http://www.shacknews.com/article/75223/rumor-zeschuk-leaves-star-wars-the-old-republic-dev#

 

"BioWare doc Greg Zeschuk has left the Austin studio responsible for the struggling Star Wars: The Old Republic MMO to move back to Edmonton and spend more time with his family and think about other projects."

 

"GamersGlobal's sources also said the BioWare Austin team is afraid it may loses its BioWare identity and become EA Austin amid mounting 'internal pressure.' Subscriptions for The Old Republic have dropped below 1 million, and the game is going free-to-play to try to bring back many of the players that have moved on. While EA has said the game is still above the break-even point of 500,000 subscribers, it has termed the game's performance 'disappointing.'"

 

The top comments in the comment section:

 

"The ship be sinking"

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The "spending more time with my family" excuse is code for "this job sucks and Im quitting"

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Or, if you're a politician, "I got caught doing something immoral, so I'm quitting rather than dealing with media crap forever".

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I took it as "Now go home and think about what you've done, and what you can do to make it up to us!"

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"They had the makings of a mighty, independent studio like Valve and Epic. Their decision to be bought by Elevation partners (which then included the current CEO of EA... funny how that all worked out) and then Elevation selling them to EA looks like the beginning of the end. Looking back it seems to me that even EA hasn't been the same since they bough Bioware/Pandemic from Elevation Partners and the Elevation Partners CEO moved into be EA CEO, John Riccitiello.

Or course the hubris of trying to develop a Star Wars MMO (let alone one based on an original Xbox franchise) is what will ultimately do in Bioware as an entity inside EA, I believe. One Doc leaving is only the tip of the iceberg I believe.

If EA thinks the Bioware brand is tarnished and they rebrand the Austin studio, its only a matter of time before Bioware as an entity disappears inside EA.

Of course I could be wrong and Doc Greg probably left because its so FREAKING HOT here in TX and as a Canadian he just couldn't handle it ."
 

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I think you'll seen more fallout soon, despite what the fans want to believe this title is really underperforming compared to the lofty expecations expected for it and heads are going to roll.

This really was supposed to be the WOW killer folks, failing at that there's going to be a lot of shock and awe for a while.

 

Originally posted by Kyleran

I think you'll seen more fallout soon, despite what the fans want to believe this title is really underperforming compared to the lofty expecations expected for it and heads are going to roll.

This really was supposed to be the WOW killer folks, failing at that there's going to be a lot of shock and awe for a while.

 

What do you care what the fans think? If they are enjoying the game who gives a crap.

Originally posted by keithian

Originally posted by Kyleran

I think you'll seen more fallout soon, despite what the fans want to believe this title is really underperforming compared to the lofty expecations expected for it and heads are going to roll.

This really was supposed to be the WOW killer folks, failing at that there's going to be a lot of shock and awe for a while.

 

What do you care what the fans think? If they are enjoying the game who gives a crap.

What do you care what K. thinks? If he enjoys dicussing what is happening to Bioware Austin who gives a crap?

It's going F2P, they announced it already, I'm not sure what there is to "flee" now but please continue with the hyperbole.

Been there seen that. Bioware is done. The reverse midas touch of EA lives on.

Originally posted by tiefighter25

Originally posted by keithian

Originally posted by Kyleran

I think you'll seen more fallout soon, despite what the fans want to believe this title is really underperforming compared to the lofty expecations expected for it and heads are going to roll.

This really was supposed to be the WOW killer folks, failing at that there's going to be a lot of shock and awe for a while.

 

What do you care what the fans think? If they are enjoying the game who gives a crap.

What do you care what K. thinks? If he enjoys dicussing what is happening to Bioware Austin who gives a crap?

The question is, why would someone enjoy the demise of something people enjoy? The old argument used to be because someone felt they were somehow obligated to save people money. Now that it is going free to play, that no longer applies so people really need to find something better to do.

Originally posted by keithian

Originally posted by tiefighter25

Originally posted by keithian

Originally posted by Kyleran

I think you'll seen more fallout soon, despite what the fans want to believe this title is really underperforming compared to the lofty expecations expected for it and heads are going to roll.

This really was supposed to be the WOW killer folks, failing at that there's going to be a lot of shock and awe for a while.

 

What do you care what the fans think? If they are enjoying the game who gives a crap.

What do you care what K. thinks? If he enjoys dicussing what is happening to Bioware Austin who gives a crap?

The question is, why would someone enjoy the demise of something people enjoy? The old argument used to be because someone felt they were somehow obligated to save people money. Now that it is going free to play, that no longer applies so people really need to find something better to do.

Who said I enjoyed it, just was making a comment, something I tend to do once in a while on these forums.

Forum PVP, learn to play.

I think that's the same studio that  just changed from Bioware Austin to EA Austin.

Now internet rumors are swirling, speculating that Zeschuk has left BioWare completely. That's not the case. Zeschuk confirmed in an email to Gamasutra earlier this month:

"With regard to BioWare Austin, I handed off the leadership of the studio to Matthew Bromberg quite some time ago (back in May). Ray [Muzyka, BioWare co-founder] and I picked Matthew to take over and he's been doing a great job with the studio.

"My time in Austin was always planned to have a finite endpoint (my family was still living in Edmonton throughout my time in Austin) and now that I've handed the baton to Matt, I will be able to spend more time on a wider range of BioWare games rather than focusing on just one as I did with SWTOR."
http://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/175775/BioWares_Star_Wars_boss_takes_on_broader_role.php

Originally posted by keithian

Originally posted by tiefighter25

Originally posted by keithian

Originally posted by Kyleran

I think you'll seen more fallout soon, despite what the fans want to believe this title is really underperforming compared to the lofty expecations expected for it and heads are going to roll.

This really was supposed to be the WOW killer folks, failing at that there's going to be a lot of shock and awe for a while.

 

What do you care what the fans think? If they are enjoying the game who gives a crap.

What do you care what K. thinks? If he enjoys dicussing what is happening to Bioware Austin who gives a crap?

The question is, why would someone enjoy the demise of something people enjoy? The old argument used to be because someone felt they were somehow obligated to save people money. Now that it is going free to play, that no longer applies so people really need to find something better to do.

I can only speak for myself but the "enjoyment" (which it really isn't for me . . . it's more a sense of relief) is in seeing a shoddily made product, designed soley with greed in mind, fail. I'm extrememly happy this title is tanking. It serves to hold water to the argument that if this MMO were successful, other companies would be encouraged to cut corners and create the next LCD (lowest common denominator) MMO. This will cause other companies to reasses the quality of their product before they put it out to market. Maybe we'll have less MMOs marketed in the near future (in my opinion that's a very good thing as the market is super saturated), but there will be companies who come up with ideas that warrant laying out the huge expense an MMO requires to design.

It's a shame that people are losing their jobs, however, these same people have eyes and ears and can assess whether or not they're attached to a project that is a dog. And SWTOR had fleas since two years ago. There were innumerable arguments and facts demonstrating this.

Originally posted by Kakkzooka

Originally posted by keithian

Originally posted by tiefighter25

Originally posted by keithian

Originally posted by Kyleran

I think you'll seen more fallout soon, despite what the fans want to believe this title is really underperforming compared to the lofty expecations expected for it and heads are going to roll.

This really was supposed to be the WOW killer folks, failing at that there's going to be a lot of shock and awe for a while.

 

What do you care what the fans think? If they are enjoying the game who gives a crap.

What do you care what K. thinks? If he enjoys dicussing what is happening to Bioware Austin who gives a crap?

The question is, why would someone enjoy the demise of something people enjoy? The old argument used to be because someone felt they were somehow obligated to save people money. Now that it is going free to play, that no longer applies so people really need to find something better to do.

I can only speak for myself but the "enjoyment" (which it really isn't for me . . . it's more a sense of relief) is in seeing a shoddily made product, designed soley with greed in mind, fail. I'm extrememly happy this title is tanking. It serves to hold water to the argument that if this MMO were successful, other companies would be encouraged to cut corners and create the next LCD (lowest common denominator) MMO. This will cause other companies to reasses the quality of their product before they put it out to market. Maybe we'll have less MMOs marketed in the near future (in my opinion that's a very good thing as the market is super saturated), but there will be companies who come up with ideas that warrant laying out the huge expense an MMO requires to design.

It's a shame that people are losing their jobs, however, these same people have eyes and ears and can assess whether or not they're attached to a project that is a dog. And SWTOR had fleas since two years ago. There were innumerable arguments and facts demonstrating this.

Apart from the fact that outside this website there are people enjoying the game.  So your argument just makes you look selfish and delusional. 

Delusional because noone in the history of anything throws money at something with, 'new ideas'.  In your scenerio the likely reality, if all these games failed due to your nonapproval, would be noone with investment money would put it into gaming. They'd go find something else with better prospects.  I'm sure if that happened you'd come back on here and complain about there not being enough choices at the moment.

 

Originally posted by Reklaw
Now internet rumors are swirling, speculating that Zeschuk has left BioWare completely. That's not the case. Zeschuk confirmed in an email to Gamasutra earlier this month:

"With regard to BioWare Austin, I handed off the leadership of the studio to Matthew Bromberg quite some time ago (back in May). Ray [Muzyka, BioWare co-founder] and I picked Matthew to take over and he's been doing a great job with the studio.

"My time in Austin was always planned to have a finite endpoint (my family was still living in Edmonton throughout my time in Austin) and now that I've handed the baton to Matt, I will be able to spend more time on a wider range of BioWare games rather than focusing on just one as I did with SWTOR."
http://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/175775/BioWares_Star_Wars_boss_takes_on_broader_role.php

You had to go ruin what was gonna be excellent traffic bait with the truth.....  :)

Well depends on when he comes back to working on these new projects, and if Bioware Austin keeps the name Bioware Austin.

Of course, it could just be EA spent a boatload of money on this project, it isn't making them money, and so this is a way of removing him from direction of that game and bringing someone else in, and could be a way of quietly moving Zeschuk out the door.  /tinfoil.

We've already heard rumors that the good doctors are being ushered out the door at EA, this is just one of those shoes dropping.  Expect more news concerning those two in the near future would be my guess.  Muzyka hasn't been doing so great in Canada either.  Both of them are underperforming for EA, especially compared to where BioWare was when EA spent nearly a billion dollars on them.

Originally posted by iceman00

Originally posted by Reklaw
Now internet rumors are swirling, speculating that Zeschuk has left BioWare completely. That's not the case. Zeschuk confirmed in an email to Gamasutra earlier this month:

"With regard to BioWare Austin, I handed off the leadership of the studio to Matthew Bromberg quite some time ago (back in May). Ray [Muzyka, BioWare co-founder] and I picked Matthew to take over and he's been doing a great job with the studio.

"My time in Austin was always planned to have a finite endpoint (my family was still living in Edmonton throughout my time in Austin) and now that I've handed the baton to Matt, I will be able to spend more time on a wider range of BioWare games rather than focusing on just one as I did with SWTOR."
http://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/175775/BioWares_Star_Wars_boss_takes_on_broader_role.php

You had to go ruin what was gonna be excellent traffic bait with the truth.....  :)

Well depends on when he comes back to working on these new projects, and if Bioware Austin keeps the name Bioware Austin.

Of course, it could just be EA spent a boatload of money on this project, it isn't making them money, and so this is a way of removing him from direction of that game and bringing someone else in, and could be a way of quietly moving Zeschuk out the door.  /tinfoil.

 

Traffic bait with the truth?

 

The truth is, one of the co founders of Bioware is leaving one of the BIGGEST PROJECTS in its companies HISTORY. The truth is, SWTOR is a collosal failure and mess, those co-founders *should* be working overtime there. But like Kyleran said, heads are going to roll.

 

And then theres EA's PR spin. Who knows if that is the truth. "Taking a vacation"? Taking a vacation while your #1 investment is bombing is rational, right?

 

Plus, did you see who is taking over? He's an EA suit. A businessman, pure and simple. You know  EA's intent for SWTOR. I dont have to spell it out for you.

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Originally posted by keithian

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Originally posted by tiefighter25

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Originally posted by keithian

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Originally posted by Kyleran I think you'll seen more fallout soon, despite what the fans want to believe this title is really underperforming compared to the lofty expecations expected for it and heads are going to roll. This really was supposed to be the WOW killer folks, failing at that there's going to be a lot of shock and awe for a while.  

---

What do you care what the fans think? If they are enjoying the game who gives a crap.

---

What do you care what K. thinks? If he enjoys dicussing what is happening to Bioware Austin who gives a crap?

---

The question is, why would someone enjoy the demise of something people enjoy? The old argument used to be because someone felt they were somehow obligated to save people money. Now that it is going free to play, that no longer applies so people really need to find something better to do.

---

This is bad, and potentially good for the mmo genre in general. Something many of us care deeply about and are prone to discussing frequently.

Whether or not Bioware is EA Austin or Bioware is important to us.

Bioware could still crawl out with a reputation. A lot of us will never buy an EA Austin game.

This is why most of us stay here at mmorpg. while you can go scurry over to the swtor forums and be praised for supporting the game, this is one of the few places we can come to discuss these types of topics without getting them locked / banned.

So as someone else said, the real question should be why you come to a 3rd party website and care what the people there think? It's fine for you to care what we think .. except that your obvious hope would be to stop us from talking about it, which I have to wonder why you would want to do.

Originally posted by azmundai

 

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Originally posted by keithian

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Originally posted by tiefighter25

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Originally posted by keithian

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Originally posted by Kyleran I think you'll seen more fallout soon, despite what the fans want to believe this title is really underperforming compared to the lofty expecations expected for it and heads are going to roll. This really was supposed to be the WOW killer folks, failing at that there's going to be a lot of shock and awe for a while.  

---

What do you care what the fans think? If they are enjoying the game who gives a crap.

---

What do you care what K. thinks? If he enjoys dicussing what is happening to Bioware Austin who gives a crap?

---

The question is, why would someone enjoy the demise of something people enjoy? The old argument used to be because someone felt they were somehow obligated to save people money. Now that it is going free to play, that no longer applies so people really need to find something better to do.

---

 

This is bad, and potentially good for the mmo genre in general. Something many of us care deeply about and are prone to discussing frequently.

Whether or not Bioware is EA Austin or Bioware is important to us.

Bioware could still crawl out with a reputation. A lot of us will never buy an EA Austin game.

This is why most of us stay here at mmorpg. while you can go scurry over to the swtor forums and be praised for supporting the game, this is one of the few places we can come to discuss these types of topics without getting them locked / banned.

So as someone else said, the real question should be why you come to a 3rd party website and care what the people there think? It's fine for you to care what we think .. except that your obvious hope would be to stop us from talking about it, which I have to wonder why you would want to do.

 

Oh yes. Very good post. Agree 100%.

 

This is one of the few places where we can vent our opinions. This isnt like the nazi SWTOR forums with dictator Stanley Woo and other crazy mods STILL running around locking every thread that criticizes the game.

 

------ End of line?

 

The fact that they let him mod even after the complaints is such a disgrace. This alone tells me that Bioware Austin has truly lost its soul.

 

Such a disgrace.

The guy is from Edmonton. . Canada is another country.  He moved there to work on SWTOR and it is finished.  Even if it was a smash hit I would imagine he would have returned home.

Originally posted by Ghost12

Originally posted by iceman00

Originally posted by Reklaw
Now internet rumors are swirling, speculating that Zeschuk has left BioWare completely. That's not the case. Zeschuk confirmed in an email to Gamasutra earlier this month:

"With regard to BioWare Austin, I handed off the leadership of the studio to Matthew Bromberg quite some time ago (back in May). Ray [Muzyka, BioWare co-founder] and I picked Matthew to take over and he's been doing a great job with the studio.

"My time in Austin was always planned to have a finite endpoint (my family was still living in Edmonton throughout my time in Austin) and now that I've handed the baton to Matt, I will be able to spend more time on a wider range of BioWare games rather than focusing on just one as I did with SWTOR."
http://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/175775/BioWares_Star_Wars_boss_takes_on_broader_role.php

You had to go ruin what was gonna be excellent traffic bait with the truth.....  :)

Well depends on when he comes back to working on these new projects, and if Bioware Austin keeps the name Bioware Austin.

Of course, it could just be EA spent a boatload of money on this project, it isn't making them money, and so this is a way of removing him from direction of that game and bringing someone else in, and could be a way of quietly moving Zeschuk out the door.  /tinfoil.

 

Traffic bait with the truth?

 

The truth is, one of the co founders of Bioware is leaving one of the BIGGEST PROJECTS in its companies HISTORY. The truth is, SWTOR is a collosal failure and mess, those co-founders *should* be working overtime there. But like Kyleran said, heads are going to roll.

 

And then theres EA's PR spin. Who knows if that is the truth. "Taking a vacation"? Taking a vacation while your #1 investment is bombing is rational, right?

 

Plus, did you see who is taking over? He's an EA suit. A businessman, pure and simple. You know  EA's intent for SWTOR. I dont have to spell it out for you.

It is more that this was known for some time what was going down.  That he was leaving the top role at Bioware Austin and returning to other projects.  The issue is most likely a big fat nothingburger in that regard.  This wasn't something that happened out of the blue.  Since it was a planned move, it makes sense he takes some time off before beginning work on his next project.  The more conspiratorial one might be true, but it also might not.

Now what might be something is EA basically doing away with the Bioware brand name.  Given EA's track record, people have been calling that for awhile.  And putting an EA suit in charge (who has never had any connection to Bioware), well, even if they don't change the name, the link to Bioware is gone.

Now is this a good or a bad thing?  Nobody knows.  Personally, like the rest of the Bioware brass, I think success went to his head.  He began to believe the hype about Bioware, that they could do no wrong.  Hubris is not the fault of Electronic Arts.  Their sins truly are legion, but Bioware willingly signed with the devil.

   LMAO .. cant say I didnt warn yas that Bioware would be destroyed and dismantled by EA .. but many said i didnt know what i was talking about................  lol