Deep within a western Canadian province known for big skies, majestic mountains, and golden fields, BioWare was born.
A true Canadian success story, BioWare's humble beginnings make its achievements all the more remarkable. The unlikely merging of medicine and computer games as impetus for a start-up company is not as strange as you might think. Drs. Greg Zeschuk, Ray Muzyka, and Augustine Yip may have met in medical school, but it was their shared love of computer games, animation, and comics that cemented their future partnership. Prior to founding BioWare, they estimate that, between the three of them, they played every computer game ever made. Not as easy to do as you would think, considering they had medical school to attend to.
Ray and Greg started programming medical education software for the University of Alberta’s Faculty of Medicine in 1994 during their residency in family medicine. Augustine brought his artistic chops to the partnership shortly thereafter. The trio’s first project, the Acid-Base Simulator, was completed while they were still in residency. After graduation, Ray and Greg were appointed Research Associates in the Division of Studies in Medical Education. Their second and final medical project, the Gastroenterology Patient Simulator, was completed in 1995. Not quite content to sit on their stethoscopes, the trio realized that their need to express themselves creatively was pulling them in a different direction. They hooked up with a talented group of game programmers and artists, and BioWare Corp. became a reality on February 1, 1995 in a small room in Greg’s basement.
BioWare’s first big commercial release was a mech-style game called Shattered Steel (October, 1996), which was developed with a Calgary subcontractor, Pyrotek Game Studios. Using a powerful graphics engine that created a reality not yet seen in video games, its demo garnered the attention of Interplay Productions, a computer game publisher headquartered in Irvine, California. Interplay saw potential in the talented and hardworking group of designers, artists, and programmers, and signed BioWare to a multi-game agreement. Since 1995, BioWare has created some of the world's most critically acclaimed video games, including Baldur's Gate™, Neverwinter Nights™, Star Wars ™: Knights of the Old Republic™, Jade Empire™, Mass Effect™ and Dragon Age™. In 2008, BioWare was acquired by Electronic Arts, a leading global interactive entertainment publisher. Currently announced projects at BioWare include Dragon Age: Dreadwolf™, the next installment of our epic RPG franchise whose last entry earned Game of the Year accolades in 2014. We are also working on the next Mass Effect™ game, one of the highest-rated video game franchises of all time.
BioWare's story continues to evolve. It is our goal to create a work environment that is hardworking and fun. We want staff to feel that they belong to an organization that cares about them as individuals and encourages teamwork and common goals. Our mission is Creating Worlds of Adventure, Conflict, and Companionship that Inspire You to Become the Hero of Your Story. We invite you to join us on the journey.
