LucasArts And BioWare Partner For 'Mystery Project'

LucasArts and BioWare have announced an agreement to co-create an "interactive entertainment product" to be developed and published by the two companies. Although details of the project will be revealed "at a later date," the companies say it will "push the boundaries of the gaming market." BioWare was recently acquired, along with sibling studio Pandemic, by Electronic Arts for $620 million plus an additional $190 million in other charges, bringing the 800 employees of the companies under the EA Games wing. At the time of the acquisition, much speculation surrounded BioWare's "mystery MMO" in-progress, with one theory suggesting it would be Star Wars-themed. At the time, Citi analyst Brent Thill called the acquisition "a strong positive" for EA, in light of his prediction "based on past development work" that BioWare is quietly working on the Star Wars MMO, and Thill also theorized the publisher was ready to make a move that "bolsters [its] MMO exposure." However, this project confirmation, which has established an official website to track the status of the joint project, has not revealed any information on the exact type or format of the game, as well as which BioWare office might be developing it. LucasArts president Jim Ward commented, “Through our previous collaborations, we know that BioWare has an impressive ability to blend gripping stories with technological advancements, and we believe that our upcoming product will deliver an experience that will span the traditional boundaries of video game entertainment.” Added Greg Zeschuk, president of BioWare, “The collaboration with LucasArts allows us to combine our passion for creating high quality and innovative experiences with those of a company dedicated to bringing only the finest games to market.”