In a rather surprising announcement, Casey Hudson has announced his return to Bioware as the new general manager with Aaryn Flynn leaving. Hudson left three years ago to work with Microsoft on its HoloLens technology (which unsurprisingly doesn’t seem to be going anywhere currently). He’s perhaps best known for being the project director of the Mass Effect Trilogy.

Hudson said that his leaving Bioware in 2014 was “the most difficult decision of my career. I needed some time off, needed a bit of a change, and wanted to get involved in the new wave of disruptive technologies that were emerging.” Of course, Hudson is thrilled to have returned to Bioware, “a studio that I think of as home.”

The reason for Flynn’s departure hasn’t been stated but Hudson wished him the best for the future and even thanked Flynn for “setting the foundation for Anthem.” What are your thoughts on Hudson returning to the studio and Flynn having left? Let us know in the comments below and stay tuned for more information.

Casey Hudson, formerly of Bioware, and of Mass Effect fame, has joined Microsoft as Creative Director at Microsoft Studios. Currently, he is working with Xbox, Hololens, and, he promises, loads of other awesome projects, although it appears that his primary focus, at least right now, will be on Hololens.

“As Creative Director at Microsoft Studios, my primary focus will be the creative direction of HoloLens Experiences,” Hudson said. “I am extremely passionate about the potential of this kind of technology, as anyone who’s talked with me over the last couple of years can attest. I feel that the work being done at Microsoft on mixed reality and holographic computing will have a tremendous impact on how all of us interact with technology in the coming years. It’s an honor to be able to join such an incredibly talented team, and to work on something that will fundamentally advance the role computers play in our daily lives.”

He sounds extremely excited about the prospect of working on Hololens as well.

“I am particularly excited about working on HoloLens. I was fortunate to try an early prototype of HoloLens before it was announced, and I was blown away by the technology and what it was already capable of. Walking on Mars while sipping coffee in an office setting, Skyping with a friend who can draw on the walls of my environment, sculpting an object in 3D modeling software while a hologram of it sits on a table next to me… These first experiences cemented my belief that holographic computing was where I needed to be. There’s no end to the potential of this technology, and I look forward to being able to influence the full-spectrum experience on HoloLens, from hardware to OS, to applications and games.”

That said, it does appear that he will be working with Xbox in an important capacity as well.

“I will also be working with innovative new Xbox titles, helping them to find success through clear direction and creative vision. I will be involved in driving a creative focus for Xbox and Windows gaming, and I couldn’t be more excited to be involved in that. The projects I’ve seen in development so far are amazing, and it’s going to be an awesome experience helping these teams cross the finish line.”

Casey Hudson, the man that directed the hugely acclaimed and deeply loved space opera role playing game series, Mass Effect revealed that he is now working on, or at least hinted at the possibility of working on the virtual reality headset, the Oculus Rift.

Casey posted an image to his Twitter feed that featured a picture of the Oculus Rift device itself and caption it “It Begins @oculus #VR”. Mr Hudson departed Bioware early this year in August and said that it’s time to “take on a new set of challenges”.

There are no official plans or ideas that have been made public by Hudson that are in any way related to the Rift device, but given the mans past works I’m fairly confident that he can do something awesome with the device. Let’s not forget that Oculus Rift was purchased by Facebook earlier in the year, so if there’s one thing you can be sure of, it’s that they aren’t lacking funds.
 

Mass Effect executive producer Casey Hudson, who spent 16 years working at Bioware, has left the studio “enter a new stage in his career”. The announcement is unexpected considering Hudson’s work on the Mass Effect series which will be seeing a new sequel in the coming years.

In a letter to Bioware colleagues, Hudson said that, “After what already feels like a lifetime of extraordinary experiences, I have decided to hit the reset button and move on from BioWare. I’ll take a much needed break, get perspective on what I really want to do with the next phase of my life, and eventually, take on a new set of challenges.

“Though there’s never an easy time to make a change like this, I believe this is the best time for it. The foundation of our new IP in Edmonton is complete, and the team is ready to move forward into pre-production on a title that I think will redefine interactive entertainment.

“Development for the next Mass Effect game is well underway, with stunning assets and playable builds that prove the team is ready to deliver the best Mass Effect experience to date. And the Dragon Age: Inquisition team is putting the final touches on a truly ambitious title with some of the most beautiful visuals I’ve seen in a game.

“But while I feel that the time has come, this is without a doubt the most difficult decision of my career. Having led the development of four major titles, I’m profoundly appreciative of the role I’ve been able to play in creating these games. The very idea that so many of you have enjoyed spending time in the worlds we’ve created is the defining achievement of my career, and it’s your support over the years that made it all possible.

“I know that I leave our projects in great hands, and I join you in looking forward to playing them.”

What are your thoughts on Hudson moving on to other things? Let us know in the comments.

Most of our core team that worked on SWKOTOR has been together throughout the Mass Effect series, and now our new IP project. #KOTOR10

— Casey Hudson (@CaseyDHudson) July 15, 2013

Bioware Edmonton senior producer Jonathan Warner also tweeted about the same, speaking about the first project review for the new IP. This would indicate that it’s been in the works for a while now.

A successful first project review for our new IP project today. Life is good!

— Jonathan Warner (@Bio_Warner) July 16, 2013

Is it likely that this will be a new title in the Star Wars universe, with an IP that is separate from the KOTOR brand? EA is currently signed to a multi-year deal with Disney under which its studios will develop Star Wars-based games using Frostbite 3. Along with DICE and Visceral Games, Bioware was also stated to be working on a project.