Originally by: Virtuozzo

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Thank you dear. I fully acknowledge this is a personal impression on your behalf (which coincidentally I do share), but this is thoroughly appreciated. It should be noted however that in recent times (starting prior to Dominion) the situation has become far less a case of "players <-> devs gap", but something that became visible far more as a case of "players + devs <-> business management - inner circle gap". For more reasons then we can probably explore here, but they all more or less tie right into CCP's original and core company values. In reference I should quote Vilhjßlmur Thorsteinsson:

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CCPæs culture is strong, and is built on four core values: We are fearless, we stand united, we pursue excellence, we practice transparency. Such values cannot simply be dictated by committe or by installed by fiat. They have to be lived and breathed by everyone in the company, including the board and its chairman, or they are not credible. Also, the values are truly validated only when there is a crisis or a severe test facing the company. Will it then live up to its values, or are they empty talk?

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The gap CCP faces, has a wide variety of causes. One of the biggest of which is growing pains, the fast paced evolution of CCP from a start up to an enterprise path, something which really is not uncommon and which is not a drama. It's business, and for this there are best practices - those do however need to be in line with a recognition of the nature of the market and the product established and engaged in. After all, this is what determines the type of organisation required.

What the current situation comes down to in terms of enterprise development, is pretty much exactly what Thorsteinsson there put on the table - but it should be noted that he provides the foundation requirement for it elsewhere:

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These values are not simply company values, because of the vision of World Domination by building an alternative universe and what this means for the type of products CCP creates and the markets it serves it is clear that these are values that apply to CCP's creations equally. No small enterprise, and while fully in line with the challenge this company engaged on it should also be clear that this requires a constant need to alternate perspectives applicable both within the company and by the market on the product.

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It is safe to say that - independant of the other factors - this here is pretty much one of the most primary aspects of the current situation. Right now, the situation "bleeds" challenges not too dissimilar of a growth bottleneck in enterprise development commonly referred to as "internal segregation" and - applicable because of the type of product - "immersion segregation" (which I should say has less to do with what players commonly shout out as "omg which producer pew pews and more with information processes that have their own unique bottlenecks related to cubicle challenges and so called tunnel vision on singular concept challenges).

Communication, is one key aspect here. Trust another one.

CCP and the universe it builds have unique strengths, but as players we get the impression that at some point something broke, and instead of building on the original strengths there is an unconscious intent on engaging in a rat race of commercial development a common company would undertake. CCP, is and should never be a common company. Because of where it comes from, because of what it aspired, because of its people, and because of everything it can enable. I realise it is not an easy road to walk, but nobody discounts the extreme potential CCP has. Provided the gaps can be acknowledged, and structurally addressed.

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