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About Rainier

PC gamer, WorthPlaying EIC, globe-trotting couch potato, patriot, '80s headbanger, movie watcher, music lover, foodie and man in black -- squirrel!

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MMO Veterans Form ArtCraft Entertainment

by Rainier on Dec. 22, 2014 @ 1:10 p.m. PST

J. Todd Coleman (creative director of Shadowbane, Wizard101 and Pirate101) and Gordon Walton (executive producer of Ultima Online, Star Wars: Galaxies, Star Wars: the Old Republic) join forces to create new independent online game studio ArtCraft Entertainment.

Founded by two experienced executives in the history of online gaming, ArtCraft is dedicated to pushing the design of Massively Multiplayer Online games in bold new directions.

"In the last decade, Gordon and I have had the opportunity to work with almost every game artist, designer and engineer in Austin,” said Coleman, CEO and creative director. “We drew on those contacts to recruit a team of all-stars – and we’re building something completely different, completely unique. We believe the MMO industry has grown stale. It’s time to create something new.”

Coleman brings a wealth of creative and entrepreneurial experience to ArtCraft. He founded Reliant Data Systems (acquired by Compuware Corporation in 1999), Wolfpack Studios, Inc. (acquired by Ubi Soft in 2004) and was the VP of production and creative director for KingsIsle Entertainment, Inc.  As the co-creator and creative lead of Shadowbane, Wizard101 and Pirate101, Coleman has built a reputation for pushing the boundaries of MMO design.  His games have received numerous awards (including Game of the Year, Audience Choice and Family Game of the Decade) and he was personally recognized by Gamasutra as one of the top 50 developers in the industry and by Massive Gamer magazine as the #1 Most Influential Game Developer in the World.

“Todd’s creative vision is what makes this partnership work, and my job is to ensure his vision gets realized,” said Gordon Walton, president and executive producer for ArtCraft. “Our mission is to create must-play experiences that redefine existing genres. We must delight and challenge players in equal measure.”

Walton has been building games and managing game development for more than 35 years, with the last 20 years managing massively multiplayer online games. He has been VP of online at Origin Systems, managing Ultima Online, VP and executive producer at Maxis, managing the Sims Online and VP and executive producer at Sony Online Entertainment on Star Wars: Galaxies. Walton then went on to become the Co-studio GM at BioWare Austin, on Star Wars: The Old Republic and was most recently the VP and executive producer at Disney Playdom. Walton has personally developed more than 35 games and overseen the development of more than 200 games.

A teaser website and signup page for ArtCraft’s first unannounced title is now live.

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