Identity games

BioWare Montreal looks forward to
stepping out of its Edmonton-based
head office’s shadow

QUALITY CONTENT ON ITS WAY: Roy

by ERIK LEIJON

Few names carry as much weight in the gaming industry as venerated Edmonton-based developer BioWare—creators of Mass Effect, Baldur’s Gate and Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic—yet BioWare Montreal studio director Yanick Roy has found himself battling for respect in the studio’s quiet first year of existence.

“I tried to correct a Wikipedia entry,” recalls the 38-year-old Joliette native. “The entry said Mass Effect 2 was developed in collaboration with EA Montreal. I changed it to BioWare Montreal, only to have the person correct me and change it back to EA Montreal. I thought ‘Well, if you say so.’”

One could understand the confusion, as BioWare Montreal does share a space with EA Montreal in their Place Ville-Marie office, and BioWare was purchased by Electronic Arts in 2007. But beyond real estate and the HR/PR departments, the 23 employees who comprise the BioWare Montreal staff are their own team, working exclusively on the highly anticipated role-playing game Mass Effect 2 alongside their Edmonton big brothers. BioWare’s third studio started with a few employees developing cutscenes for the sci-fi sequel in late 2008, but has since become responsible for all of the game’s vast uncharted worlds, and following the title’s January 2010 launch, will be busy creating downloadable content.

“We’re looking to prove ourselves with each new responsibility we take on. In a year from now, we’ll be in a position where people will know we’re a studio because there will be content for Mass Effect 2 that we produced on our own. We hope for the recognition where everyone understands there are three distinct BioWare studios [there’s also a studio in Austin], not just a team helping out Edmonton.”

BioWare co-creators Ray Muzyka and Greg Zeschuk had been debating opening another studio for a few years, and Roy jumped at the opportunity to promote his native province as a worthy location. Originally a tax software engineer, Roy relocated to Edmonton for 13 years before returning last year. He served as senior product manager on the original Mass Effect, his first gaming industry job.

BioWare Montreal has been growing slowly, with half of its employees being transfers from the Edmonton office, but the ultimate goal is to be large enough to make their own original games. “There will be a few steps between now and then,” says Roy. “It won’t be tomorrow or next month, but when we do eventually release our first game, I want it to be obvious that it’s a BioWare game, but it has a unique flavour that could only come from Montreal.”