CCP boss is "truly sorry" for EVE issues

The CEO of CCP has published an open letter to EVE Online players claiming full responsibility for the myriad controversies surround the MMO in recent months.

In a lengthy, remarkably candid statement published on the game's official site, Hilmar Veigar Pétursson insisted he was "truly sorry" for alienating the player base, and that the publisher will be doing its utmost in the coming months to make amends.

"The past few months have been very humbling for me," wrote Pétursson.

"I've done much soul searching, and what follows is my sincere effort to clear the air with all of you. Please bear with me as I find my way through.

"The estrangement from CCP that many of you have been feeling of late is my fault, and for that I am truly sorry. There are many contributing factors, but in the end it is I who must shoulder the responsibility for much of what has happened.

"In short, my zeal for pushing EVE to her true potential made me lose sight of doing the simple things right. I was impatient when I should have been cautious, defiant when I should have been conciliatory and arrogant when I should have been humble.

"Somewhere along the way, I began taking success for granted," he continued.

"As hubris set in, I became less inclined to listen to pleas for caution. Red flags raised by very smart people both at CCP and in the community went unheeded because of my stubborn refusal to allow adversity to gain purchase on our plans. Mistakes, even when they were acknowledged, often went unanalysed, leaving the door open for them to be repeated.

"You have spoken, loudly and clearly, with your words and with your actions. And there were definitely moments in recent history when I wish I would have listened more and taken a different path. I was wrong and I admit it."

He went on to admit that the decision to force players into "a mandatory single-player Captain's Quarters experience was a mistake" and that the roll-out of virtual good was "rather underwhelming".

He also added that CCP was "behind the curve" in implementing an avatar system.

"I'm sharing these revelations with you now because it's taken this long to transform them into action," he explained.

"From all this self-reflection, a genesis of renewal has taken root, a personal and professional commitment to restore the partnership of trust upon which our success depends, and a plan that sets the foundation for us to sensibly guide EVE to her fullest potential.

"In the coming days and weeks, the details of this plan and what it means for you will be unveiled. Part of what led us down this path is the fact we have not communicated well. This blog, and those that will follow, will hopefully demonstrate our conviction to transparency."

Pétursson then signed off by saying, "We all know that much quoted phrase, 'It's not what you say, it's what you do,' that will make the difference here. From now on, CCP will focus on doing what we say and saying what we do. That is the path to restoring trust and moving forward."

In a separate blog post, CCP outlined a series of updates heading to the game in the coming months which the game's Senior Producer Arnar Gylfason insists will re-focus development "on EVE's core gameplay: spaceships."

EVE players have been in open revolt for some months now over leaked internal documents that detailed plans to further monetise the game, as well as the implementation of the Incarna expansion.