CCP Games: Icelandic game company eyes bigger share in China market

Editor's note: December 8 marks the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Iceland. As a company originating in Iceland, later having a development studio in Shanghai since 2005, CCP Games has witnessed continuous breakthroughs in the development of the gaming industry and benefited from the improved business environment in China. China Daily spoke with Bing Xi, general manager of CCP Games Shanghai to share his views on the country's gaming industry and CCP Games' business strategies in China.

1.December 8 marks the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Iceland. As a company originating in Iceland, what are your views of the Chinese online gaming industry? What are some of the latest changes? What opportunity does it bring to your company?

The gaming industry in China has advanced incredibly and now boasts one of the largest gaming markets while producing some of the most successful games in the world. CCP Games has been lucky enough to see this progress firsthand due to having a development studio in Shanghai since 2005. From the production quality, artistic inspiration, and innovative gameplay; the games from China continue to rapidly evolve and gain fans from all over the world. This is a huge boon for companies such as CCP Games as the talent pool for potential game industry employees in China is one of the deepest in the world. As a space sci-fi game developer, CCP's games have also benefited from the growing interest in space and sci-fi in China.

2.Shanghai, an international financial hub of global trade, has a unique environment to serve foreign business and potential investors. Does CCP Games have any development plans in this city and if so, what are they?

Shanghai is also home to many game developers and publishers from renowned international giants to numerous indie studios leading to a talent pool that is rivaled by few other cities. CCP Games' plan is to continue to create the most immersive and engaging experiences, and having a development studio located in Shanghai is a critical part of the strategy as it allows us to draw from the immense talent that can be found here. CCP Games' Shanghai studio has been growing over the past four years and currently has several projects in development. We aren't quite ready to talk about those projects publicly but please stay tuned!

3.In recent years, the Chinese government has launched a series of measures to improve the business environment for foreign companies. How do you view these measures as a foreign company in China?

Measures to continue to promote a fair and transparent business environment for all companies, foreign or domestic, is vital to the thriving conditions in Shanghai and obviously, critically important to CCP Games. A highly educated workforce, public safety, convenience of living, robust public transit system, rapid epidemic response, diversity of companies, and confluence of East meets West culture makes Shanghai a fantastic location for CCP Games and would be incredibly attractive to any company.

4.There has been an increasing number of companies tapping into the online gaming industry. How does CCP Games differentiate from them?

CCP Games' flagship game is EVE Online which has been running abroad since 2003 and been running in China since 2006. Due to the long running nature of the game and its unique gameplay, CCP Games has become experts at maintaining and fostering a passionate player community as well as being able to leverage the strength of the sci-fi EVE IP into other projects. The Shanghai studio was responsible for the EVE: Gunjack series of virtual reality (VR) games which was the best-selling VR game at the time and DUST 514 for PlayStation; a triple AAA first person shooter that allowed for players in both DUST 514 and EVE Online to interact with each other – an industry first.

5.With the continuous globalization and interconnectedness of the gaming industry, how long do you think it will take before cultural differences are no longer a significant obstacle?

Cultural differences will always be both a challenge and an opportunity; at the simplest level it is only a matter of language differences but at higher levels one must understand what can be significant differences in culture, philosophy, and lifestyle. As companies better understand cultural differences throughout the world, they will be able to better tailor games that are the most suitable for their audience.

6.In 2012, EVE Online was listed in Video Game Hall of Fame and was selected as one of the 100 best PC games in history by PC Gamer magazine. As a long-lasting game, how do you keep players passionate for EVE Online?

Keeping players continually engaged with the game is one of the most critical aspects of running a game as a service (GaaS) and successful games will approach this in different ways. EVE Online has found success by creating a "sandbox" for players to live out their space sci-fi fantasy and enabling them to forge and create a path unique to them. The game does not explicitly direct them on what they should be doing, but instead provides them the environment to be whatever they want. Additionally, CCP Games adopts a co-development mentality with its playerbase giving players direct access to our developers to ensure their feedback is heard and even invites prominent members of the community to CCP's headquarters in Reykjavík, Iceland to help us shape the future of EVE Online.

7.In the latest game EVE Echoes, there are many elements of the universe and aerospace. Can you tell us what features this game will bring to the players?

EVE Echoes faithfully recreates the magic of EVE Online for mobile devices allowing players to engage in a huge space "sandbox" with thousands of others. It is ultimately up to the player to decide how they would like to thrive in the EVE universe. Do they want to engage in massive space battles? Obtain wealth through commerce? Mine resources and create an industrial powerhouse? Establish trade routes throughout the universe? All of it is possible, and up to the player to make a reality.