MMO vets aim to shake up the genre with a new studio: ArtCraft

This month Gordon Walton and J. Todd Coleman took the wraps off their new studio, ArtCraft Entertainment, which the pair have founded in Austin to pursue development of a new massively multiplayer online game.

Both Coleman and Walton have significant experience in leadership roles at notable MMO game developers, including Wolfpack Studios (Shadowbane), Origin Systems (Ultima Online), KingsIsle Entertainment (Wizard101), Sony Online Entertainment (Star Wars Galaxies) and BioWare Austin (Star Wars: The Old Republic.)

"In the last decade, Gordon and I have had the opportunity to work with almost every game artist, designer and engineer in Austin," stated Coleman in a press release confirming the studio's debut. "We drew on those contacts to recruit a team of all-stars – and we’re building something completely different, completely unique."

Coleman founded ArtCraft in 2013, and the studio has so far raised at least $2.35 million in funding. For further details, keep an eye on the ArtCraft website, which currently sports a design manifesto that includes the following excerpt:

"Where did we go wrong? There was a time when our industry took chances. Our games didn't have to appeal to everyone, and we didn't judge ourselves based solely on mass market success."