In a unique move for the gaming industry, CCP Games, the Icelandic studio behind the popular MMO EVE Online, has announced a partnership with Microsoft.
The collaboration aims to integrate Microsoft Excel into EVE Online, offering players a new way to manage and analyze in-game data. This first-of-its-kind add-in is said to change the way players strategize and experience the game.
Developed in collaboration with Microsoft’s Excel team, the add-in will provide players with valuable in-game data through a seamless user interface that integrates perfectly with Excel. This will enable players to dynamically adjust their in-game strategies, potentially altering the outcomes of interstellar warfare, maximizing profits, and even influencing the control of space itself.
The EVE Online universe is known for its competitiveness, and players have long used spreadsheets to gain insights into their in-game activities. The Excel add-in is set to enhance this process, allowing players to interact with their data more efficiently and effectively.
“2022 was huge for EVE, but 2023 is going to be monumental,” said CCP Games’ Creative Director, Bergur Finnbogason. “As we now enter this majestic third decade of EVE, our roadmap only scratches the surface of what we have in the works. We will continue to evolve the future of war with two expansions arriving later this year, bringing a wealth of new events, content, and features for players and our incredible community to look forward to.”
Manufacturers can enhance production efficiency and identify profit margins, while miners can optimize profits by calculating the value of mined asteroids. Haulers can streamline cargo volume determination and maximize transportation profits, and enforcers can keep track of bounties, mission rewards, and hourly earnings. Explorers can track earnings and progression, PvP combatants can monitor kills, losses, and loot value, and corporation leaders can gain essential insights into member activity, roles, finances, and standings.
The Excel add-in for EVE Online is now available for free in the Microsoft Store, with no subscription required. This partnership offers players new ways to interact with EVE Online and potentially bring a new level of accessibility to the game. It will be interesting to see how this integration shapes the future of the game and how CCP can keep evolving the MMO going forward.
