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Former SWTOR BioWare Dev Hired for New Wizards of the Coast Studio & IP

SBFordSBFord Former Associate EditorMember LegendaryPosts: 33,129
edited April 2019 in News & Features Discussion

imageFormer SWTOR BioWare Dev Hired for New Wizards of the Coast Studio & IP

Former BioWare and Star Wars: The Old Republic developer James Ohlen has been hired by Wizards of the Coast to head up a new development studio. Ohlen was also instrumental as lead designer and creative director on Neverwinter Nights and Baldur's Gate. After he left BioWare in July 2018, Ohlen was working in the tabletop gaming industry at his studio, Arcanum Worlds. The new WotC studio will be located in Austin and will "focus on the creation of a new intellectual property".

Read the full story here



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Comments

  • XarkoXarko Member EpicPosts: 1,180
    Perhaps we might still see some "Bioware" games in the future after all.
    Klikae
  • RelampagoRelampago Member UncommonPosts: 451
    All the IP owned by WoTC and they are creating a new studio and starting with building new IP? How about get your sea legs as a new team underneath you with some projects with current IP then with the wind in the sails put in the effort to develop new IP and systems.
    Caffynated
  • RelampagoRelampago Member UncommonPosts: 451
    According to Chris Cocks "We really don't know what to do with our biggest IP..."
  • 3dom3dom Member RarePosts: 889
    That SWTOR abomination made me avoid all BioWare / EA games after they've used horrendous Hero engine + demanded $15 ransom to unlock functionality on my account after F2P transition.

    Just name the project so I could put it into ignore list.
    [Deleted User]GdemamiKlikae

    Thank you for your time!

  • alkarionlogalkarionlog Member EpicPosts: 3,584
    this one is hard, at first what he did looks good and I did liked both games, but then we see the old republic on it and that give me a bad feeling.

    so mixed signals here the most recent was uterly garbage, so the question is will he pull the old days glory, or keep the garbage comming?
    AlomarGdemamiSolancerKlikae
    FOR HONOR, FOR FREEDOM.... and for some money.
  • PhryPhry Member LegendaryPosts: 11,004
    After all the damage done to the MTG IP, the only real potential i see here is that there is a good chance it will be another random dumpster fire. WotC have been on my never touch/ignore list for quite a while now, if anything good came of this i would be utterly shocked :/
    Ozmodan
  • azarhalazarhal Member RarePosts: 1,402
    edited April 2019
    I find the "former developer" tag a bit understated, James Ohlen was the Studio Creative Director at BioWare, which is pretty much number two behind the studio manager.

    The place he was at, Arcanum Worlds, is currently doing a kickstarter and it's pretty much riding on him being the one making it. I wonder what this new jobs means for Arcanum Worlds.
    gervaise1[Deleted User]
  • LobotomistLobotomist Member EpicPosts: 5,981
    Ok. Finally some interesting news



  • BlinkennBlinkenn Member UncommonPosts: 166
    another dinosaur of the industry that's trying to capture lightning in a bottle again, hint: it didnt work in swtor
    JeffSpicoliOzmodanKlikae
  • SovrathSovrath Member LegendaryPosts: 32,938
    Blinkenn said:
    another dinosaur of the industry that's trying to capture lightning in a bottle again, hint: it didnt work in swtor
    He should just retire or do something else because he helped make a one game some people didn't like?

    Or he can continue to hone his craft, learn from his past mistakes and continue to do what he loves?


    rojoArcueidTacticalZombeh
    Like Skyrim? Need more content? Try my Skyrim mod "Godfred's Tomb." 

    Godfred's Tomb Trailer: https://youtu.be/-nsXGddj_4w


    Original Skyrim: https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/109547

    Try the "Special Edition." 'Cause it's "Special." https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/64878/?tab=description

    Serph toze kindly has started a walk-through. https://youtu.be/UIelCK-lldo 
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 0
    The user and all related content has been deleted.
  • KellerKeller Member UncommonPosts: 602
    I rather see one good online D&D game without micro-transactions. SWOTOR with its class stories was actually really good imo. 
    Gorwe
  • AmatheAmathe Member LegendaryPosts: 7,630
    If this ends up being a Battle Royale game, a MOBA, or a mobile game, I am going to cry real tears and it won't be pretty.
    MadFrenchiesschruppOzmodan

    EQ1, EQ2, SWG, SWTOR, GW, GW2 CoH, CoV, FFXI, WoW, CO, War,TSW and a slew of free trials and beta tests

  • XasapisXasapis Member RarePosts: 6,337

    Rhoklaw said:


    3dom said:

    That SWTOR abomination made me avoid all BioWare / EA games after they've used horrendous Hero engine + demanded $15 ransom to unlock functionality on my account after F2P transition.



    Just name the project so I could put it into ignore list.


    In case you weren't around during the early years of MMOs, that $15 a month was called a subscription.



    And nowadays it ended up being a lot cheaper than any "F2P" model on the market.
    GdemamisschruppTacticalZombeh
  • mmrvmmrv Member RarePosts: 305

    Sovrath said:


    Blinkenn said:

    another dinosaur of the industry that's trying to capture lightning in a bottle again, hint: it didnt work in swtor


    He should just retire or do something else because he helped make a one game some people didn't like?

    Or he can continue to hone his craft, learn from his past mistakes and continue to do what he loves?





    He didn't tell him to retire he simply suggested there is nothing to be excited about the hiring of an individual that in his opinion hasn't produced anything of note beyond a one off "lightning in a bottle".

    Honestly maybe there is hope for this industry as some of the consumers are finally getting a back bone and demanding more. Sorry that this silly marketing hype isn't going to sell 1 billion pre orders? I mean that is the entire premise of these silly announcements... How about just hire your staff, produce a quality product and let the hype follow? NAAA lets keep spewing out empty hype and rhetoric and then blame the consumers over and over for having unreasonable expectations..you know a fully working product that contains all of the marketed functions and features.
    MendelAlomarGdemamiSolancer
  • SovrathSovrath Member LegendaryPosts: 32,938
    mmrv said:

    Sovrath said:


    Blinkenn said:

    another dinosaur of the industry that's trying to capture lightning in a bottle again, hint: it didnt work in swtor


    He should just retire or do something else because he helped make a one game some people didn't like?

    Or he can continue to hone his craft, learn from his past mistakes and continue to do what he loves?





    He didn't tell him to retire he simply suggested there is nothing to be excited about the hiring of an individual that in his opinion hasn't produced anything of note beyond a one off "lightning in a bottle".

    Honestly maybe there is hope for this industry as some of the consumers are finally getting a back bone and demanding more. Sorry that this silly marketing hype isn't going to sell 1 billion pre orders? I mean that is the entire premise of these silly announcements... How about just hire your staff, produce a quality product and let the hype follow? NAAA lets keep spewing out empty hype and rhetoric and then blame the consumers over and over for having unreasonable expectations..you know a fully working product that contains all of the marketed functions and features.
    It sounded to me like he was saying don't try. That's never an option. Try dammit, try!

    Maybe the next game will be even better. Otherwise people just have their one hit and that's it? 

    Not a way to live.
    Like Skyrim? Need more content? Try my Skyrim mod "Godfred's Tomb." 

    Godfred's Tomb Trailer: https://youtu.be/-nsXGddj_4w


    Original Skyrim: https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/109547

    Try the "Special Edition." 'Cause it's "Special." https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/64878/?tab=description

    Serph toze kindly has started a walk-through. https://youtu.be/UIelCK-lldo 
  • MendelMendel Member LegendaryPosts: 5,609
    A new IP?  Totally new and original or an WotC IP without any substantial computer gaming presence, such as Gamma World?

    I'd like to see a new IP.  A large scale Steam punk game, maybe.



    Sovrath

    Logic, my dear, merely enables one to be wrong with great authority.

  • BruceYeeBruceYee Member EpicPosts: 2,556
    Just a reminder that he was the only one at BW to give details on why SWTOR budget was so high and how that money was spent.

    Wizards is Hasbro right? Don't they own Transformers and GI Joe?

    I don't see anything bad coming from this and after how well they made MTG Arena I think there's a possibility whatever it is it'll be a step toward a bigger, more stable online catalogue for them.
  • IsilithTehrothIsilithTehroth Member RarePosts: 616
    Swtor was a turd, only good thing was the voice acting and storyline the rest of the game abysmal garbage. Hell I remember one of the main hubs was a placed next to a picture of WoW's and it was a copy. What we need is a Shalandar mmorpg.
    Gdemami

    MurderHerd

  • Mylan12Mylan12 Member UncommonPosts: 288

    mmrv said:



    Sovrath said:




    Blinkenn said:


    another dinosaur of the industry that's trying to capture lightning in a bottle again, hint: it didnt work in swtor




    He should just retire or do something else because he helped make a one game some people didn't like?

    Or he can continue to hone his craft, learn from his past mistakes and continue to do what he loves?








    He didn't tell him to retire he simply suggested there is nothing to be excited about the hiring of an individual that in his opinion hasn't produced anything of note beyond a one off "lightning in a bottle".



    Honestly maybe there is hope for this industry as some of the consumers are finally getting a back bone and demanding more. Sorry that this silly marketing hype isn't going to sell 1 billion pre orders? I mean that is the entire premise of these silly announcements... How about just hire your staff, produce a quality product and let the hype follow? NAAA lets keep spewing out empty hype and rhetoric and then blame the consumers over and over for having unreasonable expectations..you know a fully working product that contains all of the marketed functions and features.



    I not sure where this one game thing is coming from. So he was involved in one game that you didn't like. The characters stories were good in my opinion but the rest of the game sucked.

    He was also lead designer on Baldur's Gate 1 and 2. He was also lead designer on Neverwinter
    Nights, Knights of the Old Republic, and Dragon Age: Origins.
    I think if they stay away from trying to make a MMORPG and stick with a single player RPG that something good might be developed.
    They have not hyped a game yet and this is news so the gaming sites will report on it.
    Now if they start over hyping a game from day one that is years from release then I agree with you.
    Unless I missed it in the fine print somewhere, I did not see anything about the game that is going to be produced other than what IPs it is not going to be based on.
    Sovrathmoshra
  • rojoArcueidrojoArcueid Member EpicPosts: 10,722

    Sovrath said:


    Blinkenn said:

    another dinosaur of the industry that's trying to capture lightning in a bottle again, hint: it didnt work in swtor


    He should just retire or do something else because he helped make a one game some people didn't like?

    Or he can continue to hone his craft, learn from his past mistakes and continue to do what he loves?





    Agreed. I find it funny how a person who worked in many great games suddenly becomes a black sheep because 1 game didn't result as good as all the previous ones. The internet is a wonderful thing.
    SovrathTacticalZombehJeleenaOzmodan




  • sschruppsschrupp Member UncommonPosts: 694
    I could go for a technology/sci-fi-ish MMO. Something like Tabula Rasa, Auto-Assault, or Earth & Beyond.
  • FlyinDutchman87FlyinDutchman87 Member UncommonPosts: 336
    A collectable card turn based battle royal game.....



    a CCTBBR
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