BioWare Interview
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MTV Multiplayer: What things are you fixing in (Mass Effect 2″?
Muzyka: One of things that we definitely listen to is fan feedback. We got a lot of feedback about small things and big things in (ME1,) and we're basically trying to look at all the feedback we've gotten. So some of it is about amping up the intensity of the action. (ME2″ is an RPG but it's a shooter-RPG. We're really focusing on the intensity of the action experience. And also, tightening the exploration. Uncharted worlds, they're still optional but we want to make all of them feel important and feel like they're all augmenting and improving your main passage through the game. They're still optional but you're going to really feel rewarded for having gone through them. It's a much tighter experience as a result. Moment-to-moment intensity, being able to grab control of the conversations that we didn't do in the first game. Small things too, like reducing the elevator speed times and things like that. Those are important to fans. We recognize that.
Zeschuk: Part of making a game is the long learning process, learnng how to use the tools and technology, particularly when it's all new. Now that we've learned all of that, we apply what we learned to the sequel.
Muzyka: And even change the content pipeline to enable a bigger game in many ways by actually having a very tight, technically optimal experience. We're really striving for that. And just the depth of the game is stunning. I think when you see it you'll be excited. The fans will be excited.
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brianszabelski: What direction would you like to see BioWare go next? More games like Mass Effect and KOTOR, or expand into new genres?
Muzyka: It's interesting they say (Mass Effect) and (KOTOR) because even those are kind of different in some ways, like space fantasy versus a little harder-edged sci fi. And (Mass Effect 2″ is arguably a RPG-shooter. You will see more stuff along the veins of (Mass Effect 2.) You'll see more stuff along the vein of (Dragon Age: Origins.) You'll see more stuff from our MMO team ["The Old Republic] and there's stuff we haven't announced yet that's different from all of those.
Zeschuk: Anything we do will be story-driven. That's actually one of the most important things to appeal to the emotional elements of our audience. That's our focus going forward.
Muzyka: We want players to feel something. They're having that great experience but also having that chill down their neck as they play the games, and feel like they're getting great value. And we're never satisfied; we're never going to release a game that we don't believe ourselves is better than what we've done before.
(Mass Effect 2,) I'm really excited about it because it's really taking the (Mass Effect) franchise to another level. (Dragon Age) is taking stuff we've done in the past with (Baldur's Gate) and (Neverwinter Nights) to a new level, kind of mashing together the best of features. It's a pretty exciting combination. (The Old Republic) is advancing the MMO field, I think as a whole. But not disrespectfully none of these games are done without a lot of respect to their past, either BioWare games that were before or our competitors' games that we have a lot of respect for. We're just trying to make what we do better and strive to make each game better than the last.
