BioWare's Co-Founder Wants to Save Mass Effect With KOTOR's Director
Assembling a squad to save the galaxy. Shepard would approve of the recruitment mission.
The fight to save Mass Effect just picked up two big names from BioWare's past. Co-founder Trent Oster says he's looking into a way to rescue the studio's games after EA closed BioWare, and former creative director James Ohlen has already signed on as his "first recruit," according to VGC.
EA announced in October that it was closing BioWare and canceling the next Mass Effect game, which left Mass Effect and Dragon Age without a home. Fans immediately answered with the #SaveMassEffect movement, and now some of the original developers who built the studio are getting personally involved.
What did Trent Oster say about Mass Effect?
Oster co-founded BioWare, left in 2009 and went on to found Beamdog, the studio behind the Baldur's Gate enhanced editions. He's been posting on X about saving the series and working on a completely different financing model to fund it.
He says buying the studio alone wouldn't be enough, because "one without the other is just making EA money." In other words, any rescue would need the rights to Mass Effect and Dragon Age too. Oster also said he has already worked through more than 30 versions of his financial plan.
Who is James Ohlen?
Ohlen was BioWare's longtime creative director. He worked on Baldur's Gate 1 and 2, Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, Neverwinter Nights and Dragon Age: Origins. When Oster invited him in on X, Ohlen replied "Of course!" and said working on Dragon Age again is a long-held dream of his.
How much would it cost to save Mass Effect?
Probably a lot. Oster gave a rough ballpark of "$200M+" for a new Mass Effect, as reported by GamingBolt, because he expects fans to demand the highest level of "AAA" development. He also said it "can be done well for less" with "a disciplined approach and an experienced team," and promised "no more chasing the business model of the month."
Canadian MP Don Davies has also called for BioWare staff to get the first chance to buy the studio, and Oster says he has reached out to him. VGC's report doesn't include any response from EA.
My read is that this is a long shot, but it's the best news Mass Effect fans have had since the closure. The developers who created KOTOR and Baldur's Gate understand exactly what kind of storytelling RPG fans keep asking for. Electronic Arts just has to be willing to sell. (Somebody start a Kickstarter for a new Normandy, please.)
Would you back a fan-funded Mass Effect? Tell us in the comments.
