One of the first five employees of Electronic Arts, and producer on games such as The Bard's Tale, M.U.L.E, The original John Madden Football, Joe Ybarra has founded a new independent studio, Joe Got Game, and has turned to crowdfunding for a passion project.

A Kickstarter pledge drive has now launched for Shackleton Crater, a hopeful strategy game with a hard science fiction foundation that challenges players construct lunar colonies, with competitive multiplayer elements of trade and diplomacy.

At Joe Got Game we have begun the process of crafting a game experience by using the Ybarra philosophy of game design. Shackleton Crater combines the highest fidelity science with decades of game craftsmanship to give you the best entertainment possible. We believe that by focusing on the game play we can not only present a fantastic game, but also deliver an inspirational message to the world – go to the moon to stay.

We want to inspire gamers, thinkers and dreamers who want the moon as badly as we do. This is the vision we are bringing to you on Kickstarter, and it is through Kickstarter that we believe this game is best realized.The money pledged to Shackleton Crater is not just funding for a killer game, but a clarion call to society about what we want as human beings. We want more, and we intend to deliver not only the moon to the people of planet Earth, but other frontiers as well. Be part of our vision and join us in creating a unique gaming experience.

The project has set a US$700,000 goal, which appears to be a little too ambitious at first glance. The current negative sentiment surrounding EA's recent business practices probably doesn't help matters, nor the fact that the last game Ybarra worked on was the ill-fated MMO The Matrix Online back in 2005, but perhaps the appeal of grounded sci-fi and the deep pockets of fans of that genre can overcome that.

Watch the pitch video below, and head over to the Kickstater Page, or the official website for more details.