RPS: How do you have persistence in a match-based game?

Thomas Farrer: We have, much like EVE GÇô in fact exactly like EVE! GÇô we have different security levels. We have high security, low security, and nulsec, where anything goes. And thatGÇÖs where weGÇÖre pretty much hands off. When youGÇÖre in highsec we have NPC generated battles, so youGÇÖll always be able to find a battle, youGÇÖre able to grind and get money, but without being exposed to the depth building an infrastructure on the surface of planets, things like that. But then as you play through into the lower levels of security it starts to be about: okay, IGÇÖve got the hang of the game, IGÇÖve got a group of friends, weGÇÖve formed a corporation, and weGÇÖve got backing from some EVE members for the corporation, so weGÇÖre going to hire a war barge, weGÇÖre going to load it up with supplies, and weGÇÖre going to try to attack this location. WeGÇÖre going to get our first foothold on a planet. And that is all scheduled and controlled. Those matches are planned, and the defenders are warned in advance so they have the opportunity to defend. Once you get into that kind of game youGÇÖre making a larger commitment in terms of time to be able to defend your things. And so the more you invest, the more commitment you have to have to protect whatGÇÖs yours. But thereGÇÖs always matches rolling in highsec.

RPS: Do you think thereGÇÖs evidence that thereGÇÖs a hardcore in the PS3 community? This isnGÇÖt Modern Warfare.

Thomas: If you look at Modern Warfare or games like that, you see players dedicating enormous amounts of time, and what weGÇÖre offering players is that theyGÇÖre not just going to be endlessly fighting the same battle and moving up and down some abstract leaderboard and unlocking gear. YouGÇÖre actually going to be part of a universe. ItGÇÖs not just another battle. ItGÇÖs actually your planet and this bugger over here is trying to take it. You didnGÇÖt just spend the last two weeks moving up to position 58 and unlocking this gear. You spent it investing in this space! And these other guys over here, if you lose, theyGÇÖre going to lose! And theyGÇÖre not even involved, they just happened to be there. So thereGÇÖs more at stake. I think itGÇÖs going to be interesting to see what kind of player it is going to attract. We were really interested in this idea. We thought, this is the kind of game that IGÇÖd like to play. We feel that thereGÇÖs got to be other people out there too.