EVE breaks concurrent user record

By Oli Welsh Published 6 January, 2009

As CCP considers leaving Iceland.

EVE Online developer CCP has announced that its space MMO EVE Online has just broken its peak concurrent user record. The number of players online at once now stands at 45,186.

That may not sound like much until you consider that it's almost one-fifth of the game's entire subscriber base - and that the vast majority of players all inhabit the same server (although there is a separate server for players in Asia).

It's also worth noting that, at five years of age, EVE Online is long past the point where most MMOs have started to lose players. CCP will be looking to grow its audience further with a big recruitment push alongside an expansion and an Atari-published box copy reissue this March.

It's not all good news for the Icelandic developer, however. Iceland's tail-spinning economy and collapsing currency are forcing CCP - one of the tiny country's most successful businesses - to consider leaving its homeland.

Chief economist Eyjolfur Gudmundsson told the Guardian just before Christmas that the restrictions on access to foreign currency are making its businesses untenable.

"To make new games, we need foreign investors," Gudmundsson said. "The present currency restrictions are putting us in a straitjacket. We are in talks with the government, but if we can't let capital in, we might be compelled to leave Iceland, even though this would be against our wishes."

For more on EVE Online, visit the EVE gamepage.

Picture of Oli.

About Oli Welsh

Oli is Eurogamer's acting deputy editor and reviews editor and likes to take things one word at a time. He is among the best dressed people in South London.

Read more articles from Oli by visiting the Oli Welsh archive page.

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Comments (11) Latest comment 3 years ago

Comments threads automatically close after 30 days, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • t-bizzle #1 3 years ago

    Let me be the first to say:

    NNNERRRRRRRDDDDS!

  • swede #2 3 years ago

    I wish you didnt have to pay in Euros. Fecking weak pound! Will give this another bash when the 'walking round the space stations' bit is out.

  • DFawkes #3 3 years ago

    That's quite nice, though I've never seen a bunch of people in the same place at once due to being a big wuss who won't set foot out of high-security space.

  • Vistrix #4 3 years ago

    I wish all online worlds were like this.

    An MMO shouldnt have to support 100+ servers of the exact same world. Having the entire game population in one world adds hugely to the gamiing experience.

  • rhinoxious #5 3 years ago

    That would have to be on freakin' big server for WOW though!

  • Vistrix #6 3 years ago

    @rhinoxious

    I believe a game should design itself to prepare for massive populations. The world should be able to hold 40,000+ (or whatever the population is) and still be balanced.

    In WoWs case, since its success is miles ahead of any other MMO, multiple servers are needed but not to the extent they have now (100s?).

  • boyscout #7 3 years ago

    they should go from iceland to england.

    bwhahahahahahahahahahahahahaha.

  • shamblemonkee #8 3 years ago

    Biggest fight i was ever in myself was 400 people. Lagfest!

  • Velios #9 3 years ago

    Most of this new record is down to M.Corps recent recruitment drive :)

    you can see our website HERE

  • DFawkes #10 3 years ago

    You would claim that Velios. You would :)

    I did see a whole bunch of recruitment things pop-up, to be fair, just before that record was broekn, so I'll give you credit where it's due - it is entirely possible. I avoided M.Corp myself, too hardcore for my tastes.

  • shamblemonkee #11 3 years ago

    I drifted through in a corp with my best buddy in Cabeare (CVA) space then making an Alliance with RL friends in the new regions[Volt] before turning pirate in my downward spiral of game exiting glory with Church and Malicious Intentions *hugs -9 sec rating*

    Ah, good days, happy times. Altho much to time consuming to pursue now.