Bioware Opens SWTOR Customer Service Centre In Ireland
EA BioWare™ has announced the opening of a state-of-the-art customer service center in Galway, Ireland. The new facility, BioWare’s first outside of North America, will provide 24/7 support for Star Wars™: The Old Republic™, the award-winning story-driven massively multiplayer online game from BioWare and LucasArts. BioWare Ireland is recruiting another 200 jobs in preparation for one of the biggest game launches of the year. Star Wars: The Old Republic will be released in North America this December 20th.
“MMO launches are complex, and we are determined to set a new standard for a high quality, stable, smooth launch for our fans. Our new BioWare facility and team in Galway is critical to ensuring we deliver on that goal,” said Dr. Ray Muzyka, EA Senior Vice President and General Manager of the BioWare Label.
Added Dr. Greg Zeschuk, EA Vice President and General Manager of the BioWare MMO Business Unit, “It’s exciting to bring the Galway community into the BioWare family in support of this high-priority launch. This project wouldn’t have been possible without the strong support from the Irish government and the strong local mix of technology infrastructure and recruitment opportunities.”
Commenting on the announcement, Taoiseach Enda Kenny TD, said, “I very much welcome EA and BioWare’s decision to locate its customer service centre here in Galway and the additional 200 jobs announced today. The Programme for Government highlights the digital game industry as a particular priority area for growth and the presence here of EA, one of the world’s leading interactive games companies, will help enhance our status as a centre for the digital media sector.”
Welcoming the announcement, IDA Ireland CEO Barry O’Leary, said, “The scale of EA’s customer service centre in Galway is a clear endorsement of the skills base in the West of Ireland.”
In addition to the BioWare facility in Galway, EA has a presence in Dublin, Ireland following its recent acquisition of PopCap. BioWare will continue to maintain its studio locations in Edmonton, Montreal, Fairfax (Virginia), Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Austin (Texas).
