EVE Online Players Raise Over $44,000 For Japanese Aid

Players in EVE Online, CCP's science-fiction MMORPG, donated $44,607.50 over the past two weeks to help those affected by Japan's recent earthquakes and tsunamis. Last month, Reykjavik-based developer and publisher CCP Games invited its community to send PLEX (Pilot License Extension items redeemable for a month subscription and traded as in-game currency) to its PLEX for Good campaign, which converted the contributions to cash and donated all of the money to the Red Cross. EVE Online players pledged 2497 PLEX and 19.6 billion ISK (in-game currency that can be used to purchase PLEX) to the program. CCP points out that several users notably went "beyond the call of duty to help raise money for those in need" by donating large amounts of ISK and setting up in-game charity foundations. This charitable effort helps soften the image of EVE Online's players, who have a reputation for in-game betrayals and swindles. CCP warned players that it "regards any scamming attempts surrounding [PLEX for Good] to be morally reprehensible", though, and threatened to meet those attempts "with swiftest action." To date, the EVE Online community has donated over $108,000 to PLEX or Good campaigns also assisted victims of Haiti's earthquake and Pakistan's excessive flooding last year. Since 2004, players have contributed nearly $155,000 to all of the game's charity efforts.