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DUST 514 handing out first beta keys tomorrow [Updated]

Justin Olivetti — Thu, 17 May 2012 09:00:00 EST

Filed under: Betas, Sci-fi, Events, in-game, Free-to-play, MMOFPS, DUST 514

Did you drop your name into CCP Games' hat as a potential tester for DUST 514? Then tomorrow might be a lovely day for you, as the studio is emailing out the first round of closed beta keys for registered participants after a short delay from its original key-handing-out schedule.

It is unknown how many keys will be sent out and to whom. Last month, CCP told Fanfest attendees that they would be among the first to test the anticipated MMOFPS. The DUST 514 website states that the studio is sending out Fanfest keys first and keys to standard registered players "soon after."

To celebrate the release of the closed beta keys, CCP is holding a "special event" over the weekend. The details of this event are forthcoming.

[Update: CCP has confirmed that beta registration has begun today and that EVE players and Fanfest attendees will get first pick.]

DUST 514 handing out first beta keys tomorrow [Updated] originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 17 May 2012 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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EVE Evolved: Fixing the wardec system

Brendan Drain — Sun, 15 Apr 2012 18:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, EVE Online, Expansions, Game mechanics, PvP, Opinion, EVE Evolved, Sandbox

EVE Online's new Inferno expansion is almost here, bringing with it a massive PvP revamp. CCP will try to resurrect the dead faction warfare system, and new modules will be introduced to significantly shake up the PvP landscape for the first time in several years. The war declaration system is also getting a complete overhaul, with the goal of forcing the aggressor to commit to the war and making wars more structured and meaningful. Unfortunately, the implementation described at Fanfest doesn't look like it will achieve that and doesn't fix any of the system's other problems.

The attacking corp can no longer stop a war mid-week, and the defender can hire mercenaries to join his war, but this doesn't add any risk for the attacking corp and doesn't force it to commit. The attacker can always stop paying the war bill, and the war will then finish at the end of the week. As most empire wardecs are initiated by small shell corps full of PvP alts, the attacking players won't mind logging out for a few days if the war backfires. The current war system is plagued with issues, from a complete lack of victory conditions to the fact that the attacker can pay for the war indefinitely. It allows bizarre asymmetries, like tiny alt corps declaring war on major military alliances, and offers no way for even the most militarily powerful defender to win the war.

In this week's EVE Evolved, I lay out some of the problems with EVE Online's upcoming wardec revamp and propose an alternative system that fixes them.

Continue reading EVE Evolved: Fixing the wardec system

EVE Evolved: Fixing the wardec system originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 15 Apr 2012 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Firing Line: DUST 514 newsplosion edition

Jef Reahard — Fri, 30 Mar 2012 11:00:00 EST

Filed under: Betas, Sci-fi, Video, EVE Online, Economy, Events, real-world, Game mechanics, MMO industry, New titles, PvP, News items, PvE, Opinion, Free-to-play, DUST 514, Sandbox, The Firing Line

Oh man, this back and forth between PlanetSide 2 and DUST 514 is going to be the death of me. I feel like I'm cheating on one game every time I get excited about the other, but I just can't help it since both titles are drawing a bead on my personal sweet spot.

This week's Firing Line is all DUST all the time, thanks to the massive info dump at last weekend's Fanfest 2012 event. I didn't get to go to Iceland for the hands-on, unfortunately, but I did log into PlayStation Home for the keynote livestream (which is archived after the cut in case you missed it).

And I'll go ahead and beg your forgiveness for my fanboy breathlessness in advance this week. I've been an EVE Online player for a number of years now, so I'm already enamored of both the DUST universe and CCP's propensity for sandbox mechanics. What I didn't know prior to Fanfest, though, was just how deep the rabbit hole's going to go.

Continue reading The Firing Line: DUST 514 newsplosion edition

The Firing Line: DUST 514 newsplosion edition originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 30 Mar 2012 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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EVE Online declares war (more efficiently)

Justin Olivetti — Thu, 29 Mar 2012 23:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, EVE Online, Expansions, Game mechanics, Dev Diaries, Sandbox

Team Super Friends is hard at work living up to its name by bringing liberty, justice, and wholesale carnage to the EVE Online community. As the team prepares for May's Inferno expansion, it's tackling a reworking of the War Declaration system.

According to a new EVE dev blog, the system wasn't exactly broken, but it was underutilized and wasn't always working as intended. As a result, the team took the system apart, examined it thoroughly, and put it back together with a few improvements aimed at making the act of declaring and waging war between corps clearer and easier to understand.

These improvements to War Declaration include modifying how costs are calculated, eliminating automatically retracting wars, and putting a time limit on conflicts. Wars will go on for a week, after which the declarer can choose to pay to prolong it or end it right then and there. An informative War Report will help players understand the forces engaged, losses sustained so far, and the history of a corp's past wars.

The blog ends with a FAQ on the changes culled from the recent Fanfest.

EVE Online declares war (more efficiently) originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 29 Mar 2012 23:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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EVE Fanfest videos viewable on YouTube

Jef Reahard — Wed, 28 Mar 2012 12:30:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, Video, EVE Online, Events, real-world, Game mechanics, MMO industry, New titles, News items, Free-to-play, DUST 514, Sandbox

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!

Continue reading EVE Fanfest videos viewable on YouTube

EVE Fanfest videos viewable on YouTube originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 28 Mar 2012 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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CCP investigates player panel amidst controversy [Updated]

Brendan Drain — Mon, 26 Mar 2012 13:30:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, EVE Online, Culture, Events, real-world, News items, Sandbox

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]

Continue reading CCP investigates player panel amidst controversy [Updated]

CCP investigates player panel amidst controversy [Updated] originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 26 Mar 2012 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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EVE Evolved: New info from Fanfest 2012

Brendan Drain — Sun, 25 Mar 2012 18:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, Trailers, Video, EVE Online, Culture, Events, real-world, Expansions, Game mechanics, PvP, News items, EVE Evolved, DUST 514, Sandbox

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.

Continue reading EVE Evolved: New info from Fanfest 2012

EVE Evolved: New info from Fanfest 2012 originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 25 Mar 2012 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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DUST 514 presented at EVE Fanfest 2012

Brendan Drain — Sat, 24 Mar 2012 19:00:00 EST

Filed under: Betas, Sci-fi, Trailers, Video, EVE Online, Events, real-world, Game mechanics, MMO industry, New titles, PvP, News items, Free-to-play, DUST 514, Sandbox

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.

Continue reading DUST 514 presented at EVE Fanfest 2012

DUST 514 presented at EVE Fanfest 2012 originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 24 Mar 2012 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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World of Darkness presented at EVE Fanfest 2012

Brendan Drain — Sat, 24 Mar 2012 15:00:00 EST

Filed under: EVE Online, Events, real-world, Game mechanics, Lore, MMO industry, New titles, PvP, News items, World of Darkness, Sandbox

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.

World of Darkness presented at EVE Fanfest 2012 originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 24 Mar 2012 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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EVE's Inferno expansion launches May 22nd, precursor patch April 24th

Brendan Drain — Fri, 23 Mar 2012 14:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, EVE Online, Events, real-world, Expansions, Game mechanics, Patches, PvP, News items, Sandbox

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's Inferno expansion launches May 22nd, precursor patch April 24th originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 23 Mar 2012 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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EVE Online's 2012 Fanfest kicks off with free livestreams

Brendan Drain — Thu, 22 Mar 2012 08:50:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, Video, EVE Online, Culture, Events, real-world, MMO industry, News items, DUST 514, Livestream, Sandbox

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 Online's 2012 Fanfest kicks off with free livestreams originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 22 Mar 2012 08:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Daily Grind: Do exclusive in-game event items annoy you?

Jef Reahard — Thu, 15 Mar 2012 08:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, EVE Online, Events, real-world, MMO industry, Opinion, Star Wars Galaxies, The Daily Grind, Miscellaneous, Sandbox

I was looking longingly at an ad for EVE Online's Fanfest a few minutes ago. I say longingly because it's a bit late to be booking airfare to Iceland for a couple weeks hence, to say nothing of getting off work. The event seems like a good time, though, and the icing on the cake is the in-game swag that CCP distributes to attendees.

Sony Online Entertainment does something similar for its annual Fan Faire shindig, and I remember tons of exclusive items on display in the virtual homes of Star Wars Galaxies fans who made the annual pilgrimages to Las Vegas.

It's bad enough that I never made it to Fan Faire, but it was infinitely worse that I wasn't able to get my collection-obsessed paws on rare no-trade paintings and whatnot (yeah, first-world problems, yada yada). What about you, morning crew? Do exclusive in-game event items rub you the wrong way?

Every morning, the Massively bloggers probe the minds of their readers with deep, thought-provoking questions about that most serious of topics: massively online gaming. We crave your opinions, so grab your caffeinated beverage of choice and chime in on today's Daily Grind!

The Daily Grind: Do exclusive in-game event items annoy you? originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 15 Mar 2012 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Daily Grind: Have you ever traveled specifically for a gaming event?

Jef Reahard — Thu, 08 Mar 2012 08:00:00 EST

Filed under: Events, real-world, MMO industry, Opinion, The Daily Grind, Miscellaneous

There are a lot of real-world gaming events going on this month. Whether we're talking about the Star Wars: The Old Republic guild summit in Austin, GDC in San Francisco, or the EVE Online fanfest in Reykjavik, opportunities to rack up frequent flyer miles abound.

While lots of gamers spend lots of money on subs, cash shop items, and upgrades to their gaming rigs, the aforementioned shindigs tend to attract only the hardest of the hardcore fans. What say you, Massively readers? Have you ever traveled specifically to attend a game-related event?

Every morning, the Massively bloggers probe the minds of their readers with deep, thought-provoking questions about that most serious of topics: massively online gaming. We crave your opinions, so grab your caffeinated beverage of choice and chime in on today's Daily Grind!

The Daily Grind: Have you ever traveled specifically for a gaming event? originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 08 Mar 2012 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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EVE Evolved: Setting the universe on fire

Brendan Drain — Sun, 26 Feb 2012 18:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, EVE Online, Expansions, Game mechanics, PvP, Opinion, EVE Evolved, DUST 514, Sandbox

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.

Continue reading EVE Evolved: Setting the universe on fire

EVE Evolved: Setting the universe on fire originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 26 Feb 2012 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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EVE Fanfest events detailed

Jef Reahard — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 12:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, EVE Online, Culture, Events, real-world, MMO industry, News items, Sandbox

Preparations for EVE Online's annual Fanfest are well underway, and CCP has updated its website with a blog entry that gives gamers an idea of what to expect if they're coming to Reykjavik in March.

CCP is adjusting its VIP office tour prize package this year. A contest entry will only set you back one PLEX (as opposed to the $1,000 minimum bid in years past). There's also a poker tournament, a silent auction, and a battle of the bands in the offing.

What does all this have to do with New Eden, you're asking? Well not much, aside from the opportunity to drink heavily and put a name to a face when it comes to all those capsuleers you've been swindling and killing for the past eight years. Head to the official site for details on all the events and prizes.

EVE Fanfest events detailed originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 27 Jan 2012 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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CCP lays out the path to attend the EVE Fanfest

Eliot Lefebvre — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 18:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, EVE Online, Culture, Events, real-world, News items

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.

CCP lays out the path to attend the EVE Fanfest originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 06 Jan 2012 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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CCP announces EVE Fanfest 2012 dates

Jef Reahard — Mon, 19 Sep 2011 11:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, EVE Online, Events, real-world, MMO industry, News items, DUST 514, Sandbox

CCP has just announced its plans for EVE Online's eighth annual Fanfest. The ~~drunken buffoonery~~ celebration will take place March 22nd through March 24th at the shiny new Harpa Concert Hall and Conference Center in Reykjavik, Iceland.

CCP Tyr has posted the details on EVE's official website, and there's a loose itinerary that includes a poker tournament, a battle of the bands, chessboxing, and hey, there might even be some EVE- and Dust 514-related presentations and assorted tomfoolery if things go according to plan.

Tyr says that further info -- including flight, accomodation, and access pass availability -- will be forthcoming as the event draws closer.

CCP announces EVE Fanfest 2012 dates originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 19 Sep 2011 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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EVE Evolved: Eight years of EVE Online

Brendan Drain — Sun, 01 May 2011 18:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, EVE Online, Culture, Events, in-game, Lore, MMO industry, Hands-on, EVE Evolved

In last week's EVE Evolved column, I celebrated the third anniversary of the column with a competition to win one of three prizes worth over 500 million ISK. Congratulations go to Uniqdragon, mdubs28 and Thorium88, who will be contacted via email to arrange receipt of their prizes. In a bizarre twist that I can't believe I haven't noticed for three years, it turns out that the anniversary of my column occurs just over a week before EVE Online's own birthday on May 6th. With that in mind, this week's column is dedicated to the game's anniversary and to looking back at another successful year.

The past eight years have been a wild ride for EVE Online and its developer CCP Games. EVE has grown from a fledgling niche game with under 40,000 launch subscriptions to a global melting pot of over 360,000 actively subscribed accounts. The company itself has seem similar expansion, starting from humble beginnings as a small independent studio in Iceland and growing into a multinational monster with offices in China, Iceland, North America and the United Kingdom.

In this huge two-page anniversary edition of EVE Evolved, I look at how EVE Online has kept up with the industry over the years and then go on to examine this past year in detail, from the highs and lows to all the scams and awesome events.

Continue reading EVE Evolved: Eight years of EVE Online

EVE Evolved: Eight years of EVE Online originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 01 May 2011 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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EVE Online Fanfest 2011: Final video roundup

Brendan Drain — Fri, 29 Apr 2011 12:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, Galleries, Video, EVE Online, Culture, Events, real-world, MMO industry

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.

Continue reading EVE Online Fanfest 2011: Final video roundup

EVE Online Fanfest 2011: Final video roundup originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 29 Apr 2011 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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EVE Fanfest 2011: CCP working on mobile New Eden functionality

Jef Reahard — Tue, 29 Mar 2011 12:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, EVE Online, Events, real-world, MMO industry, News items, Mobile

Hopelessly addicted to life in New Eden, maybe to the point of wishing you could take EVE Online with you on the go? Well, that day may be closer than you think if one of CCP's EVE Fanfest 2011 demos is any indication.

The Icelandic development firm showed off a new project designed to run a streamlined version of EVE on Nvidia-based Tegra 2 mobile hardware (that excludes iOS devices, for the non-technical Apple consumers in the audience). The demo was basically a render of EVE's ship fitting interface, shown running on a tablet and a phone, with the future intent being to provide limited functionality sans a PC (think market transactions and skill queue management). According to Gamasutra, CCP has yet to announce a release date for the project.

EVE Fanfest 2011: CCP working on mobile New Eden functionality originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 29 Mar 2011 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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EVE Online Fanfest 2011 roundup: Day 3

Brendan Drain — Sat, 26 Mar 2011 23:30:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, Galleries, Video, EVE Online, Culture, Events, real-world, MMO industry, News items

The third and final day of festivities at the massive EVE Online Fanfest has come to an end, and it was definitely worth waiting for. There were several round-table discussions and events going on today, but the event everyone was looking forward to was definitely the "CCP Presents" talk in the afternoon. With yesterday's keynote speech wrapping up all the awesome plans CCP has for EVE this year, it wasn't certain exactly what had been saved for today's show. Yesterday we heard details of the Incarna captain's quarters, server upgrades, new turret effects, new nebulae and more.

Highlights of today included a round-table discussion on how CCP would be linking EVE with DUST 514, the hilarious finals of the Fanfest PvP tournament and the CCP Presents feature. This was followed by the CCP panel, in which developers answered questions from the audience. Having spent three days watching developers talk about the future of EVE, I get the distinct impression that many of them have as much passion for EVE as even the most fanatical EVE players.

Read on for a roundup of what happened today at the EVE Fanfest, along with detailed explanations of a few personal highlights from today and the Fanfest in general.

Continue reading EVE Online Fanfest 2011 roundup: Day 3

EVE Online Fanfest 2011 roundup: Day 3 originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 26 Mar 2011 23:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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EVE Fanfest 2011: Closing ceremony video cluster shows off the future of the sandbox

Jef Reahard — Sat, 26 Mar 2011 16:30:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, Trailers, Video, EVE Online, Events, real-world, MMO industry, News items, DUST 514

Lots of super-cool stuff is coming out of this week's EVE Fanfest, much of it making sci-fi sandbox fanboys (and girls) weak in the knees. Possibly the slickest thing to date is a new video dubbed A Future Vision, in which CCP tips its hand for tying together the whole of New Eden across multiple gaming platforms.

The clip is just under three minutes in length and shows off the integration of EVE Online's internet spaceships with DUST 514's ground-based mercs, war machines, and morally grey mayhem. While the footage is scripted and hand-made for the trailer, it was produced using CCP's proprietary Carbon graphics engine toolset (and is intended to represent what players will see and do in future versions of the EVE universe).

A Future Vision is necessarily focused on expanding New Eden beyond ships, wormholes, and star gates, but CCP isn't neglecting its bread and butter either, as evidenced by an additional new trailer featuring turret upgrades to existing ships, as well as one featuring new nebula graphics.

Check in with Massively all weekend as Brendan Drain, our resident EVE expert, weighs in on A Future Vision as well as all the exciting tidbits from EVE Fanfest 2011. In the meantime, you can view the trailers after the cut.

Continue reading EVE Fanfest 2011: Closing ceremony video cluster shows off the future of the sandbox

EVE Fanfest 2011: Closing ceremony video cluster shows off the future of the sandbox originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 26 Mar 2011 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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EVE Online Fanfest 2011 roundup: Day 2

Brendan Drain — Fri, 25 Mar 2011 21:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, EVE Online, Culture, Events, real-world, Expansions, MMO industry, News items, Opinion, Hands-on, Massively Event Coverage

It's day two of CCP's enormous party at the top of the world, and Massively is right here to find out what the future holds for EVE Online. In yesterday's day 1 roundup, we covered a fantastic presentation on Incursion by CCP Soundwave, an enlightening question-and-answer session with EVE's Council of Stellar Management, and the hilarious (but absolutely not work-safe) alliance leader panel. Today has been similarly packed with activity. We've seen some great presentations on what's to come in the summer expansion, and the keynote speech discussed some very exciting developments due to hit EVE in the near future.

Highlights of today included a video of Incarna's "captain's quarters" that we'll be getting as part of the summer expansion, details of massive server upgrades heading to Tranquility, and details of some awesome quality-of-life changes coming soon thanks to Team Best Friends Forever. There was so much awesome information to share that we unfortunately had to miss the chessboxing match to get it out in a timely manner. We missed Icelandic game developers punching each other in the face to write this up, so I hope you find it interesting!

Read on for a roundup of what happened today at the EVE Fanfest, along with detailed explanations of a few personal highlights from today's festivities and what we can expect to come later.

Continue reading EVE Online Fanfest 2011 roundup: Day 2

EVE Online Fanfest 2011 roundup: Day 2 originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 25 Mar 2011 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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EVE Online Fanfest 2011 roundup: Day 1

Brendan Drain — Thu, 24 Mar 2011 22:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, EVE Online, Culture, Events, real-world, MMO industry, Opinion, Hands-on, Massively Event Coverage

Once per year, EVE Online developer CCP Games throws a colossal party in its home country of Iceland. EVE players from around the world fly to Iceland to meet up with other players, talk about internet spaceships and usually get completely drunk. CCP hosts a series of events, round-table discussions and presentations all about EVE, showing what the team has been up to over the past year and revealing plans for the game's ongoing development. Fanfest has typically catered to EVE's most dedicated fans, or at least those motivated enough at the prospect of an EVE convention to brace the Icelandic weather. This year, the focus is much wider, with over 3,000 players in attendance and a huge contingent of press.

Day one of the EVE Fanfest has come to a close, and the event is now in full swing. Read on for a roundup of what happened today, along with detailed explanations of a few personal highlights from today's festivities.

Continue reading EVE Online Fanfest 2011 roundup: Day 1

EVE Online Fanfest 2011 roundup: Day 1 originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 24 Mar 2011 22:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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EVE Evolved: Planning for the EVE Fanfest

Brendan Drain — Sun, 20 Mar 2011 18:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, EVE Online, Culture, Events, real-world, MMO industry, Hands-on, EVE Evolved

Every year, the developers at CCP Games host the truly massive EVE Online Fanfest. Players from all walks of life and countries will soon gather in Iceland for the world's biggest event dedicated entirely to internet spaceships. Fanfest originally started as a small gathering for the game's most dedicated fans, but over the years, it has grown both in size and in its importance to players. CCP often uses Fanfest to give EVE players a sneak peek of what's to come and to showcase what the company has been working on. We look forward each year to CEO Hilmar's keynote speech, in which the year's big reveals typically take place.

Over time, the EVE Fanfest has become an integral part of CCP's feedback-gathering mechanisms. Developers run a series of presentations on game design, work being done at CCP, and the lessons learned from previous projects or expansions. Round-table discussions give players the opportunity to raise questions directly to developers, and Fanfest in general gives players a way to mingle with developers in a very informal way.

In this week's EVE Evolved, I look at how to prepare for the EVE Fanfest and how you can get involved even if you won't be in attendance.

Continue reading EVE Evolved: Planning for the EVE Fanfest

EVE Evolved: Planning for the EVE Fanfest originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 20 Mar 2011 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Schedule posted for the EVE fanfest livestream

Eliot Lefebvre — Sat, 19 Mar 2011 20:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, EVE Online, Events, real-world, Previews, News items

If you're a fan of EVE Online, missing this year's fanfest is unpleasant... but unless you're taking a trip out to Iceland, it's also a sad reality. However, the livestream of the important events does at least help to take the edge off, giving players watching from afar a taste of what's going down at the gathering. The official schedule for the stream has just been posted, which gives everyone an idea of what to expect from the event.

Players can either watch the stream free in normal quality on EVE TV or purchase the HD version for a nominal fee. (Purchasing the HD version also offers players a small promotional item for their characters by way of an additional carrot.) The livestream service currently is not planned to be recordable, so if you're considering shelling out money to watch the latest EVE Online gathering, there's that much more reason to check the schedule and make sure you won't be missing anything.

Schedule posted for the EVE fanfest livestream originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 19 Mar 2011 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Level 3 to offer streaming of EVE Online Fanfest

Krystalle Voecks — Thu, 10 Mar 2011 14:30:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, Video, EVE Online, Events, real-world, Interviews, News items, World of Darkness, DUST 514

Are you bummed that your budget won't allow for a trip to Reykjavik for the EVE Online Fanfest this year? Perhaps you're still new to New Eden and aren't sure what kind of stuff goes on at the party on top of the world? Well, in either case, CCP and Level 3 have you covered. According to a press release from earlier this morning, Level 3 -- already known for offering live-streaming of the EVE Online Alliance tournaments -- will be offering its services to allow fans at home to check out some of the myriad Fanfest events. The press release was followed by a blog post on the official EVE Online site that offers up even more details on the event streams.

For those who have one spare PLEX lying around (or the equivalent cash), a high-definition stream of the events will be available for purchase. As if the HD-streaming deal weren't sweet enough, all players who opt to purchase the higher-end stream will be granted a special Quafe t-shirt similar to the ones that attendees of Fanfest will receive, only this particular version will be for their characters' in-game use when Incarna rolls out. However, if spending money on the Fanfest stream isn't for you, you can still check out the weekend's panels and events via the lower-definition EVE TV stream that will be available on the main Fanfest site starting on March 25th and running until the evening of March 26th. Check out the EVE Online streaming blog post for all the details!

Level 3 to offer streaming of EVE Online Fanfest originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 10 Mar 2011 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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CCP's CEO talks about upcoming EVE Fanfest

Krystalle Voecks — Mon, 28 Feb 2011 10:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, EVE Online, Events, real-world, News items

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's CEO talks about upcoming EVE Fanfest originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 28 Feb 2011 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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EON Magazine issue 22 tackles Incarna, surviving the EVE fanfest and more

Brendan Drain — Mon, 31 Jan 2011 11:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, EVE Online, Culture, MMO industry, Opinion, Hands-on

These days it seems like every MMO has some form of microtransaction system or merchandising deal. It's clear that players don't seem to mind spending a little extra on their MMO hobbies now and then, whether it's for an in-game item to cut out some of the grind or a geeky T-shirt to show off to friends. Several online games even have their own dedicated magazines, and EVE Online is no exception. Published four times per year, EON magazine by MMM Publishing provides guides, interviews, sneak peeks at upcoming expansions, fan-written chronicles, and big news from across New Eden.

Issue 22 of EON popped through my letter-box a few days ago, and I've spent most of today thoroughly absorbed in its pages. This quarter's mag focuses on the Sansha incursions happening across EVE and the upcoming Incarna expansion with its long-awaited walking-in-space feature. Also in this edition is a featured look at the rise and fall of the Band of Brothers alliance, a guide to surviving your first time at the annual Fanfest in Iceland, and all the usual features. This issue will be the first officially released under the name EON -- the previous name of the magazine being E-ON.

Skip past the cut for a roundup of what you'll find in EON magazine issue 22 and my impressions of its content.

Continue reading EON Magazine issue 22 tackles Incarna, surviving the EVE fanfest and more

EON Magazine issue 22 tackles Incarna, surviving the EVE fanfest and more originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 31 Jan 2011 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Package deals for EVE Online Fanfest released

Brendan Drain — Sun, 05 Dec 2010 12:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, EVE Online, Culture, Events, real-world, MMO industry

Every year, the EVE Online crew put on a massive celebration of the game and its players. Players from across the world fly to Iceland to take part in the largest gathering of EVE players in the yearly calendar. Fanfest attendees often get a sneak peak at what CCP has in store for the future of EVE. Through a series of development talks, trailers and announcements, players get a deeper look at upcoming expansions. The fanfest has always been late in the year, which has unfortunately limited the number of players that could attend and the amount of information CCP could deliver on the upcoming summer expansion.

This year's fanfest runs from the 24th to the 26th of March 2011 and is expected to give players a deep look into Incarna, which is scheduled for a Summer 2011 release. The official Fanfest 2011 webpage has been online since early last month, and this week CCP has released details of the various travel plans, accomodation packages, fanfest tickets and Icelandic tours available to players. Of particular interest is the "PLEX for passes" scheme, which lets players pay for fanfest tickets with PLEX that can be bought in-game for ISK. The normal price for tickets is $99 USD, but anyone buying their tickets before the 26th of December will get them for only $75 USD. As the fanfest is in Iceland, however, flights and accommodation are sure to account for most of the cost.

Package deals for EVE Online Fanfest released originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 05 Dec 2010 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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E-ON Magazine issue 21 round-up

Brendan Drain — Fri, 12 Nov 2010 16:30:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, EVE Online, Culture, Expansions, MMO industry, Opinion, Hands-on

We regularly spend money on our favourite MMOs, be it in the form of a monthly subscription fee or a microtransaction purchase. We often spend more time and money on our favourite online retreats than we spend on other hobbies, and yet few MMOs have their own dedicated magazine the way other hobbies do. EVE Online players are fortunate enough to have the quarterly EVE magazine E-ON to spread out across their coffee tables. Produced by MMM Publishing, E-ON is guaranteed to be 100% EVE from cover to cover. Even the advertisements in it are for EVE corporations and services rather than paid ads for other games.

I've been slowly reading my way through Issue 21 since it popped through my letterbox and have definitely enjoyed it. This issue focuses on live events and the upcoming Incursion expansion, with a special feature on EVE's annual fanfest event in Iceland. The issue also contains guides to faction warfare militia fleets, EVE's various communication tools and the first of a series on Drones. Interviews this time around include CCP's video producer Stevie Ward and Technical Director in the fight against lag, Derek Wise. As usual, the magazine contains the latest war reports from nullsec, an awesome new piece of EVE fiction and the impressive layouts and graphics that readers have come to expect.

Skip past the cut for a breakdown of what you can expect from E-ON issue 21 and my impressions of the issue.

Continue reading E-ON Magazine issue 21 round-up

E-ON Magazine issue 21 round-up originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 12 Nov 2010 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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CCP releases details for EVE Fanfest 2011

Krystalle Voecks — Wed, 10 Nov 2010 09:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, EVE Online, Events, real-world, News items, DUST 514

We knew it was coming, considering we caught a whiff of the travel packages for fanfest the other day (which, interestingly enough, are down as of the time of this writing). This morning, however, it's official -- the EVE Online full fanfest site is online, with quite a lot of information for curious capsuleers. As expected, this year's celebration looks like it's going to be enormous, running from March 24-26, 2011, and will additionally feature optional excursions before and after the event for those who would like to make it an extra-long vacation. The website lets us know that we'll see the return of not only the wildly popular PvP tournaments and silent auctions, but also "pub crawl with a dev," which offers a menu that could only appeal to extremely open-minded foodies or gobsmackingly drunk people. We hear that those evenings are legend... wait for it... dary.

Along with the fun, CCP is partnering with Icelandair and Iceland Excursions to bring back the Sisters of EVE offering for partners/friends/stowaways of EVE Online players. This will allow capsuleers to get their party on at the event while knowing their non-EVE-playing [insert relationship here] won't be sitting around getting progressively grumpier about being left out. To top it all off, passes for the party on top of the world can be purchased via PLEX, for capsuleers who are rolling in ISK and would like to defray at least some of the cost. For the rest of us, the current ticket prices are $99 US for the Fanfest badge, and $200 US for the Sisters of EVE excursion, although neither are currently available through account management as yet. For all the most up-to-date information, warp on over to the official fanfest 2011 site!

[Thanks, CrazyKinux!]

CCP releases details for EVE Fanfest 2011 originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 10 Nov 2010 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Make your travel plans for EVE Online's fanfest

Krystalle Voecks — Sat, 06 Nov 2010 20:00:00 EST

Filed under: Real life, Sci-fi, EVE Online, Events, real-world, News items, World of Darkness, DUST 514

With the holidays coming up, there's a plethora of things a capsuleer could ask for: that shiny new T3 ship you've been eyeballing, a pile of PLEX, or perhaps a bargain at the EVE Online store sale. But the savvy holiday shopper knows to save his cash for the upcoming Fanfest that is slated to be held in 2011. With Incursion coming up, Incarna to follow, DUST 514 underway, and World of Darkness recently announced, this year's party at the top of the world looks like it's going to be full of all manner of cool stuff to check out.

Thanks to a bit of internet digging, it appears that IcelandAir has already released its travel packages for those looking to get the jump on the event and book in at the lowest rates. The travel site indicates that the dates for the upcoming Fanfest are March 24-26, leaving lots of time to get those vacation requests in early. Additionally, IcelandAir lists a CCP dev-attended city tour and a party after the event that offer some idea of the festivities to come, although they're not included with the travel package itself. We've contacted CCP for additional information and will be certain to let you know when we hear more. For now, make sure your passports are in order and get over to the IcelandAir site to get your package booked!

Make your travel plans for EVE Online's fanfest originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 06 Nov 2010 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Daily Grind: Single-game conventions, or multi-title meccas?

Krystalle Voecks — Wed, 28 Apr 2010 08:00:00 EST

Filed under: Events, real-world, Opinion, The Daily Grind

When it comes to gaming conventions, the options for MMO players seem to get bigger every year. (Not that we're complaining, mind you!) You can get a taste of the MMO world within a bigger convention like PAX or the MMO track at Dragon*Con. Alternately, fans of a particular game or company have more and more choices to check out -- EVE FanFest; BlizzCon, SOE's Fan Faire, and now Jagex's RuneFest. Add to that the LFG Expo, which promises to give us more MMOs in one space than we've seen before, and you can see where a gamer might not know which to pick!

But with all the myriad choices opening up to us, we wondered this morning just how you like MMOs in your conventions? Are you more inclined to hit company-specific MMO conventions, so you can immerse yourself in a particular game (or series of games)? Do you prefer the large conventions where Mario and Magic: The Gathering fans mingle with murlocs? Or are you chomping at the bit for a convention like L4G, which should give players a huge choice of MMO diversity under one roof?

The Daily Grind: Single-game conventions, or multi-title meccas? originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 28 Apr 2010 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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EVE fanfest pushed back due to work on Incarna

Brendan Drain — Tue, 20 Apr 2010 11:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, EVE Online, Culture, Events, real-world, MMO industry

The EVE Online fanfest is the biggest annual gathering for EVE players from around the world. Each year EVE fans pour into Iceland and take over the seaside town of Reykjavik, home of the game's developers CCP Games. In addition to enjoying the usual Reykjavik night life, attendees can watch a whole host of events and talks from CCP's development teams and notable players. The fanfest often gives players a sneak peak at what's to come in EVE, with expansion announcements and trailers often screened for the first time. For many players, it's also a chance to meet the members of their corporation or alliance in a neutral setting and make new friends that play EVE. CCP have even organised bands, orchestras and other entertainment in previous years. If there's one thing the developers over at CCP know how to do, it's throw a party.

The fanfest normally occurs late in the year, around September. This has presented CCP with problems in the past and limits the number of players that can spare the time to attend. Last Thursday, CCP announced that this year's fanfest is to be pushed back to March 2011, which seems set to become the new month for the annual event. In addition to being easier on CCP, the cost of flights and hotels should be lower around this time. CCP will also have more information on what they're currently working on to share and more sneak peaks at future expansions to release. Most importantly, pushing the fanfest back this year gives them some added time to work on Incarna, the absolutely goliath expansion that will introduce full body avatars and in-station environments. This hints that Incarna could be slated for a Summer 2011 release.

EVE fanfest pushed back due to work on Incarna originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 20 Apr 2010 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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EVE Online Summer Buddy Program concluding, chance to win a trip to Fanfest

Lesley Smith — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 09:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, EVE Online, Contests, Events, real-world, News items

September is just a few days away and so the folks at CCP Games are keen to remind players that their Summer Buddy Program for EVE Online will conclude on September 1st. Why is this so important? Well, aside from introducing your pals to the world's biggest sci fi MMO, you are also in with a chance to win a trip to this year's Fanfest in Iceland for you and your friend as well as a trip to CCP's head office. The full prize is the following:

Two return flight tickets from any destination that Icelandair flies to for you and your EVE Online buddy.

Hotel Accommodation in Reykjavik from Sept, 30, 2009 to Oct, 04, 2009

Airport - Hotel transport in Reykjavik

Two Fanfest VIP passes

Organized visit to CCP HQ offices in Reykjavik

All you need to do is have an active EVE account and start spreading the word, just get them signed up with a buddy account and then cross your fingers. If you do win, you can choose who you take with you, either a friend you introduced to the game or any of your online pals on Tranquility. So enter now before it's too late!

EVE Online Summer Buddy Program concluding, chance to win a trip to Fanfest originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 24 Aug 2009 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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EVE Fanfest PvP tournament to have free-for-all and Tech III matches

James Egan — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 20:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, EVE Online, Events, real-world, Events, in-game, MMO industry, PvP

The Drone Bay podcast returned recently with an EVE Online Fanfest preview. The podcast's hosts Crovan and Alsedrech got air time with EVE developers CCP Tyr and CCP Claw, as well as StevieSG from EVE TV. In addition to dropping more info about the sixth annual Fanfest and some of the options players will have for excursions in Iceland beyond the player gathering itself (which will be October 1 - 3), they discuss the Fanfest PvP tournament.

The Fanfest PvP tournament is a major draw to the event. The Fanfest tournament differs from the Alliance PvP Tournament (which will be held earlier in the year, in September) in some noticeable ways. Where the Alliance tournament is taken very seriously by most competitors who spend weeks in preparation -- after all, a substantial part of the game's playerbase are watching or listening to the event live -- the Fanfest PvP tournament is meant to allow for more impromptu, spontaneous match-ups. Indeed, some winning teams at the Fanfest tournament were comprised of virtual strangers who joined up at the last minute, and the rules can lead to some... unusual scenarios. In keeping with this spirit of mixing it up, CCP has decided to hold free-for-all PvP matches at Fanfest 2009.

Continue reading EVE Fanfest PvP tournament to have free-for-all and Tech III matches

EVE Fanfest PvP tournament to have free-for-all and Tech III matches originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 16 Jun 2009 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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EVE Evolved: Making EVE beautiful

Brendan Drain — Sun, 12 Apr 2009 20:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, EVE Online, Expansions, MMO industry, EVE Evolved

When it was released back in 2003, EVE Online was one of the most visually impressive games on the market. Over the coming years, the graphics aged gracefully next to competitors on the market and all seemed well. Nonetheless, CCP were not content to let their flagship game's graphics eventually go out of date. In true CCP style, they developed a long-term staged delivery plan for the complete overhaul of the game's graphics. The first stage of delivery came with the Trinity expansion, in which a premium client was launched with incredible high resolution ship models. This was just the first stage in a plan to keep EVE graphically ahead of any competitors.

In this technical article, I look at the science of making EVE beautiful and examine CCP's plans for the future.

Continue reading EVE Evolved: Making EVE beautiful

EVE Evolved: Making EVE beautiful originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 12 Apr 2009 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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EVE Online Fanfest 2009 dates and travel packages announced

James Egan — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 10:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, EVE Online, Events, real-world, MMO industry, News items

The annual EVE Fanfest is the largest player gathering of the year for fans of the sci-fi MMO. It's held annually in Reykjavik, Iceland, the home of CCP Games, and is a major event for die-hard fans of the game. EVE Online dev CCP Tyr announced the sixth annual 'Party at the Top of the World' this week: "It is time once again to start marking your calendars and making your reservations for the 2009 Fanfest in Reykjavik, Iceland! Get ready for another weekend of PvP tournaments, hanging out with the developers, and partying in a sea of fellow EVE Online fans. As always, Fanfest attendees will be treated to videos and announcements on the future of EVE and what players can expect in the upcoming expansions."

Rather than holding it in November as in all previous years, they've moved up this year's Fanfest dates to October 1- 3, when the weather should hopefully be a bit warmer. CCP Games has worked with Icelandair to put together airfare and hotel travel packages by country, the details of which can be found on the EVE Fanfest 2009 announcement page. For a peek at what EVE Fanfest is like, we've got a video embed of the Fanfest 2009 teaser trailer:

Continue reading EVE Online Fanfest 2009 dates and travel packages announced

EVE Online Fanfest 2009 dates and travel packages announced originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 27 Mar 2009 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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EVE Online interview confirms details of retail release

James Egan — Mon, 23 Feb 2009 20:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, EVE Online, Business models, Expansions, Game mechanics, Interviews, MMO industry

One of announcements that came out of EVE Online's most recent Fanfest was news that the game will be sold on retail shelves this March, with the release of the Apocrypha expansion. A publishing deal struck between EVE's developer CCP Games and Atari means that the game may well see an influx of players in the coming months.

MMORPG.com's Managing Editor Jon Wood caught up with Ryan Dancey, Chief Marketing Officer at CCP Games, and the two discussed how EVE's shift away from being a purely digital product will affect the game. Also notable is that Dancey gives the details of what that $39.95 (€39.99) for the box will buy: Mac and PC versions; a Career Guide for new pilots; 60 days of game time that can be converted into PLEX; automatically have needed standings for factional warfare; a VIP pass which functions like the Buddy Program; and a shuttle with expanded cargo capacity. These extras were previously rumored to be included with the EVE retail purchase, but Ryan Dancey's comments in the MMORPG.com interview would seem to confirm those rumors.

Have a look at the rest of the interview focused on EVE Online's retail release for more on how the publishing deal between CCP Games and Atari is shaping up.

EVE Online interview confirms details of retail release originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 23 Feb 2009 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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