From Visionary to Vision Quest: The Unfulfilled Ambitions of Greg Zeschuk at EA

The journey of creative visionaries often leads them to explore ambitious ideas, even in the face of daunting giants in the industry. One such instance involves the co-founder of BioWare, who dreamed of a remarkable takeover from within a massive company.

Greg Zeschuk, who co-founded BioWare and left the company in 2012, had entertained an intriguing idea of seizing control of EA from within its own corporate structure. His ambitions stemmed from the time when BioWare became a part of EA in 2007, a move he found less than appealing due to the complexities of large corporate environments. He expressed his sentiment regarding the challenges posed by a big organization, noting that while they provided opportunities, it was easy to falter under the immense structure.

Zeschuk acknowledged that working at a large corporation required a specific set of skills and adaptability. Reflecting on his experience, he remarked that they managed to navigate the complexities while producing successful titles like the Mass Effect series. Nevertheless, he realized fairly early on that such an environment was not to his taste, leading him to contemplate his eventual departure.

He voiced his belief that large firms tend to focus predominantly on financial gain, often leveraging existing properties rather than fostering genuine creativity. Zeschuk emphasized his passion for game development over mere profit-making.

Despite his discontent, Zeschuk remained with EA for several years, with a notable period devoted to Star Wars: The Old Republic, an MMO he believed had the potential to achieve monumental success. He speculated that if the game had reached extraordinary financial heights, he and his colleague might have considered mounting an internal campaign to take over EA. However, he pointed out that this scenario hinged on achieving an elusive mark of success, which ultimately proved unattainable.

Though Star Wars: The Old Republic garnered a solid following, particularly due to BioWare's signature storytelling elements, it fell short of the scale necessary to affect a corporate coup. The prospect of making such a significant shift in the industry remains a tantalizing "what if?"