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If you enjoy reading this site, you might also want to check out these Think Services sites:
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 Worlds In Motion (discussing the business of online worlds.)
 Game Set Watch (the Group's alt.game weblog.) |
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EVE Online Releases Economic Newsletter, Reveals Demographics
by Leigh Alexander
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November 14, 2007
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The Research and Statistics Group at CCP Games, the company behind the EVE Online PC MMO universe, has released its first Quarterly Economic Newsletter [.PDF link], packed with statistics, info and updates on EVE's elaborate in-world economy.
It's been prepared by Eyjólfur Guðmundsson, who was the first real-world economics professional to be appointed to study a virtual economy.
Dr. 'EyjoG', as he is known on the EVE Online website, says the QEN "is intended to help inform pilots in EVE about the status of the economy and to make it easier for others to understand the level of complexity in the EVE universe."
He adds, "In fact, with more than 200,000 players, the economic system of EVE is becoming so vast and complex that it is possible for the virtual world of EVE and the real world to learn from each other."
This issue of the QEN covers three key areas this time around: demographics, which covers population, skill points and security status; the macroeconomics of EVE Online, which focuses on the monetary supply, and price levels, including measurement of inflation/deflation in the EVE world.
Some interesting findings in the report: it claims 195,000 accounts, representing 433,000 characters, or 2.2 characters per account. It also estimates EVE will reach 200,000 by mid-Q4 2007 and will be well into 210,000 by Q1 2008.
40 percent of the population is female, and 60 percent is male -- a massive claimed change over the course of only a few months, based on reporting that pegged the gender distribution at EVE at more like 95 percent male in early to mid-2007.
The gender divide was believed to be one of the key reasons driving EVE's decision to add human-form avatars, as opposed to just ships, in an effort to appeal to both sexes. The full PDF report includes many more detailed specifics on the state of the game's economy.
Says Dr. EyjoG, "CCP was among the first companies in the world to offer a single-shard solution, placing it at the forefront of computer game technology. With this first Quarterly Economic Newsletter, CCP is once again a leader in gaming innovation by offering an unprecedented level of detailed universe information that players can use to enhance their online experience."
[The preceding article originally ran at Gamasutra sister site Worlds in Motion.]
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