CCP's Office Shuffle, Part 2

Two weeks ago I made a prediction that CCP would soon close an office in Slough in the UK based on information gleamed from CCP's prior financial statements plus information that CCP transferred the headquarters of its U.K. subsidiary from Slough to Newcastle. Admittedly, not much of a prediction, as CCP's financial statements showed a non-negotiable lease for office space in the U.K ending in July 2015.

The financial statements show that, in addition to the U.K., CCP has office leases set to expire in Iceland in July 2015 and China in October 2015. Yesterday, news about the future of CCP's Reykjavik office appeared on the EVE Online forums and Reddit in the form of a link to a story on Visir.is. CCP plans on moving to the science park currently in development on the campus of the University of Iceland near Vatnsmýri.

I would expect that CCP will publish a press release concerning the move Soon™, but until then we have Hilmar's words translated into English using Google Translator.

"CCP, which is based in four countries, has been with the offices of the Grand Garden at. The goal of the CCP is to strengthen the company, but with the location of the office of the company in the Science Park University will create greater opportunities for cooperation with the academic community, students and business in the forefront. CCP has in the past decade actively supported innovation and education in Iceland and perhaps by becoming a participant in the Science Park and further strengthen those elements in the company's activities.

"'With these plans is to begin a new chapter in the activities of CCP in Iceland where we foresee further strengthen our successful cooperation with academic and creative industries in Iceland. Ahead are exciting times for the company and I am convinced that great opportunities are implied in the cooperation and development plans envisaged in the Science Park in Vatnsmýri in the field of technological development, research and innovation,' says Hilmar Veigar Pétursson, CEO of CCP."

The University of Iceland has more information about the science park on its website.

"The creation of a science park – a dynamic centre of knowledge and innovation - in Iceland is under way. It will be located on University campus in the Vatnsmýri area. A collaboration forum for the creation of a science park in Vatnsmýri and a schedule for its realisation was formally settled last Monday with the signing of an agreement between the City of Reykjavík, the University of Iceland, Reykjavík University, Association of municipalities in the Capital area, and Landspítalinn – University Hospital.

"The mutual goal of all parties concerned is to form an ambitious plan for the advancement of Vatnsmýri area as a centre for knowledge and innovation in Iceland.

"The information economy needs to be boosted in Iceland, a fact recognised by all parties to this agreement which marks a decisive step in that direction.  The Vatnsmýri science park can play a key role in this development as it is located in close proximity of two of the largest universities in Iceland, and the University Hospital.

"The location, near the city centre, also creates important opportunities and possibilities in building a dynamic base of knowledge. A modern planning of the area can attract and nurture companies, research institutions and employees in the information industry in international competition."

Given the company's history, co-locating near a university is not unusual for CCP. In a press release in 2010, CCP noted that the area's universities made Newcastle an attractive place to open a studio.

"'The decision to establish a UK studio was an easy one for CCP,' said Richard Smith, Technical Director of CCP Newcastle. 'The North East has a distinguished heritage of game development, an experienced console-development talent pool and local universities producing exceptional graduates. We have been able to assemble a world-class team of console developers with unparalleled Unreal Engine expertise and integrate them with CCP's global organization.'"

CCP also has a history of becoming an early adopter of Icelandic technological businesses. In 2012, the game company become one of the first three tenants in Iceland's first data center built at the old NATO base in Keflavik. From the story on Visir.is, CCP is one of the first, if not the first, private tenants to sign a lease in the new technology park.

The only outstanding question I currently have concerns the speed with which CCP needs to move to the new science park. Does the lease on the current office space expire in July, which means CCP needs to negotiate one final lease on its current location? Or does the current lease extend to July 2022, which is what the financial reports for 2010 and 2011 seems to indicate? In that case, CCP could potentially earn some additional revenue sub-leasing its current space once the facilities on the campus of the University of Iceland are ready.

Either way, I hope we see either a press release or a dev blog about the move soon. I had fun piecing the story together, but I'd like to hear the full story from the people in the know, if only to find out if I got my facts straight.