Jade Empire could've joined Dragon Age and Mass Effect as "another franchise" if it wasn't for Xbox’s "absolute moronic advice," says BioWare co-founder

BioWare co-founder Greg Zeschuk has said the worst bit of advice he ever received in the industry came when Microsoft convinced the studio to release cult classic RPG Jade Empire at the tail end of the OG Xbox's life cycle.

"Microsoft was like 'no no, you should release it now, right at the end of the cycle, because it's a great time'," Zeschuk tells the My Perfect Console podcast in an interview recalling his time at the storied developer just before he moved on from the industry entirely to pursue a career in craft beer, of all things. "It was the worst advice, absolute moronic advice from them, the stupidest thing ever," he continues, lamenting the fact that they didn't delay it to the start of the Xbox 360 generation.

Existing in the lesser known pre-Mass Effect, post-KOTOR space, Jade Empire was a well-loved roleplaying game from the studio's golden years, featuring the huge casts and classic good vs. evil decisions BioWare was known for, but this time with real-time martial arts combat and a setting ripped straight out of Chinese myths. The fans that played it fell in love with it, but there weren't that many of them since the game launched just six months before the hugely-anticipated Xbox 360 hit store shelves in 2005.

"We could have rezzed [Jade Empire] up, we could have amped it up. We could have said no." Zeschuk also said if he pushed for more development time to make Jade Empire a launch title, the studio would "have had another franchise" to join the likes of Dragon Age and Mass Effect. "I just think it would have been a way more successful product at the beginning of a cycle than the end."

Another BioWare veteran actually revealed the story and concept for Jade Empire 2 a few years ago if you're curious about what could've been.