this time - but attittude. All their interviews they come across as loving their work in crafting their games. In fact, considering how much they tend to "over-hype" shows exaxctly how much they love their games. Yoru point is mistaken.

And, no, they aren't my idols. i have only 4 idols - Mark Messier, Hulk Hogan, Stephen King and me. :twisted:

 

[Whipporowill]

Someone should start taking down everything Volo reveals about itself and use it for profiling - so we finally know what kind of alien we're dealing with here.

 

[Diogo Ribeiro]

Well, so far, we know Ted had mansecks on his prom with Timothy McNoob, Visceris rejected some anal loving from Vol, and one of his idols is Hulk Hogan.

WHAT KIND OF FIEND ARE WE TALKING ABOUT HERE?

 

[Elwro]

i have only 4 idols - Mark Messier, :

GO OILERS 111!!!

 

[Volourn]

No. GO RANGERS!!! (thoguht hey suck now.. there gonna miss the play-offs for a 8th straight year this year)

 

[Saint_Proverbius]

From what I've heard on the boards, etc, Obsidian will be able to use $$ from making these games to have the resources to put out their own IP. Is this not a good thing?

This is pretty much the same argument Feargus gave during the development of IWD. They always need a little more money so they can get back to making Good Stuff(tm).