Massively

EVE Evolved: Four years of EVE Evolved

Brendan Drain — Sun, 29 Apr 2012 18:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, EVE Online, Contests, Opinion, EVE Evolved, DUST 514, Guides, Sandbox, Anniversary

On April 27th, 2008, I joined the Massively crew and published the first edition of a new weekly column dedicated to the world of EVE Online. It's hard to believe that the EVE Evolved column is now four years old, spanning nine major expansions and predating CCP Games' transformation into an industry giant with three games in development. Since the column's first crude scribbling about shuttles, I've written over 200 in-depth articles, guides, stories, and opinion pieces. With its free expansions and iterative updates, EVE is a rapidly changing game that provides a constant supply of things to write about.

To celebrate the fourth anniversary of the column, I'm giving away two 30-day Pilot's License EXtensions to two lucky readers. To enter the competition, leave a comment stating which EVE Evolved article from this year is your favourite, and why it's your favorite, and what topic you'd like to see covered in the coming year. You will need an active EVE account to claim the prize, so be sure to include a character name with your comment if you want to be able to win a prize. If you're not comfortable with giving out your character name, use an alternate character or sign up a new trial account. The winners' names will be revealed in next week's column.

In this week's EVE Evolved, I look back at some of the highlights from the column's fourth year.

Continue reading EVE Evolved: Four years of EVE Evolved

EVE Evolved: Four years of EVE Evolved originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 29 Apr 2012 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

EVE Online offers video cards for PLEX

Matt Daniel — Wed, 11 Apr 2012 18:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, EVE Online, MMO industry, News items, Sandbox

Are you in the market for a video card? Are you an internet spaceship pilot? If you answered yes to both of these questions, then boy are you ever in luck. As you may have already heard at Fanfest 2012, CCP and NVIDIA have teamed up to bring EVE Online players a new initiative that will allow them to trade in their PLEX for new video cards.

That's right, players will be able exchange 20 PLEX for a shiny new GeForce GTX 560 video card, courtesy of NVIDIA. The supplies are limited to 100 video cards for now, and players are limited to a single video card purchase per account. The folks at CCP note that the reason for the limited quantities is because they are "proceeding carefully... to enable [the studio] to evaluate any impacts of this unique and innovative offer on the EVE economy, and understand any challenges arising from this form of exchange of game world currency for real world goods." So get to it, space cowboys, and earn yourself a new shiny.

EVE Online offers video cards for PLEX originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 11 Apr 2012 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

EVE Evolved: The benefits of a subscription

Brendan Drain — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 18:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, EVE Online, Business models, MMO industry, Opinion, Free-to-play, EVE Evolved, Sandbox

In last week's EVE Evolved opinion piece, I tackled the question of whether it would be possible to make EVE Online free-to-play and then devised a viable hybrid freemium business model based on other apparently successful free-to-play conversions. While this was largely a thought experiment exploring the viability of a conversion, the fact that other subscription games have made the change recently makes it more than just theoretical. The possibility that executives at CCP Games have investigated the same options makes this debate an important one to hash out in a public forum.

We've established that a free-to-play EVE could potentially be viable, but this week I'd like to take the debate one step further and ask whether EVE is actually doing the right thing with its current subscription model. Subscriptions may no longer appear to be the dominant business model in the MMO landscape, but they have some major advantages that are rapidly becoming apparent as more and more games drop their monthly fees. The sale of cosmetic enhancements will only net so much money, and if a game expands into selling convenience items that circumvent grind, there's a strong financial incentive to develop grindy gameplay and then sell shortcuts. This produces a conflict of interest between developing fun games and making money that isn't present with the subscription model.

In this week's EVE Evolved, I look at the benefits of the subscription model, the unique position CCP is in with its PLEX system, and the hidden dangers of convenience-based microtransactions.

Continue reading EVE Evolved: The benefits of a subscription

EVE Evolved: The benefits of a subscription originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 05 Feb 2012 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

The Tattered Notebook: Plat, loot, and the morality of cash

Karen Bryan — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 14:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, EverQuest II, Economy, Opinion, Free-to-play, The Tattered Notebook

There's a dirty little secret going on in EverQuest II, and every now and then it bubbles up to the surface in forum complaints from players. With the arrival of Station Cash, the Marketplace, and Legends of Norrath cards, players have worked out a way to buy in-game coin with real money, without fear of getting banned. And with the transition to free-to-play, it seems like that practice has grown even more.

The problem is that there are several things that factor into the plat-for-cash scenario, so it's impossible to find a quick fix. Are we at a point that SOE should just put plat on the marketplace and be done with it? Let's look at a few reasons for and against it.

Continue reading The Tattered Notebook: Plat, loot, and the morality of cash

The Tattered Notebook: Plat, loot, and the morality of cash originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 21 Jan 2012 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

EVE Evolved: EVE isn't the only game with PLEX

Brendan Drain — Sun, 16 Oct 2011 18:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, EVE Online, Business models, Economy, Game mechanics, MMO industry, Opinion, Free-to-play, EVE Evolved

The past several years have seen a complete revolution in the online gaming market, and with it the MMO industry as we know it. An industry once dominated by monthly subscriptions is now rapidly giving way to games with free-to-play, freemium and hybrid payment models. EVE Online developer CCP Games has repeatedly expressed concern that EVE could go the way of the dinosaurs if it doesn't adapt its business model to this new market. While I'm forced to agree with the general sentiment behind that statement, I don't think the developers at CCP recognise just how far ahead of the curve they've been with their own business model since the introduction of the 30-day Pilot's License EXtension (PLEX).

PLEX essentially allow players to pay for an EVE subscription with in-game ISK, and it provides a legitimate way for players to buy ISK in a way that doesn't harm the in-game economy. It's a clever system that undercuts illicit RMT business, generates additional revenue for the company, and has even been used for charity drives, but EVE isn't the only game to use the system. The success of PLEX in EVE has spurred several other MMOs to follow suit over the years, both in the subscription-based and free-to-play arenas. Runes of Magic, TERA, Star Trek Online and even World of Warcraft have borrowed a page from CCP's book in one way or another, and it's paying off for them big time.

In this week's EVE Evolved, I put the PLEX system under the microscope to find out exactly what makes it tick, and I look at other MMOs implementing similar systems.

Continue reading EVE Evolved: EVE isn't the only game with PLEX

EVE Evolved: EVE isn't the only game with PLEX originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 16 Oct 2011 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Star Trek Online dev blog clarifies free-to-play currency trades

Brendan Drain — Fri, 14 Oct 2011 10:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, Business models, Economy, Game mechanics, MMO industry, News items, Star Trek Online, Free-to-play, Dev Diaries

Ever since Cryptic announced that Star Trek Online is going free to play, developers have published regular "Path to F2P" dev blogs discussing upcoming changes designed to restructure the game for its new payment scheme. In the latest dev blog in the series, STO Executive Producer Stephen D'Angelo looks at the in-game economy and how going free-to-play will affect the various currencies in use.

Energy credits will be used for practically everything encountered in normal gameplay, functioning like gold in most fantasy MMOs. Players can expect to use energy credits every time they play, and receive them as rewards. Dilithium will be used by hardcore players to get high-end gear, but the average casual player will never need it in significant quantities. Cryptic points will be reserved for cash shop items like new ships, but Cryptic aims to let players trade their cryptic points to other players for dilithium.

When the system goes live, players will be able to grind for dilithium in order to buy cash shop items without paying cash. At the same time, hardcore players will be able to short-cut the dilithium grind and quickly obtain high-end equipment with an injection of cryptic points. This system mirrors the diamond trade in Runes of Magic and the PLEX trade in EVE Online, both systems that have proven highly effective at allowing cash-rich players to shortcut grind and letting time-rich players play their way to everything the game has to offer.

Star Trek Online dev blog clarifies free-to-play currency trades originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 14 Oct 2011 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

GDC Online 2011: CCP on virtual goods in EVE Online

Karen Bryan — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 16:30:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, EVE Online, Economy, MMO industry, Massively Event Coverage, DUST 514, Sandbox

Remember Monoclegate? CCP sure does, and at GDC this week, the company reflected on some lessons learned from its introduction of virtual goods to EVE Online. Associate Producer Ben Cockerill from CCP games offered a candid look at what the team learned through both player response and market data. While the initial launch of virtual goods in Incarna sparked a fierce objection on the forums and even in-game protests and riots, things have settled down quite a bit, and CCP seems confident that it is headed in the right direction now.

Read on for a look at why virtual goods were introduced into EVE Online and what the team has learned so far.

Continue reading GDC Online 2011: CCP on virtual goods in EVE Online

GDC Online 2011: CCP on virtual goods in EVE Online originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 11 Oct 2011 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

CCP offering first ever bulk PLEX discount for EVE Online

Jef Reahard — Fri, 02 Sep 2011 17:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, EVE Online, Business models, Economy, Game mechanics, MMO industry, News items, Sandbox

If you've been searching for a way to spend more money on EVE Online, CCP has just announced a bulk discount on its PLEX currency. What is PLEX, I hear a few of you asking? It's shorthand for Pilot License Extension, and it takes the form of an in-game item that provides one month of game access. The kicker is that it may be legally bought, sold, or traded for other in-game items (or cold, hard cash). The system was originally put in place to combat third-party ISK trading, but many long-time EVE players have amassed enough wealth to enable them to buy PLEX and avoid paying the regular monthly subscription fee.

For a limited time (through September 16th, to be exact), CCP is offering 13 PLEX for $199.99, and the one-line press blurb on the official EVE website encourages you to "play the market, pad your wallet, and build your empire."

CCP offering first ever bulk PLEX discount for EVE Online originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 02 Sep 2011 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

TERA implementing chronoscrolls to combat gold farming

Jef Reahard — Mon, 29 Aug 2011 18:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Business models, Economy, Game mechanics, MMO industry, New titles, News items, TERA

TERA isn't releasing in North America for several months yet, but the folks at En Masse are already taking steps to curb the inevitable tide of gold farmers sure to be washing up on Arborea's beaches in 2012.

A new dev blog released over the weekend outlines the introduction of chronoscrolls, and those of you who are familiar with EVE Online's PLEX system will probably see several parallels between the two mechanics. "If you've never purchased gold, and you're wondering why this new chronoscrolls system is a good addition to the game, consider this: Whether chronoscrolls exist or not, other players are buying gold from real-money traders. By creating the opportunity for players who already buy gold to purchase it legitimately, we help eliminate the incentive for real-money traders to target TERA," says producer Patrick Wyatt.

TERA implementing chronoscrolls to combat gold farming originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 29 Aug 2011 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Lost Pages of Taborea: Comparing EVE's PLEX and PvP to RoM's

Jeremy Stratton — Mon, 11 Jul 2011 18:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Economy, PvP, Opinion, Free-to-play, Runes of Magic, Lost Pages of Taborea

I was prepping for a Guild Wars 2 comparison with Runes of Magic, but in light of the current buzz in the air, I'm moving my EVE Online comparison up.

A couple of interesting blocks fell into place this week that fit well with a look at how EVE and RoM allow money to circulate through the economies, and how PvP works in conjunction with it. While there's no contest as to which MMO has the more robust economy, there are still similarities that fit the pay-to-progress comment Mr. Simon Ludgate made in a recent Gamasutra article.

Swarming around the above topics is the question of how much it costs to stay competitive in RoM, which I've also been working on. What does Gamasutra's article have to do with RoM, how much does it cost to be competitive and how are economies similar in these two MMOs? You can also read my memorandum to all EVE PvPers. Set your jump-point past the break to see.

Continue reading Lost Pages of Taborea: Comparing EVE's PLEX and PvP to RoM's

Lost Pages of Taborea: Comparing EVE's PLEX and PvP to RoM's originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 11 Jul 2011 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

EVE Evolved: The evolution of microtransactions

Brendan Drain — Sun, 10 Jul 2011 18:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, EVE Online, Business models, Culture, Game mechanics, MMO industry, Opinion, EVE Evolved

Two weeks ago, the escalating drama in EVE Online saw me drained of my normal enthusiasm as I contemplated the very real possibility that my time in the game I love was coming to an end. While the forums were filled with the most vocal and angry players, discussions with veteran players featured mainly disappointment and a distinct sadness. For those few days spent in limbo waiting for the results of the emergency CSM meeting, I and many of my in-game friends remained a hair's breadth from giving up on EVE entirely.

It was a delicate situation based more on perception and poor communication than intent or fact, and I think CCP pulled things back well with formal statements from both itself and the CSM in addition to an in-depth follow-up press conference. One of the big points to come out of the press conference was that while CCP and the CSM are both confident that none of the future microtransaction plans are game-breaking, the company did not restrict itself to vanity goods such as Incarna clothing.

While the CSM was convinced that CCP planned only to produce pure vanity goods, CCP Zulu was careful not to rule out gameplay-affecting microtransactions altogether. Both CCP and the CSM also talked about "game-breaking" sales rather than using a clearer term like "gameplay-affecting" or "non-vanity." It's reasonable then to assume that in the future we might eventually get non-vanity goods that do interact with gameplay but aren't game-breaking in terms of balance, mechanics or interaction with the in-game economy.

In this week's EVE Evolved, I show exactly why options like selling ships would be game-breaking and then let my imagination run wild as I speculate on possible non-vanity microtransactions for the far future that shouldn't disrupt gameplay.

Continue reading EVE Evolved: The evolution of microtransactions

EVE Evolved: The evolution of microtransactions originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 10 Jul 2011 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Controversy brewing over EVE Online microtransactions

Brendan Drain — Tue, 21 Jun 2011 22:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, EVE Online, Culture, Economy, Expansions, MMO industry, News items

When we first heard that EVE Online was planning to add microtransaction options, players were most concerned with the effect of microtransaction items on gameplay. CCP was quick to reassure players that microtransactions would focus on vanity items for Incarna and no gameplay-affecting items would be released. Fast-forward to today, when the first phase of Incarna finally went live along with the new Noble Exchange cash shop. As promised, the store contained only vanity items for Incarna, starting with a series of alternative clothing options.

The one thing we didn't really think of while we worried about microtransactions affecting EVE's gameplay was price. The current prices on items in the Noble Exchange are far above typical microtransaction charges and an order of magnitude higher than expected. Items in the Noble Exchange are bought with a new currency called Aurum, 3500 of which can be created from one 30-day pilot's license (PLEX). With the price of PLEX set at around $19.95 US, players can expect to pay over $20 for a skirt, $25 for a blouse, and more than a whopping $68 for the much-desired ocular implant monocle.

In a bizarre twist, many of the clothing options for sale at the Noble Exchange actually cost more than real clothes of the same type. As PLEX can be bought from other players for ISK, however, most players will not be spending their own cash on these items. PLEX prices have already spiked to over 400 million each, putting the price of the monocle at over 1.3 billion ISK. CCP could not provide any more information on the issue, but we expect an issue this hot will prompt an announcement.

Controversy brewing over EVE Online microtransactions originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 21 Jun 2011 22:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

CCP bringing vanity item store, new currency to EVE

Jef Reahard — Fri, 27 May 2011 11:30:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, EVE Online, Business models, MMO industry, News items

If you've ever dreamed of a stripper pole for your captain's quarters or a monocle for your captain, CCP's latest dev blog aims to make your wildest wishes come true. And no, we're not kidding. CCP Zulu breaks the news about the forthcoming EVE Online vanity item store, which will sell a wide variety of incidentals ranging from clothing to accessories to custom ship paint jobs.

Of particular interest is the creation of a new EVE currency, Aurum, which Zulu says is acquired when you break up PLEX. "Each PLEX gives you a bunch of Aurum that you can spend in the virtual goods store. If you don't want to spend Aurum on these vanity items, you can always wait for someone else to do so and then buy it off them for ISK. [...] Items bought in the virtual goods store will be transferable between characters, just like PLEX is today," he explains.

Zulu also points out that the item shop is for vanity gear only, and you'll want to head to the official EVE Online website for all the details.

CCP bringing vanity item store, new currency to EVE originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 27 May 2011 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

CCP converting EVE PLEX to currency for storm relief

Jef Reahard — Tue, 03 May 2011 14:30:00 EST

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

CCP has a long history of lending a helping hand during times of crisis. Whether it's the Haiti earthquake, the Japan tsunami, flooding in Pakistan, or most recently, the severe storms in the southeastern United States, the developer of EVE Online and World of Darkness is usually at the forefront of gamemaker disaster relief efforts.

Today, CCP Fallout outlines the latest such drive on the EVE Insider dev blog. Plex for Good: Storm Relief is designed to provide aid to those devastated by the tornados that ripped through portions of Alabama, Georgia, and Tennessee last week. The drive starts today and runs through May 16th, and each player-made PLEX donation "will be converted into cash currency and donated to the Red Cross." Players should contract their PLEX to the "CCP PLEX for Good" character, and because it's EVE, the dev blog mentions that any scams relating to the relief effort will be met with swift and harsh punishments.

Head to official EVE website to learn more.

CCP converting EVE PLEX to currency for storm relief originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 03 May 2011 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

EVE Online players raise over $44,000 for Japan relief fund

Brendan Drain — Sun, 03 Apr 2011 09:00:00 EST

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

Never let it be said that gamers don't have big hearts. When Japan was hit by an earthquake and the ensuing tsunami, people around the world stepped up to donate to disaster relief programs. Several MMO developers have made substantial donations using profits from their games. NCSoft made a huge donation of 500 million yen (6.3 million USD), and Sony Online Entertainment donated 300 million yen (3.6 million U.S. dollars). SOE, gPotato, Perfect World Entertainment and Hi-Rez studios have all been running schemes to help players donate, ranging from special once-only microtransaction items to just donating a percentage of all cash shop proceeds to charity.

EVE Online's developer CCP Games has encouraged donations through their unique PLEX system. Players who couldn't afford to donate cash were encouraged to buy PLEX in-game using ISK and donate them to the relief fund. CCP would then scrap the PLEX items and donate their full purchase value to charity. The scheme has been very successful at raising money in previous disasters, raising over 40,000 USD for the Haitian earthquake fund and roughly a further 20,000 USD for the flooding in Pakistan.

In a new devblog, CCP Fallout has released the final results of EVE's charity drive. A total of 2549 PLEX, each worth 17.5 USD, was donated to the scheme by players. CCP will be donating the full value of 44,607.50 USD to the Red Cross in the name the EVE Online community, and will be paying for all of the tax and management costs themselves. EVE players have now donated a total of 108,000 USD through the PLEX for Good scheme. Head over to the devblog for the details of the charity drive and some interesting information on three players who helped make it a success.

EVE Online players raise over $44,000 for Japan relief fund originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 03 Apr 2011 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Donate EVE ISK to help disaster relief efforts in Japan

Brendan Drain — Mon, 14 Mar 2011 22:00:00 EST

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

When it comes to collecting aid for disaster relief, EVE Online developer CCP Games has a unique way of helping players donate. While many MMOs ask for donations or release limited-edition cash shop items, CCP has managed to devise a way for players to donate in-game currency to help people in the real world. During the relief effort for last year's earthquake in Haiti, CCP began accepting donations of 30-day Pilot's License EXtensions (PLEX) for their full monetary value in game time. With the recent devestation in Japan, CCP has once again asked for the EVE community's help to raise money for relief aid.

Each PLEX bought on the in-game market and donated to charity represents 30 days of game time that someone in the world originally paid for with cash but that won't be redeemed into game time. Because of this, CCP can donate the full cash value of that game time to a registered relief charity without taking a big loss. CCP absorbs all management and tax fees to ensure that 100% of the donated game time's value is passed on to registered charities (in this case, the Red Cross).

To donate to the relief effort in Japan, EVE players are encouraged to buy PLEX on the open market and contract them to the character "CCP PLEX For Good" before March 31st. As usual, EVE Online's normally permissive rules on scamming have been suspended in relation to the charity drive. Anyone attempting to scam players out of ISK or PLEX using this charity drive will be dealt with harshly. With notable rich players and corporations able to potentially donate thousands of dollars' worth of PLEX, this charity drive is sure to raise a substantial amount of money for disaster-stricken Japan.

Donate EVE ISK to help disaster relief efforts in Japan originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 14 Mar 2011 22:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

EVE introduces "Hours for PLEX" reactivation scheme

Brendan Drain — Fri, 11 Mar 2011 10:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, EVE Online, Economy, MMO industry, News items, Dev Diaries

In today's subscription MMO market, EVE Online is in the unique position of allowing players to pay for their game time with in-game currency. To help cash-poor players afford a subscription and to aid in CCP's ongoing war against RMT, the company introduced the 30 day Pilot's License EXtension (PLEX).

Cash-rich players who want a little extra in-game ISK would ordinarily be tempted to buy from illicit sources that rely on destructive botting and hacking practices to obtain their currency. Instead of putting themselves at risk of being keylogged, banned or just outright ripped off, players can buy 60-day game time codes and convert each of them into two in-game pilot's licenses to sell on the in-game market. ISK-rich players can then buy those licenses from the in-game market and activate them to add 30 days of game time to their accounts. If an account is expired but has the funds to buy a PLEX, players can even ask for a temporary reactivation so that they can buy one and apply it to the account.

Until now, reactivations have had to be processed manually, with players filing an in-game petition through the EVE website. In a devblog yesterday, GM Grimmi of CCP announced that a new automated reactivation scheme will give players access to the game for four hours to purchase PLEX and apply them to their accounts. In addition to reducing GM workload, this scheme will allow people who have previously quit the game to temporarily reactivate their accounts and attempt to pull together enough ISK for 30 days of essentially free game time. The service has been temporarily taken offline to resolve a conflict with the current CSM voting procedure, but once it's back online it will be accessible through the account management page on the EVE website.

EVE introduces "Hours for PLEX" reactivation scheme originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 11 Mar 2011 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

An inside look at EVE Online's CSM: From June to December

Keith Neilson — Wed, 12 Jan 2011 18:00:00 EST

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

Keith Neilson is a Massively guest-writer who's here to recount his experiences at the recent Council of Stellar Management summit in Reykjavik. He writes regularly about EVE Online and has been playing the game since early 2004.

It is undeniable that EVE Online is unique among MMORPGs in many ways. One of these is its Council of Stellar Management, an elected committee of nine players who play an active role in the development of the game, bringing player concerns and proposals for the future direction of the game directly to CCP at biannual summits in Iceland. Until this year, the perception of the CSM among players was that the Council is a marketing tool that does not fulfill its stated role of representing the playerbase. But in June, all of that changed.

This term of the CSM brought in some major changes to the way the Council is organised, specifically with the removal of term limits (previously delegates could only serve two terms on the CSM) and the extension of terms from six months to a year. In addition to this, the CSM has been given "stakeholder" status within CCP. This means that the Council members have an equal say in the planning of future development along with the internal teams at CCP. This has allowed the fifth CSM to have a significant influence on the future development of EVE.

Continue reading An inside look at EVE Online's CSM: From June to December

An inside look at EVE Online's CSM: From June to December originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 12 Jan 2011 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

EVE Evolved: The RMT problem

Brendan Drain — Sun, 19 Dec 2010 18:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, EVE Online, Culture, Economy, Game mechanics, MMO industry, EVE Evolved

Of all the problems that plague MMOs, RMT (real money trading) is perhaps the most disruptive to normal gameplay. By design, almost every MMO has some form of tradable currency that can be collected through normal gameplay. The time it takes to collect that currency has an inherent value, which varies from player to player as not every player values his free time at the same level. It's inevitable that cash-rich players who value their time highly will often want to shortcut normal gameplay by buying the currency directly for cash.

The negative impact of RMT and its associated problems is felt in every popular MMO, and EVE Online is no exception. The direct balance issues inherent in allowing players to buy ISK with cash are just the tip of a very unpleasant iceberg. Players who buy ISK from shady websites and services are the reason that the rest of us have to put up with spam-bots in popular chat channels, rampant account hacking, and macros taking up a disproportionately large cut of EVE's in-game resources and server load.

In this week's EVE Evolved, I look into the problems caused by RMT, why macro-farming operations have become so wide-spread, and what CCP has done to combat this growing problem.

Continue reading EVE Evolved: The RMT problem

EVE Evolved: The RMT problem originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 19 Dec 2010 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

The Tattered Notebook: An Appeal for PLEX

Karen Bryan — Mon, 13 Dec 2010 13:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, EVE Online, EverQuest II, Economy, Game mechanics, Opinion, Legends of Norrath, The Tattered Notebook

A funny thing happened on the way to the forum. There I was, sporting my Santa Glugg hat and all set to merrily report on all the Frostfell news, when the following two questions were posted on the official EverQuest II forums: Am I going to get banned for trading platinum in exchange for Station Cash items, and can we get platinum on the marketplace?

Surprisingly, Senior Producer Dave "SmokeJumper" Georgeson replied to both. Read on to see what he said and why I think it's time for EverQuest II to follow EVE Online's lead and add purchasable, tradable game time or PLEX.

Continue reading The Tattered Notebook: An Appeal for PLEX

The Tattered Notebook: An Appeal for PLEX originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 13 Dec 2010 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

EVE Online microtransactions won't impact gameplay

Brendan Drain — Tue, 23 Nov 2010 19:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, EVE Online, Economy, MMO industry

Some time ago, CCP Games announced its intention to add microtransactions options to its popular subscription MMO EVE Online. In an interview with EuroGamer, the game's Creative Director Torfi Frans Olafsson said that the industry has been moving toward additional microtransactions for the past few years, adding that CCP would "evolve just like everyone else" and would "certainly not become a dinosaur." The first and most controversial of those options to be announced was a paid neural remap. Neural remaps allow players to re-distribute their attributes so they can learn a particular set of skills faster. New players currently get several free remaps, and all players can do one remap per year for free. The plan was to allow players to buy a remap with PLEX, 30-day game time codes that can be bought and sold on the in-game market.

It wasn't long until a fierce debate erupted. Players began complaining that neural remaps allowed players with more money to train skills at an accelerated rate by letting them switch between the optimum attributes for different skill types as often as they wanted. Further questions were raised on the future of microtransactions in EVE -- how long would it be, players thought, until skill points and in-game benefits start hitting the table and causing an upset? In a new devblog, CCP has allayed all of those fears. The previously announced PLEX for neural remap scheme has been scrapped, and the company has announced a clear vision for its microtransaction strategy. Much to the relief of players, CCP will not be offering anything that alters the rate of skill gain over time or any items that have a gameplay impact. Potential releases include Incarna clothing and furniture and the ability to apply a logo to your ships, both options which are sure to be popular if they materialise.

EVE Online microtransactions won't impact gameplay originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 23 Nov 2010 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

EVE Evolved: Having a fire sale

Brendan Drain — Sun, 14 Nov 2010 18:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, EVE Online, Culture, Economy, Hands-on, EVE Evolved

One of those strange rituals all EVE Online players go through at one time or another is the fire sale. Over the course of normal play, we buy, loot or otherwise acquire assets all over New Eden. After a time, our asset windows become a mess of long lost items and treasures hidden away in the cargoholds of ships we forgot we had. We all eventually reach breaking point and need to sell off our distributed stockpiles of odds and ends.

Maybe it will happen when you run out of ships to PvP in, or perhaps when your subscription is about to lapse and you need to buy a 30-day PLEX. With the recent five-day reactivation offer on many expired accounts, I imagine a lot of EVE players are currently scrambling through their assets in an attempt to raise enough ISK for a PLEX. Whatever the reason behind it, that dreaded day when you need to have a fire sale on your assets will inevitably arrive. A monumental logistical task now lies ahead of you, but it doesn't have to be the headache you'd expect it to be. Having been through countless cycles of accumulating bits and bobs and then selling them to buy PLEX, I've picked up a few tips to make the process as painless as possible.

In this week's EVE Evolved, I look at the tools and strategies you can employ to squeeze every last drop of ISK from your misplaced treasure troves, and how to complete the task with a minimum of effort.

Continue reading EVE Evolved: Having a fire sale

EVE Evolved: Having a fire sale originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 14 Nov 2010 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Questionable EVE attack deals 30 billion ISK in damage

Brendan Drain — Sun, 10 Oct 2010 21:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, EVE Online, Game mechanics, PvP, News items

It's often said that EVE Online is a game that revolves around PvP. Even people who engage only in PvE aren't safe from the wrathful influence of other pilots. Players are almost forced to compete with each other in a ruthless open sandbox where all the rules are thrown out the window. Even in the relative safety of high-security space, the threat of harm isn't completely removed. Scams, spies, corporate infiltrations and suicide attacks are a common occurrence in New Eden, forcing players to stay aware of their surroundings and exercise good judgment. This week, a player by the name of Solarius became the unfortunate target of EVE's more ruthless player element. Solarius, CEO of Quantanamo Corporation, was running missions in high-security space in his Paladin when players destroyed his ship in a coordinated suicide attack.

What makes this particular suicide attack special is the sheer magnitude of the loss. Solarius had fit the ship with an impressive array of rare and expensive officer modules, putting the total value of his ship at over 30 billion ISK. Since a destroyed ship drops around half of its modules as loot, flying a ship with such an expensive setup is almost guaranteed to draw some unwanted attention. Pilots from the corporations Honorless Internet Jerks, Ex Obscuritas, Suddenly Ninjas, Alarm Clock Corp and Defner.org jointly participated in the attack and split the proceeds from the loot. To put the magnitude of this kill into perspective, 30 billion ISK could currently buy over 80 PLEX, which is around seven years of game time. To buy the same number of PLEX with cash would cost over $1200 U.S., making this a costly warning to all EVE players that you're never completely safe in New Eden.

Questionable EVE attack deals 30 billion ISK in damage originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 10 Oct 2010 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

EVE Evolved: EVE players debate microtransactions

Brendan Drain — Sun, 10 Oct 2010 18:00:00 EST

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

Sometimes it seems as though the entire MMO industry is moving toward microtransaction-based pricing schemes. With the success of free-to-play titles like Runes of Magic and Free Realms, it's clear that microtransactions are becoming a popular alternative to the standard subscription model. Famously, Dungeons and Dragons Online also proved that a hybrid model with both subscription and microtransaction options could be a great success. Even World of Warcraft has hopped on the microtransaction bandwagon with its infamous sparkle pony and cosmetic pets.

With the industry moving firmly in one direction, questions have been raised over whether EVE Online will ever implement any kind of microtransactions. Believe it or not, the first steps toward doing just that have already been taken. It was discovered some time ago that the Incursion expansion this winter would give players the ability to buy extra neural remaps with PLEX. Neural remapping allows players to re-assign a character's attributes using a points-based system. As attributes are only used to determine the speed with which skills train, remaps allow players to max out the stats required to train a particular branch of skills.

In this opinion piece, I look at the microtransaction debate currently raging in the EVE community and weigh in with my opinions on this controversial issue.

Continue reading EVE Evolved: EVE players debate microtransactions

EVE Evolved: EVE players debate microtransactions originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 10 Oct 2010 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

EVE player destroys over $1000 worth of game time

Brendan Drain — Sun, 08 Aug 2010 20:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, EVE Online, Game mechanics, PvP, News items

Like many MMOs, EVE Online has a problem with players buying ISK from shady websites to short-cut the ISK-making process. On the other end of the spectrum, many players are great at making ISK but unable to afford the monthly subscription. To kill two birds with one stone, CCP created PLEX. Sixty-day game time codes purchased for cash can be converted into two 30-day Pilots License Extensions, which become items in the game. The PLEX can then be traded to other EVE players for ISK, creating a legitimate way to buy ISK without fear of being hit by the ban-hammer. Players with some ISK to spare can buy PLEX from the market and redeem them for game time, essentially playing for free. It's an innovative system, and until recently it was a completely safe market to deal in.

Continue reading EVE player destroys over $1000 worth of game time

EVE player destroys over $1000 worth of game time originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 08 Aug 2010 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Changes to EVE Online's PLEX make it possible to loot game time

Brendan Drain — Sun, 11 Jul 2010 10:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, EVE Online, Game mechanics, MMO industry, News items

When it comes to fighting the gold-sellers, Icelandic game developer CCP Games took an innovative approach to the problem. Players of EVE Online can buy game time with cash and then trade it with other players as in-game "Pilots License EXtensions" (PLEX). This lets people with cash to spare effectively purchase ISK from other players, while those with plenty of in-game ISK can effectively play for free. With a legitimate method for buying ISK, players needn't face the inevitable threat of bans and key-loggers from nefarious sources. Fearing that the market for PLEX might not take off if they were at risk of being lost during transport. To combat this issue, CCP made it impossible to move them from the station they were redeemed at.

In a new devblog, CCP Zulu explains plans to remove all the transport restrictions on PLEX. In addition to being able to undock with a PLEX in your cargo hold, you'll also be able to place them into courier contracts. When these changes come into effect, you might see someone hauling game time from station to station. If you plan to move any PLEX around, be extremely wary of suicide attacks. EVE's darker social element routinely scans passers-by in high-security space, looking for juicy targets to gank. The possibility of finding game time amongst the loot may send them into overdrive. The changes are due to come into effect on Tuesday the 13th of July.

Changes to EVE Online's PLEX make it possible to loot game time originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 11 Jul 2010 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Win EVE game time with the Planet Risk podcast

Brendan Drain — Mon, 24 May 2010 12:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, EVE Online, Contests, Giveaways

As EVE Online's Tyrannis expansion draws closer, CCP has been avidly supporting community competitions surrounding its launch. In addition to our own three massive contests centred on planetary interaction with a huge prize total of 50 PLEX, there have been numerous smaller contests on other popular websites and community blogs. Unfortunately, while any EVE player is sure to get excited over the chance to win some free game time, not everyone's contests have been successful.

The Planet Risk show, one of EVE's popular podcasts, launched a contest where listeners were encouraged to record themselves mimicking the show's presenters. Despite thousands of hits to the contest page and vocal support in the community, bizarrely not a single entry was received. In response, the show's presenters have extended the contest until the end of the month and relaunched it with more accessible entry requirements. Players can now enter either by writing something about planetary interaction or recording themselves talking about it. Pop over to the Planet Risk contest page for details on how to enter the contest.

Win EVE game time with the Planet Risk podcast originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 24 May 2010 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Massively's EVE Online Tyrannis contest, part 3: Fiction-writing contest

Brendan Drain — Sat, 15 May 2010 13:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, EVE Online, Culture, Expansions, Lore, Giveaways

Over the past two weeks we've been running some awesome weekly contests for readers to win EVE Online game time courtesy of CCP Games. In celebration of the upcoming launch of EVE's Tyrannis expansion, we gave away 10 PLEX in our planet screenshot contest two weeks ago. Last week, we ran a caption competition with a 15 PLEX prize total and received a flood of entries. So many in fact that we're still debating which captions should win a prize. The winners of that contest will be posted as an update to the second contest post within the next few days and the winners will all be notified via email.

This week marks the last week of our Tyrannis contest trilogy and to end on a high-note we're giving away a whopping 25 PLEX. Ten top prizes of two PLEX are available and a further five runner-up entrants will get one PLEX each. To enter, all you have to do is write a short piece of fiction based on the planets and moons of New Eden and submit it to the comments on this post. Entries are limited to 200 words or less as we're sure to get a huge number of entries and we want to give each one the full attention it deserves. Your entry can take the form of a short story, a poem or any other type of written fiction. Prizes will be awarded based on creativity, writing style and presentation. As with the previous two competitions, this contest is open to readers from any country.

UPDATE: Entry is now closed. We are now reading through the submissions and picking winners!
UPDATE 2: Winners have been selected! The list of winners has been added to the end of this post. Each winner will be contacted via email to arrange delivery of their prizes.

Skip past the cut for the contest rules and full submission guidelines.

Continue reading Massively's EVE Online Tyrannis contest, part 3: Fiction-writing contest

Massively's EVE Online Tyrannis contest, part 3: Fiction-writing contest originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 15 May 2010 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Massively's EVE Online Tyrannis contest, part 2: Caption competition

Brendan Drain — Sat, 08 May 2010 19:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, Galleries, Screenshots, EVE Online, Contests, Culture, Expansions, Giveaways

Last week we launched the first of three awesome EVE Online contests in association with CCP Games. To celebrate the upcoming launch of EVE's Tyrannis expansion with its impressive planetary interaction feature, we asked players to submit their best screenshots featuring planets. We expected around 25 entries but with the contest being open to international readers, we received an absolute flood of responses. A total of 114 screenshots were sent in before the deadline last night and we began the difficult process of choosing our favourite shots.

Thanks to the generosity of the fellows at CCP, we were able to increase the number of winners from 5 to 10. Congratulations go to EVE players Agara Mnemion, Aurum Pax, Banana Ninja, driv4r, Garnoo, Ice Monster, Lamthara Lachesis, paritybit, SpiroTris and Vladmir Skef. Each of you will soon have a 30 day pilot's license delivered in-game by CCP. For those interested in seeing the winning screenshots, they're the first ten images in the colossal 114 entry gallery below.

Gallery: Massively's EVE Online Tyrannis contest, part 1: The planets of EVE

Skip past the cut for this week's second part of our amazing Tyrannis contest trilogy. Think up a funny caption for our screenshot and you could win two months of EVE game time!

UPDATE: Winners announced at the end of the post! All winners will be emailed to arrange delivery of their prizes.

Continue reading Massively's EVE Online Tyrannis contest, part 2: Caption competition

Massively's EVE Online Tyrannis contest, part 2: Caption competition originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 08 May 2010 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Massively's EVE Online Tyrannis contest, part 1: The planets of EVE

Brendan Drain — Sat, 01 May 2010 12:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, Screenshots, EVE Online, Contests, Culture, Expansions, Giveaways

The planets and moons of EVE Online received a major graphical overhaul in the Dominion expansion, with some impressive results. Those previously boring brown-gray blobs in space were transformed into lush paradise worlds, frozen wastelands, hellish volcanic planets and more. When the Tyrannis expansion launches on May 18th, EVE players will finally get to interact with the new and improved planets, exploiting them for their natural resources. With the launch of Tyrannis just around the corner, Massively have teamed up with CCP Games to bring you a series of three exciting contests. Each Saturday from now until May 15th, we'll be running a new competition where readers can win some in-game pilot's licenses. The licenses can be redeemed to add 30 days of game time to your EVE account or sold on the market for a quick 300 million ISK.

For details of how to enter the contest and full submission guidelines, read after the break.

UPDATE: Due to the popularity of this contest and CCP's generosity, we're expanding the prize total to ten pilot's licenses. Instead of five winners, we'll have ten!
UPDATE#2: Entry to the contest is now closed!

Continue reading Massively's EVE Online Tyrannis contest, part 1: The planets of EVE

Massively's EVE Online Tyrannis contest, part 1: The planets of EVE originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 01 May 2010 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

EVE Online devblog discusses account security

Brendan Drain — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 23:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, EVE Online, Economy, MMO industry

Every MMO suffers the horrors of gold spammers and EVE Online is no different. The RMT (Real Money Trading) industry is massive and EVE's developers CCP have waged a constant war against it in recent years. The PLEX initiative gave players a way to safely buy ISK for cash while at the same time helping players who couldn't afford their subscriptions pay with ISK. The result was a dramatic hit to the RMT market, who had to drop their prices to compete with a legitimate service replacing their own.

As part of Operation Unholy Rage in August of last year, EVE GMs also banned over 6200 accounts belonging to farmers known to be supplying the RMT industry. The effect on the market was instant, with the population in farmed mission systems like Ingunn disappearing overnight. Almost immediately, the farmers reacted with a spate of account hackings to claw back some ISK.

Continue reading EVE Online devblog discusses account security

EVE Online devblog discusses account security originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 10 Mar 2010 23:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Over $40,000 donated to EVE Online "PLEX for Haiti" initiative so far

Brendan Drain — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 19:00:00 EST

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

When the Republic of Haiti suffered a devastating earthquake on January 12th, groups around the world struggled to give as much aid as possible. Proving that gamers are givers, several MMO companies rushed to provide a way for their players to donate to registered relief aid charities like the Red Cross. Sony Online Entertainment raised over $25,000 in just three days by selling in-game items in Free Realms, EverQuest and EverQuest II. They donated 100% of the proceeds to charity and even added $10 of their own money for each purchase made.

CCP ran their own EVE Online "PLEX Aid for Haiti" initiative where players were encouraged to buy PLEX and then contract them to the "CCP PLEX for Haiti" character in-game. Even PLEX purchased in-game with ISK helped the appeal as every two PLEX contracted to CCP equaled $35 US Dollars of cash that was bought but not converted into game time. CCP could then donate the full $35 without making a loss. It was a clever scheme that allowed players who were short on cash but rich in-game to donate real money to charity.

CCP have just announced that so far the total tally of PLEX donated to the appeal has reached 2,290, which has a real cash value of just over $40,000 US dollars. One player donated a staggering 341 PLEX, which has an in-game value of over 88 billion ISK and makes a real world donation of almost $6,000. Of note is the revelation that only 1.4% of the donated PLEX were bought directly for cash, while players buying the PLEX using their spare ISK contributed the remaining 98.6%. That's a testament both to the generosity of gamers and the innovative system CCP used to collect aid. Hopefully we'll see this strategy used in future when someone is in desperate need of aid as it has proven very successful. For those that still want to donate, CCP are currently still accepting donations of PLEX to help the people of Haiti.

Over $40,000 donated to EVE Online "PLEX for Haiti" initiative so far originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 16 Feb 2010 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

CCP Games 'PLEX Aid for Haiti' initiative to help Red Cross relief efforts

James Egan — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 21:00:00 EST

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

The devastating January 12 earthquake which struck the Republic of Haiti claimed many lives, and has left even more people homeless. It's a terrible situation, but at the very least there are numerous aid efforts underway, and some companies in the MMO industry are finding ways to help as well. CCP Games now ranks among them, with their PLEX Aid for Haiti initiative. The company is offering a way for the EVE Online playerbase to get involved and help with donations.

Here is the message from Hilmar Veigar Pétursson, CEO of CCP Games, in its entirety:

Continue reading CCP Games 'PLEX Aid for Haiti' initiative to help Red Cross relief efforts

CCP Games 'PLEX Aid for Haiti' initiative to help Red Cross relief efforts originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 29 Jan 2010 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Massively's EVE Online PLEX contest: "New Eden"

James Egan — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 09:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, EVE Online, Contests, Giveaways

Massively's "Enemy at the Gate" contest for EVE Online was quite popular last week, and there were some very good entries. It was a contest where there could only be two winners (to be announced shortly), but as promised Massively is running a second contest this week. The contest is simply titled "New Eden," named after the social network for EVE Online that will extend the game experience beyond the game client. Ultimately the New Eden social network will bring aspects of EVE to mobile phones and the web, the hope being that it creates a number of new ways to access and experience the game.

Just like last week, this will essentially be a writing contest, where we pose a question to you about EVE's Dominion expansion (and beyond). Your entry (limited to 200 words or less, details below) will be judged by the Massively staff on the merits of creativity and presentation. You'll have one full week to enter, by answering our question in the comments below this post. Two prizes will be awarded. The grand prize will be 15 Pilot License Extensions (PLEX), which is 15 months of EVE game time. First prize will be 10 PLEX, so 10 months of EVE game time. Got all that? Great. So here we go -- to enter Massively's PLEX contest, answer this question in the comments below, limiting your response to 200 words or less:

How will the "New Eden" social network for EVE affect your playstyle? Will the ability to handle tasks when you're unable to log in change the game experience for you?

Continue reading Massively's EVE Online PLEX contest: "New Eden"

Massively's EVE Online PLEX contest: "New Eden" originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 30 Nov 2009 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Massively's EVE Online PLEX contest: "Enemy at the Gate"

James Egan — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 09:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, EVE Online, Contests, Giveaways

We let you know earlier this week that Massively is running a contest where you can win up to 15 months of EVE Online game time! We're kicking this off today, and the contest will run over two weeks leading up to the Dominion expansion launch. This week's contest is called "Enemy at the Gate," so-named for the major changes coming to EVE Online and its Sovereignty game mechanics, where stargates will be at the center of conflicts between alliances.

This will essentially be a writing contest, where we pose a question to you about the Dominion expansion. Your entry (limited to 200 words or less, details below) will be judged by the Massively staff on the merits of creativity and presentation. You'll have one full week to enter, by answering our question in the comments below this post. Two prizes will be awarded. The grand prize will be 15 Pilot License Extensions (PLEX), which is 15 months of EVE game time. First prize will be 10 PLEX, so 10 months of EVE game time. Got all that? Great. So here we go -- to enter Massively's PLEX contest, answer this question in the comments below, limiting your response to 200 words or less:

With EVE's new focus on developing infrastructure in 0.0 space in the Dominion expansion and beyond, how will the changes to Sovereignty impact your corporation or alliance?

Continue reading Massively's EVE Online PLEX contest: "Enemy at the Gate"

Massively's EVE Online PLEX contest: "Enemy at the Gate" originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 23 Nov 2009 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Massively to hold EVE Online contest this week, win copious amounts of game time

James Egan — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 10:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, EVE Online, Contests, Giveaways

In the time our columnist Brendan Drain and I have spent covering EVE Online for Massively, it's grown into one of the site's most popular game categories. With that in mind, we've decided to run a contest that's really a thank you to our readers who've been following along with our EVE coverage. CCP Games was kind enough to provide Massively's readers with 50 Pilot License Extensions (PLEX) as contest prizes which we'll give away over the next two weeks.

As most every EVE Online player knows, one PLEX = one month of game time, but is also a virtual item that can be bought and sold on the market in-game. Massively's EVE Online PLEX contest will actually give our readers two chances at winning -- once this week, and once next week, too. The first thing we must note is this contest will only be open to North American residents (U.S. and Canada, excluding Quebec). Sorry to our other readers abroad, but it's a legal thing. For everyone else who is eligible to enter, read on for more info:

Continue reading Massively to hold EVE Online contest this week, win copious amounts of game time

Massively to hold EVE Online contest this week, win copious amounts of game time originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 21 Nov 2009 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

CCP's Ryan Dancey on keeping EVE Online compelling

James Egan — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 20:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, EVE Online, Business models, Economy, Interviews, MMO industry

CCP Games Chief Marketing Officer Ryan S. Dancey recently spoke with Gamasutra's Christian Nutt about the state of EVE Online and what makes the sci-fi title unique. EVE has traits that many MMOs don't, such as player governance, a dynamic virtual economy, and slow but continual subscription growth. CCP does face problems in tandem with that growth however, namely from RMT operations. There is also the issue of balancing developer control over aspects of the game's economy (mission rewards, salvage and loot drops, ISK sinks) with the ideal of allowing EVE's economy to be as player-driven as possible, explains Dancey.

Among other things discussed in the interview, Gamasutra asks how White Wolf has changed following the merger with CCP Games nearly three years ago. Dancey tells Gamasutra: "It's just an imprint... White Wolf used to have a fairly large staff. It doesn't anymore. It's focusing primarily on the World of Darkness RPG products. It's not doing some of the things it used to do; board games and other card games and things. The focus of the company [CCP] is on making MMOs and our legacy table top business is a legacy business."

Continue reading CCP's Ryan Dancey on keeping EVE Online compelling

CCP's Ryan Dancey on keeping EVE Online compelling originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 06 Nov 2009 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

EVE Online's anti RMT operation Unholy Rage bans over 6200 accounts

James Egan — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 20:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, EVE Online, Economy, Exploits, MMO industry

Last week, Massively explained a bit about the war on real money trading (RMT) in EVE Online. The game's developer, CCP Games, has approached the problem from a few different angles. Central to their strategy of combating sellers of the game's currency called ISK (Interstellar Kredits) is to offer another way for players to exchange real world currency for the virtual in EVE Online -- "PLEX", or the 30 Day Pilot License Extension. PLEX is an in-game item that represents gameplay time and can be bought, sold, or traded on the open market in-game. PLEX has been integral in combating the numerous shady ISK selling websites in operation and CCP's dev blog last week showed how the playerbase is starting to embrace this system.

After all, if this practice of outright buying in-game assets with real world cash is going to happen in EVE, as with most MMOs (and regardless of what the developers try to do to curb this) it might as well be via a system the devs can regulate. It's a slippery slope, and CCP's approach to the problem does have some critics, but thus far it's been successful. PLEX has only been one facet of their battle against the ISK spammers, sellers, and the virtual armies of macro-using operations, though. CCP's operation "Unholy Rage" is a major offensive against the RMT operations exploiting the game, and is the subject of a dev blog from EVE Online's GM Grimmi.

Continue reading EVE Online's anti RMT operation Unholy Rage bans over 6200 accounts

EVE Online's anti RMT operation Unholy Rage bans over 6200 accounts originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 17 Aug 2009 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

The fight against RMT in EVE Online

James Egan — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 19:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, EVE Online, Economy, MMO industry

It's an unfortunate reality that most any massively multiplayer online game running has to cope with outside influences on an in-game economy because of real money trading (RMT). Game developers tackle the problem in different ways. For instance, Final Fantasy XI has an anti-RMT task force and Warhammer Online has a zero-tolerance name-and-shame approach to RMT. Other companies grab the bull by its horns and base their game around a virtual item trade they can regulate.

The problem of RMT has affected EVE Online just as it has other MMO titles, if not moreso given how its player-driven economy and the Interstellar Kredit (ISK) currency is central to the game. Beyond the potential revenue lost to the black market when players pay real cash for their ships and modules or buy huge sums of ISK outright, there are also issues with players getting their accounts cleaned out by the shady companies (ostensibly) selling the ISK. When that cleverly-named player "ajakdsk" links you to his ISK selling site in a chat channel, following that link could infect your computer with a keylogger, resulting in a fire sale on whatever they find in your account.

EVE Online's creators CCP Games have taken a two-prong approach to handling these issues.

Continue reading The fight against RMT in EVE Online

The fight against RMT in EVE Online originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 11 Aug 2009 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

CCP Games launches new EVE Fanfest 2009 site

James Egan — Wed, 20 May 2009 19:00:00 EST

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

EVE Fanfest is the annual gathering for the internet spaceships faithful, held in CCP's hometown of Reykjavîk, Iceland. CCP Games opted to move up the date for Fanfest this year, the sixth annual meetup, to October and hopefully give visiting EVE Online fans a better (read: less frigid) time to see Iceland. To make things easier, CCP has launched a Fanfest site that's a one-stop destination for all news and information surrounding the capsuleer pilgrimage to 'the top of the world.' Of course they've announced that there will be a PvP tournament taking place during Fanfest as well, which should come as no surprise to past attendees. Plus they've put together a Reykjavîk survival guide that highlights the city's dining options and nightlife.

EVE Fanfest 2009 will last from October 1-3, and as always CCP Games has worked out package deals for attendees with Icelandair that also include accommodation. A notable change this year is that EVE fans can purchase their Fanfest passes using PLEX, which is CCP's method of converting real world cash into an in-game item, sold in-game for ISK and redeemable for buyers as actual playtime. They give more detail on their new PLEX for Passes program: "In honor of our recent 6th anniversary, we decided to allow people to use PLEX to pay for their tickets to Fanfest, gathering as many players as possible. For the first time ever you can buy your Fanfest 2009 tickets with in-game Pilot License Extensions (PLEX). Using PLEX, attendees can attend Fanfest simply by playing EVE!"

Continue reading CCP Games launches new EVE Fanfest 2009 site

CCP Games launches new EVE Fanfest 2009 site originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 20 May 2009 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments