The literal application of “spreadsheets in space” for EVE Online is taking one step closer to reality. The game’s integration with spreadsheet software Microsoft Excel, which was unveiled at last year’s EVE Fanfest, is now ready to start taking names for an upcoming closed beta test of the feature.
The announcement once more explains the rationale for this integration, arguing that adding this functionality will “even the playing field in data driven warfare and democratize intelligence gathering, without requiring coding knowledge.” As for how deep this rabbit hole goes, the post confirms that data as simple as generic New Eden details or as specific as wallet balance, recent market orders, and asset information can be brought in for analysis and general number crunching. “EVE has been referred to as spreadsheets in space, and there will soon be even better opportunities to excel at the game (see what we did there?),” the post notes.
Players interested in those crunchy numbers simply have to fill out a survey to put their name into the hat for a potential admittance to the closed beta. CCP Games notes that it is seeking “a variety of playstyles and experiences” to get as broad of a test group as possible, so not every application will be accepted. The announcement further notes that there is no release date for the feature, or any dates for the testing to begin or end, but all the same it’s that little bit closer to release.
