What's New In Reykjavik?

CCP Iceland is looking for a 3D Character Animator - you know someone? https://t.co/ItwcbTerw3

— CCP Games Jobs (@CCPGAMESjobs) January 7, 2016

CCP sent out a tweet yesterday looking for artists for the new game it plans on producing in the Reykjavik office. Yes, if CCP's career page is any guide, CCP is hiring people to work on new games in both Reykjavik and London. I don't have enough information to guess at what is planned in the still non-existent office in London, but looking at the new project in Iceland might interest some folks.

First, let's take a look at the open Senior Producer position. I found the description of the ideal candidate telling:

• Extensive industry experience with multiple titles and large scale operations 8+ years preferred
• A track record of delivering multiple high quality entertainment experiences
• Significant experience of delivering excellent business results games and in an ongoing ‘Product as a service’ model

We know that the project actually is a game, since the senior producer's responsibilities include "Lead the team to develop the creative and overall vision for the game" and "Deliver a high quality game." The "'Product as a service' model" definitely indicates an online game, although I am not sure if the game would follow the subscription model. I feel more confident that the game will have frequent updates, probably along the lines of EVE Online's five-week release cycle.

The 3D Character Animator position either gives out some really revealing information or some misinformation. The unsurprising part is that CCP is looking for someone with experience working in Unreal Engine 4. CCP has made the switch to Unreal Engine 4 for its virtual reality games, so I expect all of its future games to use the engine. What I find fascinating is the description of the position:

"CCP Games is searching for an super skilled 3D Character Animator to build out the visual direction for our new games project. The ideal candidate has experience animating both human and non-humanoid characters. A strong knowledge of animation and rigging, as well as a great grasp of body movement principles, anticipation, timing, spacing, forward / inverse kinematics, and other facets of 2D and 3D animation are highly desirable. We are looking for someone capable of working in a team of highly motivated and driven individuals, animating creatures and characters for both science fiction and fantasy settings." [emphasis mine]

Is CCP attempting to branch out of the EVE universe once again? If CCP wants to expand, the company has no choice. The EVE universe is a safe space, but one has to venture out into the wider world in order to enjoy the huge success I believe Hilmar seeks. The one important piece of the puzzle is I don't know whether the new project in Reykjavik is a virtual reality game or a new MMORPG. Or perhaps CCP is finally porting over DUST 514 to the PC and really plans to enhance the game with wildlife and vegetation. Okay, scratch that last possibility. I tend to lean away from the VR game as CCP's main VR studio is in Newcastle while its VR Labs group is based in Atlanta. But is CCP really looking at launching another MMO? Only time will tell.