BioWare talks EA acquisition, Dragon Age perception

With a sequel, an original IP and now an MMO in the pipeline, it's a wonder that anyone at BioWare gets any sleep these days, least of all company head honchos Ray Muzyka and Greg Zeschuk. Still, if there's one benefit to insomnia it's that it leaves you with a lot of time on your hands to talk about any number of things, including what life is like after being gobbled up by a publishing giant.

"Honestly, I don't think there have been too many changes at all," reflected Muzyka on the state of BioWare following the company's acquisition by Electronic Arts in 2007. "If anything, we feel enhanced." The BioWare co-founder added that given that the company is now a publisher as well, "we control our destiny in terms of both development and marketing now."

Part of that destiny includes Dragon Age: Origins, a game that Zeschuk admits has been a challenge to market as something more than just a Lord of the Rings clone. One difference is the role of elves, which are described as "not special" and "second-class citizens" in the eyes of humans, promising a stark contrast to those scampering about in Middle Earth when Dragon Age rolls onto retail shelves later this year.