Neal Stephenson, author of Snow Crash and (the even better) Cryptonomicon, has launched a Kickstarter project for a motion-controlled sword-fighting game called CLANG for PC. You know he means business because it’s in all capital letters.

“I’ve been writing science and historical fiction for three decades,” he said in the rather brilliant pitch video. “Well, screw that. I wanna do a video game.”

His studio – Subutai Corporation, which previously launched the interactive narrative project The Mongoliad on iOS and Android – is looking to get $500,000 from the public to develop the game. According to the Kickstarter page, the game will use Sixense motion-control tech to present realistic sword-fighting simulation, which is somewhat cheaper and less risky than going on a proper rampage, but way more authentic than pressing buttons.

“There’s not going to be a big, open world where you can wander around killing badgers and harvesting magic weeds because those things are expensive. So by process of elimination, it’s going to be an arena game. Lots of fighting, not a whole lot in the way of plot or character development, but that’s kinda what we do for a living so we can always add that stuff in later once this thing is up on its feet.”

Oh, and if you pledge $10,000 or more, you get a real sword. Damn it, these guys know exactly what we want.

Check out the video below for an amusing cameo from the last person you’d expect to see in it.

Related Articles

Twisted Metal’s David Jaffe working on free-to-play shooter

Carmageddon Reincarnation hits its Kickstarter goal

Did Kickstarter hide failed projects?

All Kickstarter news