BioWare founders to receive lifetime achievement awards

BioWare co-founders Dr Ray Muzyka and Dr Greg Zeschuk are to receive Lifetime Achievement Awards for their contributions to games at the 13th Game Developers Choice Awards next month.

Muzyka and Zeschuk, known throughout the game development community as the ‘BioWare Doctors’, met while in medical school at the University of Alberta where they learned they shared a passion for video game development.

They founded BioWare in 1995. The studio has created some of the industry’s most influential and revered role-playing games, such as Baldur’s Gate, Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, Jade Empire, Dragon Age and Mass Effect.

The Doctors left the studio late last year to focus on new ventures.

“The BioWare Doctors are truly a unique breed. Not only have they created some of the most emotionally-engaging and beloved games ever made, they are two of the most passionate, engaging, just all-around nice guys anyone could be fortunate enough to meet. Anyone, be they a long-time colleague or a fan who’s met them only once at an event like GDC, can tell you they treat everyone like a friend, and I am so pleased we can show them our deep appreciation this year with this award,” said Meggan Scavio, general manager of all GDC events.

“There’s no denying the deep footprint Ray and Greg have made, and how much their dedication and leadership will be missed in our industry. We’re proud to honour them with the Lifetime Achievement Award as they parlay into their next careers.”

The GDCAs, are held yearly at the Game Developers Conference in San Francisco. Lifetime Achievement recipients are chosen by the awards’ advisory committee, which includes luminaries such as Doug Lombardi (Valve), Mark Cerny (Cerny Games), Harvey Smith (Arkane), Raph Koster (Playdom), Chris Charla (Microsoft) and John Vechey (PopCap).

Muzyka and Zeschuk will be honoured at the Game Developers Choice Awards ceremony, on March 27th, at 6:30 pm at the Moscone Convention Center, during GDC 2013 in San Francisco. The ceremony is open to all GDC 2013 attendees.

For more information about the 13th Annual Game Developers Choice Awards, visit the official website.