the Corporation interviews David Allen from Artifact
posted at 3:01 AM on Saturday, July 8th
Welcome to the Day One (of two) of The Corporation's interview with the CEO of Artifact Entertainment, David Allen. For those of you who have been living under a rock or some other overused cliche for the last few months, Artifact Entertainment is the company behind the exceedingly anticipated MMORPG Horizons.
Can you tell us a little about Artifact Entertainment's history?
Well, AE was founded back in August of '99. I moved to Phoenix at the end of October specifically to found AE and start the HORIZONS project. James and I hooked up shortly before I moved down, and the rest is history. We have put together a team of almost 20 people who are waiting for the funding to come through before they relocate and start working on the project full time. We already have a small staff of 7 or so that have been doing the work that you have seen on the web site; models, textures, concept art, alpha shots of the 3D engine, etc.
What is the status (development-wise) of Horizons? In light of recent financial difficulties, what is going to happen to Horizons?
HORIZONS has temporarily been put on hold while we put all of our effort into securing financing. With the response that has been received from the community, things are looking good; although a final deal is still pending.
I'm not going to focus on what's going to happen to HORIZONS if the financing doesn't come through; I'm going to focus on making it happen.
What were/are the motivating factors behind the creation of Horizons?
Towards the end of DEMISE, I knew that it was time for me to work on a project that could be an industry lead; almost as if DEMISE was a 'start up' to get me going. I actually came up with the story behind HORIZONS nearly 4 years ago when I wrote a short story about the Ku'tan, and the empires of the lands. I took that concept and created the foundation of HORIZONS.
What is the primary influence on your design? Is it AD&D flavored, Tolkeinesque, or more influenced by Diku-MUDs and such?
I'd say a little of everything, plus a bit of personal creativity. I was never a big D&D fan, even though I did play a little; I was more influenced by my multi-gaming experience over the years.
What will make Horizons stand out from the crowd?
HORIZONS is bar none the most ambitious feature rich MMORPG in development. We have air, ground, below ground, and underwater playability, 15 unique races, empires, businesses, religions, deities, race wars, trade skills, and more. We are taking the best of the current MMORPGs on the market, and adding some new features that haven't been seen as of yet. Our death system, spell system, and one other feature in particular will blow players away.
Are there any aspects or features of Horizons that no other MMORPG will have (including the upcoming UO2 and Shadowbane)?
Yes, but I'm not at liberty to get into details about them. This information will be released as soon as the BETA starts.
Stay tuned for Day Two of The Corporation's interview with David Allen, when Mr. Allen will talk about Horizons' PvP system, players' influence on the game's world, what Horizons needs to be successful, and more. |
