EVE Online News - Voice Communication

CCP introduces integrated voice software into EVE, creating a more immersive enviroment and adopting one of the communication systems that many guilds in many MMOs use today.

Game Developers Conference, San Francisco, CA - March 7, 2007 - CCP Games, the world's largest independent game developer, today announced the integration of voice communication into leading Sci-Fi Massively Multiplayer Online Game (MMOG), EVE Online. Players will now be able to speak to each other for better coordination, negotiation, socializing and planning. The addition of voice adds a new dimension to the award-winning game used by over 160,000 active players.

EVE Voice gives players the ability to communicate with each other directly from within the game without the use of third party communication applications. This will enhance coordination of players during intense gameplay such as battles, improve inter-player negotiations, enrich planning and bring a new facet to social interaction, as it will now be an integrated part of the game.

"EVE Online is a deeply strategic, open-ended game in which thousands of players must cooperate and compete," said Magnus Bergsson, chief marketing officer at CCP Games. "We recently had a fleet battle with more than 1,000 players in one sector of the EVE universe. The amount of communication between those players in planning and executing these maneuvers is vast. Adding integrated voice will not just enhance gameplay by accelerating those plans and allowing players to react quickly as situations unfold in-game, but it will give combat pilots a strategic advantage."

"Being avid EVE players ourselves, providing voice to the EVE community is a tremendous experience for us," said Monty Sharma, vice president marketing at Vivox. "The level of play in EVE is incredibly sophisticated. Adding voice to a world of this caliber, so that it is accessible to the thousands of EVE players simply and easily, will augment the game in many ways. We know that EVE's players will make the most of these new features, and we're excited to watch the creative ways in which the players will use them to reach their goals."

EVE Voice features

EVE Voice is fully integrated into the EVE client software, eliminating the need for third party applications, which take up computer resources, require a dedicated voice server, and pose a security risk. Features of EVE Voice include:

- High quality - offers sound quality which is considerably higher than other IP-based communication applications

- Player to player direct chat - with talk indicator to show which player is speaking

- Group chat - allowing corporation, fleet, or alliance members to communicate one-to-many within a dedicated audio channel

- Sub-group chat - allowing smaller groups within a corporation, such as a squad or gang, to discuss specific topics among themselves

- Group leader talk - instantly mutes other players on the group's audio channel ensuring the leader's instructions can be heard clearly during crucial times, such as in the heat of battle

- Map integration - shows where players are when speaking, allowing better coordination of tactical assaults, reconnaissance or search and rescue missions

- Moderator controls - allows leaders to kick other players off the audio channel (in case of abuse, for instance), to mute them (so they can hear but not be heard), ban (prevent them from accessing the audio channel) and un-ban players

EVE Voice has been developed in partnership with Vivox, the leading provider of integrated voice services for online games, which will also operate the service. See also partnership announcement from May 10, 2006 for details.

EVE Voice will be available from late March 2007 as an optional feature for players at a price of $10 for unlimited usage for 12 months. Players can access the updated client software here: http://www.eve-online.com/download/ Players must use a compatible headset and microphone to take advantage of the call quality offered by EVE Voice.