The fundraiser was to aid the Philippines in their recovery after Typhoon Haiyan. Through the ‘PLEX for GOOD’ program users donate in-game currency for causes.
A total of 12,726 PLEX was donated by EVE Online players (approximately 1060 years of playtime) which totalled $190,890. An 8+ hour ‘telethon’ took place December 7th.
It was a Twitch.tv stream featuring EVE Online developers who ”pledged unique donations as fundraising milestones were hit, including developer boxing matches, male and female head-shaving, getting a full-arm tattoo, sparring versus a Tae Kwon Do champion and even getting shot with one paintball for every US$2,000 donated.”
”We often talk about how EVE is ‘real’, a simulation of humanity where there are few rules and all the economic, political and social forces of human nature push the boundaries of morality in all directions,” said Hilmar Veigar Petursson, CEO of CCP, “We’ve seen the passionate side of our players over the past decade, but truly nothing could prepare us for this level of generosity from them. It is humbling. It is beautiful. It is what EVE is really about.”
Since EVE Online’s launch back in May 2003 the MMO’s community has raised over $340,000 for charities through the PLEX for GOOD initiative, EVE Fanfest silent auctions and other charity drives.
Video clips of the ’unique dev pledges’ are available on YouTube.
