eve-fanfest posts

EVE's animated hangar backgrounds available as high-def downloads

by James Egan Jan 19th 2010 at 11:00PM

EVE Online players who were fortunate enough to attend Fanfest in 2009 kept raving about a collection of animated video backgrounds that were running on screens during panels and presentations. Players were so taken with these that they'd been pressing CCP Games to make them available for download. CCP delivered on their promise this week, making these sweeping tours of the Gallente, Caldari, Amarr, and Minmatar space station interiors available for download in HD.

Once you see them, you'll probably understand why the EVE Fanfest attendees have been wanting them ever since. Those are some fairly hefty file sizes though, so for a quick look you can also see all four of the hangars and a nice selection of each race's ships in HD on YouTube. Stick with us past the jump for a look within an Amarr hangar which shows off the theocratic race's golden fleet.

Tags: amarr, caldari, ccp, ccp-games, eve, eve-fanfest, eve-online, gallente, hd, high-def, minmatar, video, youtube

EVE soundtrack performed by 16 string symphony orchestra

by James Egan Oct 13th 2009 at 7:00PM

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

The "HTFU" video by CCP Games employees Permaband got all the attention around EVE Fanfest 2009, but there was something else a bit different that attendees of the annual player gathering were treated to -- a live performance of EVE Online's in-game music. The performance was given by DJ Margeir and his Symphony Orchestra; unlike the game soundtrack, some songs have accompanying vocals. It's a very different take on the familiar sounds many of us have been flying with for years in EVE.

CCP Games made the Fanfest performance available on YouTube, and we've got the video of this embedded for you after the jump.

Tags: ccp, ccp-games, dj-margeir, eve, eve-fanfest, eve-fanfest-2009, eve-online, htfu, margeir, permaband, score, soundtrack, video

EVE Fanfest 2009 videos are up

by James Egan Oct 8th 2009 at 7:00PM

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

We mentioned some highlights from EVE Fanfest 2009 in Reykjavik the other day and Permaband's "HTFU" video went down very well with a lot of our readers. Now CCP Games have made video of some of the Fanfest panels, presentations, or general madness available on their YouTube page as well. Of course there's the main keynote that included DUST 514 info and gameplay footage, but the CCP Panel gave players in attendance the opportunity to ask the EVE Online developers whatever they felt like.

The responses from the devs explain quite a bit about the choices CCP Games has made with both EVE and DUST 514, and there are some hints of what's to come. More than anything, it's interesting to see this kind of direct interaction between the players and the people who create the game. (Obligatory disclaimer: The CCP Panel video is a bit NSFW with the language in parts, but if you're watching something like this on the job... you probably don't care.)

Tags: ccp, ccp-games, dominion, dust-514, eve, eve-fanfest, eve-fanfest-2009, eve-online, events, expansions, eyjolfur-gudmundsson, hjalti-danielsson, htfu, mmo-industry, nathan-richardsson, oveur, permaband, reykjavik, the-burning-life, video

EVE Fanfest 2009 highlights

by James Egan Oct 5th 2009 at 6:00PM

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

The biggest player gathering of the year for EVE Online fans is EVE Fanfest, held annually in the CCP Games hometown of Reykjavik. Some interesting announcements of what's to come have been made over the past few days, as well as more details or clarification on previously announced aspects of both EVE Online and DUST 514.

Read on for a few highlights of the info revealed at EVE Fanfest 2009 for the game and the IP beyond the Dominion expansion (slated for a December 1st launch):

Tags: atli-mar-sveinsson, ccp-games, dominion, dust-514, eve-fanfest, eve-fanfest-2009, eve-online, hilmar-petursson, nathan-richardsson, noah-ward, oveur, player-gathering, reykjavik, sci-fi, shanghai, torfi-frans-olafsson

EVE Fanfest streaming in live video Saturday, Oct 3

by James Egan Oct 2nd 2009 at 1:45PM

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

Are you disappointed you couldn't attend EVE Fanfest 2009 in Reykjavik this week? If so, there's some good news. CCP Games announced today that they're going to stream live video of the Fanfest presentations on Saturday, October 3rd, from 12:00 - 17:00 GMT. The live video stream can be viewed at the EVE Fanfest 2009 site and will feature keynotes on the future of CCP Games and EVE Online -- namely DUST 514 -- and Senior Producer Torfi Frans Ólafsson's keynote on the Dominion expansion (recorded Friday evening). CCP Games will also stream video of the finals from this year's Fanfest PvP tournament with its free-for-all and Tech III matches.

If you're unable to view the video stream, you can also listen in on the keynotes through the EVE Online Facebook page thanks to Vivox. Information will be made available on the EVE Facebook page tomorrow, and this audio will stream from 15:00 - 17:00 GMT.

Tags: breaking, ccp, ccp-games, ccp-torfifrans, dominion, dust-514, eve, eve-fanfest, eve-fanfest-2009, eve-online, expansions, facebook, keynote, keynotes, senior-producer, torfi-frans-olafsson, vivox

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

by Lesley Smith Aug 24th 2009 at 9:00AM

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!

Tags: ccp, contest, eve, eve-buddy-account, eve-fanfest, eve-online, fanfest, fanfest-2009, iceland

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

by James Egan Jun 16th 2009 at 8:00PM

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.

Tags: alsedrech, ccp-claw, ccp-tyr, crovan, eve-fanfest, eve-fanfest-2009, eve-online, fanfest, fanfest-pvp-tournament, free-for-all, player-gathering, pvp, pvp-tournament, sci-fi, stevie-sg, steviesg, strategic-cruisers, tech-2, tech-3, the-drone-bay

CCP Games launches new EVE Fanfest 2009 site

by James Egan May 20th 2009 at 7:00PM

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!"

Tags: ccp, ccp-games, eve, eve-fanfest, eve-fanfest-2009, eve-online, events, iceland, plex, reykjavik

EVE Online Fanfest 2009 dates and travel packages announced

by James Egan Mar 27th 2009 at 10:00AM

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:

Tags: ccp-games, ccp-tyr, eve, eve-fanfest, eve-fanfest-2009, eve-online, events, fanfest, iceland, mmo-industry, player-gathering, reykjavik, sci-fi

EVE Online interview confirms details of retail release

by James Egan Feb 23rd 2009 at 8:00PM

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.

Tags: apocrypha, atari, box, box-sales, buddy-program, business-models, career-guide, ccp-games, ccp-ryan-d, ccp-ryand, eve, eve-fanfest, eve-fanfest-2008, eve-online, expansions, fanfest, interviews, jon-wood, mac, mmorpg.com, pc, plex, retail, ryan-dancey, sci-fi, vip-pass

The Daily Grind: Do you attend specific MMO fan conventions?

by Shawn Schuster Feb 18th 2009 at 8:00AM

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

A hot topic for yesterday's news was the details on two newly-announced fan fests for 2009. One being the long-time favorite BlizzCon, and the other being a new North American location for EVE Online's developer meet and greet, usually held only in Reykjavik, Iceland each year. In addition to these, we have conventions such as Sony's Fan Faire and various one-time meet-ups for various games or companies.

So for this morning's TDG, we thought we'd get some reader opinion on these specific MMO get-togethers or corporate events. While they might not be able to bring in the numbers of the larger conventions like PAX (with the exception of BlizzCon), the specific target audience tends to be more of the "hardcore" or dedicated fan. So as our favorite hobby grows in popularity, would you rather see more of these specified meet-ups, or should they just remain part of the larger conventions with a broader appeal?

Tags: blizzcon, convention, eve-fanfest, meet-and-greet, meet-up, pax, the-daily-grind

EVE developers to hold a meet and greet in Las Vegas

by James Egan Feb 17th 2009 at 7:00PM

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

The major player gathering for EVE Online players is Fanfest, which is held in Reykjavik each year. However, the fact is many players can't make the trip to Iceland, and a number of North American players have hoped for an event that's more accessible to them. It looks like this is going to happen, and what's more accessible than Las Vegas? (Bonus: "What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas.")

The 2009 EVE Developers Meet and Greet in Las Vegas was mentioned very briefly during the recent (and excellent) Alliance PvP Tournament, but more info is available now. EVE Vegas is a two-day event that will be held on May 8th and 9th at the Imperial Palace (on the Strip). It kicks off on a Friday with the Meet and Greet, followed up by a conference on Saturday.

Tags: activealli, adalsteinn-ottarsson, alliance-pvp-tournament, ccp, ccp-games, eve, eve-alliance-tournament, eve-fanfest, eve-online, eve-vegas, las-vegas, meet-and-greet, mmo-industry, nathan-richardsson, oveur, player-gathering, previews, vegas

CCP Games releases EVE Fanfest 2008 videos

by James Egan Nov 18th 2008 at 8:00PM

Filed under: Sci-fi, Video, EVE Online, Culture, Economy, Events, real-world, Game mechanics, MMO industry, Humor

Most EVE Online players didn't have the opportunity to attend EVE Fanfest 2008 in Reykjavik earlier this month, but that doesn't necessarily mean they have to miss out on what was revealed. CCP Games and EVE TV have made good on their promise to release video footage of Fanfest presentations and panel discussions. While they did make live audio of some of this available in-game over EVE Voice, it was difficult to follow without the visuals to tie it all together.

Now, they've put up a new video page dedicated to EVE Fanfest 2008, with both low res and high res downloads. They culled roughly 30 hours of raw footage down into 12 videos. We've listed them below, accompanied by the CCP descriptions and video links, for both YouTube (when available) and high resolution versions:

Tags: backstory, ccp, ccp-games, culture, economy, eve, eve-fanfest, eve-fanfest-2008, eve-online, fanfest, humor, iceland, panel, panel-discussion, panels, reykjavik, sci-fi, video, videos

CCP reveals Tech 3 coming in EVE's March expansion

by James Egan Nov 8th 2008 at 7:00PM

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

CCP Games revealed some details on the as-yet unnamed EVE Online expansion, slated for release in March of 2009. "The unnamed expansion will introduce 'Tech 3' modular ship designs, branching epic mission arcs, further improvements to the new player experience, and exploration of uncharted space through unstable wormholes," writes Oli Welsh, reporting from EVE Fanfest 2008 for Eurogamer.

Welsh also reports that the exploration system of EVE Online will be revamped dramatically, now allowing for 'true exploration' where EVE's pilots will use "new skills and modules to travel through wormholes into all-new, unconnected space. There they will find unique stellar phenomena and the resources and artifacts that will lead to the third level of technology in the game universe, Tech 3 -- the first such update since Tech 2 was introduced back in 2004," Welsh adds.

Tags: ccp, ccp-games, customization, eurogamer, eve, eve-fanfest, eve-fanfest-2008, eve-online, expansions, exploration, factions, modular, modules, new-player-experience, oli-welsh, t3, tech-3, wormholes

CCP Games and Atari partner on EVE retail box sales

by James Egan Nov 8th 2008 at 12:30PM

Filed under: Sci-fi, EVE Online, Business models, Events, real-world, Expansions, MMO industry

When EVE Online launched in 2003, it came in a box through the game's publisher, Simon and Schuster Interactive. But for much of EVE's lifespan, it's been a digital product. Nothing to buy at a store, no physical media to save. It seems CCP Games has gone retro, from what was announced by CCP's CEO Hilmar Pétursson today, live from EVE Fanfest 2008 in Reykjavik. He announced that CCP Games will be partnering with Atari to establish a retail presence once again... which is fitting really, as Atari will also be publishing Ghostbusters. Hilmar introduced a short presentation by David Gardner, Atari's CEO, who discussed the partnership with CCP Games.

EVE typically has a winter expansion and a summer expansion. The winter expansion, Quantum Rise, is just days away. The summer expansion is expected (but not confirmed) to include Walking in Stations, only there's a little twist with the timing... They're not waiting for summer. It's coming in March. In a box. In your local game store. That's the information we have at this time, but we'll keep you informed as more details surface.

Update: Note that we haven't locked down a release date with Walking in Stations yet. Massively will report on Walking in Station's official release date once that's available -- at this time we only know it's tentatively slated for 2009.

Tags: ambulation, atari, box-sales, breaking, ccp, ccp-games, ccp-hellmar, david-gardner, digital, eve, eve-fanfest, eve-fanfest-2008, eve-online, expansions, hilmar-petursson, quantum-rise, walking-in-stations