The first steps towards avatar-based gameplay have been made. On June 23, 2011, CCP released Incarna 1.0, which is the 14^th free expansion for the Sci-Fi MMORPG EVE Online. The expansion introduces captain’s quarters to space stations scattered throughout the vast virtual universe of EVE Online. This new experience enhances the game’s immersion possibilities and allows players to better identify themselves with their in-game avatars and thus with their virtual identity.

“Incarna opens up a new layer of depth and immersion for the pilots of New Eden to explore,” says Senior Producer Arnar Gylfason. “With this latest addition to EVE we are one step closer to doing justice to visualizing the world our players have built over the years.”

Incarna also comes with revamped tutorials, voice prompts and corporation finders to better help new players find their place in the complex, living, breathing and constantly evolving universe which is EVE Online. Accessibility features aside, Incarna represents a major technical breakthrough as the addition of the CarbonIO technology can be translated into an 8% average gain for cluster CPU speeds.

New features will be introduced in the following months, features that follow in the footsteps of Incarna 1.0 and will emphasize on avatar gameplay as an inseparable part of EVE Online.

EVE Online Dev Blog: Incarna preview: