BioWare to Open New Offices in Ireland

EA sent over a press release today announcing plans to open a new BioWare "customer service and operation center" in Galway, Ireland, which will help put the RPG developer in closer proximity to their European fanbase. My guess is that this is primarily for the upcoming launch of Star Wars: The Old Republic, but maybe it will help expand future BioWare Bazaar competitions, too:
EA to Open Customer Service Center in Galway, Ireland

Irish Government Welcomes Investment by Leading Interactive Entertainment Company

GENEVA--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Electronic Arts (NASDAQ:ERTS), today announced plans to open a European customer service and operations center for its BioWareâ„¢ studio, to be based in Galway, Ireland. The new facility will provide BioWare with greater proximity to European players. This investment is being supported by the Irish Government through IDA Ireland.

Welcoming today's announcement, the Prime Minister of Ireland, Taoiseach Brian Cowen TD said, (EA is the global leader in interactive entertainment and a very important addition to the thriving games industry in Ireland.)

(The new Irish location for BioWare will help us get closer to our fans in Europe,) said Dr. Ray Muzyka, Senior Vice President, EA and Group General Manager, BioWare. (Galway gives us the right mix of solid technology infrastructure and international recruitment opportunities as we continue to focus on bringing the highest quality gaming experiences to market.)

Barry O'Leary, CEO of IDA Ireland said, (EA joins a vibrant digital media sector and is a key endorsement of the skills and expertise available in Ireland for this sector.)

EA will maintain its existing BioWare studio locations in Edmonton, Montreal, Fairfax, Virginia and Austin, Texas. The new location in Galway is expected to be up and running in 2011, starting with roughly 200 staff.

The new Irish company is a wholly owned EA subsidiary. EA has existing European game teams based in Guildford, UK, Stockholm, Sweden, Ingelheim, Germany, Bucharest, Romania and Madrid, Spain.

For recruitment opportunities please visit: www.bioware.com/bioware_info/jobs

About Electronic Arts

Electronic Arts Inc. (EA), headquartered in Redwood City, California, is a leading global interactive entertainment software company. Founded in 1982, the Company develops, publishes, and distributes interactive software worldwide for video game systems, personal computers, wireless devices and the Internet. Electronic Arts markets its products under four brand names: EA SPORTSâ„¢, EAâ„¢, EA Mobileâ„¢ and POGOâ„¢. In fiscal 2010, EA posted GAAP net revenue of $3.7 billion and had 27 titles that sold more than one million units. EA's homepage and online game site is www.ea.com. More information about EA's products and full text of press releases can be found on the Internet at http://info.ea.com.
If you happen to live near the new offices or plan to move to Ireland soon, you may also want to check out their newly posted job listings.