Mark Darrah on BioWare Magic

Mark Darrah, the former executive producer on BioWare’s Dragon Age series, recently recorded a YouTube video where he talks about the phenomenon known as “BioWare Magic” and how it doesn’t really work, especially now that game development is just another office job and not an industry exclusively staffed with dedicated enthusiasts with a vision. Check it out:

Let’s talk about “BioWare magic”

Its a term I thought had stopped being used but SOMEONE used it on Anthem

BioWare magic when used within the studio refers to a particularly bad bit of development that causes crunch.

It isn’t good or cool. Its naming a crappy thing in order to make it seem better, or ok.

Much of this channel is dedicated to trying to improve process so that “BioWare Magic” or whatever other studios call it can disappear forever.

And if you don’t feel like watching a video right now, there’s also this Kotaku article that shares a number of quotes from it in a more convenient format.