Ray Muzyka and Greg Zeschuk, co-founders of BioWare have made the decision to retire after nearly two decades. Both Ray and Greg went to medical school together before trading in their stethoscopes for controllers and co-founding the very successful BioWare franchise nearly twenty years ago. The decision to retire did not come to either one easily. Ray made the decision to retire in April 2012 after deciding that he needs to add a new chapter in his career, that chapter being social entrepreneurship.
I’ve largely personally achieved what I wanted in videogames; I now desire to take on a brand new entrepreneurial challenge. I believe strongly in the power of free enterprise to enable sustainable change, so my next ‘chapter’ will likely focus on an entirely new industry, something exciting, different and frankly downright scary – investing in and mentoring new entrepreneurs, and more specifically, the field of social/impact investing
Ray says that the decision to get involved in social entrepreneurship stemmed simply from wanting to make the world a better place. Additionally, Ray will be involving himself with charities in education, healthcare and animal rights. Ray also confirms that he will continue to remain passionate as ever about video games, and states that he is truly excited about experiencing the next generation of BioWare games as a fan.
Greg’s decision to retire stems from the unexpected point he has reached in his life where he is no longer as passionate about the company, games and the challenge of creation as he was when he first started out, though he still maintains a burning passion for the people he has worked with.
I’ve reached an unexpected point in my life where I no longer have the passion that I once did for the company, for the games, and for the challenge of creation. For the people I have had the privilege of working with, however, my passion burns as brightly as it did the day we started.
Greg will be spending a majority of his time with his family and friends, while pursuing a more…brewed project. Greg will be working on a web-based interview show called “The Beer Diaries”. Greg will interview notable brewers and showcase their beers. If all goes well, he will also work on more beer related apps and shows.
Aaryn Flynn, manager of BioWare Edmonton and Montreal assures fans that despite losing two founding members of the BioWare team, the team is strong and will continue without them.
I know this might be concerning for some of you but the leaders at BioWare have had some time to think about it – to think about how the games, the fans, and the creative teams would move on without the two guys who started this organization back in 1995. We – including Ray and Greg – think the studio is solid and the team here is ready to embark on a whole new era of games.
For more on the retirement of Ray Muzyka and Greg Zeschuck, head over to their blogs. Ray’s blog can be found here, and Greg’s here. To read more of Aaryn’s commentary, visit his blog.
