I tried to play EVE Online many years ago.  And every few months kept trying to play it.  But it never took for me.  This was despite the world being lovely to behold.  One of the things that kept me back was the sheer time requirements involved for being a successful player.  Another drawback was the game absolutely required being teamed up in a corporation for any kind of game success.  Single players in that game were just cannon fodder.  But the main reason I disliked the game was it's cultic adoration of objectivism and anything Ayn Rand.

Ayn Rand has a particular and peculiar hold on the geek community. So much so to their detriment that they sit passively while Free Trade/Objectivism drains their jobs to Asia.  But that is another subject altogether.  In relation to Eve Online, it was a "philosophy' that was the very foundation of the world.  A world in which greed was the most sacred human aim, is considerably dystopian.  But dystopia was what the game company was aiming for and that is what they got.  Along with this dysfunctional social setup, they were the focus of real life scandals of game fixing and employee corruption.

And yet no one has made the connection between Ayn Rand love and the disintegration of the social contract both in game worlds and in the real world.

Anyway, Eve Online and CCP are now involved in yet another scandal involving a micro-transaction store.

A leaked document surfaced within the past week in which CCP discussed an in-game store and the tones of it were considerably less than exemplary.  Many of the game's fans hoped that it was grief stunt but alas the leaked company document is the real deal.  In one week, the "hardcore" fans of EO had a wake up call to the fact that Objectivism isn't just a game.  That in fact, they are being gamed.  Because lets face it as the old saying goes, all games have a patsy and if you can't figure out who that person is, than the patsy is you.

Now, to be rational, it isn't really the concept of micro-transactions that cause gamer's anger.  What is causing the anger is that EO may allow game breaking merchandise to be sold through the game store and at astronomical prices.  It would skew the game to such an extent that anyone who can't afford to pay for "SuperdooperStormTrooper" Ship A will be unable to compete with the players who can pay and pay numerous times over and over.  So it would seem that no one wants to live in an Objectivist world, even a dream world, in which naked self interest is the norm.

The controversy is still raging on the EO forums, in the game itself, and on gaming blogs and news sites.  CCP is sticking to it's plans and sitting out the controversy.  Another tactic that is beloved by all game developers.  However past events shows that this is not the best plan of attack.  Blizzard had to back down from their identity swipe fest that was REAL ID and even Turbine had to scramble to make up for their "grindaversary" celebration scandal.  In fact, I would think all developers would have learned by now to ignore popular uprisings only metastasize the mobs not lessen them.

Many developers are watching CCP now and gaging how successful they are in this Randian money grab.  They are also measuring how far gamers can be pushed.  This fight is more important then many know or realize.

ETA:  I've seen some rants mention Second Life regarding the EO debacle.  I have no doubt that game companies are curiously fascinated by Linden Lab's game/world.  And as much as I like to rag on LL's policies, no, they are not charging their gamers 60 fucking dollars for a virtual eyepiece.  Nor are the gamers in SL who create items, charging that much for clothing or accessories.

One thing that never ceases to amaze me is that most game heads think SL is heralding the birth of Cthulhu.  I've never understood the hatred for little old Second Life.  It perplexes me.

My VR Photostream

My Flickr photos in Pummelvision from Melponeme_k on Vimeo.


I discovered the link to Pummelvision on GoSpeed Racer's webpage.

Its an interesting stream of all my VR travels including a few flashes of my RL photos.  It is the RL that looks bizarre in this grouping.