EVE players like the boring features, says lead producer

Players of EVE Online find much of the MMO’s appeal is in its numerous “boring” features, according to the game’s lead producer Kristoffer Touberg.

Speaking to PC Gamer, Touberg stated he enjoys putting “mundane” activities into the structure of a video game where they somehow become interesting.

“Like hauling minerals across EVE: it’s viciously boring, but people still spend eight hours a day doing something [in real life] and then they go haul minerals in EVE,” he explained.

“I met a truck driver who did this. He drove a truck in real life, and when he got home he drove a space truck. There’s so many real things that we think of as mundane, but they become great game features.”

Touborg went on to say that “people like boring” rather than high risk actions. Features which promise low risks for guaranteed reward are generally preferable to the fanbase.

“I think that not every game was meant to be Counter-Strike. Not everything has to be twitch action-based, super-intense, in-the-zone, adrenaline rush 24/7.”

While EVE Online may be a niche MMO, it’s upcoming sister title DUST 514 is being developed as a free-to-play MMOFPS for console users, which is likely to widen its marketability.