Bioware

Almost every gamer has heard of Bioware's successes and failures and has probably played one or more of their games, whether a classic like Dragon Age: Origins or something a little more modern like Mass Effect 3 and Dragon Age: Inquisition. The company began in 1996 with a mech combat game called "Shattered Steel", but it didn't hit its stride until 1998, with the release of the first Baldur's Gate. The Infinity Engine RPG, published by Interplay Entertainment, was many people's first true D&D-like game. Many of the classes and races found in 2nd Edition Dungeons & Dragons were present, including the Fighter, Druid, Mage, Thief, Bard, and others.

Obviously, modern Bioware is not the same as it was three decades ago. With the exception of recent releases, however, the studio has never stopped innovating and pushing the boundaries of story-driven RPGs. The aforementioned Knights of the Old Republic are widely regarded as one of the best Star Wars games ever made. It allowed players to go from nothing to Jedi while making difficult moral decisions along the way that seemed to have a real impact on the story and its many characters. The Mass Effect series expanded on this solid foundation by introducing a new art style and a completely new setting.

Detailed Information:

Founded: February 1, 1995
Genre specialty: Choice-based RPGs
Notable franchises: Mass Effect, Dragon Age

Website: bioware.com