EVE Online Crucible Expansion Released

REYKJAVIK, ICELAND--(Marketwire - Nov 30, 2011) - CCP, one of the world's leading independent game developers, today launched its Winter expansion, EVE Online: Crucible. With this latest release, after expanding the EVE experience with in-station environments and ultra-realistic 3D player avatars, CCP is recommitting itself to the compelling "spaceship" gameplay that has engaged the EVE community for almost a decade and provided legendary and unique gaming stories since its inception.

EVE Online: Crucible contains more than fifty new features and hundreds of enhancements aimed at improving the player experience. These features and fixes were selected by scrutinizing community feedback and focusing on the changes that would make the most immediate impact on the game for the majority of EVE players.

In this expansion, players will experience striking visual upgrades across the EVE universe. Nebulae throughout New Eden have been redesigned in spectacular fashion, offering hauntingly beautiful views of interstellar space. EVE Online: Crucible introduces new visual libraries with beautifully retextured and revisualized Gallente and Caldari fleets. Other highly anticipated features include Scalable UI and the crisp, clear EVE Sans Neue font, developed as a result of the introduction of CarbonUI earlier this year.

EVE Online: Crucible reignites the fires of war across New Eden with an array of powerful new ships and changes to EVE's combat system. New Tier 3 Battlecruisers designed to punch above their weight offer players new roles and fresh tactical options. Existing ships, from destroyers to supercapitals, have been rebalanced and tweaked ahead of EVE's traditional winter warfare season to refine combat in one of the industry's longest-lived MMOs. Meanwhile, new Tech 2 modules, better ship salvage and tweaked loot drops increase rewards in both PvE and PvP, adding further variety and intrigue to EVE's vast player-driven economy.

In support of EVE Online: Crucible, CCP has initiated several direct promotions. All active paying players from November 30^th through December 5^th will receive a performance-boosting Genolution CA-1 in-game implant via the in-game redemption system. CCP is also giving each active player an extended 60-day trial code for friends or family. These new trials represent the first stages in a far-reaching program to introduce EVE to new audiences and provide players with a better, stronger connection to the rich experience that is EVE Online and its amazing community of players.

CCP Games proudly presents EVE Online: Crucible as an example of its commitment to the meaningful player-driven virtual world EVE fans have enjoyed since 2003. Community Developer Sveinn 'CCP Guard' Kjarval echoed the sentiments of the entire CCP Games team: "I've honestly never been as excited about an EVE expansion as I am about Crucible. Get in the game now... you'll thank me later."

For a quick visual summary of the highlights from Crucible, watch the latest trailer:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HrrVDV_NsNo

About CCP Games CCP is widely recognized as an industry-leading pioneer of the single-server persistent universe architecture as the developer and publisher of EVE Online, the critically acclaimed, science fiction-based massively multiplayer online game (MMOG). Utilizing a cross-discipline approach combining cutting-edge technology and artistic excellence, CCP is dedicated to providing vibrant, compelling products that transcend the boundaries of conventional MMOs and facilitate social networking through virtual worlds. Privately held and founded in Reykjavik, Iceland, in 1997, CCP's international reach now spans the globe with offices in Atlanta, Shanghai and Newcastle as well as a base of operations in London. More information about CCP is available at the company's website, www.ccpgames.com.

About EVE Online Set tens of thousands of years in the future, EVE Online is a breathtaking journey to the stars, to an immersive experience filled with adventure, riches, danger and glory. With over 340,000 subscribers worldwide inhabiting a single, shared virtual universe, EVE features a vast player-run economy where your greatest asset is the starship, designed to accommodate your specific needs, skills and ambitions. EVE offers professions ranging from commodities trader to mercenary, industrial entrepreneur to pirate, mining engineer to battle fleet commander or any combination of these and much more. From brokering business deals to waging war, you will have access to a diverse array of sophisticated tools and interfaces to forge your own destiny in EVE. Learn more at www.eveonline.com.

Definition of Subscribers EVE Online subscribers include individuals who have paid a subscription fee or have an active electronic time code (ETC) to play EVE Online, as well as those who have purchased the game and are within their free month of access. The above definition excludes all players under free promotional subscriptions, expired or cancelled subscriptions and expired ETCs.