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CCP auctioning off a special studio tour for charity
Are you heading to Iceland for the EVE Online Fanfest coming up at the end of this month? Have some spare cash that you'd like to see go to a great cause? As part of its charity events at Fanfest this year, CCP is offering a super-special VIP tour of its studios -- a tour that is currently being auctioned off via a silent email auction. All proceeds from the auction will be going to benefit Get Well Gamers, a charity that helps provide games and consoles to the childrens' ward at many hospitals. The lucky winner will get a personal dev tour into the inner sanctum of CCP HQ in Reykjavík led by CEO Hilmar Veigar Pétursson (aka CCP Hellmar). Along with the tour, the winner will be treated to lunch with the developers of EVE Online and given what the company describes as "a bunch of cool goodies." If you'd like to get a bid in, head over to the EVE Online site and read up on what you'll need to do to enter the silent auction. Good luck!
CCP's CEO talks about upcoming EVE Fanfest
The party at the top of the world approaches, and some very excited (and lucky) EVE Online players are gearing up to head for Iceland to see the company, people, and land from which their favorite game originates. It's a pilgrimage many pilots look forward to enjoying each year. Whether it's hot PvP action, panels and roundtable discussions, or just the idea of getting to go pub crawling with CCP devs in an incredibly picturesque location, there's a ton for the EVE Online devotee to look forward to. For the non-EVE partners who go along, the Sisters of EVE tour similarly offers tons of interesting things to do. As a lead-up to this year's extravaganza of all things EVE, CCP's CEO, Hilmar Veigar Pétursson (aka CCP Hellmar), has taken the time to pen a very interesting open letter to all who are attending or thinking of attending. His pride and passion for the game are nearly contagious. So if you're eager for more information on the upcoming Fanfest -- or are just killing time until you get to attend -- be sure to head over to the EVE Online site and check out Pétursson's open letter to the community.
CCP Games 'PLEX Aid for Haiti' initiative to help Red Cross relief efforts
The devastating January 12 earthquake which struck the Republic of Haiti claimed many lives, and has left even more people homeless. It's a terrible situation, but at the very least there are numerous aid efforts underway, and some companies in the MMO industry are finding ways to help as well. CCP Games now ranks among them, with their PLEX Aid for Haiti initiative. The company is offering a way for the EVE Online playerbase to get involved and help with donations. Here is the message from Hilmar Veigar Pétursson, CEO of CCP Games, in its entirety:
CCP Games and Atari partner on EVE retail box sales
When EVE Online launched in 2003, it came in a box through the game's publisher, Simon and Schuster Interactive. But for much of EVE's lifespan, it's been a digital product. Nothing to buy at a store, no physical media to save. It seems CCP Games has gone retro, from what was announced by CCP's CEO Hilmar Pétursson today, live from EVE Fanfest 2008 in Reykjavik. He announced that CCP Games will be partnering with Atari to establish a retail presence once again... which is fitting really, as Atari will also be publishing Ghostbusters. Hilmar introduced a short presentation by David Gardner, Atari's CEO, who discussed the partnership with CCP Games. EVE typically has a winter expansion and a summer expansion. The winter expansion, Quantum Rise, is just days away. The summer expansion is expected (but not confirmed) to include Walking in Stations, only there's a little twist with the timing... They're not waiting for summer. It's coming in March. In a box. In your local game store. That's the information we have at this time, but we'll keep you informed as more details surface.Update: Note that we haven't locked down a release date with Walking in Stations yet. Massively will report on Walking in Station's official release date once that's available -- at this time we only know it's tentatively slated for 2009.
EVE Fanfest 2008 keynotes broadcasting live, November 8
EVE Fanfest 2008 is in full swing in Reykjavik, but fans of the game who can't make that trek to Iceland this year have let out a collective grumble that EVE TV isn't streaming live content, as they have in prior years. Rather, the EVE TV team is recording the events and interviewing players, with the aim to make the video footage available to everyone after Fanfest. But for those who really want to connect with what's happening in Reykjavik now, CCP Fallout announced another way for players to listen in:"For those pilots who are unable to warp to Fanfest this year, we are please to announce that we will broacast t0rfifrans's and Oveur's keynote addresses live in-game. Those of you who would like to listen in should join the 'Live Dev Blog' in-game channel on Saturday, 8 November at 13:00 GMT." We've also gotten word that CCP Games CEO Hilmar V. Pétursson, (aka CCP Hellmar) will be delivering a keynote at 15:00 GMT on November 8th, which will also be broadcast live. As with all of the Live Dev Blogs, players need only activate audio via the right click menu to listen in on the keynote presentations.
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."
