I absolutely considered that but I think that frankly it would have been an easy way out. Being accountable for this type of situation, leading the company into this position, it's also my responsibility to lead us out of it. I've had support from employees in doing that. I've now learned a life lesson from going through this and I hope that will make me a better CEO in the future.

Thoughts on the interview ?

But some of my concerns right now relate to whether the CSM is maybe focused on a particular aspect of the game and I'm starting to get feedback from players that they worry the CSM is too pre-occupied by a certain playstyle. That might mean we may need to change the structure, but definitely the CSM has worked as a feedback tool greatly throughout the years. We will have them over at the end of the year, after everything that's gone on, and we will have a chance to talk about that. We'll just see where we are and take it from there.

But some of my concerns right now relate to whether the CSM is maybe focused on a particular aspect of the game and I'm starting to get feedback from players that they worry the CSM is too pre-occupied by a certain playstyle. That might mean we may need to change the structure, but definitely the CSM has worked as a feedback tool greatly throughout the years...

That interview is an excellent read. Especially this part of it :-

"Eurogamer: The Council of Stellar Management [CSM] has been increasingly vocal and rebellious in recent months. What's your relationship with them like at the moment - your personal feelings and those of the company as a whole?

Hilmar P+¬tursson: The CSM has been under constant evolution based on what's going on in the current environment, what's going on with CCP and Eve, who's on the Council and all that. The CSM has helped greatly through the years in getting feedback for aspects of the game.

But some of my concerns right now relate to whether the CSM is maybe focused on a particular aspect of the game and I'm starting to get feedback from players that they worry the CSM is too pre-occupied by a certain playstyle. That might mean we may need to change the structure, but definitely the CSM has worked as a feedback tool greatly throughout the years. We will have them over at the end of the year, after everything that's gone on, and we will have a chance to talk about that. We'll just see where we are and take it from there."

We are back in the spaceship business.

I think the point about a 0.0 dominated CSM is probably a fair one also - and I could see some kind of revision in the process there that has cateogies of CSM members representing various larger interest groups to ensure balance.

The structural situation made it very hard for the development side to hear the feedback from the players via the community teams and revamp plans based on it

Its going to be hilarious if Affirmative Action comes in to ensure 'balance' and we just get our highsec alts voted into the CSM to 'represent' empire.

More mission running? Because after the first 1,000 Lvl4 they begin to get interesting?

Its going to be hilarious if Affirmative Action comes in to ensure 'balance' and we just get our highsec alts voted into the CSM to 'represent' empire.

The structural situation made it very hard for the development side to hear the feedback from the players via the community teams and revamp plans based on it.

A lot of the mistakes we made over the summer were known quite well within our community groups, but they were not getting through to the people making the decisions due to not being co-located with them.

Good point. I suppose just removing the CSM completely is the only credible solution then. Thanks for making this perfectly clear.

So....

...no NEx store

...no Incarna

...no casual content
...no solo content

...no PvE content

Why should I keep paying for playing this game, actually? What's in it for me?

Nullsec? Nullsec is a chore.
Wormholes? Not really interested.
Industry? Come on, I like blowing sutff, not building it.
More mission running? Because after the first 1,000 Lvl4 they begin to get interesting? Or because it's intrinsecally fun running Lvl5 in loseyourshipsec?
Incursions? I don't have that much time to spend.

And, that's all. Not the brightest prospects...

When asked about resigning, Hilmar said...



For me, having an experienced CEO at the helm is FAR better than anyone else, especially one that comes face to face with the exact problems he is facing. He knows how to steer CCP through and come out the other side in one piece.

Regarding CSM I think there should be a change on how they are elected, right now for instance (hypothetical numbers just to exemplify the issue), 10 people volunteer to belong on CSM with 5 spots open, now, a bunch of people vote and the 5 with more votes get to be in it, I don't think this will 'democratically' have a good sample of different views of ppl in the CSM, and then you get a bunch of people directed towards a specific area of the game.

Right now, the majority of the elected players get to be null/wh/low sec players because most of them do get involved a lot more in forums (for several reasons) or do get more in touch with the community outside the game which in turn translates in those who will feel more compelled to vote.

Many of the new players (or fresh) don't even now what CSM is, hell many don't know how the game works after months of playing, others aren't just forum people, this particular problem could be solved with in game candidates exposure and voting, or better in the long run, a much much better new player experience where not only they are introduced to the game better but to the community too along with their 'duties' and 'obligation' as a figure of speech.

To have a more diverse group of ideas/advocates in the CSM I would probably propose something like a list, instead of choosing to vote on 1 of 20 people, vote on a very well thought out and pre-determined group of people that needs to obey a specific set of organisational rules, like a chairman, then the vice, then 1 representative of several areas of the game, for instance FW, WH, NULL, LOW, HIGH, Industrials, etc etc, and you vote in this group. Even better if the group proposes to release a document expressing each of their views regarding each area of the game to help us make a better choice.

Would it be feasible ? I don't know, there probably are some unfeasible features I'd like, or there is even a better option to have more spread out representation in the CSM but this is what I can think of right now.

Don't turn this discussion only about the CSM btw, there are plenty of whiny threads around that already, and even not the ideal they did a lot more good than harm to the game, anyway, more ideas about the interview and constructive feedback is always welcome imo.

Disappointed that Incarna will be moth-balled and forgotten. Well, it just means that other people will now start to whine, who hadn't had to, because they were promised what they wanted would be in the winter expansion. But from the moment WoD development was continued "with a much smaller team", it was obvious that this would happen to Incarna.

Incarna was the final point of realisation that we were trying to do too much at the same time. We were creating avatar tech for two games, integrating in a single code branch with teams around the world all contributing. It was a very ambitious thing and we didn't do it well enough.

'Play base' style senators, who have their own threads to discuss ideas with fellow like minded players, who genuinely take an interest and are pro active in said play style. Taking the best ideas to the table and seeing what can and what cannot be implemented.
The right people are getting elected for the right roles, covering the whole community. It's been done the way for years in most MMO's,

That pretty much sums it up, probably the only way to have a balanced set of people in the CSM imo.

I'm quite disappointing that Incarna has been totally abandoned rather than just scaled back but I understand their decision.

Also agree about Hilmar not resigning, a new CEO would make things worse not better, Hilmar has learned a lesson lets give him a chance.

some good points.

and add oficial link to this article soon, we always have to search them, and that's not normal...

I'm quite disappointing that Incarna has been totally abandoned rather than just scaled back but I understand their decision.

Also agree about Hilmar not resigning, a new CEO would make things worse not better, Hilmar has learned a lesson lets give him a chance.

When asked about resigning, Hilmar said...

In my view, Hilmar has become EvE's 'Bermaga'.

For those of you who aren't Trek geeks like me, Rick Berman and Brannon Braga were at the helm of most of the major Star Trek series; they didn't really do anything 'wrong', per se, but they made some unpopular decisions and bad choices. As a result, the Trek fandom absolutely crucified them, blaming the franchise's problems on the paring of 'Bermaga' (Berman/Braga).

Benilopax, you're right -- Hilmar messed up. And he learned from it, and showed a fair bit of humility in the process. It's still a bit early, but I'm willing to give him and CCP a second chance.

One can wonder if the reason if the original Walking in Stations engine was completely dumped due to the needs of WoD .

leaked email - Hilmar, I understand how you feel betrayed by it, and short of using the word betrayed in the interview, it's clear that's what you wanted to say. However, you betrayed EVE first. The leaks were obviously a good thing for EVE.

we will certainly do everything we can to avoid those mistakes again.

Lol - Yeah, I'm pretty confident CCP has a lot of experience in making sure to not avoid any mistake...

Email, teleconference, Skype, Instant messaging......

Too many CEOs these days are quick to abandon ship with their golden parachutes the minute anything goes wrong and leave the rest of the company to tidy up the mess, I'm happy to see that Hilmar seems to favour the "You broke it? You fix it!" approach.

If the truth is as heartfelt and on track as the words what more could you ask. I whined and rioted and unsubbed multiple accts but if Hilmar is willing to forgive me that i'm willing to forgive him Incarna. And start singing the praises of Eve again.

*snip*

Fix space, right now it needs it. But don't forget Incarna!

All I want to know about this interview is how it was conducted?

Was it over phone or Skype? Where they had a direct contact with him. Or was this through and email where the PR people are able to put a spin on everything he says, making every response of his look as good as possible. Also I would like to know if the interviewer had to submit his article to CCP before releasing it so they had an option to cut anything that seemed like it would spin towards negative publicity. There are so many articles out there that have to be given the okay by the company/individual so nothing negative can come from the article.

As much as I would like to believe him and everything he says until they deliver on what they are saying I wont trust CCP. I will still keep subbing but I wont even bother to suggest the game to any one else.

It sounded like incarna is being given up on and left as an expansion that is not even half way finished. I wanted incarna and the way it is at the moment (with just having captain quarters) is pretty pointless. Incarna could be so much and to give up on it is something I do not like. The talk about incarna a few years ago is actually what got me playing this game. Since then, i've been waiting and waiting. Guess I'll be waiting even longer....