Matthew Ricci was a big fan of the space MMO EVE Online. For him, the online game was extremely important until he realized that he was neglecting his family. However, everything he learned in the game helped him found a company and run it successfully.
The US site Kotaku tells the story of a man for whom logging into EVE became a groundbreaking step into a new life after it had almost destroyed him twice before.
This is how Matthew Ricci got into EVE Online: In 2009, the player wanted to experience something new after numerous MMORPGs and thought that EVE Online couldn’t be that difficult. But within an hour, he gave up due to the complexity.
However, he was annoyed by this and wanted to give it another try. He persevered and became a fan.
How a Game Can Change Lives
This is why he still quit: Ricci was so deep into the game that he wanted to achieve more and more. He even neglected his wife because EVE was so important to him and he managed to lead a successful alliance in the game.
However, when this alliance was infiltrated and robbed by a spy, he gave up. Such intrigues play a big role in EVE Online.
Moreover, he realized that he was sitting in his gaming chair for over 12 hours every day, six days a week. This took a toll on his mental and physical health.
The Dream of Leading People and Running a Company
Why did he return? Ricci focused more on his family and his job again. But something was missing. He became depressed and wanted to return to EVE Online. Because there he was someone and could lead people.
His dream had always been to be a leader and run a large company – in EVE Online he could do that.
Eventually, he talked to his wife about it, who was not very enthusiastic about sharing her husband with the game again. But Ricci promised that this time he would not play so intensely.
This is why everything turned out differently: Matthew Ricci started playing EVE Online again. He once again managed to create a successful corporation, a clan, for which he recruited masses of players. And what had to happen happened: EVE took up most of his private life again.
In the end, Ricci led up to 600 players who mined materials around the clock, which were then transferred into EVE Online’s incredibly complex industrial system, generating ever greater values. Ricci managed every little detail and was quickly constantly busy.
When his daughter once asked him while playing the MMO if he was working, he answered “Yes,” which made him feel extremely guilty and made him realize that EVE was actually like a second job for him.
From EVE Player to Businessman
This is how he became a successful businessman: As he became so annoyed with himself, Ricci had the thought that what he was doing in the game could actually be transferred to real life.
He led a successful company in EVE, so why not in real life as well?
Although his father advised him against it, Ricci still founded the Zentech Canada Corporation. This helps international electronics manufacturers establish a foothold in the Canadian market. In 2018, the company reported sales of approximately $8 million.
Ricci explains that he learned so much in EVE Online that it was as if he had earned a “Master of Business Administration” (MBA) degree, completing a business study program.
The experience in the game helped him run a successful business now. Because how to make a profit and effectively use his resources, EVE Online taught him with its spreadsheets and calculations.
Ricci says that the average EVE player has untapped potential to drive the industry forward. That is something that cannot be emphasized enough.
You can learn a lot from EVE: Out there in the real world, there is also PvP every day.
