TheEVE Onlinecommunity has accomplished some impressive feats since the game released all the way back in 2003. Fromsetting multiple world records for online battlesto hosting events for sick members of the community,EVE Online’s player base is constantly managing to create unique and interesting scenarios within the massive multiplayer space role-playing game.
However, one of the coolest things the community has had a hand in doing is helping real-life scientists with COVID-19 research by playing the game. Recently,EVE Online’s player base managed to collect and perform over 330 years of COVID-19 research thanks to the game’s Project Discovery initiative.
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For those who may not be familiar withEVE Online’s Project Discovery initiative, it is basically a set of minigames that players can take on that are built around real-life research regarding COVID-19.EVE Online’s Project Discoverystarted last summer, and is easily accessible to any player logging intoEVE, even incentivizing players to participate through in-game rewards. Thanks to a report by IGN’s Wesley LeBlanc, more accurate numbers have surfaced regarding how many players have participated in Project Discovery. According to the report, “327,000 players have completed 1.37 million analysis tasks in-game, which has saved scientists 330.69 years worth of research…”
It truly is a staggering set of numbers which really puts into perspective just how much theEVE Onlinecommunity has aided COVID-19 research. In terms of video games communities, developer CCP Games and theEVE Onlinecommunity have really been at the forefront of COVID-19 research aid. In November of 2020, CCP Games and theEVE Onlinecommunity helped to raise over $135,500, which was in turndonated to COVID-19 relief efforts.EVE Online’s Project Discovery efforts really make one think about how video games can incorporate fun and engaging ways to make real-world differences through playing in the future.
In terms of Project Discovery, the minigame involved essentially boils down to players identifying different types of cell surface proteins, which helps scientist calculate an accurate number of those cell surface proteins. Additionally, because the minigame holds in-game incentives for players to participate, the number of players who have helped this research is massive. Even in November of 2020, over200,000 players participated in Project Discovery, which has now been going for almost an entire year.
Additionally, it isn’t just COVID-19 research that players are helping out with Project Discovery. According to Ryan Brinkman, a scientist of BC Cancer interviewed by IGN for its report, the project also helps out with “machine learning A.I. practice.” Apparently, there are new approaches being developed that will help automate this same process in the future. WithEVE Online’s 18th anniversaryhappening this year, hopefully players really get to celebrate both the game they love and the real-world impact they have made thanks to their efforts.
