Dr. Greg Zeschuck, one of BioWare’s original co-founders, shared that Jade Empire, a classic RPG, could have become a whole series if not for Microsoft’s suggestions about its release. In an interview with the My Perfect Console podcast, as reported by GamesRadar, Zeschuck explained that it was Microsoft’s advice that caused Jade Empire to be overlooked.
Back in the spring of 2005, I was captivated by the release of the enchanting action RPG, Jade Empire, which graced both the original Xbox and PC platforms. Remarkably, this happened mere months before the grand debut of the Xbox 360 (November 2005), a console that would later gain massive popularity.
According to Zeschuk, Microsoft suggested that Jade Empire should be launched at the end of its development cycle, claiming it would be an ideal time. However, Zeschuk described this advice as disastrous, utterly foolish, and one of the worst decisions ever made.
It seems that Jade Empire was initially intended for release on the Xbox 360 instead of being exclusive to the original Xbox, due to Microsoft’s suggestions. In an interview, Zeschuck mentioned that BioWare might have utilized the additional time before the Xbox 360 launch to enhance the visuals of Jade Empire.
Zeschuk stated, ‘Allow us six months, and we could turn this into a launch title for the 360, thereby creating another franchise.’ Essentially, he believes that this product would have thrived better at the start of a new cycle rather than towards its end.
To provide a bit more background, BioWare had been collaborating extensively with Microsoft during that period, having created RPGs such as Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic specifically for the original Xbox. This collaboration persisted onto the Xbox 360, where the original Mass Effect made its debut first.
In that same interview, Zeschuck mentioned a hypothetical scenario where he and co-founder Ray Muzyka could have seized control within the company (EA), if their project – Star Wars: The Old Republic, an MMORPG in development at the time – had been incredibly profitable. Specifically, if the game had generated around $2 billion annually, they might have had the opportunity to take over EA.
For two-and-a-half years, I resided in Austin and worked on ‘Star Wars: The Old Republic.’ I realized then that it might have been a long-term commitment, as I put it,” said Zeschuk. “If the project had become incredibly or extremely successful, Ray and I might have attempted to seize control of EA from within, acting as corporate buccaneers. However, we needed sales of about $2 billion annually for that to happen. Unfortunately, things didn’t pan out as planned, so I just accepted it and moved on.
Zeschuck also expressed his feelings about working at EA, which made him understand his discomfort with being part of a large corporate system. Even though BioWare was achieving great success with games like Mass Effect and Dragon Age during that period, Zeschuck knew that he would eventually leave the company.
He stated that large corporations primarily aim to maximize profits from assets, and in the context of gaming, they focus on extracting as much money as possible from existing franchises. The majority of big North American companies are skilled at milking their investments rather than producing a multitude of new ones. However, he acknowledged early on that he enjoys developing games more than simply managing them.
Read More
- How to watch A Complete Unknown – is it streaming?
- USD VES PREDICTION
- LDO PREDICTION. LDO cryptocurrency
- INJ PREDICTION. INJ cryptocurrency
- USD MXN PREDICTION
- COW PREDICTION. COW cryptocurrency
- EUR HUF PREDICTION
- FIL PREDICTION. FIL cryptocurrency
- RLC PREDICTION. RLC cryptocurrency
- CRV PREDICTION. CRV cryptocurrency
2025-02-27 17:11