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Mass Effect lead writer Drew Karpyshyn joins ex-BioWare vets' new Wizards of the Coast studio Archetype Entertainment.

IbizaPocholo

NeoGAFs Kent Brockman

Back in January, Magic: The Gathering publisher Wizards of the Coast unveiled Archetype Entertainment, a new video game development studio particularly notable for the fact that it's being helmed by two ex-BioWare veterans - and now Mass Effect 1 and 2 lead writer Drew Karpyshyn has confirmed that he's joined the team too.

Announcing his new position at Archetype in a post on his blog, Karpyshyn wrote, "When I started at BioWare, everything was fresh and exciting. It was a dream job - talented people working together to create epic games like Baldur's Gate, KOTOR, Mass Effect and Dragon Age. But as we grew and became more successful, things changed. We became more corporate. We were less able to make what we loved, and the teams were pushed to create games based on market research rather than our creative instincts and passions. My dream job became just a job, and I lost the enthusiasm and excitement I once had.

"But with Archetype, my passion has been rekindled. The feel in the studio reminds me of my early days at BioWare; I can feel the magic in the air. And even though I can't get too deep into the specifics of what we're working on yet, we're already generating plenty of excitement in the industry. I know we have big shoes to fill. With BioWare, I was part of a legacy that will endure forever. We created some of the most beloved CRPGs of the past two decades. But I truly believe at Archetype we have the talent and the opportunity to do something just as amazing!".

Although Archetype's first project is still largely shrouded in mystery, it's confirmed to be a "multi-platform roleplaying game set in a new science fiction universe".
 

Humdinger

Member
Cool. I was not aware of this studio. I'm glad their game will be multiplatform, which I assume means consoles will be included.

I liked his description of his experience at Bioware:

Karpyshyn wrote, "When I started at BioWare, everything was fresh and exciting. It was a dream job - talented people working together to create epic games like Baldur's Gate, KOTOR, Mass Effect and Dragon Age. But as we grew and became more successful, things changed. We became more corporate. We were less able to make what we loved, and the teams were pushed to create games based on market research rather than our creative instincts and passions. My dream job became just a job, and I lost the enthusiasm and excitement I once had.

"But with Archetype, my passion has been rekindled. The feel in the studio reminds me of my early days at BioWare.
 
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