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EVE Fanfest has totally sold out
The EVE Online gathering of fans has totally sold out, man. It's completely sold out... of tickets. Yes, this year's EVE Fanfest has already reached full capacity, with the final ticket being sold today. That means that if you were hoping to somehow make your way out to Iceland for the gathering... well, you still can go to Iceland, but you won't be getting into CCP's convention. This year's fanfest will be bigger than previous years as it includes both EVE Online and DUST 514 under its header. It's also the 10th anniversary of EVE Online, so there are sure to be all sorts of interesting events for attendees. If you already have your ticket, you can look forward to it, but if you missed it, your only chance now is to hope to catch some online coverage. On the brighter side, if you had already booked a flight and/or lodgings before tickets had sold out and you are now out of luck, you can contact CCP Games to help recover your investment.
Players look to crowdsourcing for EVE Online documentary
It's called A Tale of Internet Spaceships, and it's a movie that hasn't happened yet. A group of Swedish EVE Online players are turning to crowdsourcing in order to fund a documentary of their favorite online game, asking for a total of $6,000 through Indiegogo from fans. If funded, A Tale of Internet Spaceships will be filmed at this spring's EVE Fanfest in Iceland. Following the convention, the "full-length" documentary will be pieced together and finished by later this year. "We'll be bringing our cameras to document the community in action: to capture the spirit of the game and to explore the sometimes complicated relationship between said community and CCP Games themselves," said project manager Petter Mårtensson. "We hope to find the answer to why the players love and live EVE Online in the way they do."
CCP reveals fanfest trailer for EVE's 10-year anniversary bash
Have you secured your tickets for this year's EVE fanfest? You might want to get a move on, if not, as CCP's party at the top of the world is only a couple of months away. This year looks to be even rowdier than usual, as it's EVE's 10th anniversary and the company is taking over Iceland's Harpa Concert Hall from April 25th through the 27th to celebrate. EVE devs will be on hand, as will plenty of alcohol, live bands, DUST 514 shenanigans, and the Icelandic Philharmonic Orchestra. CCP has released a teaser trailer for the event, and we've got it for you after the break. [Source: CCP press release]
Ticket info available for EVE Online's Fanfest
The annual schadenfreude shindig known as EVE Online's Fanfest is always good for a few laughs, whether it's for the PvP tourneys, the EVE and DUST 514 presentations, or the opportunity to see alliance leaders act like drunken buffoons and lose their seats on the CSM. This year's get-together is likely going to be the biggest to date, what with CCP's sci-fi sandbox celebrating its 10th anniversary. The firm has posted a brief event itinerary as well as ticket info on its official site, and if you're a fan of internet spaceships, you'll probably want to mark April 25th through April 27th on your calendar.
CCP reiterates anti-pay-to-win stance for EVE microtransactions
CCP has been pretty quiet on the subject of microtransactions since last summer's monoclegate and the ensuing Jita protests. EVE Online creative director Torfi Frans Olafsson recently spoke up about the trendy new business model, and while he acknowledged that it is popular, he also said that CCP is "very reluctant to do that in EVE because it's so established. It's like changing the DNA of a living organism after it's born. That didn't work in Blade Runner," he tells PC Gamer. Olafsson also repeats the anti-pay-to-win mantra that comes standard in just about every developer interview these days. He says that CCP will sell cosmetic items in EVE, including makeovers for your avatar, ship, and starbase. Given the fact that players will be purchasing weapons and gear in DUST 514 (which will interface directly with EVE's pre-existing economy), we've no doubt it will be interesting to see how CCP maintains that delicate balance. "I think we have to be very careful in introducing such mechanics into EVE. And I personally think that we shouldn't be doing it in the near future," Olafsson says, "because it's such a vulnerable little flower in a vulnerable little ecosystem. You make minor changes to an ecosystem and you can introduce hostile things and the whole system breaks down." Check out the video interview after the cut.
EVE Fanfest videos viewable on YouTube
We didn't go to EVE Online's annual fanfest this year, and more's the pity. Aside from the unfortunate noise generated by Mittanigate, CCP released quite a bit of interesting info related to EVE, DUST 514, and even World of Darkness. Fortunately, the company has also thrown a bone to those of us who weren't able to attend (and who may have missed out on the extensive livestream coverage). A new post on the official EVE website has links to CCP's YouTube page, and there you'll find footage from CCP Presents, the EVE keynote speech, the DUST keynote speech, and the Tesselation tech demo. You can also check them out after the cut. Happy viewing!
CCP investigates player panel amidst controversy [Updated]
EVE Online's annual Fanfest is an opportunity for players from across the world to share stories of the year's big events, political actions, and epic battles won and lost. Each year, player speakers from the game's biggest and most influential alliances are invited to take part in the Alliance Panel at Fanfest, where they can talk about their organisation and what it's done over the preceding year. GoonSwarm alliance speaker The Mittani gave a talk on some of the year's most memorable alliance activities, from shutting down Ice Mining operations across several regions to scamming people with fake supercapital ship trades. During a Q&A session after the presentation, he said something that has become the focus of a great deal of controversy. Massively got a hold of a copy of this year's Alliance Panel to find out what all the controversy is about. [UPDATE: The Mittani has issued a public apology for his behaviour during the Alliance Panel and has vowed to make all restitution necessary.] [UPDATE: This post has been updated as part of an apology for covering this in a sensationalist manner]
EVE Evolved: New info from Fanfest 2012
The annual EVE Online Fanfest is starting to become a major event in the gaming calendar, thanks to CCP's partnership with Sony and the addition of DUST 514 and World of Darkness talks to the event schedule. This year, CCP flew gaming journalists to the event to give the press hands-on time with DUST and demonstrate the game's impressive realtime integration with EVE Online. Massively, unfortunately, is not permitted to accept such travel stipends, which meant that we couldn't produce in-depth coverage and interviews as we did last year, so instead we've pieced together information from the talks that were streamed to viewers at home. The theme of this year's Fanfest was unmistakably DUST 514 and its integration with EVE Online. Attendees got first-hand experience with DUST 514 and a free pass to enter the beta in April. There was even a live demonstration of the EVE-DUST link during which a battleship delivered an air strike directly into a DUST match in realtime. There were several talks on EVE's upcoming Inferno expansion and its PvP revamp, with details of new modules and gameplay designed to shake up the PvP landscape for the first time in several years. Players report leaving Fanfest this year with a very real sense that CCP is back on track and recovering from the aftermath of Monoclegate. In this week's colossal EVE Evolved, I piece together some of the information from EVE Fanfest 2012 and consider what it means for EVE players.
DUST 514 presented at EVE Fanfest 2012
While Massively isn't at this year's EVE Online Fanfest, those who are in attendance have been treated to a wealth of new information and reveals on upcoming console MMOFPS DUST 514. During the DUST 514 keynote speech, developers demonstrated orbital bombardment of a DUST match by EVE players in realtime. We saw the orbital command center and surface command centers that enable communication between the two games; we also saw the orbital artillery that let DUST players retaliate against players in orbit. Earlier today, during the CCP keynote, the DUST crew revealed some exciting new information based on questions repeatedly asked throughout Fanfest. In addition to PvP matches organised by NPC corporations, there will be co-op PvE survival missions in which players fight off hordes of rogue drones -- living machines with a collective consciousness. The PvE mode will be released in 2012, and there are some exciting plans for expansions scheduled for the year after. 2013 will bring in e-sports and competitive gaming, with gladiator arenas in which players compete in capture the flag, deathmatch and custom game modes. The matches will be a true spectator sport, with live viewing from both the EVE and DUST game client and even betting on matches. Battles on hostile worlds are also due for release in 2013, with tactically different terrain that may require vehicles to get around. CCP confirmed that the highly requested MTACs (mechs) will also be introduced in 2013. DUST is currently in closed beta, with additional waves due to be released in April and June in time for E3. Read on to watch the first incredible trailer for the game in HD.
World of Darkness presented at EVE Fanfest 2012
Ever since CCP Games merged with White Wolf, it has been developing the World of Darkness MMO. The game is nowhere near complete, and fans worried that last year's heavy layoffs at the Atlanta office had slowed the game's production. We haven't heard much about World of Darkness since then, but today at the EVE Online Fanfest, a few new details were revealed. Attendees were shown some early in-game footage of a city and given a mix of information we already knew and snippets of new information. CCP wants to draw in the largely female World of Darkness fanbase. The game will have a focus on fashion, and CCP will control the theme of that fashion rather than letting players design their own clothes. The game will be based in the Vampire: The Masquerade universe, with an initial focus on vampires before the introduction of the other factions. Vampires will use human blood as a currency; it will be the resource they'll compete over, making human cities the central locations they will inhabit. When mages and other character types are released, they will compete for different resources. The game will have a single-shard world, with sandbox territorial warfare for control of cities mirroring EVE Online's nullsec warfare. Developers investigated using real cities for the game but found that "real cities were generally boring." Presenters told fans that the team will "be using stylised versions, but they will be named after real cities." Each city will be lorded over by a player prince, who will under rare circumstances be potentially subjected to permadeath. The world's original vampire clans will be available on release, and CCP confirmed that it won't be using vampire generations as a form of leveling system but instead will be doing something different with it.
EVE Fanfest talks Inferno, World of Darkness panel later today
Day two of EVE Online Fanfest 2012 had a lot to offer fans of CCP's sci-fi sandbox. First and foremost was the announcement of Inferno's official launch date and the fact that EVE's latest expansion will roll out to Tranquility on May 22nd. As we told you yesterday, the patch is heavy on PvP tweaks, and everything from faction warfare to a new specialized mercenary marketplace is on the way. The official EVE website also received a ton of updates yesterday, the better to catalogue all of the breaking news direct from Fanfest. Today's docket is equally fascinating, and CCP devs are scheduled to speak about EVE-related game design topics that include war decs, concept art, and growing the game's infrastructure. Also on the menu is a presentation on World of Darkness that we'll be following with great interest. You can follow it too via our EVETV Livestream channel. Be sure to look for our expert analysis of all the Fanfest happenings in this Sunday's EVE Evolved column!
EVE's Inferno expansion launches May 22nd, precursor patch April 24th
EVE Online aims to revamp PvP in its upcoming Inferno expansion. In addition to continuing the good work that started with Crucible, Inferno will revamp the wardec system, iterate on faction warfare, and introduce new ships and modules for players to smash to pieces. It sounds like the perfect PvP expansion, and today at the EVE Fanfest, CCP revealed some firm details of exactly what the wardec and faction warfare revamps will entail. A new wardec interface will make wars easier to follow; loopholes like the wardec shield used by EVE University will be closed; and a new mercenary marketplace will be introduced. Faction warfare system ownership will be given more consequences, such as making it impossible for enemy militias to dock in the system. During the EVE Keynote speech today, CCP announced that Inferno will be hitting on May 22nd and that it will be CCP's first ever expansion preceded by a precursor patch. CCP intends to introduce new content with the patch that will prepare the way for the main expansion, but exactly what form that preparation will take has been kept a secret.
EVE Online's 2012 Fanfest kicks off with free livestreams
It's that time of the year again, when thousands of EVE Online fans from across the globe fly to Iceland for the party at the top of the world. Every year, Fanfest is packed with high-profile reveals, sneak previews at what's to come, panels discussing hot topics, and round tables giving players the opportunity to discuss their ideas directly with developers. For EVE players, Fanfest is more than just a party with some reveals thrown in; it's a place to meet players as enraptured with the game as they are, to share epic stories of battles won and lost, and to be a part of a truly global game community. Fanfest is three days of living in a world where the virtual universe of New Eden is real and the online exploits of its inhabitants are legend. Last year, Massively attended the EVE Fanfest and brought you in-depth first-hand coverage of the event, but this year we take a back seat to the live reporting of EVE TV. Live streaming of the event has just begun and will continue for three full days. A full list of the talks, panels, speeches and events that will be streamed is available on the official EVE TV schedule. Each day's events will also be repeated during the night for those viewing from the US. Head over to our official Fanfest livestream page to watch the action!
EVE Evolved: Setting the universe on fire
This week CCP Games announced the name and focus of EVE Online's upcoming summer expansion. The Inferno expansion aims to re-invigorate PvP with some long overdue gameplay changes. CONCORD-sanctioned wars will be iterated on for the first time in half a decade, and faction warfare will hopefully be getting the updates it should have received in 2008. Following on from the success of the Crucible expansion with its hundreds of small features and gameplay changes, Inferno will also contain dozens of small gameplay changes, usability fixes, and minor improvements. We'll hear more about DUST 514 in the coming months as CCP reveals more concrete details of the game's link to EVE Online and the motivations behind planet-bound wars. Incarna fans will apparently also see some movement, with Team Avatar focusing on avatar-based updates for this release. While Inferno is a rather uninspired name and coincidentally would make three of the last four expansions start with the word "in," the expansion's content is genuinely exciting. Fundamental changes are coming to EVE's PvP mechanics for the first time in several years. CCP hasn't revealed the exact changes, but that hasn't stopped players from speculating on what might be heading their way. In this week's EVE Evolved, I speculate on the changes coming in the upcoming Inferno expansion and what changes I think might be coming to EVE's PvP.
EVE Online announces an impending Inferno
EVE Online Senior Producer Jonathan Lander says now that some of the nitty-gritty reorganization within CCP has been completed, the devs "are back in the serious business of making EVE better and better." Citing several small releases over the next few months as proof, Lander lets loose with the announcement of the game's next big expansion: Inferno. Inferno will hit EVE "just before the summer" and will attempt to bring EVE's conflicts to a whole new level. Concord-sanctioned warfare and factional warfare will be getting tweaks as a result of this focus. More specific details about Inferno will be revealed at the EVE Fanfest in March. And while he won't go into specifics (yet), Lander says that CCP will reveal "more concrete steps" of how both EVE Online and DUST 514 are connected in the next couple of months.
CCP lays out the path to attend the EVE Fanfest
At the end of March, it's time for EVE Online players the world over to once again come together in their shared love of backstabbing, corporate management, and monocles. Yes, the EVE Fanfest is approaching swiftly, and if you're planning to head over to Iceland for the event, now is probably the time to start making some plans about how to get there. Fortunately, CCP Games has made some accommodations for players so that getting to the event and in the door can be a wee bit easier. Tickets to the event can be purchase from the game's account management page, with a special early bird discount available through the end of January and bulk discounts on groups of 5-10 tickets. You can also book Fanfest activities through the same purchase page, allowing you to save time when you actually get on the ground. There are also deals available for players flying in via Icelandair, making it easier than ever to get to the convention -- a welcome change for the legions of fans not already based there.
EVE Online Fanfest 2012 tickets on sale now
Hold up there, space cowboy. We know everyone's excited about that other sci-fi game, but EVE Online fans have something to look forward to as well. CCP has announced that tickets are now on sale for the 2012 EVE Online Fanfest. The event will be taking place in Reykjavik, Iceland from March 22nd to the 24th. Tickets cost 100 USD until January 31st, at which point the price rises to 125 USD. The Fanfest will play host to many events such as roundtable discussions with the devs, contests, auctions, tournaments, and of course, a pub crawl with the devs. To get more information and/or purchase tickets, just head on over to the 2012 EVE Online Fanfest official site.
EVE Online Fanfest 2011: Final video roundup
Just over a month ago, the EVE Online Fanfest was in full swing and some exciting new information on EVE's future was being released. Massively was there to bring you all the big news as it came out, but most EVE players were unable to attend the event. Thankfully, most of the Fanfest panels and events were filmed and the main ones were even streamed live to viewers at home. For those who missed all the Fanfest excitement, CCP Games has spent the last few weeks preparing those videos for launch and uploading them to YouTube. The team has also sent us 150 professional photos from the event to include in our Fanfest gallery. In this final Fanfest roundup article, we've put together a handy list of every video from the Fanfest along with a handy summary of each. Not included in the list are the very technical Dev Tracker workshops designed to inform third-party app developers. Many of these videos contain swearing and some are definitely not safe for work. Talks definitely worth watching include the CCP panel, the EVE keynote, the content panel, incursions, words words words and live events. Things you absolutely don't want to miss are the hilarious but not work-safe alliance panel, the PvP tournament finals, the war on lag talk, guest lecture "Who Needs a CEO?" by Battleclinic founder Chris Condon, CCP Sreegs' talk on security, and of course, the EVE: A Future Vision trailer. Skip past the cut for a full roundup of all the videos from this year's EVE Fanfest.
Massively interviews EVE senior producer Arnar Gylfason on Incarna, PvE and more
Some fantastic news came out of this year's EVE Online Fanfest. CCP Soundwave's talk on Incursion provided some insight into past and possible future development of EVE's often-neglected group PvE activities. We also got a first look at the captain's quarters coming this summer as a first massive step toward full-blown avatar-based interaction with Incarna. Finally, CCP presented the company's vision for the future of EVE -- a video showing the potential interaction between Dust514's ground combat, Incarna's station environments and EVE Online's typical space-based PvP. In his keynote speech, EVE senior producer Arnar "CCP Zulu" Gylfason brought together all the new information that had been released at Fanfest over the last year. We caught up with Arnar at the EVE Fanfest to ask some followup questions to his speech. In an EVE Spotlight article last week, he answered questions on the role of live events in future expansions and other topics. In this second interview, we asked Arnar about incursions, the future of PvE, captain's quarters, the new player experience, Incarna gameplay, and more. Skip past the cut to read our full interview with Arnar Glyfason, a man in whose accent the word "awesome" sounds seriously awesome.
EVE Spotlight: An interview with CCP Zulu
EVE Spotlight is a new bi-weekly feature in which we interview prominent members of EVE Online's player community or development team. Twice each month, we'll be shining the spotlight on a player or developer who has a significant impact on EVE to highlight the efforts of EVE's most influential people. It's almost an unwritten rule of game development that someone from quality assurance should never be promoted into a game design role. Game testing and QA are said to be so fundamentally different to design that it's argued the roles require incompatible skillsets. Arnar "CCP Zulu" Gylfason has definitely proven that this isn't the case, successfully migrating from QA to game design and finally being promoted to senior producer on EVE Online. Taking over from CCP T0rfifrans, Arnar has become a very public figure for CCP in the EVE community. Older players will remember Arnar as CCP Zulupark, that horrible guy who nerfed their carriers back in 2007. Alternatively, you may remember a fantastic forum thread from 2008 in which he personally answered countless player questions on game design and balance issues. Since becoming senior producer on EVE, Arnar has been a strong advocate of this kind of heavy communication with players. Through devblogs, interviews and interactions with the Council of Stellar Management, he's helped to fill the information vacuum players have become accustomed to. We caught up with EVE senior producer Arnar "CCP Zulu" Gylfason several weeks ago at the EVE Fanfest. In this EVE Spotlight, I ask him about communication with players, the role of live events in future expansions, and other topics.
