Originally by: The MMO Gamer

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The MMO Gamer: It seems a studio is opening in Atlanta, USA and youÆre recruiting heavily for it. What will the Atlanta studio be used for? The vacancies suggest youÆre building a development team for the World of Darkness MMO you have announced.

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Originally by: Nathan Richardsson:

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Nathan Richardsson: Weære expanding our development teams in Reykjavik, Atlanta and Shanghai. EVE is a demanding mistress and we need all the people we can get. We already have EVE expansions planned through 2009 and still have a huge backlog of features, improvements and optimizations to get in. A new title is planned but currently our main focus is on evolving and growing EVE û delivering 2 free expansions a year takes itæs toll

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Originally by: The MMO Gamer

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The MMO Gamer: How many people does CCP employ? How many developers do you expect to have once the Atlanta studio has been staffed?

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Originally by: Nathan Richardsson:

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Nathan Richardsson: Our need for permanent staff and contracted is simply determined by what our projects need. When EVE grows and requires more manpower, she gets it. Weære just reaching 230 people with a couple of hundred contractors and outsourcing partners. Assimilating so many new people, introducing them to our company culture, getting them up to speed with our strategies and beliefs has been a challenge, but weÆll soon be back to the same level of efficiency and productivity weÆve always done our best to maintain.

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Originally by: The MMO Gamer

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The MMO Gamer: EVE has expanded into China and itÆs almost been a year, how is it doing over there? What was the toughest problem to solve with the Chinese expansion?

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Originally by: Nathan Richardsson:

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Nathan Richardsson: The toughest barriers were without a doubt the cultural difference and the language barrier. We relied heavily on our partners till we had gathered more in-house expertize in our Shanghai office and are now at the point of revitaling EVE China with Revelations II and upcoming expansions. Weæve always enjoyed having direct dialogue with our players through the forums so it was difficult being in a position where we had to rely on translations and second-hand information to base decisions on but weæve addressed that and are already seeing positive results from those changes.

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Originally by: The MMO Gamer

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The MMO Gamer: What is the future of EVE? Will you keep expanding the game into other regions or are there other ways for you to broaden the game and its reach?

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Originally by: Nathan Richardsson:

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Nathan Richardsson: We have a number of ways to expand EVE, first and foremost is öinwardsô, which is our current strategy. There are so many locations within EVE which you canæt interact fully with yet and thatæs where weære heading first. Weære now building environments inside space stations with corporate offices and headquarters, going into the ships with a CaptainÆs Quarter, player starbases where they could control its defenses and other corporate infrastructure.

Further out, weære seeing planets playing a pivotal role in the future of EVE. The industrial, exploratory and warfare opportunities there, which tie heavily into the economic fabric of EV,E are immense. Itæs all player controlled; thatæs the beauty of it. WeÆre creating tools and a landscape with resources and itæs up to the pilots to utilize that to their advantage and build an empire.

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Originally by: Nathan Richardsson:

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Nathan Richardsson:Working with celestial environments is also an area for expansion. Populating immense asteroids with an industrial or pirate outpost, joystick-based combat inside asteroid dungeons, hostile environments to build up an industrial base to exploit itæs resources ù anything you can imagine inside space is an opportunity for expansion.

We also have space itself to work with through outwards expansion. Space is endless and we still donæt know whatæs out there, whatæs on the other side of the EVE gate nor what happened to Earth and itæs civilization. We donæt know what the Jovian race have been up to, closed off in their own section of space. Its outer boundaries unknown to us.

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Originally by: The MMO Gamer

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The MMO Gamer: How about EVEÆs server technology? It seems to be breaking records often with the number of simultaneous online players. Will you use the same single-server philosophy in future games or does it only work in EVEÆs space setting?

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Originally by: Nathan Richardsson:

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Nathan Richardsson: The fundamental backbone of EVE is its players, the pilots and organizations that create the intense economics, political atmosphere and conflict that define the universe. One of the main enabling factors for these social structures is the single-server philosophy. Everyone plays in the same world and can therefore affect each other, directly or indirectly. Someone buying on the market from your enemy rather than you is something that affects you and dynamics like this can only be achieved with a community this large and intertwined. Itæs the network effect. It has practical limitations and the future will tell if itæs applicable, but weære firm believers in the philosophy of massive worlds and weære dedicated to make it work.

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Originally by: The MMO Gamer

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The MMO Gamer: Where do you think CCP will be in five years? WhatÆs the future of the company and where do you want to take it?

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Originally by: Nathan Richardsson:

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Nathan Richardsson: Weære part of worlds with emerging nations, transcending barriers. Weære the creators-become-janitors really û and thatæs how we see CCP grow. We want to create a foundation where social networks emerge, become nations or empires, corporations or world-spanning organizations, putting it in the hand of the players. We only deliver the beginning. Itæs the players that ötake this to 11ô that really create the nations.

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Originally by: Garia666

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Edited by: Garia666 on 03/07/2007 08:45:02
Nathan... you should lose some weight man...

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Originally by: Nathan Richardsson

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... Weære just reaching 230 people with a couple of hundred contractors and outsourcing partners. Assimilating so many new people, introducing them to our company culture, getting them up to speed with our strategies and beliefs has been a challenge, but weÆll soon be back to the same level of efficiency and productivity weÆve always done our best to maintain.

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