Canadian doctors operate on BioWare video games

Ray Muzyka and Greg Zeschuk, both 42, are CEO and president, respectively, of BioWare, which has developed a string of acclaimed role-playing games including Baldur's Gate, Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic and Mass Effect that collectively have sold more than 45 million copies.

Last month, the duo were inducted into the Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences Hall of Fame. BioWare's newest game, Dragon Age II, is out today ($60 for PlayStation 3, Xbox 360; $50 for Windows and Macintosh computers; rated for ages 17-up). We talked to them about their award and their games. (Edited for length and clarity.)

Q: What's it like to join previous inductees Will Wright (The Sims), Shigeru Miyamoto (Super Mario Bros.) and Sid Meier (Civilization)?

Muzyka: It's a big surprise for both of us and a tremendous honor to be in the company of such great names in the history of video games. It was a great reward and great recognition of the entire team that we have been privileged to work with for the last couple of decades.

Zeschuk: The company in that group is just incredible, but we both feel we have a lot left to do.

BioWare/Electronic Arts BioWare co-founders Ray Muzyka and Greg Zeschuk.

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Q: You are both medical doctors. How did you get into game development?

Zeschuk: Both Ray and I were game maniacs growing up. We actually met briefly at the University of Alberta and then got to know each other quite well in medical school. I was doing family medicine and ended up in a clinic (and) in a geriatrics hospital here in Edmonton. We started making medical education software for the school and we realized that was really not what our future was.

Muzyka: I trained as a family physician and I did emergency medicine for about eight years. The BioWare name is actually a play on words, because of the three founders; there was a third doctor who left about a year and a half after we incorporated. Medical doctors making software, video games and software for humans.

Q: Ray, I know you are an avid poker player. What do you find that has in common with game development?

A: There is a lot of nuance to it. It is fun to just sit at the table and talk to other folks. There is a story being told through what you represent with your bets and what you say and what other people say and how you interpret that. There's a lot of math and statistics, so understanding that is an entry point, a requirement to be successful. It's sort of a microcosm of life and business, in some ways, too. A lot of negotiation back and forth.

Q: Greg, you are a gourmet, as well as a beer and wine enthusiast. Are there parallels to game development there?

A: I like to explore my taste buds. It's also the experience of the people and the place. Like going into a local pub and seeing 10 taps and wondering what they all taste like and trying it. And sitting down with people and chatting with them about it. That's actually the experience I search for. In gaming, we are trying to do the same thing — create a sort of voyage of exploration. I think there are definitely some parallels there.

Q: What trends do you see continuing or developing in the future?

Muzyka: The industry we are in is one of the most dynamic because entertainment preferences are rapidly changing. So does the technology behind video games. A lot of the cutting edge developments in video games are often the first deployment of new technologies. It is pretty exciting always to see that from the inside and to help advance the art and science.