mike-tinney
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Former CCP exec aims to create a fitness MMO [Updated]
In probably one of the most ironic paradoxes of all time, someone is making an MMO to help people "reduce sedentary behavior and live more active, energetic lives." Actually, the idea isn't so far-fetched; it aims to integrate the powerful social aspect of staying fit with a game that lets you compete against others in a massively multiplayer environment. By completing certain "micro-physical challenges" throughout the day, a player can earn achievements while becoming healthier. Known as UtiliFIT, the game is an upcoming MMO created by former CCP North America president and former White Wolf CEO Mike Tinney, who has secured "one source of seed round funding" from BVM Capital and hopes to release an early playable beta version later this month. [Source: FIX press release] [Update: We've clarified the type of funding received by the developers.]
CCP's North American president steps down
It's been a long run heading up work on spaceships and vampires, but after 19 years at the helm, North American CCP President Mike Tinney is saying goodbye. Tinney announced that he is departing the studio on February 29th to work at an unnamed company that will combine health and fitness with games. Tinney has no regrets with his prior role but is excited about the future: "CCP has gone through a fast-paced growth cycle. It's been a fun run and a lot of good experiences and memories. But I would like to move to a younger, earlier stage company, and plan to start one myself." CCP's management expressed gratitude toward Tinney's service: "We are grateful for Mike's energetic and effective leadership and for all his valuable contributions to CCP. We will miss him. We wish him well with his next endeavors. And we're eager to see what he comes up with next." Tinney's 19 years of service includes being CEO of White Wolf, which was snatched up by CCP in 2006. He will continue to assist CCP in an "advisory capacity" for several months to help the transition.
CCP Games expanding US presence, hiring 150 additional staff
Icelandic game development studio CCP Games began life as a handful of employees in a small Reykjavik building. The ongoing success of its flagship game EVE Online has fueled the company's expansion into a global entity with offices in Iceland, the United States, China and the United Kingdom. In addition to working on EVE Online, CCP's offices house people working on the upcoming console MMOFPS Dust 514 and the announced World of Darkness MMO. CCP announced today that its American headquarters are to be relocated to a new area in Atlanta. The new office space will provide some much-needed room for the company to expand, allowing it to create up to 150 new jobs over the next three years. Many of these jobs will be filled by local colleges and universities, which offer comprehensive courses relating heavily to work in the games industry. Mike Tinney, President of CCP North America, was positive about the move. "Decatur offers the perfect blend of big city accessibility with a hometown feel that we were looking for," he said. "Georgia's financial climate combined with Decatur's social climate provide the ideal conditions for continued growth."
CCP president points to the EVE community as their reason for success
These are tough economic times for everyone, but not all companies are experiencing a downturn. CCP, the developers of EVE Online, are finding success while many other companies are striving for larger subscriber numbers.Gamasutra had the chance to catch up with CCP North American president Mike Tinney and interview him on CCP's success. Of note in the interivew is how much empasis Tinney places on supporting the community of players and working within a game's revenue stream, rather than overloading a game with big budget features to keep a dwindling population."There's a lot of strategies out there, and there's so many ingredients in the recipe of a successful MMO any one of them can throw the whole thing off," Tinney said to Gamasutra. "But I think the community is one of the most important ingredients."If you wish to read the full interview, check it out over at Gamasutra.
