Pearl Abyss and CCP: Unlikely bedfellows.
Today, CCP announced it will be acquired by Pearl Abyss—the makers of Black Desert Online. I find the announcement both interesting and amusing, for a couple of reasons: First, despite CCP saying they will continue to operate “independently”, common sense says if the mothership decides that it’s in its best interests to meddle in the affairs of the child it just spent almost half a billion dollars on, they absolutely will do so. Whether for good or ill, big or small, some amount of change is coming to EVE regardless of CCP’s assurances about their supposed retained “independence”.
Second, even though it’s true that CCP and Pearl Abyss both produce MMOs, from the perspective of the player these two companies are hilariously different in ways that will matter greatly to the existing EVE playerbase. I spent enough time playing BDO after my initial foray into that game to know there’s potential for internal corporate friction to erupt over the desired approach to two particularly hot topics: cash shops and PVP freedom.
