BioWare/Pandemic Acquisition Q&A #2

Another BioWare/Pandemic acquisition interview has hit the web, and this time it's with Ray Muzyka and Greg Zeschuk over at GameSpot.
GS: You said you still think of yourself as being independent, even though you're now owned by EA. So what exactly, besides the fact you're obviously wealthier, has changed under the deal? Will day-to-day operations at BioWare change at all?

RM: Well, we can achieve more. We've got more opportunities, more resources for the great development and marketing teams here to take advantage of. We're also a lot more direct to the consumer now, since we're part of the publisher. It's going to allow us to fulfill our mission statement of making the best story-driven games in the world, even better than before. Nothing's going to change about that, since we're really passionate about that, and that's in line with what we've heard from John in the values and mission he's expressed.

GS: So is the name going to still be BioWare or is going to become "EA BioWare"?

GZ: Well we're still BioWare....

Every game developer wants to make money, sure, but let's not forget about respect and all of the other good people that have poured their lives into the company.

BioWare will become "EA Canada," "EA Edmonton," "EA Austin," or some other witty derivative in no time. Of course, that's only if they don't start shutting down offices "they don't need" like they did to DICE.