RPG Vault Focus: Major MMO Studio Startups #2

The second installment to RPG Vault's "major MMO studio startups" feature focuses on the creation of BioWare Austin, bringing us through the company's inception to their decision to develop Star Wars: The Old Republic.
Of course, our aspiration wasn't going to happen without teaming up with a company that was committed to quality. And while there is plenty of talk by studios about shipping games that have this characteristic, very few actually walk the talk when it comes to delivering them. So, we were very fortunate to meet with Greg Zeschuk and Ray Muzyka of BioWare right as they were getting ready to consider an MMO.

While an aspiration to do something together is certainly a great starting point, we wanted more than that. Making MMOs takes years of dedicated, high-intensity work, which means you need deep compatibility among all the principals who are involved. We had both run studios in locations remote from the head office before, and so we knew many of the potential pitfalls. We really wanted to b sure we could build one with a culture that would be fully aligned with the mother company, as clashes are one of the major pitfalls in running a satellite. When we visited BioWare in Edmonton, we were positively astounded at the environment and people we found there. Before the end of our stay, we knew it was a great fit.