BioWare/Pandemic Celebrate Success in 2005
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BioWare/Pandemic Studios Celebrates Creative, Commercial Success in 2005
LOS ANGELES & EDMONTON, Alberta--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 7, 2006--BioWare/Pandemic Studios celebrates a banner year in 2005 with four top ten titles, including three original games. The company, one of the world's largest independent video game developers, is proud to have received more than 50 industry awards as well as rave reviews from customers and critics alike.
Highlights include:
Mercenaries(TM), developed by Pandemic in Los Angeles and published by LucasArts, was the best-selling game based on a new intellectual property for all of 2005, according to NPD. This innovative 3rd-person action-shooter also received an IGN.com "Editor's Choice Award," scoring an impressive 9.1.
Jade Empire(TM), developed by BioWare in Edmonton and published by Microsoft, was IGN's Xbox Game of the Year and one of the top sellers for Xbox in 2005. IGN called Jade Empire "the greatest RPG on Xbox" and rated it a near perfect 9.9 (out of 10). The Associated Press named Jade Empire to its list of the Best Games of 2005, while Metacritic tabbed it as their RPG of the Year and, at the Ninth Annual Interactive Achievement Awards, it was awarded Game of the Year in the RPG category.
Star Wars Battlefront(TM) II, developed by Pandemic in Los Angeles and published by LucasArts, made history by surpassing its predecessor, Star Wars Battlefront(TM) to become the best-selling Star Wars(TM) video game of all time. With more than 4 million units sold to date, Battlefront(TM) II was ranked by NPD as the second best-selling game in the United States for 2005 despite having been on the shelf for only two months.
Destroy All Humans!(TM), developed by Pandemic in Brisbane and published by THQ, sold more than one million copies adding to the impressive roster of successful original titles the studios are known for. The innovative twist on the classic science fiction flying saucer genre has been delighting critics with its sleek retro design and snappy, irreverent humor. Hailed by Team Xbox as, "Utterly unique and delectable."
In addition to the awards received for their titles, the studios themselves received significant industry honors. Pandemic Studios was named the "Best Overall Developer for PS2" by IGN, and BioWare was honored as one of "Canada's Top 100 Employers" for the third year in a row.
"We are truly honored to be sitting amongst our most valued publishing partners on the 'best of' lists," said Josh Resnick, president of Pandemic Studios. "The best-selling entertainment our studios have been releasing over the past few years is made possible by the passion and applied genius of some of the best talent in our industry. At both BioWare and Pandemic, the team ethic is at the center of our success."
BioWare/Pandemic Studios' strategy is to continue to invest and take the creative risks to produce exceptional new games, and in particular, new intellectual properties. Collectively, the studios have sold more than 28 million copies of games accounting for more than $800 million in revenue.
"And, the best still lies ahead for BioWare/Pandemic," added Ray Muzyka, joint CEO of BioWare Corp. "The advent of next generation platforms opens up new vistas for us to experiment with new approaches and fresh ideas. By pushing the limits of these new worlds and building 'event' products, and by continually focusing on creating the best place for team-oriented talent, we will continue to drive innovation in the industry and deliver top-quality games to our valued community of fans."
In November 2005, Elevation Partners, a private equity firm, announced the formation of BioWare/Pandemic Studios, a creative and management partnership of two leading independent video game developers. The joint investment, including future capital needs, is more than $300 million. The companies each have two co-founders, and under the deal, all four became shareholders and senior executives in BioWare/Pandemic Studios. The combined group comprises close to 500 employees, with offices in Los Angeles, Edmonton, Canada, and Brisbane, Australia.
About BioWare/Pandemic Studios
BioWare/Pandemic Studios was formed through the fusion of two industry powerhouses and private equity firm, Elevation Partners. A leader in the action/adventure category, Pandemic joined forces in 2005 with BioWare, a company known for its role-playing games rich in story and character. Co-equal and complementary, the newly partnered video game studios are working both in tandem and separately to develop new, original titles as well as continuing to leverage the licensed franchises and owned-IP each is known for including: Mercenaries(TM), Destroy All Humans!(TM), Full Spectrum Warrior(TM), and Star Wars Battlefront(TM) II from Pandemic and Mass Effect(TM), Dragon Age(TM), Baldur's Gate(TM), Neverwinter Nights(TM), Star Wars®: Knights of the Old Republic(TM) and Jade Empire(TM) from BioWare. Focused on next-generation platforms to create bold new concepts in entertainment, the studios are located in Los Angeles, California; Brisbane, Australia; and Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. For more information, please visit www.bioware.pandemicstudios.com.
