Five Misconceptions of Eve Online

CCP sets us straight on some mistaken beliefs about its hit virtual universe, which launched five years ago today.

May 06, 2008 - EVE Online is CCP's popular, award-winning persistent state universe that takes place thousands of years in the future. The discovery of a stable natural wormhole made it possible for humanity to cross the immense vastness of space to a region so distant that the stars in the sky were completely unfamiliar. Naming the area where they arrived New Eden, the first explorers set about exploring rapidly in every direction. Countless others soon followed in their wake. They established thousands of colonies, many of which were not yet fully self-sufficient when the sudden, unexpected collapse of the gateway cut them off completely from all contact with Earth, including much-needed supplies. As a result, most of the outposts did not survive; some failed almost immediately, while others managed to endure on the brink of extinction for centuries or even millennia before succumbing.

Among those that lasted, five achieved the status of major powers. Now known as the Amarr Empire, Gallente Federation, Caldari State, Minmatar Republic and Jovian Empire, they have co-existed in relative peace. Despite the inevitable differences of opinion and occasional minor skirmishes, they have always tempered their actions by remembering that the consequences of an all-out inter-stellar conflict would be severe for all, no matter which faction, if any, might emerge victorious. Ironically, the game's history took a similar path. It showed considerable potential early on, then lost access to important resources when its original publisher left the business. CCP took on that role itself, struggling for some time before EVE attained delayed success, which some observers deemed nearly impossible. With the title celebrating its fifth anniversary today, we thought it fitting to examine some current misconceptions associated with it.

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