BioWare

Credits

Descriptions by
EnormousRat

Captures by
Camenati

Video captures courtesy of
Broken Saw, Sean McLore, introthegame, Troldann, GamingRevenant, Post Indecision, Trope and RickyOkay

Background

BioWare, founded in 1996, is a video game developer based in Edmonton, Canada. It is best known for the Mass Effect series, as well as numerous other games in the RPG genre, built on in-house engines. In 2005, the company created an alliance unit with Pandemic Studios, which was funded by Elevation Partners. On October 11, 2007, Electronic Arts bought the partnership and gained control over both studios. Within EA, Bioware added three additional offices in Austin and Montreal, and one more after the merge with Mythic Entertainment.

1st Logo (October 1996)

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Visuals: On a steel background is the word "BIOWARE" surrounded with emboss debris fragments, and there are two cybernetic hands above operating the fragments. The word "corporation" is seen below the logo. All of this is carved onto the background.

Technique: A still, computerized graphic.

Audio: None.

Availability: Seen on Shattered Steel.

2nd Logo (December 21, 1998)

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Visuals: On a white background is "BioWare" in a stylized font (the "B", "i", "W", "r" and "e" have ledges on their tops, while the "a" looks like an upside down "V"). Below the logo is the word "CORP" and "DEVELOPED BY" is seen in the top-left corner. A blue dot trembles in the down-right corner, then it expands and turns into a 3D-dimensional abbreviation of the company name, formed by one line. The space around this figure is taken by the quarter part of a black circle.

Technique: CGI.

Audio: Some eerie creaking, developing into the sound of a closing metal gate.

Availability: Seen on Baldur's Gate.

3rd Logo (March 31, 2000; July 15, 2003; October 12, 2011)

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Visuals: On a complicated background is the "BioWare CORP" wordmark from the previous logo, but it is colored silver, and gradients and pitched edges have been added to the logo. There is also "DEVELOPED BY" above the name.

Variant: On Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, the logo is put on a gray gray background and the logo itself is light blue. In addition, the logo slides in letter-by-letter (the "BioWare" text from both sides of the screen, and "CORP" from the bottom of the screen), followed by the "DEVELOPED BY" text fading in.

Technique: None; CGI for the variant.

Audio: Sounds of spaceship engines, or none.

Availability: Seen on MDK 2 and its HD remake, and Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic.

4th Logo (September 21, 2000-June 18, 2002)

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Visuals: There is a painting, showing a red and gold dragon holding a piece of parchment with the BioWare logo on it.

Variant: An early version of the logo had a frame around the painting, and it was on a black background.

Technique: A still, computerized graphic.

Audio: None or the opening theme to the game.

Availability: Seen on Baldur's Gate II and its expansion, and on Neverwinter Nights as well as the Enhanced Edition version of the latter released by Beamdog.

5th Logo (April 12, 2005)

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Visuals: There is a close up of the "BioWare" wordmark passing through the screen, showing pieces of Asian landscapes and warriors inside the letters. When the letters pass, one can see that the wordmark (which looks similar to the wordmark from the 3rd logo) is already complete on a grainy blue background.

Technique: CGI.

Audio: A dramatic soundtrack.

Availability: Seen on Jade Empire.

6th Logo (November 20, 2007-May 30, 2009)

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Visuals: On a black background, several blue flashes of light appear, revealing the letters of the company's name turned to their side. The letters then turn upward to their normal position, revealing themselves as the same "BioWare" wordmark from the previous four logos, but without "CORP", and with a blue relief glance texture. The logo then shines a few times.

Variant: A version with "CORP" appears on the original Xbox 360 version of Mass Effect.

Technique: CGI.

Audio: A sound similar to the closing of a solid metal lid.

Availability: Seen on Mass Effect and Sonic Chronicles: The Dark Brotherhood for NDS. It also appeared on the E3 trailer of Mass Effect 2.

7th Logo (November 3, 2009)

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Visuals: The logo comes after the Electronic Arts logo. The EA logo then blows to a formless ink spot on the screen. The ink then begins to dissolve, revealing the BioWare logo behind it (in a red color).

Technique: CGI.

Audio: Sounds of the dragon flying, emerging flame and growling, accompanied by an ominous synth in the background. On the game's trailer, the synth is absent.

Availability: Seen on Dragon Age: Origins.

8th Logo (January 26, 2010-July 22, 2011)

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  Standard
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  Mass Effect 2

Visuals: Blue sparks open up, which cut out the BioWare logo at the same time. While cutting, the logo zooms out to its normal position.

Variant: On Mass Effect 2, the logo is tinted in red.

Technique: CGI.

Audio: A high-pitched trembling sound. On Mass Effect 2, a laser-crackling is heard when the logo sparks, and then a synthesizer jingle is heard, ending with a 5-note synth ding jingle.

Availability: Seen on the trailers for Star Wars: The Old Republic and Mass Effect 2.

9th Logo (March 8, 2011)

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Visuals: Following the Electronic Arts variant, which turns into the dragon from the Dragon Age logo, the dragon flies past the camera, unleashes a stream of flames and leaves a red version of the BioWare logo. The logo then begins to dissolve into red steam, which becomes thicker and takes the whole screen with its tentacles.

Technique: CGI.

Audio: A trembling sound as the EA logo shakes, followed by the dragon roar when it appears bursting out of the logo.

Availability: Seen on Dragon Age II.

10th Logo (December 20, 2011)

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Visuals: On a black background, the BioWare logo fades in orange flames, with hot smoke swirling around and disappearing. The logo then shines.

Technique: CGI.

Audio: A low-pitched burst sound.

Availability: Seen on the original version of Star Wars: The Old Republic. Later updates replace it with newer logos (notably the 2018 logo for the most recent).

11th Logo (March 6, 2012)

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Visuals: On a black background are two shots of what appears to be a solider activating an unknown apparatus. The scene then switches to a shot of an orange portal. Inside the portal is the BioWare logo, colored in orange, which then flickers to the Electronic Arts variant. After that, the machine is removed from the screen.

Technique: CGI.

Audio: Sounds of the machine turning on and computerized beeps.

Availability: Seen on Mass Effect 3.

12th Logo (January 25th, 2019-)

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Visuals: On a black background, various slanted lines appear, and character(s), depending on the game, are seen. The camera then pulls back to reveal a grey "B", with part it glowing in its matching color. The "B" moves to the left of the screen to reveal the rest of the wordmark, now in a different font than before. The logo zooms away slightly before fading out.

Variants:

• On Anthem, the slanted lines are in red, revealing the game's protagonist. The B's secondary colour is also red.
• On Star Wars: The Old Republic starting with the 2019 update, the red lines are all seen until the logo reveals a rebel and a sith battling each other with sabres that are identical to the lines, in their respective color, in which the lines behind the rebel turns blue. The B's secondary color is yellow.
• On Mass Effect: Legendary Edition, five of the characters from the game trilogy appear behind the slanted lines in order (Liara, Tali, Garrus, Wrex, Miranda), zooming in rapidly to reveal Commander Shepard, the trilogy's main protagonist, with the Reaper visual seen on their visor. The lines, as well as the B's secondary colour are in blue. There is a blue streak appearing for a moment during the wordmark forming.

Technique: CGI.

Audio: The sound effects of the respective character reveals, ending up with a 1-note synth thud during the wordmark forming.

Availability: Was first seen on the demo for Anthem and later appeared on the game itself, as well as on Star Wars: The Old Republic and Mass Effect Legendary Edition.