CCP Games, developers of epic space MMO EVE Online and VR games like EVE: Valkyrie and Sparc, aren’t as into VR as they once were but it’s not being written off entirely.
Back in late 2017 CCP Games publicly announced they’re withdrawal from heavy involvement in VR projects. After releasing EVE: Valkyrie alongside the Oculus Rift, porting the game to Steam VR headsets, PSVR, and even releasing it outside of VR, wave-shooter spin-offs in the Gunjack sub-franchise, and then releasing Sparc, the numbers just weren’t there for it to be a sustainable business focus.
Following the closure of CCP Atlanta, in an interview CCP Games CEO cited low install base as the main current bottleneck.
Surprisingly, earlier this week, CCP Games released the first update to Sparc in quite some time adding in new games and spectator options — which is extra surprising when you consider its complete lack of single player content. The entire game is dependent on the small userbase the company cited as their reason for pulling back to begin with.
After hearing the news we reached out to CCP Games for comment and a company representative had the following to say:
“We’re continuing to invest the revenue we receive for Sparc back into the game so as to support its dedicated and passionate playerbase. Moreover, CCP remains bullish about the future potential of VR and its long-term appeal as the VR market still has some way to go before it reaches maturity. VR is, fundamentally, a brand-new medium and we’re still in the early stages of its life.”
It’s a good sign for fans of CCP Games and at least means their existing projects aren’t being totally abandoned, which does happen often in the VR market. Let us know what you think of this statement and news down in the comments below!
