Skip to main content
Tech Radar Tech Radar TechRadar The source for Tech Buying Advice
Subscribe
RSS
Asia
flag of Singapore
Singapore
Europe
flag of Danmark
Danmark
flag of Suomi
Suomi
flag of Norge
Norge
flag of Sverige
Sverige
flag of UK
UK
flag of Italia
Italia
flag of Nederland
Nederland
flag of België (Nederlands)
België (Nederlands)
flag of France
France
flag of Deutschland
Deutschland
flag of España
España
North America
flag of US (English)
US (English)
flag of Canada
Canada
flag of México
México
Australasia
flag of Australia
Australia
flag of New Zealand
New Zealand
Technology Magazines
Technology Magazines
Why subscribe?
  • The best tech tutorials and in-depth reviews
  • Try a single issue or save on a subscription
  • Issues delivered straight to your door or device
From$12.99
View
  • News
  • Best
  • Reviews
  • Opinion
  • How To
  • Deals
  • More
    • Versus
    • Appliances
    • Audiovisual
    • Cameras
    • Car Tech
    • Computing
    • Coupons
    • Downloads
    • Entertainment
    • Fitness
    • Laptops
    • Phones
    • Smart Home
    • Tablets
    • TVs
    • Wearables
    • About Us
Tech Radar Pro
Tech Radar Gaming
Trending
  • Memorial Day sales
  • iPhone 15
  • Google Pixel Fold
  • ChatGPT
  • Wordle hints
  • Best VPN

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

  1. Home
  2. News
  3. Gaming

Eve Fanfest: inside PC gaming's most hardcore celebration

By Cassandra Khaw
published 24 March 2015

Virtual reality and intergalactic politics at the top of the world

Eve Fanfest 2015

Eve Fanfest 2015

Crouched on the edge of Reykjavik, Iceland's old harbour, the Harpa Concert Hall could almost be a forgotten spaceship, a breathtaking melange of otherworldly geometry and tessellating crystal panels. Most of the time, it functions as a concert hall and a conference center, but once a year Harpa transforms into a waypoint for spacefarers from a universe that doesn't exist. This is Eve Fanfest, a three-day affair where over a thousand attendees gather for the usual - and not so usual - conference happenings.

Developed by Icelandic firm CCP Games, Eve Online is a massive multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) that has players take on the role of "capsuleers," immortal pilots who roam the solar systems in endless pursuit of power and profit.

More than 500,000 people worldwide play Eve Online, and though it's a game associated with the most hardcore PC gamers, it continues to fascinate the general masses with its tales of political drama and epic space battles, some of which would cost more than $300,000 (about £202,058, AU$380,908 ) if in-game currency were converted.

Over the years, the seminal sci-fi title has become infamous for the hijinks of its community, a conglomeration of interstellar warlords, industrial magnates and back-stabbing corporations. So outlandish are their exploits that even major media outlets like Bloomberg, The New York Times and BBC have reported on happenings in the game.

Page 1 of 13
Page 1 of 13
Inner hall

Inner hall

The annual Eve Fanfest is crammed with panels, round-table discussions and more unorthodox events such as football matches and cage fights with Icelandic MMA champions. Compared to Gamescom or even Minecon, Fanfest is an intimate congregation with a modest audience dwarfed by the six-figure attendance numbers of other conventions.

Page 2 of 13
Page 2 of 13
Let's talk

Let's talk

Fanfest may not be the biggest gathering of gamers, but it's teeming with passion. Conversations in Harpa run halfway between reality and fiction. Walk through the building's levels, and you'll hear discussions about recruitments and political alliances, bickering about the recent elections in the Council of Stellar Management. People aren't just here to listen to CCP: they are here to parlay and barter, emissaries and businessmen of a virtual world.

Page 3 of 13
Page 3 of 13
Eve Online tattoos

Eve Online tattoos

The merchandising area is not only thronged with branded apparel but also people getting tattoos to signify their allegiances and make-up artists patiently waiting to transform onlookers into their online personas.

Page 4 of 13
Page 4 of 13
Tranquility cluster shards

Tranquility cluster shards

There's also the option to participate in a silent auction for signed pieces from the Tranquility cluster, the mega-server which powers the entirety of Eve Online. It might seem frivolous to some, but these shards represent an integral part of the game's 10-year history.

Page 5 of 13
Page 5 of 13
The Eve Online congress assembles

The Eve Online congress assembles

The smaller sessions, which take place in rooms beading the ground floor, are arguably where the fanaticism that Eve Online inspires is most evident. These talks range from discussions about wormholes - a mercurial sub-section of space - to live concept art sessions to ask-me-anything encounters with the community management team.

Here, questions come lightning-fast and wired with jargon, nearly incomprehensible to anyone who has not lived, breathed and dreamed of New Eden (the universe of Eve Online). It's akin to sitting through a school reunion for an educational institute you never attended.

Page 6 of 13
Page 6 of 13
Go forth!

Go forth!

Nonetheless, there are things even for the layman who doesn't play Eve Online to appreciate. Last year, 10 CCP developers took on MMA fighter Gunnar "Gunni" Nelson in one-to-one combat.

Page 7 of 13
Page 7 of 13
Here comes the crowd

Here comes the crowd

This year, there was a solar eclipse. According to CCP CEO Hilmar Pétursson, a player suggested scheduling Fanfest around the astronomical event half a decade ago, an idea that he immediately took to. Harpa was then booked for the celestial phenomenon - a year before the building was even completed. When the eclipse finally took place on the Friday of Fanfest, attendees were supplied with protective glasses and given ample time to return inside before the onslaught of the day's schedule resumed.

Page 8 of 13
Page 8 of 13
Project Valkyrie in VR

Project Valkyrie in VR

This year saw an enormous focus on virtual reality. The frontliner here was, obviously, Project Valkyrie. What began as an experiment in 2013 has rapidly transitioned into a full-fledged project.

The trailer for the upcoming team-based space flight simulator was revealed during one of the keynotes, along with details about its main character, a new map and some exposition on the narrative elements. Unsurprisingly, CCP allowed Fanfest goers to sample one of the levels, a moody landscape dotted with the carcasses of old ships.

Page 9 of 13
Page 9 of 13
Oculus Rifts everywhere

Oculus Rifts everywhere

But Project Valkyrie wasn't the only virtual reality game on display. Visitors also had the opportunity to peruse Project Nemesis, a shoot-em-up that uses the new Samsung Gear VR headgear.

Page 10 of 13
Page 10 of 13
O Captain! My Captain!

O Captain! My Captain!

Less "polished" projects from the recently announced VR Labs were similarly available for testing, including the Ship Simulator, a virtual showroom that could be manipulated with your hands, and a buggy Tron-like disc arena.

Page 11 of 13
Page 11 of 13
Eye on you

Eye on you

CCP's relationship with its players is a unique one. Where other developers might only occasionally solicit opinions, the Icelandic company goes all the way. It summons its parliament of community-voted player liaisons to Iceland for regular discussions on the state of the game. It turns player interaction into in-character news, and it schedules talks with NASA scientists.

Page 12 of 13
Page 12 of 13
Eve Fanfest lives on

Eve Fanfest lives on

CCP might have suffered drastically in recent years - the death of the long-anticipated World of Darkness springs immediately to mind - but with the attention they've poured into Fanfest, one thing's clear: it knows that its players are their port of home.

  • Join us in a week of celebrating PC gaming
Page 13 of 13
Page 13 of 13
Cassandra Khaw
Social Links Navigation
See more PC news
More about gaming
Overwatch 2

One of Overwatch 2’s oldest heroes is out of the closet, but is this enough?

System Shock remake SHODAN

System Shock review: a SHODAN showdown

Latest
NSW Blues and QLD Maroons players tussle for the ball

How to watch State of Origin live stream: Game 1 QLD vs New South Wales

See more latest ►
Most Popular
The iPhone and Galaxy S23 Ultra prove money is no object for smartphone buyers

By Michael AllisonMay 30, 2023

Assassin's Creed Mirage: everything we know so far

By Cat BussellMay 30, 2023

Microsoft extends some vital security protection to Arm devices

By Craig HaleMay 30, 2023

Final Fantasy 16 release date, trailers and latest news

By Cat BussellMay 30, 2023

Samsung Galaxy S23 FE: latest news, rumors, and everything we know so far

By James RogersonMay 30, 2023

Zip domains are being abused again to trick victims into a phishing scam

By Sead FadilpašićMay 30, 2023

Top tire manufacturer hit by data breach leaking info on millions of customers

By Sead FadilpašićMay 30, 2023

Corsair’s Dominator Titanium DDR5 RAM is the coolest tech we’ve seen so far at Computex 2023

By Matt HansonMay 30, 2023

Final Fantasy 16’s endgame is more than your average new game plus

By Cat BussellMay 30, 2023

Millions of top US dental firm customers have data leaked after ransomware attack - what to do if you're affected

By Sead FadilpašićMay 30, 2023

MSI wants to build your next work laptop

By Lewis MaddisonMay 30, 2023

  1. A young AI-created humanoid touches a robot in The Creator
    1
    The Creator looks like The Last of Us, Terminator, and Star Wars rolled into one
  2. 2
    Don’t panic: there’s a reason your iPhone’s battery is draining faster than usual
  3. 3
    Windows 11 Moment 3 update is packed with cool features – here are 5
  4. 4
    Quordle today - hints and answers for Sunday, May 28 (game #489)
  5. 5
    I tried smart AR running sunglasses that show me a heads-up-display like Iron Man
  1. A young AI-created humanoid touches a robot in The Creator
    1
    The Creator looks like The Last of Us, Terminator, and Star Wars rolled into one
  2. 2
    Don’t panic: there’s a reason your iPhone’s battery is draining faster than usual
  3. 3
    5 reasons why you need a 4K Blu-ray player
  4. 4
    Missing Succession already? Here are 6 great family sagas to watch on Max, Hulu and more
  5. 5
    5 things I want to see on the rumored MacBook Air
Technology Magazines
  • ●
Technology Magazines
  • The best tech tutorials and in-depth reviews
From$12.99
View

TechRadar is part of Future US Inc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site.

  • About Us
  • Contact Future's experts
  • Contact Us
  • Terms and conditions
  • Privacy policy
  • Cookies policy
  • Advertise with us
  • Web notifications
  • Accessibility Statement
  • Careers

© Future US, Inc. Full 7th Floor, 130 West 42nd Street, New York, NY 10036.