BioWare Gets a New Boss

[Andy Chalk]

BioWare Gets a New Boss

Electronic Arts has made Matthew Bromberg the new big dog at BioWare.

BioWare has been a ship without a captain for almost a full year now, since co-founders Greg Zeschuk and Ray Muzyka departure [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/119650-BioWare-Co-Founders-Retire].

Bromberg will assume the role of Group General Manager of the BioWare label, giving him overall responsibility for BioWare Austin, Bioware Canada (Edmonton and Montreal) and the Victory and Waystone studios. Aaryn Flynn remains in charge at BioWare Canada, while Star Wars: The Old Republic producer Jeff Hickman will take over as the new GM at BioWare Austin.

As general manager at BioWare Austin, Bromberg guided the studio through the process of transitioning Star Wars: The Old Republic from a subscription-based MMO to a free-to-play model.

Source: VentureBeat [http://venturebeat.com/2013/09/09/ea-names-new-chief-of-bioware-label-exclusive/]


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[saintdane05]

He is Matthew Bromberg, of EA. Resistance is Futile. From this time forward, your games, as you know it, have ended.

 

[sid]

his achievements

were managing MLG

and making Old Republic f2p

Nope, I can't, this is too much, it's over, it's all over.

 

[misg]

RIP Bioware you'll be missed.

 

[Goofguy]

Here's hoping this change will usher in a whole new golden era of Bioware releases. Maybe this guy is just what the company needs to help reinvent and reinvigorate itself. One can hope, can they not?

 

[kael013]

[quote/]Matthew Bromberg, formerly the CEO of Major League Gaming

As general manager at BioWare Austin, Bromberg guided the studio through the process of transitioning Star Wars: The Old Republic from a subscription-based MMO to a free-to-play model.[/quote]

This guy's got experience running a tournament organization (which doesn't line up with running a game dev company)and is responsible for a f2p model so restrictive you have to sub just to function (unless you enjoy constantly being under-leveled and having to pay RL money to buy end-game gear).

I have a bad feeling about this...

 

[Ticklefist]

I've been somewhat surprised by and forgiving of EA lately but a move like this only serves to remind me of why they needed that forgiveness in the first place.

 

[Fappy]

Here's hoping this change will usher in a whole new golden era of Bioware releases. Maybe this guy is just what the company needs to help reinvent and reinvigorate itself. One can hope, can they not?

One can hope, yes. Hopefully such hope will not lead to further pain and suffering, however.

Bioware's future is bleak. For the internet at large I think it's safe to say Bioware will live or die on the success of Dragon Age 3.

 

[Andy Chalk]

I don't want to dump on Bromberg at this early juncture, he may or may not prove to be the leader BioWare needs right now, but from a sentimental (and creative) standpoint, it's disappointing that Aaryn Flynn didn't get the gig. Guy's been with BioWare since 2000 and Baldur's Gate 2 - although maybe that worked against him in this case.

 

[tmande2nd]

So his claim to fame is that he made the single WORST F2P model for an MMO ever?
One that punishes you for not paying every month, and basically gives you the middle finger from start to finish?

Yeah I foresee GREAT things in the future of Bioware.

 

[Storm Dragon]

Yeah, I think EA deserves this:


Thanks, eSults!

 

[mechalynx]

It has finally happened! I can finally say that apart from a small bit of schaudenfreude I have zero fucks to give about EA putting another slug in my once favorite dev.

Call me crazy, but I kinda wanted Casey Hudson for the job as a way of promoting him away from anything creative. I mean, he can manage a team well enough, but he can't art worth a shit.

 

[PedroSteckecilo]

He's pretty much just a guy who already knows the basic workings of the company... really... that's not a big deal...

 

[Tony2077]

meh i will play the games if they interest me

 

[tautologico]

I wonder if they chose a guy from eSports because it means he's probably already used to death threats and all the aggressive negativity BioWare has been getting? In the Polygon piece about criticism and negativity from gamers, Zeschuk basically admitted that it was part of the reason for him leaving BioWare.

 

[gmaverick019_v1legacy]

I don't want to dump on Bromberg at this early juncture, he may or may not prove to be the leader BioWare needs right now, but from a sentimental (and creative) standpoint, it's disappointing that Aaryn Flynn didn't get the gig. Guy's been with BioWare since 2000 and Baldur's Gate 2 - although maybe that worked against him in this case.

given your avatar, i can't believe you didn't make "i am assuming direct control of this form" joke in there!

OT: will be interesting to see if this changes any directions that Bioware is taking with their games.

 

[martyrdrebel27]

Another nail in the coffin... Another reason to reinforce my moral embargo on everything EA.

 

[Yuuki]

Oh come on guys, don't be all negative like that. The CEO =/= the entire development team of designers, artists & writers. He's at the very top call the big decisions, but I don't see why he would stop Bioware games from being Bioware games.