CEO of CCP Games addresses EVE's continuity through turbulent times
Recent world events and their impact on global finance threaten to have dramatic consequences on the game industry. While an economic downturn isn't something to be taken lightly, it is unique in comparison with similar problems in the past -- now real world economic issues can potentially ripple into virtual economies, just as they certainly impact the companies who create MMOs and virtual worlds. CCP Games, founded in Reykjavik, Iceland, is a case-in-point.
There has been commentary and speculation among EVE Online's playerbase and in the media about how Iceland's economic woes may impact the game. The CEO of CCP Games, Hilmar V. Pétursson, (aka CCP Hellmar) addresses these concerns in his dev blog, "Born Global."
He states that CCP Games is "well isolated" from the banking crisis, helped by its partner relationships in different regions of the world, underscoring the fact that despite having begun as an Icelandic company, CCP has evolved into something more global, thus not in dire straits as with certain other Icelandic enterprises.
Hilmar writes, "The effects of this manmade financial storm have hit Iceland pretty hard, but don't worry about us. Icelanders are sturdy and tenacious by nature. There will still be fun times in Reykjavik regardless. Tough times never last, tough people do. Iceland is full of tough people, the rest died off centuries ago." He goes on to highlight that they're pushing ahead with their initiatives to improve the game experience, namely through StacklessIO and EVE64, as well as the Quantum Rise winter expansion.
Hilmar also stresses that Iceland's economic issues will not have an adverse effect on EVE Fanfest 2008, and points out CCP's Fanfest 2008 FAQ, which addresses some concerns players have had about the expenses and transportation surrounding the event. See "Born Global" for the official word from CCP Games about EVE's continuity through turbulent times.
