CCP offering discount subscriptions to fleeing EVE vets
Players who let accounts lapse over controversy are offered olive branch
CCP is offering a significantly reduced subscription rate to players who have let accounts lapse over the controversial decisions of the last few months, a fee of just $4.95 for 30 days.
Many veteran players quit the company's flagship MMO, EVE, after a run of decisions from management upset the game's highly involved and active community. Features intended to monetise the game beyond subscription fees were revealed to player when an internal document was leaked, infuriating many and leading vast numbers to quit.
"As a subscription-based golden goose, Eve needs to incorporate the virtual goods sales model to allow for further revenue - revenue to fund our other titles, revenue for its developer: you," read one section of the document.
5,511 players had let accounts lapse at the last count, costing the company an estimated $1 million.
EVE lives or dies by its incredibly Byzantine and fragile economy, which CCP had attempted to augment with new charges for in-game items and services. Players responded by attempting to undermine and crash the economy.
Since then, a player delegation has elicited a full and frank apology from CCP CEO Hilmar Veigar Pétursson.
The extra funds generated from the microtransactions were thought to used to pay for CCP's other projects, including the forthcoming PS3 EVE tie-in, Dust 514.
For a fuller picture of the background of the story, read John Bedford's in depth analysis of the crisis over at Eurogamer.