Archetype Entertainment - A Message from Drew Karpyshyn
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We already knew that Drew Karpyshyn joined some of his ex-BioWare colleagues over at Archetype Entertainment to work on new RPGs for Wizards of the Coast, but we can now also check out this post on his personal blog that talks about this new development in his career and even mentions some of the reasons for his departure from BioWare. Here it is:
Wow. It’s been a loooong time since I updated this page. The past couple years have been busy for me; I worked on a number of different projects. Some, like the Odyssey of the Dragonlords RPG campaign, were wildly successful. Other projects, like my work as a writer for the interactive narrative mobile app Storyscape, didn’t pan out.
Unfortunately, Storyscape was cancelled after only a year. I was lucky enough to have my series – Edge of Extinction – get published before the app went dark, but it sucks knowing it’s gone now. A lot of talented people were involved in my project and the other Storyscape titles (Titanic, X-Files, Life 2.0, Eternal City), and I thought we had something with real potential. But sometimes the video game industry is a harsh and unforgiving environment. (Maybe that’s what inspired me to write Edge of Extinction?) If you want to get a sense of what we were doing and how it resonated with fans you can check out the Storyscape Reddit… but it might make you long for what was lost.
Fortunately for me, I have another gig now. I’m proud to announce that I’m the lead writer for Archetype Entertainment! Founded by James Ohlen – the creative genius behind BioWare hits like Baldur’s Gate, KOTOR and Dragon Age – Archetype is a new video game studio under the Wizards of the Coast umbrella… and I haven’t been this excited to work on a project in a long, long time! (Side note: I’ve always enjoyed working with WotC; they even published my first novel!)
I’ve been in the video game industry for twenty years now. When I started at BioWare, everything was fresh and exciting. It was a dream job – talented people working together to create epic games like Baldur’s Gate, KOTOR, Mass Effect and Dragon Age. But as we grew and became more successful, things changed. We became more corporate. We were less able to make what we loved, and the teams were pushed to create games based on market research rather than our creative instincts and passions. My dream job became just a job, and I lost the enthusiasm and excitement I once had.
But with Archetype, my passion has been rekindled. The feel in the studio reminds me of my early days at BioWare; I can feel the magic in the air. And even though I can’t get too deep into the specifics of what we’re working on yet,we’re already generating plenty of excitement in the industry.
I know we have big shoes to fill. With BioWare, I was part of a legacy that will endure forever. We created some of the most beloved CRPGs of the past two decades. But I truly believe at Archetype we have the talent and the opportunity to do something just as amazing!
This journey is only beginning, and I know it will be long and challenging. But for the first time in a long time, I can’t wait to travel down this path again!
