Jump to navigation
Sponsored by Alienware tracer
Advertisement

EVE player runs off with ISK 80 billion News

PC News by Ellie Gibson

22 January, 2009

Stupidly complicated sci-fi MMO EVE Online is experiencing its very own financial crisis this week after a player ran of with ISK 80 billion.

The player in question, who goes by the name of Xabier, had been employed as an investments manager by player-run Dynasty Banking. His job gave him access to funds invested in the bank by other players.

As reported by Massively.com, Xabier has admitted to running off with ISK 86 billion worth of assets.

The bank's chairman, Manalapan, has issued a statement trying to clear things up.

"I would like to point out that it is still not known for certain whether Xabier has, for lack of a better word, scammed," said Manalapan.

"What we DO know is that he has missed a dividend payment on a personal bond." Oh. "And his bio now states, 'Thanks for all the fish.'" Ah.

Manalapan went on to promise investors that Dynasty Banking will cover the cost of any misdemeanours. "We assure you that we have enough ISK in reserves and, if the situation arises, assets to cover this loss and continue moving forward for the future."

Another player-run firm, EBANK, has offered to help out if things get really tough. "From what I have seen after talking to Manalapan it's quite likely EBANK won't need to assist at all but it can't hurt to have that extra backup just in case," said managing director Ricdic.

Advertisement

Are you excited about EVE Online on PC?
View Eurogamer readers most anticipated games

Thanks!

Want to comment on this article? Log in, or register!

Comments: 1-50 of 70 in total | next 50 »

Poster
Comment Low-scoring comments hidden. Log in to see them!
Lexx87
22/01/09 @ 12:14
#1
0
You buried this comment
Comment below viewing threshold
Show
That's kind of brilliant in a...terrible way.
Bobrek
22/01/09 @ 12:16
#2
0
You buried this comment
Comment below viewing threshold
Show
Credit Crunch extends to EVE?
iokthemonkey
22/01/09 @ 12:17
#3
0
You buried this comment
Comment below viewing threshold
Show
Stupidly complicated sci-fi MMO EVE Online

----

My name is Ellie and I like kittens and flowers.
myiagros
22/01/09 @ 12:17
#4
0
You buried this comment
Comment below viewing threshold
Show
sounds like the EVE banks are a lot better managed than the real ones.

Let's start a campaign, Manalapan for CEO of HBOS!!
Lutz [mod]
22/01/09 @ 12:18
#5
0
You buried this comment
Comment below viewing threshold
Show
Could do with a full Eve article write up thingy, like they did with the story of the 1year sleeper assassin.
myiagros
22/01/09 @ 12:21
#6
0
You buried this comment
Comment below viewing threshold
Show
Not convinced Douglas Adams would be overly pleased with this use of his phrase, especially in an incomplete form.
Benno
22/01/09 @ 12:23
#7
0
You buried this comment
Comment below viewing threshold
Show
haha amazing
Gargant
22/01/09 @ 12:25
#8
0
You buried this comment
Comment below viewing threshold
Show
i don't know how to take that first line. what is stupid, the "in-game financial crisis" or the complicated game?
shotgun44
22/01/09 @ 12:30
#9
0
You buried this comment
Comment below viewing threshold
Show
This game sounds friggin awesome! Wish I had played this years ago...
ThePope
22/01/09 @ 12:35
#10
0
You buried this comment
Comment below viewing threshold
Show
Just had a glance around the web and calculated that his 80 billion is worth around $4000. Nice paycheque!

Showing my ignorance of Eve is there not a way to help safeguard against internal theft. (Multiple signees for large withdrawals for instance)
Wolfman
22/01/09 @ 12:38
#11
0
You buried this comment
Comment below viewing threshold
Show
... and in other news Mario has rescued Princess Peach again, Gordon Freeman was spotted fleeing City 17 just as a massive explosion rocks the city, and Russian ultranationalist Imran Zakhaev was gunned down by an unknown party, possibly believed to be a member of the British SAS.

-wolfman
hiddenranbir
22/01/09 @ 12:38
#12
0
You buried this comment
Comment below viewing threshold
Show
Player banks?!
Edited 1 times, most recently on 22/01/09 @ 12:39
actionfitz
22/01/09 @ 12:40
#13
0
You buried this comment
Comment below viewing threshold
Show
"Stupidly complicated sci-fi MMO EVE Online"

priceless :D
jstar
22/01/09 @ 12:41
#14
0
You buried this comment
Comment below viewing threshold
Show
i don't know how to take that first line. what is stupid, the "in-game financial crisis" or the complicated game?

Err... it means exactly what it says. It's a very complicated game. But said in a humorous fashion.
EG: She is stupidly fit, he is stupidly good.

You're stupidly stupid.
Edited 1 times, most recently on 22/01/09 @ 12:41
quantumsheep
22/01/09 @ 12:42
#15
0
You buried this comment
Comment below viewing threshold
Show
What was the sleeper Assassin story Lutz? Any links? Sounds very cool!

Eve, for me at the mo', is a game based around constant fear of losing something valuable! I'm going for a stealth ship at the mo', so I can 'relax' a little and have a bit more fun.
squarejawhero
22/01/09 @ 12:43
#16
0
You buried this comment
Comment below viewing threshold
Show
I thought games were a way to get away from work?
robg
22/01/09 @ 12:46
#17
0
You buried this comment
Comment below viewing threshold
Show
"Not convinced Douglas Adams would be overly pleased with this use of his phrase, especially in an incomplete form."

lol yeah he was definitely as pissy as this quotation sounds.
Gargant
22/01/09 @ 12:46
#18
0
You buried this comment
Comment below viewing threshold
Show
stupidly simple fantasy mmo WoW.
I'll take the more complicated everyday
Domovoi
22/01/09 @ 12:53
#19
0
You buried this comment
Comment below viewing threshold
Show
I don't get what the problem is. It sounds like he just did what was possible (and thus allowed) within the game world. If they want their money back, can't they put some sort of in-game bounty hunter on his character and get the money back? Or did he just delete his account, vaporising the ISK 80 billion? I have no idea how this game works.

I don't know. Isn't what he did the equivalent of creating a Thief character in an RPG and picking somebody's pockets?
Kremlik
22/01/09 @ 12:54
#20
0
You buried this comment
Comment below viewing threshold
Show
for interests sake thats assuming 30 day gtc is 350 million isk - thats 228 months of gametime or £2628-ish
dryden555
22/01/09 @ 12:55
#21
0
You buried this comment
Comment below viewing threshold
Show
"Stupidly complicated sci-fi MMO EVE Online"

a perfect description of the game -- bravo Elie!
Gargant
22/01/09 @ 12:58
#22
0
You buried this comment
Comment below viewing threshold
Show
Err... it means exactly what it says. It's a very complicated game. But said in a humorous fashion.
EG: She is stupidly fit, he is stupidly good.

You're stupidly stupid.

Well now, I'm sorry it sounded like I was asking for a rude comment.
I understood THAT, I've just not brushed up on my english grammar.
By the way, do you play WoW? You must play WoW, you sound just like those guys.
Azazel
22/01/09 @ 12:58
#23
0
You buried this comment
Comment below viewing threshold
Show
employed as an investments manager

tee-hee
designerheadache
22/01/09 @ 13:05
#24
0
You buried this comment
Comment below viewing threshold
Show
news shocker: there are stupid untrustworthy bankers in space as well as on earth.
JonFE
22/01/09 @ 13:06
#25
0
You buried this comment
Comment below viewing threshold
Show
Xabier, the EVE equivalent of a "Golden Boy" :-D
mingster
22/01/09 @ 13:11
#26
0
You buried this comment
Comment below viewing threshold
Show
A bit like when Errol from Eurogamer ran off with our EG corps money in EVE about 5years ago.
didn't you Errol!!
/Has long memory and never forgets.
MoFo
22/01/09 @ 13:12
#27
0
You buried this comment
Comment below viewing threshold
Show
Well now if it's possible to sell these game credits online for real money would this not amount to real world theft? If he sells them on ebay for real money then that must surely complicate things a little? Not that I really care and won't be visiting this comments thread again anyway.
Nill
22/01/09 @ 13:13
#28
0
You buried this comment
Comment below viewing threshold
Show
iokthemonkey:

My name is Ellie and I like kittens and flowers.


;-)
ThePope
22/01/09 @ 13:25
#29
0
You buried this comment
Comment below viewing threshold
Show
I like fish too!
ResidentKnievel
22/01/09 @ 13:28
#30
0
You buried this comment
Comment below viewing threshold
Show
Didn't a similar thing happen in EVE years ago? I seem to recall many times more ISK involved.
kangarootoo
22/01/09 @ 13:43
#31
0
You buried this comment
Comment below viewing threshold
Show
I don't know much about this area of gaming, and the thought entered my head that if game money can be exchanged for real money, did he commit an actual crime.

However, I figure that if that was the case, in-game boffins would have said so by now. From what I've seen they haven't said tha, so I suspect he hasn't done anything actually illegal.

Its an interesting test case for the game developers though. A game is a controlled world, where the worst case scenarios are less painfull than in real life (crashing a car in real life tends to be worse than crashing a car in a video game). And that is generally what players want. But EVE seems to hinge on the fact that it is a very player-operated and uncontrolled world. On that basis, might the devs say "all is fair in love and war"? The theft took place in the game using game mechanics, so there is probably nothing top answer for in real life.
crazyhorse174
22/01/09 @ 13:45
#32
0
You buried this comment
Comment below viewing threshold
Show
"Stupidly complicated sci-fi MMO EVE Online

----

My name is Ellie and I like kittens and flowers. "


If a game includes a banking system that actually needs real bankers to run, then it is stupidly complicated.
Turrican
22/01/09 @ 13:47
#33
0
You buried this comment
Comment below viewing threshold
Show
Link to write up about the assasination by Guiding Hand Social Club:

http://www.computerandvideogames.com/art...
Norfolk'n'Clue
22/01/09 @ 14:09
#34
0
You buried this comment
Comment below viewing threshold
Show
This game rocks. Fraud, piracy, trading, merc-ing, freedom-fighting, terrorism, escrow, escort, smuggler...whatever you can envisage within the framework can be done. I'm only 3 months in, wished I'd started years ago when I heard about it, but it's great.
Tweakmonkey
22/01/09 @ 14:13
#35
0
You buried this comment
Comment below viewing threshold
Show
Funny story, but how does the in-game bank make a profit to pay dividends?
Velios
22/01/09 @ 14:15
#36
0
You buried this comment
Comment below viewing threshold
Show
He's a small-time crook.

86 Billion ISK is nothing in EVE these days.

For real wealth, look HERE
Benno
22/01/09 @ 14:16
#37
0
You buried this comment
Comment below viewing threshold
Show
by charging a higher interest on loans than deposits?
gmmonkey
22/01/09 @ 14:19
#38
0
You buried this comment
Comment below viewing threshold
Show
I don't play eve anymore, but I remember that guy. It's probably the same guy who was in my corp for a while. One of his few alts. It might not be, he might of sold it but I don't think he did. He stole a couple of carriers of us, when it was a big deal and we were a small corp. That was the way he was playing the game. You got to remember it's just a game. Didn't stop the ceo raging, though. Heh, somehow someone found out who he was in rl and worked out where he stayed to prove he could. It just happened he stayed about 15-20 mins walk from me and a couple of other guys. No one was going to do anything, but it just shows that you can find someone if you want to. Let that be a lesson! If you're going to rob someone blind make sure you do it like in rl and leave no evidence or trail to find you. Hah.
joff
22/01/09 @ 14:22
#39
0
You buried this comment
Comment below viewing threshold
Show
Minmatar ate my hamster!
TriggerHippie
22/01/09 @ 14:23
#40
0
You buried this comment
Comment below viewing threshold
Show
"Not convinced Douglas Adams would be overly pleased with this use of his phrase, especially in an incomplete form."

Yeah I bet he's spinning in his grave. Thats just the sort of thing that pissed him off to no end i'm sure. And so are you apparently.
Benno
22/01/09 @ 14:25
#41
0
You buried this comment
Comment below viewing threshold
Show
If I found out where some of these wow kids lived (gankers, scammers, people who are pathetically rude to you) I would go round and smash their god damn skull in.
bigbadbeasty
22/01/09 @ 14:29
#42
0
You buried this comment
Comment below viewing threshold
Show
This kind of thing is what makes EVE, EVE.

I would love to get involved into the game more, but after 2 or 3 attempts it just isn't for me. It is just a little bit too slow paced.
quantumsheep
22/01/09 @ 14:30
#43
0
You buried this comment
Comment below viewing threshold
Show
@ Turrican (great name!) - thanks for the link - a great read!
MikeN
22/01/09 @ 14:31
#44
0
You buried this comment
Comment below viewing threshold
Show
Wait, he's playing a sci-fi mmo where he works as an investment manager? What's his job in real-life? A starfighter pilot?
kangarootoo
22/01/09 @ 14:33
#45
0
You buried this comment
Comment below viewing threshold
Show
"If a game includes a banking system that actually needs real bankers to run, then it is stupidly complicated"

Nonsense. A game can be as complicated or as a simple as the players want it to be. EVE players want a game this complex, so it is not TOO complex.


"If I found out where some of these wow kids lived (gankers, scammers, people who are pathetically rude to you) I would go round and smash their god damn skull in.
ignore poster"

You need to learn to let go dude.
the_dudefather
22/01/09 @ 14:36
#46
0
You buried this comment
Comment below viewing threshold
Show
@Turrican

that was an awesome read, shows how a complex community can really make an MMO special :)
miiiguel
22/01/09 @ 14:39
#47
0
You buried this comment
Comment below viewing threshold
Show
I don't understand MMO economy (or economy in genaral, anyway...).

But... "Thanks for all the fish" is freakin priceless!
Benno
22/01/09 @ 14:42
#48
0
You buried this comment
Comment below viewing threshold
Show
"Wait, he's playing a sci-fi mmo where he works as an investment manager? What's his job in real-life? A starfighter pilot?"

glol
sneetch
22/01/09 @ 14:47
#49
0
You buried this comment
Comment below viewing threshold
Show
Is there a way this money could be regained in game? I mean if the guy was tracked down could you regain the cash from him without ticketing some GM? (I ask as I never proceeded beyond the 2 week trial as I found this to be a stupidly complicated sci-fi MMO ;) ). If so this could be awesome rather than a pain in the ass as the Dynasty Banking CEO says, "we'll pay 2 billion for the return of the money."

It'd be nice if money you stole was kept seperate from your legitimately earned money in the game and so was vulnerable to being stolen off you too.

@Benno
If I found out where some of these wow kids lived (gankers, scammers, people who are pathetically rude to you) I would go round and smash their god damn skull in.

Good, physical violence is the appropriate way to tackle any lack of common courtesy. Enjoy the food in prison if you decide to apply this line of thought to other areas of life.
mingster
22/01/09 @ 15:00
#50
0
You buried this comment
Comment below viewing threshold
Show
CCP allow these things to happen its all part of the world.
He didn't use a hack or exploit it was just social engineering its allowed.
We used to rip people off all the time in EvE years ago and they would go crying to the devs and they hjust said it was the players own reponsibilty.
No real life crime has occured you can't sue anyone or demand it back.
We use to sell fake blueprints in EVE as real ones and once they clicked accept trade then realised it was dodgy they would cry but by then youd logged off with your alt and doone a runner.
Also there was a cheap ship that looked similar to an expensive one and we used to rename it and palm it off onto newbies that didn't know better. EVE was great for rip offs.
Errol ran off with all our many from our corp too ..

Comments: 1-50 of 70 in total | next 50 »

Want to comment on this article? Log in, or register!

X View gallery