BioWare cofounder Greg Zeschuk returns to games to get kids off the couch

Greg Zeschuk, the retired cofounder of BioWare, spent a lot of time keeping kids and adults on the couch, playing video games like Dragon Age and Mass Effect. But now he’s making amends for that with Biba, a Vancouver, Canada-based startup that he is helping to run.

Biba and playground equipment maker PlayPower are teaming up to create augmented reality mobile games that make kids engage in real-world activities, so they can get more exercise and outdoor play. Biba has created an app that gets kids to run around, and it works with a special code embedded in PlayPower’s upcoming playground equipment. With the app, kids can engage in an activity with a parent’s smartphone, while the parent holds the smartphone and acts as referee.