EVE Frontier, the “hardcore” survival space MMO that CCP says can’t possibly do what it does without being on the blockchain, is apparently taking its in-game economy extremely seriously, or at least seriously enough that CCP Games is hiring a former real-world economist as part of its ongoing efforts to “[build] a truly open financial system within a virtual world.”
Stefán Pórarinsson, the blockchain MMO’s new head of economy, is a former economist who worked for the Central Bank of Iceland. Porarinsson’s experience is apparently being leveraged to more carefully manage Frontier’s economy, with initial efforts looking at pricing, supply and demand, “the integration of digital assets and their impact on in-game economic activity,” and players’ decision making. These adjustments and future economy-minded changes will continue to be done through the game’s current paid-for founder’s access.
What this means for the actual gameplay of the blockchain game isn’t immediately clear, it seems as if Porarinsson is in the data collection stage of his work while CCP is more than eager to try to convince anyone within earshot that this new hire will link digital and real-world economies.
