BioWare co-founder talks EA's influence, beer

BioWare co-founder Dr. Greg Zeschuk may have traded in RPGs for craft beer, but the ex-developer still has plenty to say about his former profession. In a phone interview with GamesIndustry.biz, Zeschuk explains why he's open to games consulting and how he doesn't game as much as he used to.

Zeschuk also rejects any notion of Electronic Arts being a negative influence on BioWare. "They don't second-guess you, they don't say you shouldn't do that," he explains. "We had complete creative control over a lot of it; some fans didn't like some of it and some of it was experimental, quite frankly."

Finally, Zeschuk has some interesting insights into gamer culture and the negativity that surrounded BioWare's recent projects. "At the end of the day, for every one person complaining there are a whole bunch of other people who actually like it," Zeschuk says. And while he admits to enjoying the fact that beer lovers aren't prone to arguments and invective like gamers, there's something to be said for that level of engagement. "I think the problem with gamers is you're damned if you do and you're damned if you don't. But what it talks to is the power of games as art and the power of games as a medium where people get really, really passionate," Zeschuk explains.

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