CCP might leave Iceland?

[Velorath]

From ICV2:

An article in the Guardian newspaper documenting the devastation that the current economic crisis has wrought in Iceland includes a mention of the struggles of the online game publisher CCP, which is the parent company of American RPG powerhouse White Wolf Publishing (see “CCP and White Wolf to Merge”).  Iceland was the first casualty and remains most devastated victim of the current worldwide financial crisis, and it provides a frightening picture of what can happen to an economy when its underlying financial structure collapses.

According to the Guardian, restrictions on access to foreign currency and on foreign investment in Iceland are exacerbating the hard times for CCP, which has produced the Eve Online Game, which currently counts 300,000 participants worldwide (more than the entire population of Iceland).  Eyjolfur Gudmundsson, who supervises the Eve Online MMOG, told the Guardian: “To make new games, we need foreign investors.  The present currency restrictions are putting us in a straitjacket. We are in talks with the government, but if we can't let capital in, we might be compelled to leave Iceland, even though this would be against our wishes.”

White Wolf is producing a deluxe board game based on the Eve Online MMOG (see “White Wolf Expands Board Game Line”).  When CCP and White Wolf merged, it was announced that a World of Darkness Online Game based on the popular White Wolf RPG was already in the works, but so far very little information about the project has been released, though CCP CMO Magnus Bergsson was quoted in June of 2007 as saying that a World of Darkness MMOG could be released in 4-5 years.  However, increased competition in online RPG sector and the current financial crisis in Iceland could easily affect the World of Darkness MMOG’s development.

[TripleDES]

Please move to Belgium. Bureaucracy can be veered around on practically every level, anyway, and makes it easier for me to work there!

[Viin]

I was wondering if CCP had any issues with the freezing of British-based assets of Icelandic companies .. as far as I know their servers are still in London. With the asshattery that is Icelandic economics from the last few years, I wouldn't be surprised to see them leave. However, if Iceland adopts the Euro that may resolve a lot of CCPs issues with available capital.

[Scadente]

Iceland was the first casualty and remains most devastated victim of the current worldwide financial crisis

lulz, since when did excessive greed make you a victim?

Being Icelandic I dont hope they move out, but I think their options are pretty limited at this point... And for them as a company it most likely is a wise move, Iceland might be exotic and all, but its not really a hospitable place to live in. So moving somewhere, warmer and less in the middle of nowhere, will most likely make it easier to attract more talent.

[K9]

Iceland might be exotic and all, but its not really a hospitable place to live in. So moving somewhere, warmer and less in the middle of nowhere, will most likely make it easier to attract more talent.

Like Greece?

[Malakili]

Iceland might be exotic and all, but its not really a hospitable place to live in. So moving somewhere, warmer and less in the middle of nowhere, will most likely make it easier to attract more talent.

Like Greece?

I see what you did there.

Seriously though, as long as they can keep giving me EVE, I hope they move to wherever they need to to keep doing it. :)

[TripleDES]

If they were to scram, it'd obviously be London, since they've already an office there. They could consolidate some stuff and save money.

[Pezzle]

Or Atlanta.. since they own operational offices there.  Plus they hire EVE staff for that location anyway.

[Big Gulp]

Or Atlanta.. since they own operational offices there.  Plus they hire EVE staff for that location anyway.

Bingo.  London is pretty much equivalent to moving to New York; crazy expensive.  OTOH, they might have an easier time moving to London even though Iceland isn't technically part of the EU.  They are an EEA nation, aren't they?  Of course, we Americans don't usually have a problem with a bunch of blonde, nordic people rushing here with their capital.

[MahrinSkel]

What I'm hearing is not that they'll physically move, but they'll re-incorporate elsewhere as the ongoing fiscal retaliations between the EU, England, and Iceland are making it impossible for them to raise money (or move their own subscription revenues around without having several sets of lawyers involved to keep them out of trouble).  Eve will continue to be operated from Iceland, but the physical servers may get moved out of London and any new project teams will be physically located elsewhere.

--Dave

[Simond]

CCP's 'London' office isn't actually in London:

UK office
CCP Games UK
PO Box 150
Herschel House
58 Herschel Street
Slough
Berkshire

[Venkman]

London's pretty huge. What is considered "part of London" though? Everything inside the M25?

Also, that address is listed as a PO Box. Not sure someone would find value in getting a PO Box that is merely downstairs from their actual office address 

[K9]

Slough is a satellite town on the perimiter of London. Generally speaking the interior of the M25 defines the Greater London area.

[Simond]

Slough: http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=DiKHjihRohc 

[eldaec]

London is a relative term.

To most people from abroad it seems to mean 'anywhere in the UK with running water'.

But the majority of Londoners define 'London' as anything closer to Piccadilly Circus than wherever they live. Oh, and if you are talking to someone based north of the river, then anything south of the river doesn't count. OtOH British people living in the vast wasteland of notLondon generally try to pretend that the city doesn't even exist, and at the very mention of the place start trying to convince you that there are other cities in the UK that don't need to be melted into glass.

Slough would only count as London if you were talking to someone from Minnesota.

[Jack9]

If it's not on the London Underground (subway) map, it ain't London imo.

<3 The Lyric @ PC

[eldaec]

The tube map runs out to obvious notLondon post-apocolyptic way-stations such as Upminster and Watford. While it doesn't find room for Peckham. A more subtle solution is required.

[K9]

But the majority of Londoners define 'London' as anything closer to Piccadilly Circus than wherever they live. Oh, and if you are talking to someone based north of the river, then anything south of the river doesn't count. OtOH British people living in the vast wasteland of notLondon generally try to pretend that the city doesn't even exist, and at the very mention of the place start trying to convince you that there are other cities in the UK that don't need to be melted into glass.

Slough would only count as London if you were talking to someone from Minnesota.

People from the north do have a general dislike of London, often without justification. Then again I have an often unjustified dislike of the north, so I guess it balances out.

I'd disagree that people north of the river deny the existence of all of Sarf Landon; Putney, Battersea and Clapham are all very definitely part of the idea of London imho.

[Signe]

I don't like London.  I can't breathe there.  It makes the inside of my nose black.  A good deal of Surrey might as well be London these days.  I like much the south, but Southampton is about as close as I'd want to be to London.  Having said that, I'd live smack dab in the centre of London rather than Slough.  Or Hounslow.  Or Wandsworth.  God I hate Wandsworth.  I have a whole list of places I hate all over the world.  London isn't anywhere near the top.

[K9]

London's a lot cleaner than it used to be, and it's a lot cleaner than a number of other comparable cities. It's far from perfect, but you could do a lot worse. Wandsworth is pretty shite, truth be told, although it does have the lowest council tax rates in the country, so not all bad.

[Soln]

wouldn't it be more probable that they'd move their whatever to Ireland?  I thought they already had hosting there.  Everyone else does for the EU it seems.

[Engels]

Isn't the cost of living in London one of the highest in the world?

[Jack9]

To give you an idea of how expensive it is, it costs 6 pounds and change (over 12 dollars) for a 6in sub at a London Subway sandwich shop (no 5 dollar footlong for u). No drink, no chips, just the sandwich.

_{edit:
this was per August 13, 2008}

[schild]

The cost of living in London is indeed stupid, stupid expensive. I'd rather live in Italy with a summer home in Paris for the cost of living in London - and I fucking love London. Love. Love. Love.

[eldaec]

6 pounds and change (over 12 dollars)

No longer!

The dear leader has decreed that printing money is the best solution to recession, and so the pound is worth less than $1.50, and set to carry on falling.

I gather this great oracle of wisdom is at that stage of economic understanding most of us pass at the age of seven, where he thinks 'if only we all had a gazillion pounds, we'd all be rich!!!'.

Twat.

(this sort of shit is another reason nobody will move a company to London any time soon, as someone above mentioned, if they move anywhere in the EU it will probably be Ireland, since they haven't opted for fucking their own currency, and haven't set up a tax regime that appears designed to prevent job creation)

[Venkman]

Politics is thataway.

I don't disagree with you, but think there's a better place of this sub-topic.

[Endie]

Slough is a satellite town on the perimiter of London. Generally speaking the interior of the M25 defines the Greater London area.

Come, friendly bombs, and fall on Slough
It isn't fit for humans now.
- Betjeman

[apocrypha]

I once overheard a conversation between a Liverpudlian friend of mine and an American tourist, while we were holidaying in France.

American Tourist: I just love your accent, are you English?
Liverpudlian: Yes, I live in Liverpool.
AT: Is that near London?
L: No, it's 200 miles North of London.
AT: Oh. But can you see London from Liverpool?
L: Er. No. It's 200 miles North of London.

 

[Simond]

Slough is a satellite town on the perimiter of London. Generally speaking the interior of the M25 defines the Greater London area.

Come, friendly bombs, and fall on Slough
It isn't fit for humans now.
- Betjeman

Betjemen was the worst sort of "Everything was better before we discovered industry/medicine/science/the wheel/fire" lowercase-c conservative and would probably be writing editorials for the Daily Mail if he were alive today.

[IainC]

Slough is a satellite town on the perimiter of London. Generally speaking the interior of the M25 defines the Greater London area.

Come, friendly bombs, and fall on Slough
It isn't fit for humans now.
- Betjeman

Betjemen was the worst sort of "Everything was better before we discovered industry/medicine/science/the wheel/fire" lowercase-c conservative and would probably be writing editorials for the Daily Mail if he were alive today.

He probably would. He's still a superb poet however. I don't agree with many of Kipling's views but it doesn't detract from his wordsmitheryness.

That poem always reminds me of Every Day is Like Sunday.

[Yegolev]

American Tourist: I just love your accent, are you English?
Liverpudlian: Yes, I live in Liverpool.

I think an American that cannot spot a Liverpudlian accent is possibly a doofus anyway.  The smarter ones would say "Hay, yew sound like one-a dem Beatles!"

Edit to note that CCP moving to Atlanta would be hilarious.