Early 2016 saw the launch of Project Discovery, an initiative to further scientific research by offering players of CCP Games' massively-multiplayer game EVE Online the opportunity to voluntarily analyze scientific images in exchange for in-game rewards.
It was a joint effort by CCP, the Human Protein Atlas and Swiss startup MMOS, or "Massively Multiplayer Online Science." At GDC 2017, MMOS' Attila Szantner and CCP's Bergur Finnbogason spoke at length about how they worked to integrate real science into a major computer game as a seamless gaming experience.
The pair exaplined how EVE Online players analyzed 5 million images through the in-game interface in the first two weeks, and broke down the many challenges they faced during their years producing 'Project Discovery.'
It was a neat talk that both showcased how games are contributing to scientific research and offered practical takeaways for devs who might want to do something similar with their own work.
If you missed it at GDC (or just want to watch it again) you can now watch it for free over on the official GDC YouTube channel!
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