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CCP Games reveals EVE Valkyrie
There's another game on its way to share space with EVE Online and DUST 514. EVE: Valkyrie is the official name for what had been referred to before now as EVE-VR, what was described as a tech demo assembled with the Oculus Rift and a few fighter craft. Yes, that high-speed dogfighting sim in a virtual reality headset turned out to not just be a brief bit of playable speculation but a peek at the next game from CCP Games. CEO Hilmar Petursson stated that as soon as players got their hands on the demo, they wanted to know when the whole thing could be purchased -- and that was when it was just a concept demo developed by a handful of people during some spare moments. No official statements have been issued on what format the game will take or whether or not there will be components other than multiplayer dogfights. But there will be spaceships zooming around and shooting one another, and that's what attracted people in the first place.
Coming soon to a console near you: MMOs
Remember E3 2013? That huge video games conference thing from earlier in the summer? Weeks have passed since Microsoft and Sony squared off in the Los Angeles convention center (while Nintendo posted up at Best Buy and Ouya sulked in the parking lot), but the news made there continues to reverberate through the games industry. One curious trend seems to have been missed amid the clashing of proverbial titans: There sure are a lot of MMOs and online-focused games due on consoles this generation. And since MMOs are the business of Massively, we thought it might be fun to compile a quick list of all the ones we can find that are either already available on our current consoles or set for launch on the next batch. The list, as it turns out, is pretty extensive.
EVE Evolved: Is DUST 514 a pay-to-win game?
I've been following DUST 514's development with a cautious optimism for the past few years and have been trying to convince my console gamer friends to give it a try since it launched back in May. Last week I finally sat down to play the game myself and was thoroughly disappointed with both its 2005-era graphics and fundamentally broken gameplay. DUST 514 will likely stay in development for the forseeable future and may end up becoming a polished and integral part of the EVE Online universe, but right now it's a buggy and mediocre FPS that has very little impact on New Eden. DUST 514 launched to mixed impressions from the gaming media, catching a lot of flack from reviewers for its microtransactions options. Some have argued that selling skill point boosters and destructible Aurum tanks and equipment directly for cash makes it a pay-to-win game, while others maintain that it doesn't give you an advantage that free players can't buy for ISK. The definition of pay-to-win isn't always clear, and the console FPS audience may not be as tolerant of microtransactions PC users have long since accepted. In this week's EVE Evolved, I look at the arguments for and against it being a pay-to-win game and ask what went wrong with the game's launch.
EVE Online shows off Second Decade Collector's Edition
EVE Online's 10th anniversary is a big deal to CCP, which is why the studio is coming out with a special collector's edition of the game. In a new video the team reminisces about the origins and growth of EVE Online (spoiler: beer has something to do with it), after which the devs reveal the contents of the new edition. The CE is full of physical items, including a model of one of EVE's ships, a copy of the board game that helped to fund EVE, a book of the history of EVE, and a music recording of a symphony orchestra playing EVE's score. There are also plenty of digital items packed in for both EVE Online and DUST 514, which you can see in the picture above. Check out the anniversary video after the jump!
The Soapbox: On your deathbed, you will not regret gaming
In last week's edition of The Soapbox, Mike Foster reminded us that the grim specter of death comes to us all and asserted that when your time comes, "you will not wish you had spent more time gaming." Mike took the stance that gaming provides temporary joys that can't replace real-life experiences and that it's our inherent responsibility as human beings with finite lifespans to seek out those experiences. He argued that "gaming is a hobby and not a replacement for a life well-lived" and that it's not our gaming achievements but our real life ones that we'll proudly tell our grandchildren. I think we can all agree that it's important to have offline hobbies and interests that help you keep active, but I take exception to the notion that we might regret time spent gaming on our deathbeds. Published data on the top five regrets of the dying actually seems to directly refute this idea, and my life experiences have shown the exact opposite of some of the points Mike makes. MMOs have given me some experiences that I'll probably treasure for a lifetime, and gaming as a hobby has provided me with much more than just temporary joys and escapism; it's helped me discover talents I didn't know I possessed, given me the push I needed to get a good education, led me to employment, and put me in contact with lifelong friends. On my deathbed, I'll probably wish I'd spent more time gaming rather than less. In this opinion piece, I look at evidence that suggests we won't regret gaming on our deathbeds and make the case that gaming can be just as worthwhile as offline pursuits.
EVE Evolved: First impressions of DUST 514
Every time I'm in a conversation about DUST 514, I find myself excusing its gameplay problems on the basis that it's treading new ground and has years of development ahead of it. But even though CCP has revealed an aggressive new schedule of big monthly updates, console gamers aren't willing to give it a free pass today based on future potential. I finally convinced my console gamer friends to pick the game up this week and gave it a fair go myself. I absolutely love the idea of DUST 514 and want to see the game succeed, but console gamers just don't seem impressed. When the game officially launched on May 14th, it was largely regarded as just another mediocre and buggy first-person shooter with a perishable gear system. The MMO components such as territorial control aren't very visible or accessible to new players, the gameplay balance and graphics need serious work, and the link with EVE Online feels practically non-existent. It pains me to say it, but DUST is neither a great FPS nor a great MMO. In this week's EVE Evolved, I delve into DUST 514 and give my first impressions of it as an EVE player.
DUST 514 issues a challenge to all players
There are a lot of players who have been enjoying themselves in DUST 514. Veterans and potential new players alike will have more reasons to enjoy themselves, as the Mordu's Challenge event starts today and runs until Thursday, July 18th. Mordu's Legion is one of the most respected mercenary companies in the universe of EVE Online, and as cloned mercenaries take to the battlefield in greater numbers, the company is issuing challenges to these clones to see if they can stand up to the pressure. So what can you get out of participation? A whole lot of weapons and armor, that's what. Kill 100 enemies, hack 100 objectives, assist in 100 kills, or destroy 100 installations, and you get an appropriate set of gear for your preferred playstyle. Hit all four objectives and you get an even bigger prize. There's no registration required, so take the time over the next week to log in and start showing how great you can be.
CCP's Sean Decker and Hilmar Petursson on the future of EVE, DUST 514, EVE-VR, and mobile gaming
Earlier today, CCP Games announced that industry veteran Sean Decker is coming on board as Senior Vice President of Product Development. Sean's laundry-list of industry experience includes a recent 12-year stint at EA, where he headed up the Play4Free division. This has naturally led to some trepidation within the EVE Online community, which has been extremely wary of free-to-play and microtransaction-based business practices since the Monoclegate scandal in 2011. I caught up with Sean Decker and CCP CEO Hilmar Petursson last night to get the low-down on Sean's role, how he will influence EVE and CCP's other products, and what the future has in store for DUST 514 and EVE-VR. Sean is to be the head of product development across all of CCP's games, not just the free-to-play titles, but I wouldn't worry about EVE going free to play any time soon. "I don't think [free-to-play] is the be all and end all business model," Sean told me, adding that he understands that the subscription model better fits some games. Read on for more information on the future of EVE Online, DUST 514, EVE-VR, and CCP's first foray into mobile gaming.
CCP taps EA's Sean Decker as new VP of product development
Big changes from Iceland today, as CCP announced that it has brought on Sean Decker as senior vice president of product development. Decker is a 12-year EA veteran and recently headed the publisher's free-to-play focused games group, along with previously overseeing DICE and EA Los Angeles. EVE Online, as crazy as it sounds, is entering its second decade of being a game about internet spaceships, and CCP is looking toward the future. The company referenced Decker's extensive industry experience as a valuable asset in helping guide EVE Online through its next 10 years and in ensuring growth through the eventually-maybe launch of World of Darkness and the expansion of DUST 514. Decker will be based out of CCP's Atlanta studio. Massively's Brendan Drain spoke with Decker and EVE's Hilmar Petursson at a press event yesterday. We'll have more information on how the new hire will impact EVE this afternoon! [Source: CCP press release]
DUST 514 prepares to deploy Uprising 1.2
CCP is promising to roll out new DUST 514 updates on a "near-monthly basis" and is preparing to roll out Uprising 1.2 for the game on July 2nd. "We have decided to move into a faster, more iterative update cycle," said CCP Praetorian. "This is unique in the console space, only possible because our friends at Sony work with us to evolve the submission processes to suit free-to-play massively multiplayer titles like DUST." Uprising 1.2's star feature is the addition of the Commando dropsuit. This role allows players to equip dual light weapons to go all John Woo on the competition. Don't be jealous if you don't go Commando, as CCP's also prepping "Neo" dropsuits for every role. Other changes coming with 1.2 include shield energizer modules, unlocked conquered districts, ISK transfers, better visuals and game performance, optimal range limits on weapons, and improved sound.
Talk about internet spaceships and lose money at EVE Vegas 2013
EVE Fanfest is the biggest gathering of EVE Online fans in the world. There's just one small problem for folks who live in North America: Fanfest is in Iceland, which is very far away. Like, super far. You probably couldn't even drive there. The distance between the Americas and Iceland is one reason CCP holds another annual fan gathering in Las Vegas, known as EVE Vegas. And in a dev blog posted early this morning, the company outlined what attendees can expect from this year's romp in the desert. This year's EVE Vegas, will feature presentations from devs and players of both EVE Online and DUST 514, a tournament with prizes, and a pub and club crawl, with the main party taking place on the roof of the Rio hotel. CCP is also sending more devs this time around. Perhaps most interesting: Capsuleers can pay the $200 EVE Vegas ticket price with PLEX. EVE Vegas 2013 brings even more spreadsheets to the city of sin from October 18th to October 20th.
CCP CEO talks expansion, warns of big companies becoming 'very dumb, very quickly'
After devoting the last decade to tweaking and maintaining its spacefaring MMO, EVE Online, CCP Games is ready for a multi-product future, CEO Hilmar Petursson explained in an interview with GamesIndustry International. "That sort of self-division, structuring the company around multiple products, is something that we've taken a lot of time to do," Peturrson admits. "Now we're in that world, we're much better structured to make that a continued success without losing focus on EVE, which is obviously hugely important to us." Petursson notes that company leaders must emphasize structure during times of expansion, or else risk losing momentum. "There's a lot of focus on learning when you have a bigger company, to make sure the entire system is learning," he said. "The biggest shift was realizing that. A big company can become very dumb, very quickly. The larger the group of people becomes, the more you lose efficiency, fluidity, creativity, and innovation, unless you structure it very well." The recent PlayStation 3 release of the EVE companion game Dust 514 has also proven fruitful. "We're seeing a different fanbase with Dust, but they behave similarly," Petursson explains. "EVE Online just became more interesting because Dust exists. Dust is more interesting because its in a partnership with EVE Online. We see a lot of power in that idea."
CCP's Petursson discusses how big companies get dumb
CCP Games is doing pretty well for itself at this point. EVE Online is going strong, DUST 514 has been promising thus far, and the company has two more projects in the pipeline. But there's still an underlying focus to the company as a whole, and according to CCP CEO Hilmar Petursson that's a necessity. As Petursson puts it, large companies can get very dumb very quickly unless the people in charge make a conscious effort to avoid it. Petursson notes that a larger company has more difficulty coordinating and understanding how small changes can make larger impacts, something that requires careful structure and planning to avoid. He points out that the company's loss of focus led to layoffs back in 2011, something that he feels personally responsible for. If you're interested in seeing how the company is trying to keep fluid by adapting to new markets without rushing into trends, you can take a look at the full interview.
E3 2013: DUST 514 and EVE's virtual reality demo
To an outsider, CCP Games' focus on EVE Online's player panel, comics, incoming television series about player adventures, and museum induction show just how much the company works to earn its players' respect, which might sound weird for studio running a cutthroat PvP sandbox. But I've always felt as if I made stronger personal attachments through high-stakes PvP than through most other gaming activities. I don't play EVE or its console cousin DUST 514, but after stopping by the CCP booth for my interview and hands-on at E3 yesterday, I feel as if I should be doing more than reading and writing about it.
E3 2013: Check out DUST 514's new trailer, EVE Online screenies
Sometimes a space cowboy or cowgirl just wants to gaze out of the cockpit and marvel at the beauty of the cosmos. Sometimes being that pensive is a good way to get podded, but at least those final moments are spent in awe. So whether or not you're facing imminent combat, we've got some new CCP eye candy for you. Below are several new screenshots from EVE Online: Odyssey and DUST 514, and after the break is the E3 trailer for DUST called Fight Your Own War. Enjoy! [Source: CCP Games] %Gallery-191114%
CCP claims DUST 514 is 'driving' PS3 sales
DUST 514 may be causing the CCP faithful to go out and buy a PlayStation 3, Vice President Thor Gunnarsson suggested. He claims that sales for Sony's console are increasing thanks to the popularity of the sci-fi MMOFPS. "We already see that DUST 514, during open beta, had been driving hardware sales for Sony. We actually track that together," Gunnarsson said. "We know that our fanbase, DUST-curious players, are buying the PlayStation 3 to get into our game." Recently, the studio claimed that DUST 514 was vital to the "long-term trajectory" of the company.
CCP gives EVE Online players 50K skill points after DDoS attack
The EVE Online and Dust 514 servers are back online after CCP Games took them down this weekend, following a DDoS attack. CCP says this was the "longest downtime in quite a while," and it's giving EVE players 50,000 unallocated skill points to make up for it. All accounts except for trials received the skill points during today's update of EVE Online: Odyssey, the game's nineteenth free expansion. CCP stressed that the DDoS attacks didn't breach any customer data and the loophole that allowed the attacks has been secured. There's no word yet on Dust 514 players receiving comparable compensation.
Does CCP's future depend on DUST 514?
It's been a couple of weeks since DUST 514 launched as a free-to-play title on the PlayStation 3. While it may be too early to tell whether the MMOFPS will be a big success story, a big flop, or something in the middle, Chief Marketing Officer David Reid argues that DUST 514 is vital to the future of CCP Games. "The second product is often the big product," he said. "Anybody can have a hit, but can you have two? It's very important for CCP right now to make DUST 514 a success. It has a lot to do with the long-term trajectory of the company. We're definitely thinking about that." Reid says that CCP is not trying to directly compete with MMO industry titans, but is forging its own path with a sustained cult following. He sees DUST 514 as an important step to the growth of the EVE Online universe: "On some level, DUST is a bit of a tracer bullet. A very big tracer bullet, a big investment, but it's a test bed. This could be the beginning of a much more interesting strategy of lots and lots of things joining into Tranquillity, and all being part of that shared economy, those shared politics and that shared universe."
EVE and DUST DDoS attack not a threat to customers
This weekend's downtime in both EVE Online and DUST 514 -- the results of a distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attack -- is now over and both CCP games are back online, according to a statement from the studio's COO, Jón Hörðdal Jónasson. CCP assures its customers that "at no time was customer data compromised or accessible in any way." Compensation to all EVE and DUST players will be announced soon.
EVE Online and Dust 514 servers under DDoS attack, offline [Update]
Update [06/03, 6:30am]: It appears EVE Online and its API have started to go back online. Dust 514 appears to still be offline. Original Story: CCP Games pulled the servers for EVE Online and Dust 514 offline following a DDoS attack this weekend, the EVE Online Facebook page reads. CCP is investigating the attack. "With the highest sense of precaution we have taken Tranquility and associated websites back down for further investigation and an exhaustive scan of our entire infrastructure," CCP writes. "We will update you more frequently via our Twitter feed, however, an extended service interruption of several hours is expected as this process should not be rushed." EVE Online is an MMORPG for PC, and Dust 514 is a PS3 FPS set in the EVE universe and using the same server cluster. Dust 514 launched a few weeks ago, on May 14, and it is free-to-play – though perhaps that freedom is limited right now.
