From Austin, Texas comes word that Pixel Mine, a new game development studio, has been formed with a mission to “reinvent the game development and publishing business model.” The founders of the studio are contributors to hit titles such as the Ultima and Wing Commander series, Deus Ex and Medal of Honor. They are focusing on “innovative short play titles” that focus on community and high production values.

“Publishers and developers today have to satisfy stockholders, retailers and even their accounting departments before they even think about the games. At Pixel Mine, we’re committed to keeping our games fun while keeping our community involved in the process,” says Pixel Mine President David Reese.

“Players today want more from their games”, says Michael Songy, Chief Technology Officer. “As budgets grow, developers and publishers are taking fewer risks and delivering more derivative cookie-cutter titles. Our unique approach to game development and publishing will enable Pixel Mine to create and deliver the kind of innovative titles that gamers are looking for.”

Chief Creative Officer Bill Money adds, “At Pixel Mine we’ve built one of the most experienced teams of industry veterans, with a proven track record of delivering triple-A games. This experience will allow us to bring those same high production values to smaller, more focused games.”

The studio will announce its first title during the Austin GDC next month.

BioWare today announced the opening of a new studio in Austin, Texas. The company’s second studio, and the first to be located outside Canada, BioWare Austin has begun work on a yet-unannounced MMORPG, marking the debut of the company in the MMOG space.

The Austin studio has seen the hiring of a couple of new developers: joining the Austin team as lead designer is James Ohlen, who previous credits include work on Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, NeverWinter Nights and the Baldur’s Gate series; MMO veterans Richard Vogel and Gordon Walton, both of whom have worked at Sony Online Entertainment, among other companies.

There are currently job openings at both BioWare Austin and Edmonton; the developer is looking for new programmers, designers, artists, animators, world builders and writers. BioWare will be present at GDC at the San Jose Convention Centre in California, March 20 through 24, to recruit fresh blood.