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Watch talks from Gabe Newell to Ray Muzyka in the collected DICE 2013 presentations, right here
This year's DICE was especially heavy on great speakers, and we're happy to say that a partnership between The Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences and entertainment trade publication Variety means that most of the great speeches were captured for all to see on YouTube. That means everything from Valve head Gabe Newell's speech on his company's next steps in the hardware realm to Microsoft's discussion of the latest, greatest Halo game -- and even a surprise appearance from the recently retired BioWare doctor, Ray Muzyka -- was recorded. We've dropped the available talks just below the break; sadly, the first day's J.J. Abrams / Gabe Newell back-and-forth on storytelling was an in-person exclusive. We'll have a variety of interviews from DICE with many of the speakers seen beyond the break in the coming days -- keep an eye out (or a bookmark here, of course)!
BioWare co-founders Ray Muzyka and Greg Zeschuk retire, to exit the game industry
BioWare co-founders Greg Zeschuk and Ray Muzyka collectively announced their retirement today from the studio they founded nearly 20 years ago, as well as from their positions at parent company Electronic Arts. Each is leaving the game industry altogether, with Muzyka heading into philanthropy, and Zeschuk into the world of craft brewing. Muzyka reflected on his years in game development and management in a blog post. "It's not often that you can truly say you were able to pursue and achieve your dream job; I know how lucky I am to be able to say that now, in my early 40s," he said. Zeschuk was similarly reflective. "Building BioWare over the years with Ray and the many other people involved was a once in a lifetime opportunity, and I'll cherish it always," he wrote. The two former doctors founded Bioware in 1995, and developed iconic titles like Baldur's Gate, Neverwinter Nights, Mass Effect, Dragon Age, and most recently, Star Wars: The Old Republic (an MMO). BioWare was purchased by Electronic Arts in 2007, and its name has since spread to a variety of EA's other studios.
GDC 07: Mass Effect eyes on
We sat down with Bioware's Ray Muzyka to check out the first hour of Mass Effect. Great games, he said, are memorable because of emotional moments. Muzyka stresses that Mass Effect will provide players with a truly cinematic, emotional experience. As if to prove his point, the demo takes place on a crisp HD display with a very loud surround sound speaker system. Muzyka picks up a control, starts the demo, and we begin Bioware's latest adventure.
