So a while ago, this website appeared. I didn’t think anything much of it, since it featured little more than a countdown (which it still features, mind) and some “call to arms”-type text about amusement park games, sandbox games, and other stuff that sounded kind of like it was in reference to MMORPGs:

I don’t want to kill more rats, fill another experience point bar or collect another meaningless badge.

I want to play a GAME, against PLAYERS where my actions, my decisions and my SKILL will determine if I win or lose.

Allies. Enemies. Alliances. Betrayal. Risk. Conquest. To compete with THOUSANDS of other players for a chance to claim the THRONE.

Even if I lose, the experience won’t feel hollow. I don’t want another worthless trophy.

I WANT TO PLAY TO CRUSH.

“That’s swell,” I thought at the time. “Go have fun with that.” (I’m not one for MMORPGs, typically.)

Today, however, the site and its content became a bit more…interesting. The following press release arrived in my inbox:

AUSTIN, Texas, Jan. 7, 2015 — Independent game developer ArtCraft Entertainment, Inc. revealed today high level details about “Crowfall,” a next-generation Massively Multiplayer Online Game (MMORPG) with a focus on political alliances and feudal conquest.

“A few weeks ago, we put up a sign-up page for Crowfall atplay2crush.com,” explained J. Todd Coleman, CEO and game director. “Play2Crush was a statement of purpose – more manifesto than teaser. Without providing a single screenshot or even naming the game, the site has already collected 10,000 registrations. We are blown away by the response.  We clearly struck a nerve.”

The play2crush.com site has now been replaced with an official landing page for the game, which can be found at www.crowfall.com. Players are invited to visit www.crowfall.com to join the community, find information about the game, read and post to the development forums, and to sign up for future beta tests.

Gordon Walton, ArtCraft president and executive producer said, “Crowfall isn’t a game for everyone. It’s for players who are looking for a more immersive, more visceral experience. The early response was fantastic, but we still expect to build this community one player at a time.”

Coleman adds, “Between now and late February – when all of the details of the game will be revealed – we’re going to be playing a game called rampant speculation. We’ll be dropping hints, screenshots, images, videos, storylines…painting a picture in broad strokes. We’ll see how long it takes our fans to figure out what it means, and how it works.”

Founded by two of the most experienced executives in the history of online gaming, ArtCraft Entertainment is the combined effort of J. Todd Coleman (director, Shadowbane, Wizard101, Pirate101) and Gordon Walton (executive producer, Ultima Online, Star Wars Galaxies, Star Wars: the Old Republic). The stated goal of ArtCraft Entertainment is to “push the design of Massively Multiplayer Online games in bold new directions.“

The Crowfall website is about as sparse as its predecessor, saying only this about the game:

If you’re here, it’s because you’re looking for something.

Something deeper than a virtual amusement park. More impactful than a virtual sandbox. More immersive. More real. A game where decisions matter.

We are, too. We’ve been looking for years, and we still haven’t found it…. because it doesn’t exist. Yet.

But there are forums, and wild speculation about the sort of game Crowfall will be is running rampant therein.

For my own, I rather enjoy the art samples that accompanied the press release. One of these is above; here’s another:

What do you make of this, Ultima fans?