The creators of the sandbox MMORPG Black Desert have acquired CCP, the studio behind the sci-fi MMORPG EVE Online. What is behind the deal?
On Thursday, we reported with some astonishment that CCP (EVE Online) was swallowed by Pearl Abyss (Black Desert). In statements and interviews with Venturebeat, the two heads of the studios shed more light on the deal. This gives us an idea of what might be behind the MMORPG wedding.
How much did Pearl Abyss pay for CCP? The South Korean studio paid 425 million US dollars for CCP. The 250 employees of CCP are expected to continue working at their locations. The deal is expected to go through on October 12.
What changes for players of EVE? Pearl Abyss states: EVE players have no reason to worry. Nothing will change for EVE Online. There are no plans for restructuring at CCP.
The simple interpretation:
- CCP has lost a lot of money with projects in the USA (World of Darkness) and VR ideas like EVE Valkyrie
- Pearl Abyss has made a lot of money with the mobile launch of Black Desert
Therefore, the simple interpretation is: CCP needs money, Pearl Abyss has money.
Some observers also believe (via MassivelyOp) that the previous investors in EVE Online wanted a “clean exit” from the space MMO after the VR projects failed. The deal with Pearl Abyss allows this clean exit.
However, in the interview, both CEOs state that there is more to the acquisition. Both companies believe they can benefit from the deal.
The deal opens the door to Asia for CCP
Why did CCP do this? According to CCP’s CEO, Hilmar Veigar Pétursson, they see a lot of synergies between their own company and Pearl Abyss. At first glance, Korea and Iceland seem hard to fit together, but EVE and Black Desert are similar.
Therefore, they believe it was good to make this decision and enter the deal. They have always looked towards Korea and China, where the online game industry was born.
Apparently, CCP wants to enter the Asian market.
According to CCP, they still have 40 million US dollars in the bank. Therefore, they were not desperate when entering into the deal. According to Pétursson, it is best to make such deals when you don’t need money.
New MMOs in the EVE universe could arise
What is CCP planning?
- The focus for EVE Online is currently on the re-release in China.
- Additionally, CCP aims to focus more on mobile. They have been eyeing this for years. It is time to take the next step and develop a hardcore mobile game.
- At the moment, CCP is also developing an action MMO. It is expected to use the Unreal Engine.
Pearl Abyss buys brand and know-how
Why is Pearl Abyss doing this?
- According to Pearl Abyss’s CEO, Robin Jung, the focus is primarily on the “EVE” brand. They see it as strong and want to unite more strong brands.
- Jung is also looking at mobile and wants to develop cross-platform games across PC, mobile, and consoles.
- They want to learn from EVE and CCP how to keep players engaged with a game over the years.
Sounds like EVE Mobile
What’s behind this: It looks like both companies are planning to continue investing in EVE or at least in the universe behind it. It seems quite possible that they plan to develop a mobile game in the EVE universe, which will also be released in Asia.
In any case, we are excited to see what offspring come from this unusual Korean-Icelandic marriage. At least they seem to be new MMOs.
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