ArtCraft Entertainment announced the formation of a new division, ArtCraft Technologies, which will focus on providing game developers with turnkey technology solutions for creating large-scale MMO games, based on the technology behind their flagship title, Crowfall.

This technology stack, the Artisan Engine, will include a robust feature set for solving the full spectrum of challenges that emerge when supporting thousands-upon-thousands of concurrent players in a virtual world: networking, persistence, physics, procedural world generation, dynamic world editing and seamless worlds up to 5,120 meters by 5,120 meters in size. In addition, it includes an exhaustive, fully-featured RPG layer, including characters, inventory, equipment, monsters, AI, harvesting, races, classes, sub-classes, powers, banking, secure trading, skills, leveling and more.

“Essentially, the Artisan Engine provides all the interlocking systems that make a virtual world tick,” explained ArtCraft President and Executive Producer Gordon Walton. “Online game budgets have skyrocketed, with development teams of 100+ and schedules that stretch up to seven years. A significant portion of that time is spent reinventing the wheel. We can shortcut that effort, saving you $10+ million and shaving two to three years off your schedule.”

The company is also delighted to announce the recruitment of MMO veteran Josef Hall to helm this new division. The co-creator of Wizard101, Pirate101 and Shadowbane, Hall has a mountain of MMO development experience. He joins ArtCraft after a long tenure as VP of development and production for all titles at KingsIsle Entertainment. He also was co-founder and president of Wolfpack Studios (acquired by Ubi Soft Entertainment in 2004).

“This is a huge win for our company. Josef is one of the most seasoned MMO executives on the planet,” said J. Todd Coleman, CEO and creative director. “ArtCraft continues build a cadre of experience that is practically unmatched in the industry.”

“What ACE has built is impressive. This is a unique opportunity,” Hall explained when describing his decision to leave KingsIsle after 13 years. “While there are a handful of commercial rendering engines available to developers, there are no fully-featured solutions to jumpstart a virtual world. The time and cost benefit for an MMO – and for other mediums, like VR and MR – is absolutely staggering.”