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Inventor Profile: Dr Ray Muzyka & Dr. Greg Zeschuk

BioWare Corp.

After 10 years in the computer game trenches, by 2005 Edmonton-based BioWare Corp. has found itself the most highly regarded role-playing computer game company in the world, with well-known titles as Baldur’s Gate and Neverwinter Nights to its credit. As its 2003 release Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic was attaining best-seller status, founders and co-CEOs Dr. Ray Muzyka and Dr. Greg Zeschuk were already developing a new game for Microsoft Xbox players. After 3½ years of work, the release in April 2005 of the martial arts-heavy Jade Empire cemented the company’s reputation.

Even pre-release reports were full of acclaim for the game that would be the company’s first solely owned intellectual property. Until the release of Jade Empire, BioWare’s work was developed under licensing agreements with other companies such as film director and producer George Lucas’ LucasArts Entertainment.

"I played an early version last week," wrote Scott Coulbourne in the Globe and Mail, "and I can only say the massive hype in the gaming press—there isn’t a preview or poll that doesn’t put Jade at or near the top of the list for most-anticipated game—is completely justified. It reinvents the way games tell stories, and it’s going to be huge."

In fact, the company would become so busy developing Jade Empire, that it turned down the further George Lucas contract to develop Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith, a game to accompany the final film in the Star Wars cycle.

Alberta Innovation 2001 Video: Game Gurus

The Heritage Community Foundation is pleased to present this feature video segment from the Alberta Innovation 2001 documentary courtesy of Alberta Innovation and Science.

From the popular Baldur's Gate trilogy to the newest Star Wars computer game, the exciting products by BioWare Corporation are making this Edmonton company one of the fastest growing in Canada. Watch it

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