Mass Effect writer Drew Karpyshyn joins the Archetype Entertainment team

Last January, the publisher of Magic: The Gathering, W, presented Archetype Entertainment, a new software house that will be headed by two former veterans of BioWare. In the past few hours, too Drew karpyshyn, the screenwriter of the first two Mass Effect, confirmed that he has joined the team.

The head of the new development studio will be the former creative director and chief designer of BioWare, James Ohlen, who previously worked on the likes of Baldur's Gate, Dragon Age: Origins, Neverwinter Nights e Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic. Also Chad Robertson, another former Bioware employee, will be Archetype's vice president and general manager, while Karpyshyn, will join the Austin, Texas studio as lead author. The first title developed by Archetype Entertainment will be a totally new sci-fi RPG, which will be based on the plot. We report below when stated by Drew Karpyshyn in a blog on his own:

When I started working at BioWare, everything was fresh and exciting. It was a dream job, talented people working together to create epic games like Baldur's Gate, KOTOR, Mass Effect and Dragon Age. But as we grew and became more successful, things changed. We became more corporate. We were less able to accomplish what we loved, and teams were pushed to create games based on market research rather than our creative instincts and passions. My dream job had become just a job, losing the enthusiasm I once had.

But with Archetype, my passion was rekindled. The feel of the new studio reminds me of my early days in BioWare, I can feel the magic in the air. While I can't get too deep into what we're working on, there's a lot of excitement in the industry. With BioWare, I have been part of a legacy that will last forever. We have created some of the most loved CRPGs over the past two decades. But I truly believe that Archetype has the talent and the opportunity to do something equally extraordinary!

Although the first project of Archetype still largely shrouded in mystery, it is confirmed to be a “multi-platform role-playing game, set in a new universe of science fiction“.