Bioware working on Nintendo DS title

[Morgoth]

Bioware forms handheld development group

 

Edmonton, Alberta, Canada (September 19, 2006) - BioWare, a leading video game developer, has announced the formation of a new handheld game development group. Their first game will be produced for the Nintendo DS system and marks BioWare's debut in the handheld game space.

 

The group will be led by project director, Dan Tudge, former president and founder of independent video game developer, Exile Interactive, Inc. Dan has overseen development of AAA titles for such major publishers as Nintendo, Microsoft, THQ and Sega Sports.

 

"We're thrilled to have Dan leading our new handheld group," said Ray Muzyka, CEO of BioWare. "Dan has an exceptional pedigree of game development, and we're excited to have him bring his proven track record of successful games to BioWare's new DS project!"

 

Listed among Canada's Top 100 Employers* three years in a row, BioWare has begun actively recruiting for its new handheld team.

 

"As always, we are committed to creating the best story-driven games in the world, and the Nintendo DS offers us an exciting new platform to engage," said Greg Zeschuk, president of BioWare. "The new project offers tremendous opportunities, and we're looking for talented and passionate developers to become part of that."

 

Details about available positions for BioWare's handheld group can be found at http://www.bioware.com/bioware_info/jobs/edmonton_jobs/

 

 

No surprise. Consoles, PC, MMO, and now handhelds. Bio's now teh ultimate dev house! Now they only need to invent a hologram-game where I could have...

 

I hope they don't port any BG game to the DS, because I've already played them to death. Of course, the price would first have to drop under ~80 Euros or so (Ebay maybe?) before I get such a toy.

[Llyranor]

Bringing the PC RPG equation into a portable format is pretty neat. The dual screen and stylus can work well for featuring lots of text and menu-based interface. Since I already have a DS, I'll be keeping an eye on this. What would be cooler is if Obs was making DS titles.

[Volourn]

BIO wants it all, I guess! WOWSERS!

 

I don't do handhelds really; but between this in D&D Tatics; I dunno, might have to change my mind. That said, which handheld is D&D Tatics for? A different one, I think? If so, damn...

[Morgoth]

Tactics is for the PSP.

 

But the DS owns the PSP! Double screen means having the game on the top screen, and dialog options on the lower screen for example. The PSP doesn't have that functionality.

 

 

Oh, does anybody know what hardware the DS has inside? Is it a Gamecube equivalent? Like the PSP basically has PS2 hardware?

Edited September 19, 2006 by Morgoth

[Volourn]

Damn. That's worthless then. They need to have them both on the same system. Gah.

[Llyranor]

Who's making DnD Tactics? Some no-name company that Atari picked up?

 

Essentially, DS is a N64 equivalent. PSP is PS2 equivalent. It's touchscreen + dualscreen + mic + games vs power + console ports + price + loading times.

[Morgoth]

N64 equivalent huh? The only two games I've ever played with my neighbor on a N64 were Mario Cart and Golden Eye - in multiplayer - and I tell you we had a hell of fun! So well, the hardware isn't that bad then.

[Darque]

Go Bioware

[Llyranor]

N64 equivalent huh? The only two games I've ever played with my neighbor on a N64 were Mario Cart and Golden Eye - in multiplayer - and I tell you we had a hell of fun! So well, the hardware isn't that bad then.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Graphically, the DS looks fine. It does 2D wonderfully well, and is decent at 3D. The PSP does 3D better, but as mentioned above, it's more powerful.

[Kaftan Barlast]

The good thing about this is that developing for the DS is so simple that it wont require more than a handful of people, so BioWare will still have time to make real games.

[Morgoth]

They're establishing an own team for handhelds that is devoted to make handheld-games exclusively...so they don't need to take away people from, let's say Mass Effect. LOL. Like 5 people taking away would hurt such a big team anyway.

But then again, it's Bio. They aren't minimalists. So I foresee a team of at least 100 people just for one handheld game! With motion capturing and detailed facial expressions! That's right! :D

[Dark_Raven]

The good thing about this is that developing for the DS is so simple that it wont require more than a handful of people, so BioWare will still have time to make real games.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

They need to stick to making real games period. <_<

[mkreku]

First good news I've heard about Bioware in a long time. Their simplistic type of games would work great on the DS. I have a friend who owns a DS Lite that I can borrow. Would be fun to play a handheld linear cinematic RPG with a story about someone suffering from amnesia and waking up in some sort of school.. )

[Llyranor]

Bioware is hiring for their handheld team.

 

http://www.bioware.com/bioware_info/jobs/p...t_director.html

 

I don't see anything in that description hinting at what type of game/setting it'll be.

 

http://www.bioware.com/bioware_info/jobs/p...held_group.html

 

Experienced in the production of licensed properties.

Experience in the design of successful games targeted at the Japanese market is preferred.

Familiarity with the fantasy genre and role-playing games is a must.

 

Hmm, a JRPG? Given how the DS is breaking all kinds of sales records in Japan, it makes economic sense to target that area. I wonder how Bioware's style of pseudomultibranching storytelling would be received over there. Perhaps this could be the boost the JRPG genre needs in terms of sticking out of their strictly linear mindset ( I generalize lol).

Edited September 20, 2006 by Llyranor

[Darque]

Sounds good to me

[Pop]

Handhelds tend to lend themselves towards traditional RPGs. I could see Bioware getting into that. Hopefully they don't let that spill over into their PC ventures. I hate traditional RPGs.

[karka]

I think it will be a Jade Empire title. Probably a prequel.

[metadigital]

Makes perfect economic sense to create a jRPG, in fact it would be foolish to make anything else!

 

Why would a jRPG not work on a handheld? As opposed to a PC?

[Dark_Raven]

It would suck. You want to play NWN on a handheld?

[metadigital]

Um, you are now saying that all (RPG) games would not be enjoyable. Which is patently the reverse of the evidence. The comment was not "games on handheld versus games on PC", it was "what sort of RPG on the handheld".

[Surreptishus]

It would suck. You want to play NWN on a handheld?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Is it the fact that its a console that bothers you?

[alanschu]

Not to take things too off topic, but handheld and cell phone games are perfect candidates for the more "traditional" CRPG style. You'll get your isometric views and whatnot more easily there.

[Volourn]

Handheld games are fine. Cell phones games are a NO!

 

I want to actually see a screen.

 

It's too bad BIO isn't making a game for the PSP as that would give me two reasons to buy a handheld machine - a BIO game + D&D Tatics.

 

But, DS? Meh.

[Surreptishus]

Not to take things too off topic, but handheld and cell phone games are perfect candidates for the more "traditional" CRPG style.  You'll get your isometric views and whatnot more easily there.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

I was getting to that...

 

Since some poeple see those types of games as the heyday of RPGs, a handheld would be money well spent.

[J.E. Sawyer]

The good thing about this is that developing for the DS is so simple that it wont require more than a handful of people, so BioWare will still have time to make real games.

My eyes just rolled back so far in my head that my optic nerves snapped and now I can't spellcheck this post.