Greg Zeschuk
Greg Zeschuk | |
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![]() Zeschuk in 2007 | |
Born | Gregory Zeschuk |
Known for | BioWare |
Awards | Lifetime Achievement Award (Game Developers Choice Awards, 2013) Member of the Order of Canada, 2018[1] |
Gregory Zeschuk CM is a Canadian businessman who was a VP at Electronic Arts and General Manager at BioWare Austin until 2012. He co-founded video game developer BioWare in Edmonton in 1995 with Ray Muzyka and Augustine Yip, after all three earned their medical degrees from the University of Alberta.[2] Zeschuk announced his retirement from BioWare on September 18, 2012.[3] He is currently involved in a number of projects related to the craft-beer industry, including the production of a web-based interview show known as "The Beer Diaries."[4] Greg is also the chairman of the board of the smart playground technology startup, Biba Ventures based in Vancouver, BC.
Early life
Growing up, Zeschuk played many role-playing games, including Dungeons & Dragons, saying he felt they were "always the strongest experience." During his childhood, he spent one summer making games on his Apple computer with a group of his friends.[2]
Founding of BioWare
Zeschuk attended the University of Alberta, studying medicine, where he met fellow medical students Ray Muzyka and Augustine Yip working on medical simulation programs.[5] During their residency, the first software they produced was called the Acid-Base Simulator. Zeschuk graduated in 1992,[6] and was appointed Research Associate in the Division of Studies in Medical Education along with Muzyka.[7] Zeschuk then spent two years training in both the USA and Canada. In 1994, he and Muzyka began working on a piece of medical simulator software called Gastroenterology Patient Simulator. While working on this, the team realised they were more passionate about video game development rather than medical software.[6] Zeschuck, Muzyka and Yip pooled together $100,000 and set out to make their first game.[5] BioWare was incorporated on 1 February 1995 in a small room in Zeschuk's basement.[7]
BioWare projects credited with platforms and dates
- Shattered Steel (PC and Mac, 1996)
- Baldur's Gate (PC and Mac, 1998)
- Baldur's Gate: Tales of the Sword Coast (PC and Mac, 1999)
- MDK2 (Dreamcast and PC, 2000)
- Baldur's Gate II: Shadows of Amn (PC and Mac, 2000)
- Baldur's Gate II: Throne of Bhaal (PC and Mac, 2001)
- MDK2: Armageddon (PS2, 2001)
- Neverwinter Nights (PC and Mac, 2002)
- Neverwinter Nights: Shadows of Undrentide (PC and Mac, 2003)
- Neverwinter Nights: Hordes of the Underdark (PC and Mac, 2003)
- Neverwinter Nights: Kingmaker (PC and Mac, 2005)
- Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic ("KotOR") (Xbox and PC and Mac, 2003)
- Jade Empire (Xbox, 2005/PC, 2006)
- Mass Effect (Xbox 360, 2007/PC, 2008/PlayStation 3, 2012)
- Sonic Chronicles: The Dark Brotherhood (2008)[8]
- Dragon Age: Origins (PC, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and Mac, 2009)[9]
- Mass Effect 2 (Xbox 360, PC, January 26, 2010) (PlayStation 3, January 18, 2011)[10]
- Dragon Age II (PC, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, March 8, 2011)[9]
- Star Wars: The Old Republic (PC, December 20, 2011)[11]
- Mass Effect 3 (PC, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, March 6, 2012)[10]
Awards and recognition
At the Game Developers Choice Awards, on March 27, 2013, Zeschuk received the Lifetime Achievement Award.[1]
On December 27, 2018, Zeschuk was appointed to the Order of Canada.[12]
References
- ^ a b Makuch, Eddie (11 February 2013). "BioWare founders getting Lifetime Achievement Award". Gamespot. Archived from the original on 11 April 2013. Retrieved 12 February 2013.
- ^ a b Ewalt, David (2011-06-27). "Obsessed With Imagination: BioWare's Co-Founders On Storytelling And The Future Of Mass Effect". Forbes. Retrieved 2015-03-12.
- ^ Greg Zeschuk (2012-09-18). "FROM GREG ZESCHUK". BioWare. Retrieved 2015-03-04.
- ^ "RAY MUZYKA & GREG ZESCHUK RETIRE". BioWare. 18 September 2012. Retrieved 2013-09-06.
- ^ a b Fahs, Travis (21 January 2010). "IGN Presents the History of BioWare". IGN. Archived from the original on 2 January 2012. Retrieved 12 September 2023.
- ^ a b Crecente, Brian (28 January 2013). "The long, strange journey of BioWare's doctor, developer, beer enthusiast". Polygon. Archived from the original on 12 September 2023. Retrieved 12 September 2023.
- ^ a b Keefer, John (31 March 2006). "GameSpy Retro: Developer Origins, Page 12 of 19". GameSpy. Archived from the original on 9 June 2007.
- ^ "Sega Announces BioWare Will Create Sonic Role Playing Game For Nintendo DS". 2007-06-21. Archived from the original on 2010-11-27. Retrieved 2016-09-13.
- ^ a b "Home". dragonage.com.
- ^ a b "Home". masseffect.com.
- ^ "Home". swtor.com.
- ^ "Governor General announces 103 new appointments to the Order of Canada". The Governor General of Canada. 21 December 2018.
External links
- Bioware website
- The Beer Diaries website Archived 2021-01-26 at the Wayback Machine