The BioWare name has often been synonymous with RPGs, but games like Mass Effect 2 reveal a company broadening its efforts. This has forced the developer to recognize how RPG elements are becoming more prominent in numerous genres.
In a recent interview, Vice President and Co-founder Greg Zeschuk revealed his thoughts on the current fate of RPGs and how genres are no longer obvious and clear-cut.
"RPGs are and always have been our bread and butter, our heart is there, but at the same time I think – well, we had the RPG panel breakfast at GDC yesterday – and what was interesting about that was that we had the conversation about ‘what is an RPG’ and it’s a blend. The genres are blending right now, you’re getting lots and lots of progression and RPG elements in shooters – online persistence and so on," he said.
"It’s funny because the RPG in the context of the current world is – well, it’s not specifically irrelevant, but it’s becoming less relevant in and of itself. It’s more a function of ‘Hey, this game has a great story.’ [It’s important] for us having that emotion but also having other great features like combat and persistence of character progression and stuff."
This move away from genre labels isn’t surprising considering the changes made to Dragon Age II and Mass Effect 2. But if there’s one developer that seems capable of finding a middle ground, it’s BioWare.
[VG247]
