Founded in October of 1999, Artifact Entertainment, L.L.C. is a Scottsdale, Arizona-based software development company that specializes in multiplayer entertainment titles. Their first multiplayer role-playing game known as DEMISE, was released in January, 2000. They are now working on a new massive multiplayer on-line game by the name of HORIZONS. AE is a unique Entertainment company in the fact that they are privately funded and run their own projects.

Digital Game Developer recently spoke with Artifact Entertainment's founder and President David Allen, who left the CEO position at Seattle-based VB Designs to start AE and work as the lead producer/developer for the company.

DGD: Tell us about the beginning -- what led you to start Artifact Entertainment?
Allen: Well, my previous company was named VB Designs, and it was a contracting company for vertical market applications. I made a choice to enter the entertainment field full force and required a properly named company to do that.

DGD: What has been the best part of the past year?
Allen: Funding, and the player support.

DGD: What would you have done differently?
Allen: I would have outsourced more help for DEMISE and not bitten off as much as I did. As for HORIZONS I have no regrets as of yet. The project is going great.

DGD: What hardware and software did you use to create DEMISE?
Allen: I wrote DEMISE on a Duel P2-300 256MB system running NT4, and then switched to Win2K at the end. I tested on Win95 & Win98.

DGD: What hardware and software are you using to create HORIZONS?
Allen: A VERY wide variety. We are currently using P3-800 128MB machines with GEForce2 video cards, and other neat stuff. The higher-end DEV machines have more goodies.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 2