Bust out the cake: May 6 marked the sixth anniversary of the launch of EVE Online, the world’s most successful MMO set entirely in outerspace.
Currently boasting over 300,000 active subscribers, EVE may not have the massive playerbase of World of Warcraft, but it more than makes up for that both in its fans intense devotion and by using a “single shard” architecture.
Unlike many MMOs that divide their players onto multiple servers in an effort to prevent lag, EVE’s online world is really a single huge world. Everyone who plays the game is playing together, offering something akin to the initial promise the genre offered.
As a result, the game has played host to some amazing spectacles, most of which keenly demonstrate exactly how devious humanity can be when given the chance to hide behind an in-game avatar.
For instance, this 2006 scam that managed to swipe 700 billion ISK (the in-game currency of EVE). As appalling as these actions may be for those being ripped off, sociologists and other observers find such virtual behavior utterly fascinating.
The game is certainly not for everyone – it remains a favorite of long-time MMO gamers specifically because of its steep learning curve and steep, realistic in-game penalties – but those of you wondering what the last six years of fuss have been all about can join EVE via the game’s official website.
Published: May 7, 2009 01:53 pm