EVE Online Fanfest 2009: A Documentary [VIDEO]

EvE-Online Fanfest 2009 Documentary from Oddur Elíasson on Vimeo.
About this documentary:
Every year or so a celebration is held in the name of EvE-Online. This celebration is calld Fanfest and hundreds of EvE players gather in Iceland to put real faces to avatars, to enjoy the company of EvE players from other parts of the world, to learn about upcoming events in EvE and also just to celebrate the world of EvE-Online.

This short documentary is to give a look into what fanfest is all about, to show the people that play the game and what they think of Fanfest and EvE-Online!

Director: Oddur Elíasson
AD: Arna Björk Pétursdóttir
Camera A: Anton Smári Gunnarsson
Camera B: Ingimar Björn Davíðsson
Editing: Oddur Elíasson and Jón Tómas Einarsson
Color Correction: Jón Tómas Einarsson

Will we see each other at Fanfest VII (2011)?

With CCP Game's 7th iteration of the EVE Fanfest - thanks to Mandrill for the heads-up by the way - the most famous party at the top of the world moves from an early Fall schedule to early Spring. As most of you know, I had the opportunity to attend Fanfest V (Fall 2008) and had a blast! The experience is like no other in the world. This is the time where we capsuleers get to mingle, chat, interact and party with CCP Devs. This is also a time, where friends and foes get to finally meet face to face, share a few laughs, as well as a few drinks - ok, a LOT of drinks!

I look very much forward to this particular Fanfest, and hope to meeting with a great number of you who will also make the annual capsuleer migration to the land of Vikings and rotten shark! Since my last Fanfest over 2 years ago, the EVE Blog Community has grown quite considerably, and I've had the chance to virtually meet with quite a number of people whom I consider good friends today. During this Fanfest, I really hope that we'll get to meet with some of you and put a real face behind your avatar.

I think that @Mandrill's initiative to organize a tweet-up is a great idea, one that will surely be successful. Just tell me when and where, and I'll be there!

So will we get to meet?

EON Issue #021: 2010 - Table of Content

Though I've yet to receive my copy of the 21st issue of EON, I thought I'd share with you the content that was forwarded to me by the editors.

I can't wait to get my copy as this issue is filled with content that's dear to me: the EVE Storyline and the EVE Fanfest! The EVE universe is a fascinating place and the EVE Chronicles have allowed us to learn a bit more about this dark and hard place we capsuleers call home. I've even stated in the past, and reiterate here, that I'd love to see some hardcover book on EVE - similar to those big fat beauties from Pathfinder.

As for the upcoming Fanfest, I'm already looking at my possible itinerary and maybe extending my vacation a few more days to spend it with MrsCK somewhere in Europe! How about you? Will you attend the Party t the Top of the World next March?

IT’S STORYTIME
It’s always been there, but EVE’s storyline has never been the most overt aspect of the New Eden universe. All that’s set to change with Incursion, as CCP is looking to bring the back-story firmly to the front. With player events back on the agenda and everyone from the mightiest 0.0 alliance to the lowliest high-sec miner invited to take part, it looks as if your reasons for doing what you do are about to get ever more dramatic.

CONSTRUCTING FANFEST
As we wait patiently for 2011’s extravaganza on the roof of the planet, we take a trip back in time through Fanfests of old to discover how they came to be, why they came to be and who came to... uh, be them. Whatever. The moments that made CCP realize getting a large group of its players together under one darkened roof was all worthwhile, the lessons learnt, and what we can expect from future trips to the sunny shores of, er, Iceland.

SURVIVING EVE
Of course we love EVE more than life itself, but that doesn’t mean that life should be neglected in the pursuit of one more can-flip or podkill. We take time out from staring at the monitor to examine ways to step back, smell the flowers and still appreciate our beloved game for all its worth but without becoming totally burnt out in the process. Remember traveller, a healthy capsuleer is a happy capsuleer and vice versa.

THE 50M ISK CHALLENGE
Give a bunch of pilots a (relatively) small lump of cash, tell them to spend it on whatever ship and fittings they think are best and record the results. Following Issue #019’s 200 million ISK ship-building challenge, we thought we’d try it again but with a more modest amount. You’ll be surprised just how far a tiny budget goes in New Eden’s chop-shops these days.

PLUS

• The Mod Delusion – how EVE’s greatest fans are taking New Eden into other game engines
• ‘Condemned To Repeat’ – an all-new, exclusive Chronicle of espionage and deceit from Danny Schalit
• In depth ‘Insider’s Guides’ to Militia Fleets, getting the most from EVE’s communication tools and the first of a multi-part look at Drones
• Interviews with EVE TV veteran and CCP Video Producer Stevie Ward and Technical Director and ‘Lag Warrior’ CCP Yokai
• Behind the characters of Silentbrick, Niccolado Starwalker and Sakura Nihil
• Profiles of Art Of War Alliance and Veneratio Venator Alliance
• The latest news from CCP and the latest reports from 0.0 space
• Postcards, Funnies, My Two ISK and much more

Oh, and there’s one more thing... E-ON is going digital, but they’re not abandoning the hard-copy magazine – far from it. As a special incentive, ALL subscribers to the hard-copy edition will receive FREE access to the coming-soon E-ON Digital, which will be able to be viewed online or offline on a PC, Mac, iPad, iPhone, iPod Touch or Android device. The print edition will still retain its glossy-page collectability, but the digital version will enable us to bring new features such as full archive searching, lower cost and instant availability. Go tell the world, E-ON Digital is coming soon...

Table of Content Coming Soon...

Why there'll never be a Fanfest outside Iceland. And that's a good thing!

Last week I had the opportunity to have dinner with CCP's Mike Read and a few other EVE Capsuleers! Suffice to say the conversation quickly veered towards anything and everything EVE, for our own selfish pleasure! At one point we all focused our attention on Mike with the well known "When will CCP host a Fanfest in North America?" The questioning and commenting went back and forth and eventually moved on to other more important, more pragmatic topics.

But that conversation stayed with me throughout the whole week and kept popping up in my head. Now, if you've been reading this blog for a while, you'll know that having a Fanfest in Canada or in the States has always been a big wish of mine.

But the more I thought about it. The less sure of that statement I was. And after giving it some more thought, I've come to the conclusion that there should only one EVE Fanfest, and that it should be held in Reykjavik, permanently.

Hear me out.

EVE Online is as much a virtual world as it is a Community. Let me repeat myself: EVE is "a" Community; as in one group, one entity. We all play the game in this one world, which affects all of us. And nothing is more the embodiment of this Community as the yearly held Fanfest is. This is the time of the year where players from all over the world get together and share a common real-life experience. It's where players from Europe, from North and South America and even as far as New Zealand come together to share their common love and interest for this most exotic world we call New Eden.

Splitting the EVE Fanfest into 2 events, one in Iceland and one in the States (as an example) would be like splitting Tranquility in two. Blasphemy, I know. Which is why I believe and sincerely hope that there will always be only one EVE Fanfest, held in Reykjavik once a year.

Which doesn't prevent CCP from ever having a WoD Fanfest in Atlanta though... wink wink...!

Fly safe, and see you all at the next EVE Fanfest!

EON Issue #017: DUST 514 - Table of Content

In this day and age of the InterTubes, it's nice to walk away from the digital world, find a nice quiet spot in the house, sit down on a comfy couch with a nice alcoholic beverage (say a Taylor Fladgate port or a Grand Marnier) and start reading a high quality, visually stunning & intelligently edited magazine such as EON.

You may think that I'm stretching the truth here, just for the sake of you the reader, but the opposite is actually the case. EON has become an integral part of my EVE experience. And these days, with the sort of schedule that I have, it's a real treat roam through its A4-sized pages.

This latest issue - "EON #017 DUST 514" - is no exception to the rule. And with the lead article on the new and upcoming EVE console first-person shooter, how could it not be interesting!

IN DUST WE TRUST

For console gamers DUST 514 promises to be the most unique shooter ever

devised, but for those of us already fighting between planets what will it

mean to have hundreds of thousands, perhaps millions, fighting on the

ground? A crack squad of E-ON special forces capture CCP to find out how the

EVE FPS will fuse with EVE Online, plus we get the views of players to see

if they are as excited about DUST 514 as they should be.

THREE CHRONICLES

Officially, the early days of Amarrian expansion were a time of glory for

New Eden's largest empire, while today the worlds within the factional

warzones are seen as frontiers that will one day reward the brave pioneers

that have tried to tame them. The problem with official versions of events

past and present is that they are very often wrong, as evidenced by three

new chronicles in this issue of E-ON, which show a very different side to

life on the frontiers of New Eden.

TRUST FUNDS

Players have never been as rich as they are currently, yet the status of

banks in the New Eden economy has never looked bleaker after a string of

high-profile trust issues that have left the industry in tatters. Player

economist and blogger LaVista Vista delves into the history of banking in

EVE to see if it has a future and what it might look like.

PLUS

• News on Cosmos and Dominion from Fanfest 09
• Testflight: Electronic Attack frigates
• Profiles of Pandemic Legion, Dr Caymus and Jeran Tek
• Interviews with CCP Molock and CCP Manifest
• Win signed copies of The Burning Life
• Full round-up of 0.0 activity in Quarterly Report
• Guides to wormholes, modules and EVE: Conquests
• Websites for new players
• Šand all the latest news

Table of Content - EON 017

• Page 6 --- E-ON Upfront (News)
• 12 ---- Quarterly Alliance Report
• 18 ---- Postcards from the Edge (Screen shots)
• 20 ---- Cover Feature: DUST 514
• 26 ---- In Crowd: Ned Coker
• 29 ---- In Character: Dr Caymus
• 30 ---- Chronicle: Word of God, by Nixon Bardsley
• 34 ---- Alliance Profile: Pandemic Legion
• 37 ---- Feature: The Descent of Money
• 42 ---- Chronicle: Invisible War, by Paul Elsy
• 46 ---- In Character: Heath Ledger
• 48 ---- Testflight: Electronic Attack Frigates
• 57 ---- In Character: Jeran Tek
• 58 ---- Chronicle: Broken Contracts, by Douglas McKinney
• 62 ---- In Crowd: Scott Holden
• 64 ---- Insider's Guide: Ship Modules - Part 2
• 70 ---- Insider's Guide: EVE Conquests
• 74 ---- Insider's Guide: WormHoles
• 78 ---- EVE Directory, by Dierdra Vaal
• 80 ---- My 0.02 ISK, by Wormsworth
• 82 ---- Teh Funnies (EVE Humour)

Order yours now!

EON #016 - Table of Content

This is going to sound like a record skipping, but I've been late, really late that is, in posting the Table of Content for the latest issue of EON.

It's nothing to do with my enthusiasm for this fine piece of mashed-up tree pulp and chemical stains. Au contraire. I again have to blame this game called First Life. Seems the arrival of a RL clone once again has disrupted my current daily schedule.

Add to that the fact that I had to rebuild my PC, and recently lost my broadband connection, and we can start to imagine that the folks on Olympus have promised to make my life difficult.

But rest assured, I am starting to get control back. Slowly but surely, things are being worked out. The new PC is built. My phone/digitalTV/broadband provider, Bell Canada, is sending two of its technician tomorrow to get us back on track.

I can see the light at the end of the wormhole!

Table of Content - EON 016

• Page 6 --- E-ON Upfront (News)
• 12 ---- Quarterly Alliance Report
• 16 ---- Postcards from the Edge (Screen shots)
• 20 ---- In Crowd: Mathew Woodward
• 22 ---- The Warp Drive Active Story
• 27 ---- In Character: Sinqliason
• 28 ---- Alliance Profile: Veto (Veto Corp link)
• 30 ---- Chronicle: Freeze on Freedom - Part 1, by Douglas McKinney
• 36 ---- Cover Feature: Sovereignty 2.0
• 42 ---- Alliance Profile: CVA
• 44 ---- In Character: The Mittani
• 46 ---- Testflight: Strategic Cruisers
• 55 ---- In Character: Linesh Motex
• 56 ---- Chronicle: Freeze on Freedom - Part 2, by Douglas McKinney
• 60 ---- In Crowd: Alex O'Donovan-Jones
• 62 ---- Insider's Guide: Corporation Branding (by Mynxee!)
• 68 ---- Insider's Guide: Modules - Part 1
• 72 ---- Insider's Guide: Production - Part 3
• 78 ---- EVE Directory, by none other than James Egan
• 80 ---- My Two ISK - Thes Redav
• 82 ---- Teh Funnies (EVE Humour)

The Drone Bay: Episode 22 - Like a Dysfunctional Family Reunion...

Recorded on Monday evening, the latest Drone Bay podcast was released today. And yes, all 3 cohosts were present during this recording! It had been over 8 months since we were last all together on a show, but it felt great to be back and talk about EVE together. This latest episode is a bit more open in format since it's was a bit of a re-introduction. The next shows should have the old structure back.

The Drone Bay Episode 22: Like a Dysfunctional Family Reunion

ZOMG a proper Drone Bay! Well...kinda. All three hosts are back, and there is some EVE talk for you all. We are hoping this is the beginning of a more regular recording schedule, so listen up and enjoy as the Three Musketeers (or is that Amigos?) of EVE podcasting return to the airwaves!

Contact Info:

In-Game Channel:
The Drone Bay

E-Mail:
dronebay|at|gmail.com (comments/questions for everyone)
crovan|at|eve-mail.net
crazykinux|at|gmail.com
alsedrech|at|gmail.com

Blogs:
Bitter Old Noob (Crovan)
CrazyKinux’s Musing
The Littlest Drone (Alsedrech)

The Drone Bay: Episode 21 - Fanfest 2009 Preview Special

Recorded earlier this week, the latest Drone Bay podcast was released today. Though I couldn't join Crovan and Alsedrech as the show was recorded during my work day, my podcast mates did a good job torturing the 3 devs present to get the most information from them on the next EVE Online Fanfest! Well, seducing might be a better term than torture.

Having been at Fanfest myself, I highly recommend that you attend if not this year, at least once! Have a listen and you'll get a brief idea of the amount of fun, facts and friends you'll discover if you decided to attend the Party at the top of the world!

Here's a few links to my account of the fanfest last year!

• EVE Fanfest Day 1 - Recap and more
• EVE Fanfest Day 2 - Lots more goodies!
• EVE Fanfest Day 3 - Highlights

Good to hear you guys again!

EVE Blog Banter #8: Care for a little game of SecWars?

Welcome to the eighth installment of the EVE Blog Banter , the monthly EVE Online blogging extravaganza created by CrazyKinux. The EVE Blog Banter involves an enthusiastic group of gaming bloggers, a common topic within the realm of EVE Online, and a week to post articles pertaining to the said topic. The resulting articles can either be short or quite extensive, either funny or dead serious, but are always a great fun to read! Any questions about the EVE Blog Banter should be directed here . Check out otherEVE Blog Banter articles at the bottom of this post!

This month's topic comes to us from me, Ga'len at The Wandering Druid of Tranquility. He asks: "What new game mechanic or mechanics would you like to see created and brought into the EVE Online universe and how would this be incorporated into the current game universe? Be specific and give details, this is not meant to be a 'nerf this, boost my game play' post like we see on the EVE forums."

CCP pulls a fast one on us with Fanfest 2009

So, CCP recently annouced that another EVE Fanfest will be held this year (check!), in Iceland (check!), in Reykjavik (check!), between October 1st-3rd (what the eff!!). October? Nah, that's got to be wrong right. What? It's not!!! But they've held it in November since the Big Bang!

Seems things change. And yes, the 2009 edition of the EVE Fanfest will be held on the first day of October, my birthday of all days! The sad news, is that I won't get to go. My plans to attend, were squashed with the move to the new dates. You see, my better-half and I are expecting Mini-CK No.2 in early September, and though I love this game, some things in life come first.

Family, EVE, God.

I find myself skipping this year's fanfest., but true, I did go last year, and will try to go the next!

In the mean time, enjoy this great teaser for the event! You lucky bastards! :p

EON #014 - Table of Content

I finally got my issue of EON sometime last week. I say finally because I'd been waiting for it patiently for quite sometime now, seeing through Twitter that for others, the wait was over.

I'm always a little impatient once I know the the latest issue has been mailed and that it's only a question of time before I can get my print-fix of EVE. Those one or two weeks before I see that white plastic envelope in my mailbox are almost heart breaking though. I kid you not!

But this was even more so for this 14th issue, since I had written the Fanfest article, and just couldn't wait to see how it had turned out, once Zapatero had sprinkled some of that magic pixie dust with his flashy editing! It is my opinion that I did not wait in vain, and the whole issue turned out amazing!

This issue has seen some great contribution from some of the members of the EVE Blog Pack: Zapatero, Flashfresh, Karox Lominax, Winterblink and I. Good work guys!

I'm still going through the issue at this moment, and will likely read the Chronicles last, as I like to take them in nice and slow. A quiet evening once all are off to bed, a glass of port or Grand Marnier, and a few hours to dive into EVE fiction! Gives me goose bumps!

Table of Content - EON 014

• Page 6 --- E-ON Upfront (News)
• 12 ----EVE Quarterly Report
  
• 14 ---- E-ON Awards 2009 - The Nominees <-- And I'm in a few categories!!!
  
• 16 ---- Postcards from the Edge (Screen shots)
• 18 ---- In Crowd: Ludvik Kalmar Vidisson
  
• 21 ---- In Character: Tornsoul
• 22 ---- Alliance Profile: Atlas Alliance
• 24 ---- Chronicle: Body Language, by David Alexander Corno
• 30 ---- The Party at the Top of the World <-- My Fanfest article!!
  
• 37 ---- In Character: Archbishop
  
• 38 ---- Band from the Game: The Roxxor Story
  
• 44 ---- Alliance Profile: Ivy League
  
• 46 ---- Chronicles: According to Plan, by Christopher Haber
  
• 48 ---- In Character: Azia Burgi
  
• 50 ---- Cover Feature: Modular Ships
  
• 56 ---- Exploration: Into the Unknown
  
• 60 ---- Alliance Profile: Band of Brothers
  
• 62 ---- Testflight: Logistics Support Cruisers
  
• 70 ---- In Crowd: Hjalti Danielsson
  
• 72 ---- Insider's Guide: Combat Boosters
  
• 74 ---- Insider's Guide: Production - Part 1
  
• 80 ---- EVE Directory, by my friend Flashfresh
  
• 82 ---- Teh Funnies (EVE Humour)

EON Issue #014 is traveling the snail gates of Gaia

It's not every day that you get to see your name printed on the official EVE Online site - twice on the same day! - and I'm not referring to the forum section and all that CK spam! For this latest issue of EON, I had the pleasure of being tortured by Zapatero to write... let rephrase that. I had the honor of writing about my experience at the EVE Fanfest 2008, which was a first, and hopefully not the last, for me.

It was a lot of fun to think back and relive some of those memories in order for me to write that article. Fanfests are an amazing experience, which everyone and anyone involved in EVE should live at least once!

Hopefully with the article, I'll manage to share enough of the experience to get your mojo flowing and get you to travel to the top of the world, in a cold, cloudy and humid realm, and have the best time of your life!

See you there in November!

Here's what else to expect in this latest issue of EON.

THE JOY OF TECHS

This issue we peer into the imminent future (or look to the very recent past, depending on whether you’re reading this before or after 10th March 09), at the building blocks of the many thousands of potential Tech III ships that will be appearing via explorable wormholes as part of EVE's tenth expansion this coming spring. With CCP providing the parts, we ask how the ships will be glued together, how their attributes will be determined and what special features might make them worth investing in when the time comes. We theorise at what might be at the end of the wormholes themselves that are making Tech III a possibility.

FIRST-TIME FANFEST

After one of the most spectacular Fanfests so far, EVE blogger CrazyKinux re-lives the experience of what was his first; from the puzzled look from friends and family concerned for his sanity for wanting to travel to Iceland to meet a bunch of spaceship nerds, to the mild hangover after four days of blowing away every preconception they had. Without giving too much away, we reckon CK quite enjoyed his first trip to Fanfest.

THE ONE AND ONLY

While much of this issue focuses on the future and looking ahead to Tech III, we remember that Tech I still has much to offer: in Testflight, Sivona climbs aboard EVE's unloved logistics cruisers to see if they have a role on the modern battlefield, whilst Karox Lominax escapes the melee and rustles up a guide to manufacturing and production.

PLUS

• The definitive made-up history of dev band RoXoR
• Profiles of Band of Brothers, TornSoul, Atlas Alliance, Archbishop and Ivy League
• Insider’s Guide to boosters
• E-ON Award nominees revealed
• Serenity Steele’s Quarterly Alliance Report
• A chance to win the new board game, EVE: Conquests
• Interviews with CCP’s Abraxas and Lúlli Teiknari
• Blogs, Essentials and Resources for pirates
• Two exclusive new Chronicles

...and all the latest news

Congrats to Karox and Flashfresh for being part of this one too. And yes, to you too Winterblink. We all know you crave a good Carebear hug!

New Fanfest 2008 Videos over on YouTube

Now this little post is a complete rip off of the email I got from my CCPGames YouTube subscription, but it would be a horrible mistake not to post the it here. Whether you've been to Fanfest 2008 or not, you should have a look at these videos.

Originally I was supposed to be interviewed by StevieG, but somehow our schedules did not match and I ended up not being on EVE TV. I blame the beer. But eh, I always do! Oh, and make sure to watch AlienHand's interview! A Great guy, and one hell of a composer!

Enjoy!

• Fanfest 2008 Interviews - Group Interviews
• Fanfest 2008 Interviews - Party on Top of the World
• Fanfest 2008 Interviews - Tony Gonzales
• Fanfest 2008 Interviews - Serenity Steele
• Fanfest 2008 Interviews - Eve Radio
• Fanfest 2008 Interviews - EON
• Fanfest 2008 Interviews - Battleclinic
• Fanfest 2008 Interviews - Alienhand
• EVE Online Fanfest 2008 - Speakeasy
• EVE Online Fanfest 2008 - The Economy
• EVE Online Fanfest 2008 - WIS Environments
• EVE Online Fanfest 2008 - CSM Panel
• EVE Online Fanfest 2008 - Eve IP

Win some EVE Fanfest 2008 Memorabilia!

Always wanting to share my EVE Fanfest 2008 experience with you my beloved readers, I decided to give you the chance to win some Fanfest 2008 memorabilia I brought back from Iceland. I've got 3 prizes to give away.

1st Prize:


EVE Fanfest 2008 T-shirt (Size L) and a wireless laptop mouse.

2nd Prize:


EVE Fanfest 2008 Schedule, 8 EON Magazine coasters, 2 postcards and an EVE magnetic pin.

3rd Prize:


EVE Fanfest 2008 Schedule, 8 EON Magazine coasters and 2 postcards.

So, how do you get to win one of these packages? By doing a bunch of things that will give you points, which I'll then tally. Here's the list and the points you get.

• 1 point - Make a relevant comment on any of my posts, as many as you want
• 1 point - Follow me on Blogger (for Gmail users only)
  
• 2 points - Add me to your Favorites on BlogCatalog
• 2 points - Join my community on MyBlogLog
• 2 points - Favorite this blog on Technorati
• 5 points - Add me to your blogroll
• 5 points - Follow me on Twitter
  
• 10 points - Write an article or review of CrazyKinux.com

Make sure you make a comment on this post to let me know you want to participate and add your relevant links. Otherwise I won't know to look for you and won't tally your points either.

The Contest lasts until Friday November 28th, 2008. I'll then tally all the points and announce the winners on December 12th, 2008. This should give me time to ship all 3 prizes in time for Christmas.

Good luck to all!

Back from Fanfest and asking for more

It's been 3 days since my return from Iceland, and a bit longer since the end of the 5th EVE Fanfest. Quantum Rise has been deployed and from all accounts, all has gone smoothly. Life is slowly returning to normal for me, though I'm still very much busy with the job hunt and taking care of the little family.

This last Fanfest was my first and, as I've been telling everyone and their mothers, hopefully not my last. Though the whole event was short, and I didn't get to enjoy the Icelandic scenery, the whole experience was a blast. I finally met face to face with folks I'd been chatting and emailing for over a year. And I also met with folks who were complete strangers, leaving with new friendships which are likely to last. Never mind 3 days of EVE Online news and discussions!

I still have got loads of notes and subject matter that came out of the Fanfest for about a dozen future posts. So expect more over the next two weeks. I just need a bit of time to wrap my head around a few ideas and get my facts together.

This Friday's Speedlinking post is likely to be one of the lengthiest, as I've put together the news of the last 2 weeks, which as you know, has been quite extensive. This one should go live early Friday morning. YoMma and I are scheduled to record the 4th installment of MicroWarpCast also on Friday morning, and with some luck, I should have the editing done by the end of the week-end.

I leave you with these two photos of me and some lovely Icelandic ladies with whom I had a bit of fun on Saturday night, during the Fanfest Party. Should convince a few of you boys out there to definitely make it to Fanfest next year!




All innocent fun, of course. I mean, I'm an honorable Canadian of course!

Cheers!

EVE to be released (again) in retail next year - Box Cover

During today's World Domination presentation, Hilmar explained that CCP Games had partnered with Atari to release EVE Online in retail again. The photo of the cover box (as of today) is shown below. They decided to do this because they've noticed that a lot of players new to MMORPGs are introduced to these games through retail. With the recent retail success of Age of Conan and War Hammer, who can blame them for trying.

As such, and looking to bring in more players to the game, a retail DVD box will be released next year. The two pirates sitting behind me during the presentation kept giggling at the thought of all these newbies they'd have a chance to rip through!

There's a perverted thought currently being debated within the confine of my brain to get that new retail version, or not.

I know, that's so fanboy, but eh, I can't help it! :p

EVE Fanfest Day 1 - Recap and more

It's been two days since my arrival in Iceland, and the first day of Fanfest is now behind us.

While traveling from Boston to Reykjavik, I met several EVE players waiting at the gate - some fellow players, some ISD members and I even spotted (quite easily actually) a few Goons who had gathered near the latrines (well in front of actually). I'm sure that half the folks traveling on that plane were going to EVE Fanfest.

Yesterday, after a short half hour bus trip from Keflavik airport to my hotel in Reykjavik, I dropped on my bed, half-dead, for a little 3-hour nap. Refreshed and re-energized, I was ready to hit the town for some dinning and winning, ready to lose a leg and an arm having to pay those crazy Icelandic prices.

I introduced myself to a group of fellow players who were hanging out in the lobby and we headed over to the Vegamot, where we met one of their chefs, a fellow EVE player by the name of Bergur. A nice chap, with whom I enjoyed some great conversations.


After a great dinner (at a reasonable price - 15$ for a great meal and $7 for a pint), we headed back to the hotel and shared some more fine alcoholic beverages. Then it was time to get some rest before the first day of Fanfest.

When I woke-up this morning there was no rush to head over to the venue, since it only started at 12:30. I met Chris from FM4.0rf.at, whom I'd only met the previous evening, for breakfast, which was a buffet style and much better than I would have expected. Gotta thank Winterblink for recommending this place!

We then walked over to the Lagerschmool (no that's not the real name, but it escapes me and is too complicated anyways) to get our passes and swag bag. After getting my Fansite pass and the goodies, we headed over to the press area to check out the schedule. On the way I took some more pictures (which are all available here).

I attended the first 2 panels - Economy and Market, and Future Expansions - before going to lunch. Here below are my notes of these panels.

Economy and Market - with CCP Dr.EyjoG


Here are some of the topics discussed:

• Provide live economic data dashboard are in the long term plans
• 5-year long term plans would ideally include
• Full Stock Market feature
• EVE Central Bank
• Race-based currencies
• Insurance and Trade
• Consumer Goods usage
• Changing Market Order while OOG
• Store Front
• Factional Warfare and Tech 1 items prices

Future Expansions - with Hammerhead


Here are some of the topics discussed:

• Development pipeline has enough to last until 2012
• Anchorable Player Objects (individual)
• Atmospheric Flight (what would be the goal)
• Cloaking and projected cloaks
• Ambulation and Adult Content (poker, strippers and corpses)
• Removing Local chat from nullsec
• Sovereignty
• Better Camera Control
• Better and enhanced corporate tools

Now remember that these were "discussions" of what players would like to see in-game, and not stuff that's actually coming soon(tm).

After being refused from the next panel, Women in EVE (I can't understand why), I roamed around and just let the experience sink in.

After that, I dropped by the Singularity room for a chat with the Community Devs (Valerie, Misty, Ed, Mitnal) folks and other fansite folks (AlienHand was there, as well as the fellow behind the Jump Planner tool).

Not bad for a first day!

One more Stargate to go

Having gone through the Montreal-Boston Stargate earlier today, I'm waiting for the Boston-Reykjavik Stargate to be activated. Engineers have stated, over the station PA, that their repairs should be done soon and that the gate would be activated somewhere around 20:35, local system time.

We're also being told that the normally instantaneous system to system jump, will this time take a few hours instead. This is due to the nature of today's tweaks with the stargate's inner workings.

Hopefully I'll wake up in Reyjavik system in one piece!

I'll let you know as soon as I make planetfall.

Less than 2 months to EVE Online Fanfest 2008

In less than two months I'll be boarding a plane to start my journey to Reykjavik, the equivalent of Mecca for EVE Online players, hometown of CCP Games. I just checked the EVE Online Fanfest 2008 page to see that there were 52 days left until the beginning of the 3-day conference (at the time of this writing), which means less than 50 days before I leave Montreal.

In effort to control my urge to explode with enthusiasm I've decided to focus my energies in putting together this post on last year's Fanfest.

Here below are links to photos taken during Fanfest 2007 and the personal account of someone who was lucky enough to attend.

Photo Albums of EVE Online Fanfest 2007:

• Hakel Daima's Picasa Album
• Winterblink's Flickr Photo Set
• GamasutraPodcast's Flickr Photo Set
• EVE Online Forum Photo Thread
  

I also highly recommend that you read Winterblink's blog entries of his Fanfest 2007 experience (make sure to start at the bottom of the page) and the article he wrote in EON #010. Both will give you a hint of what I am about to embark on. Me, and a few hundred other EVE fanboys that is!

Oooh, the wait is unbearable!

A login advert for last year's fanfest.

See you at the Top of the World!

Well it's done! In less than 120 days I'll be flying to Iceland for the 5th EVE Online Fanfest! Earlier this week I booked my flights and hotel. The only thing that's missing right now is the actual Fanfest pass, which isn't yet available for purchase on the EVE Store.

So I'll be staying at the Grand Hotel Reykjavik for 4 nights, arriving on the morning of Nov. 5th and leaving on the evening of the 9th. If you're also staying there, drop me a comment and we'll try to get together for a beer or something. I chose the Grand based on the fact that it's close to where the event will be held, though I later learned that it was far from the downtown nightlife. Oh well, I'm sure I'll find a few guys (and gals) to share a cab with.

After talking with my wife about it, we decided that I should go by myself this year. Maybe she'll join me next year and enjoy the Sisters of EVE Program. For this first time though, I'll be on my own!

If you're curious to see what the 2007 edition of the event was like, head over to Winterblink's photo set and get small taste. Or read about it in EON issue #10.

As for myself, I just can't wait to get there!