BioWare fans have stepped up their efforts to try to save the studio, now calling on the Canadian government to intervene.
A petition posted on the Canadian Parliament’s official website urges the government to intervene and try to keep BioWare (212 articles)” href=”https://www.videogameschronicle.com/companies/electronic-arts/bioware/”>BioWare as an independent studio. Activists argue that BioWare games are an important cultural export for the country and that the studio must be protected from American corporate interests.
“BioWare is one of Canada’s most important cultural exports to the world in the 21st century, selling tens of millions of units of its video games worldwide,” the petition reads. “BioWare’s productions defend the values of inclusion, tolerance, democracy, justice and civil rights which are at the center of Canada’s national identity.
“BioWare was shut down by its American parent company, Electronic Arts (1,947 articles)” href=”https://www.videogameschronicle.com/companies/electronic-arts/”>Electronic Arts, now owned by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund and Jared Kushner’s Affinity Partners, and BioWare’s closure represents an immense loss and perhaps a targeted attack on Canada’s cultural heritage.
The petition calls on the Canadian government to provide BioWare with the funding it would need to become independent and purchase its intellectual property from EA. Additionally, they demand that Canadian game developers now be protected from “American and foreign corporate interests.”
Anyone wishing to sign the petition must be a Canadian resident or citizen.
EA announced the closure of BioWare last month. There was no mention of EA trying to find someone to sell BioWare to, nor of an offer for BioWare to buy itself back from its parent company. So even if the government were interested, it’s unclear whether EA would be willing to cooperate. After all, the Mass Effect TV series is still ongoing, so EA might have its own plans for the IP.
Another petition aimed at saving the Mass Effect series has garnered 299,618 signatures as of this writing. Activists even bought billboards in Times Square, New York, to announce the movement.
In the meantime, fans are preparing for a dark N7 Day. We’re getting at least two new products, which suggests BioWare had something planned for the day before it shut down.
Gn tech
