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View Full Version : Bioware working on two titles for Xbox 360

bandersnatch
08-30-2005, 11:37 PM
IGN reports (http://xbox360.ign.com/articles/646/646723p1.html) that Canadian developer Bioware is recruiting new staff for two original titles for the Xbox 360.

A BioWare spokesperson told IGN two unannounced games are being developed by two different BioWare teams. BioWare has a total of four teams at work currently. Though the spokesperson wouldn't reveal which games they are, both Microsoft Game Studios Executive Shane Kim and BioWare team members have said in the past that Jade Empire 2 (working title) is definitely in development.

"We have a couple of Xbox 360 titles in development right now," said a BioWare spokesperson. "But we're recruiting across the board for all four development teams. We have two teams working on Xbox 360 titles, one team on Dragon Age (for the PC), and one on digital distribution, which is ongoing content created for Neverwinter Nights."

The second BioWare 360 game is very likely the combination first-person shooter RPG BioWare spoke about with IGN in December (in which the developer said an FPS RPG was "inevitable"). This game is being built using Epic's upcoming Unreal Engine 3. We expect Microsoft and/or BioWare to announce this game sometime in 2006.Found via GameInsider (http://www.gameinsider.com/comments.php?id=1030&catid=1).
Oblivion
08-31-2005, 02:14 AM
unreal engine 3 combined with a FPS RPG from BioWare!
Zeal
08-31-2005, 02:25 AM
Jade Empire 2 = console war ovur.
Vandenh
08-31-2005, 02:35 AM
Cool... haven't missed any Bioware games yet... looks like this trend will continue.

Maybe NWN2 on 360? Might work well with the marketplace?
bean19
08-31-2005, 03:49 AM
After the original Jade Empire, Bioware is in my "not to be trusted even though I love MOST of their games" category.

-Horribly frequent loading (and really long loading).
-Incredibly simple and boring combat.
-Most basic and poorly told story I've ever seen from Bioware.

Excuse me if I'm not biting at the bit to play their sequel.
Hizawky
08-31-2005, 03:51 AM
Bioware became my new Squaresoft.

I bought a PS1 for Squaresoft.

I love my Xbox because of Bioware.
Taco
08-31-2005, 04:23 AM
More on the rail RPG gaming?
Zeal
08-31-2005, 04:25 AM
Bioware supposed Square long ago. KoTOR and Jade Empire were brilliant.
Vandenh
08-31-2005, 04:29 AM
>Jade Empire

Well I loved it.. since I have a lot of interest in China (yet strangely my gf is Japanese ;) an explosive combo) I was glad to finally have a game that tries to represent some sort of "old china legends" instead of the angst-ridden-apocalyptic Japanese teenage crap that seem to be the norm in non-western RPGs.

Jade Empire, Kotor, Fable, NWN and Morrowind were my most played RPGs last 4 years.
mister_slim
08-31-2005, 04:51 AM
How's the UE3 facial animation? Because that was my major problem with Jade Empire. Well, that and the sluggish combat.
EvilBob46
08-31-2005, 04:57 AM
Bioware supposed Square long ago. KoTOR and Jade Empire were brilliant.

You know, I think both Square and Bioware have fallen. KOTOR was pretty good, but Jade Empire? I think this poster about sums it up.


-Horribly frequent loading (and really long loading).
-Incredibly simple and boring combat.
-Most basic and poorly told story I've ever seen from Bioware.


Not to mention Neverwinter Nights, which despite having a cool MP mode didn't give people a decent singleplayer campaign until the 2nd expansion pack.

The only reason Bioware still manages to stand out is because of the general lack of notable RPG games these days (1? Just 1 completely original SP Final Fantasy game form Square in 5 years? The hell?)
Zeal
08-31-2005, 05:17 AM
I appreciated Jade Empire for what it was. My only complaint is that its combat system wasn't as deep as KoTOR's.

I'd also give anything for an in-house developed sequel to KoTOR.

KoTOR II was garbage, in my opinion.
Kelegacy
08-31-2005, 06:03 AM
After the original Jade Empire, Bioware is in my "not to be trusted even though I love MOST of their games" category.

-Horribly frequent loading (and really long loading).
-Incredibly simple and boring combat.
-Most basic and poorly told story I've ever seen from Bioware.

Excuse me if I'm not biting at the bit to play their sequel.

Agreed...no JE 2!! Or at least, change it up a little. Fun, but not marvelous like most of Bioware's stuff.
Frogleg Special
08-31-2005, 06:13 AM
Yay more RPG-Lite galore.

Where the hell is Dragon Age when you need it?
OUX
08-31-2005, 06:19 AM
It may just be me but I think the biggest problem that Bioware has had has been the endings to their games, just about all of them are the same to me.
Kelegacy
08-31-2005, 06:25 AM
Yay more RPG-Lite galore.

Where the hell is Dragon Age when you need it?

Or Baldur's Gate 3?
Xerxes
08-31-2005, 06:38 AM
Wait, a fps game where I'll be good or evil? Hmm does that mean shoot folks in the leg or something to be good?
The Iron Weasel
08-31-2005, 07:05 AM
I personally loved Jade Empire, sure it was no KOTOR, but it was a awesome game in its own respect, i thought the story was unique and great (well at least unique in its setting, and other such stuff, sure the combat was simple but i enjoyed it, and it had great graphics, so i personally enjoyed it immensily.
Worldcrafter
08-31-2005, 07:35 AM
This is all well and good, but I'm more excited about Oblivion and Gothic 3 (and Fallout 3). Oh, and Project Offset if that ever gets off the ground. I liked KotOR and Jade Empire, but I'm getting tired of these linear RPGs Square and Bioware keep making. I want a world I can get lost in while exploring, not one that throws up walls and just drags me along.
Morrolan
08-31-2005, 09:19 AM
Bioware still makes quality products, but they've certainly become less ambitious, in terms of the stories they want to tell. KotOR, for example, had a great PLOT, but the characters really weren't as interesting as, say, Irenicus. Still, the thought of Jade Empire 2 using UE3 is pretty erection-inducing.

Obsidian is looking to be the next truly great RPG developer, if anyone ever gives them time to finish a game. Anyone know if they snatched up any of the unemployed Troika people?
Kelegacy
08-31-2005, 09:30 AM
Bioware still makes quality products, but they've certainly become less ambitious, in terms of the stories they want to tell. KotOR, for example, had a great PLOT, but the characters really weren't as interesting as, say, Irenicus. Still, the thought of Jade Empire 2 using UE3 is pretty erection-inducing.

Obsidian is looking to be the next truly great RPG developer, if anyone ever gives them time to finish a game. Anyone know if they snatched up any of the unemployed Troika people?

Good point about Irenicus. Or Sarevok. Great characters. I havent been as huge a fan of their console RPG's as their PC ones. Still tight I guess, but just a bit watered down.
Liquidize105
08-31-2005, 10:24 AM
This is all well and good, but I'm more excited about Oblivion and Gothic 3 (and Fallout 3). Oh, and Project Offset if that ever gets off the ground. I liked KotOR and Jade Empire, but I'm getting tired of these linear RPGs Square and Bioware keep making. I want a world I can get lost in while exploring, not one that throws up walls and just drags me along.
Yeah me too: Oblivion, but The Witcher and Gothic3 most of all.

I think Project Offset is a FPS btw.
Xerxes
08-31-2005, 10:41 AM
Actually Project Offset is kinda like Oblivion. They say they are being unique but I mean Oblivion is fps if offset claims to be such. Shooting arrows, swords and crossbows seem pretty elder scrolls to me.
Liquidize105
08-31-2005, 11:07 AM
They specifically said it's a FPS set in a fantasy world. Oblivion is a 1st-person RPG like Deus Ex or Arx Fatalis.
Worldcrafter
08-31-2005, 12:24 PM
Ah. Somehow I heard FPS in a fantasy world and thought Elder Scrolls. Wouldn't Hexen be the first FPS in a fantasy world? I suppose it wasn't "epic".
bean19
08-31-2005, 02:06 PM
Ah. Somehow I heard FPS in a fantasy world and thought Elder Scrolls. Wouldn't Hexen be the first FPS in a fantasy world? I suppose it wasn't "epic".

Actually there was also The Wheel of Time (http://www.gamespot.com/pc/action/wheeloftime/review.html) that came out in October of 1999. I remember playing the demo and passing on the actual game (at the time I was pretty young and couldn't afford a graphics card that would make it run well. My PC barely rendered Team Fortress Classic at the then-impressive 800x600 resolution). This FPS was based on the popular "Wheel of Time" series authored by the Robert "Conan" Jordan.

This came out much later than Hexen of course. . . I remember decrying Hexen as a weak-ass Doom clone back in elementary school, and even then it was old.
Twigz'N'Berries
08-31-2005, 04:39 PM
Bioware is making a PS3 exclusive according to page 64 of Sep Electronic Gaming Monthly. I'm curious what it will be about...

Have they announced a Jade Empire 2 for 360?
Kelegacy
08-31-2005, 05:26 PM
Bioware is making a PS3 exclusive according to page 64 of Sep Electronic Gaming Monthly. I'm curious what it will be about...

Have they announced a Jade Empire 2 for 360?

I'm glad to see Bioware making an exclusive for the PS3. Not because I'm a fanboy, but because it shows they are not MS's whores...yet. Hopefully it's an RPG...
Twigz'N'Berries
08-31-2005, 07:00 PM
Isn't that a bit harsh?! Are all of the companies that make PS3 exclusives Sony's whores? Its all about business and what makes sense. MS should have just bought them out like it was rumored.
Kelegacy
08-31-2005, 08:03 PM
Isn't that a bit harsh?! Are all of the companies that make PS3 exclusives Sony's whores? Its all about business and what makes sense. MS should have just bought them out like it was rumored.

No. But I feared Bioware would forever release games like JE on the Xbox systems and never really expand. I feared they would leave the PC world behind for good (and still do a bit) and eventually be gobbled up by MS. I am not old, but the days of Baldur's Gate really ruined me for RPG's to come. Nothing can capture that magic, especially Bioware's Xbox offerings. At least Bethesda has stayed somewhat true to the genre, not sacrificing much in the transition over to consoles...or so I hope.

Sorry, I am/was a huge Bioware fan. Their Xbox focus soured me a bit since they havent released any PC games since NWN (besides console to PC ports). I just thought they'd cater to MS and ruin my outlook on them forever. I guess I secretly blame MS for that warped view, even if it's not entirely their fault. That said, I hope they release some huge, nonlinear games this generation to get me excited about them again.
BigJonno
09-01-2005, 03:45 AM
That said, I hope they release some huge, nonlinear games this generation to get me excited about them again.

Bingo. That's the problem with Bioware at the moment. They seem to be getting shorter and more linear all the time. In a couple of game's time it'll be.

Hero: "I am a humble spod."
Old Dude: "No, you actually have a great destiny. I'm going to die at some point, Catch ya later."
Bad Guy "Hahaha, I am your nemesis."
Hero: "I will now choose whether I am fighting for the greater good or for selfish reasons."
Bad Guy: "Let me now reveal your shocking connection to me."
Hero: "<keanureeves>Woah!</keanureeves> I must now question my entire life and spend ages talking to my friends."
Bad Guy: "I mock your pathetic choices, no matter what they are."
Hero: "I kill you now."
Bad Guy: "Uhh."

FIN
bean19
09-01-2005, 04:09 AM
Kelegacy - They'd have probably released KOTOR on every system had the other systems been able to handle it.

Just think how long those load times would have been on a PS2! Yeesh!

I hope Bioware hire some good engineers or gets more skills in that area. I'm convinced Jade Empire and KOTOR should not have taken so long to load in graphics.