CCP is the Icelandic developer behind space MMO EVE Online, console shooter DUST 514 and most recently the Oculus Rift dog fighter Valkyrie.
Each year the studio holds a player gathering in Reykjavik, Iceland called EVE Fanfest, which is a three-day event where the devs talks about the future of its products via roundtables, presentations and Keynotes. Other activities include pub crawls, PvP tournaments and the legendary ‘party at the top of the world,’ which rounds off the event.
This year promises to surpass last year’s event, which marked the 10th anniversary of CCP’s flagship title EVE Online, with further insight into the ever growing IP that is the New Eden Universe.
Check out the announced events from the recent press release:
·The first live demo of EVE Online’s summer expansion and more information about the long-term vision for game.
·Reveals of what’s next for DUST 514 and a world-first hands-on opportunity with its next major evolution.
·Exclusive hands-on with an entirely new build of the virtual reality dogfighting game EVE: Valkyrie and details about what’s in store for the game recently announced as an Oculus Rift launch title.
·A special dedication ceremony for the “Worlds Within a World” monument to EVE players. This unique event, taking place in picturesque Reykjavik Harbor where the monument will be installed, will feature the monument’s creator, Reykjavik city officials and players from around the world.
·The “Make EVE Real” speaker track returns with visionary scientists outlining how the science fiction portrayed in the EVE Universe might not be that far off from reality. Among the speakers is Dr. Michael Meyer, who will speak about his work as the lead scientist for NASA’s Mars Exploration Program and how the Curiosity rover has changed the way mankind searches for extraterrestrial life.
·Headlining the legendary convention finale, the “Party at the Top of the World,” are musical acts Z-Trip (US) and FM Belfast (Iceland). Z-Trip returns triumphantly from last year’s massive DJ set and FM Belfast is back again after their killer 2010 performance.
·Further updates on CCP’s transmedia projects, such as the company’s collaboration with Dark Horse and its partnership with director Baltasar Kormákur on an EVE television series.
DUST 514 players are surely looking forward to seeing the “next major evolution” of the game. Officially released last year on May 14 under the Uprising title, the shooter is now on version 1.7.
Uprising 1.8 is due sometime in March and is set to add a whole slew of new content including all light, medium and heavy frame dropsuits for the Minmatar, Gallente, Caldari and Amarr races as well as new side arms, rebalancing of the current weapons and much much more.
We’ll have to wait for the dev blogs to see what ‘much much more’ entails, but stay tuned to PSU cause we’ll be sure to keep you in the know.
Alex Locher is PSU’s Community Manager, resident DUST 514 nerd and CEO of PSU’s corporation; PSU GHOST SYNDICATE. Known in-game as THE GREY CARDINAL and COVERT SUBTERFUGE, you can find him at the in-game DUST channel ‘PSU GHOST’, in the PSU forums and on Twitter.