14 DAY TRIAL // Electronic Arts has taken the decision to create a single group, made up by Mythic and BioWare, which is set to handle all development related to role playing games and massive multiplayer online titles. It's not clear what impact the move will have on the staff of the two studios but it is already being felt at the top of the two developers.
Ray Muzyka, who is one of the co-founders of BioWare, is set to become the Group General Manager of the new entity, while Mythic will provide the man for the role of General Manager, in the person of Rob Denton, co-founder and Chief Operations Officer for the studio. Greg Zeschuk, also from BioWare, should become Chief Creative Officer. At the moment, the new corporate entity is not announcing any new projects.
Apparently, Mark Jacobs, the president and public face of Mythic, has chosen not to take part in the new development and announced that June 23 was his last day at Electronic Arts. He is now saying that he is on “sabbatical” and has revealed plans for the future. We will probably see him founding a new videogame development company.
The projects ongoing at the two entities will continue as until now. BioWare is hard at work creating role playing games Dragon Age: Origins and Mass Effect 2, while also developing the MMO Star Wars: The Old Republic. Meanwhile, Mythic is continuing to offer new content and updates for its MMO Warhammer: Age of Reckoning.
It's interesting to note that Mythic does not have a long-term project announced, so the new move, paired with Mark Jacobs’ leaving, might be paving the way for Mythic to be absorbed by BioWare altogether. Electronic Arts is well known for consolidating developers or even closing them down after they are acquired.