EVE is not a sandbox. Go look at one, you'll notice it's a patch of dirt stretching from one end to the other. Nothing exists there that isn't built from the sandbox. Nothing gets put in besides more sand. Nothing gets changed but the sand which requires the efforts of those playing in the sandbox itself.

Now look at EVE, notice how things keep getting tossed in that aren't sand: FW, Incursions, SoV to name a few. A sandbox doesn't have an owner, you might have to deal with the bigger kids playing in"their" corner, but they can only enforce their authority by physical presence instead of having the adults lock everyone else out when they go home..

Look at how CCP changes things to keep their playerbase happy: supercap changes, aggro mechanics, NPC police that will at least make sure the big bullies picking on them lose the bucket they used to pour sand on another kiddie's head. I'm not saying these changes aren't/weren't necessary to keep the game going, but a sandbox environment would have forced the players to work together to deal with these types instead of relying on the game mechanics to be changed for them.

Is it any wonder there's so many threads about AFK cloakers that begin with suggestions on introducing new mechanics? Or for that matter, other complaint threads about can-flippers and ninja salvagers where the grieved party wants to see CONCORD blow up the offender instead of having to deal with the issue themselves and the giant 50+ man corp they joined? Or even the daily "I want to go AFK in highsec and not be bothered while I print ISK" complaints?

The last good sandbox-expansion was the wormhole one, and in fact it might be the only sand-box expansion simply because it did nothing but pour more sand into the box to be played with. People weren't even supposed to be living there, but they are and continue to do so. There are almost no NPCs, and by NPCS I mean not even Stargates and invulnerable stations to dock in and the NPCs that do exist there only give you more sand to build with (sleeper parts) instead of isk bounties.

I love this game, but it's not a sandbox.