EVE Online has a lot of players, and one of the more groundbreaking ideas it has employed is to use that playerbase to further scientific research. Every so often, Project Discovery events will take place, which offer minigames that players can complete to aid real scientists.
This time, it is no surprise that Project Discovery has returned with the hope of helping scientists combat the Coronavirus. EVE Online players can take part in the event where they will identify a cluster of cells and help scientists analyze COVID-19 data more efficiently.
This is truly a unique premise, as players can play the game they enjoy while also helping in real life to fight back against a pandemic of unprecedented scale. The mini-game becomes available as soon as players complete the tutorial, so even new players can take part in this and make a difference in the world.
Of course, there are also in game rewards to incentivize people spending their time on this if the moral implications weren't enough already. Players that excel at the mini-game can earn exclusive rewards such as the Biosecurity Responders SKIN, exclusive apparel, and facial augmentations. The mini-game is based around the use of flow cytometry, a technique which can be used to determine the effects of a virus on the human immune system. Essentially, players will be grouping cells together to make analyzing the data easier for scientists around the world. Doing this will help speed up the process of combating the Coronavirus.
This isn't all that CCP Games (EVE Online's developer) has done to help the current situation. EVE Online also held a PLEX for GOOD event in which players could donate to the World Health Organization COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund or the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security, which raised $135,550 for the cause. Efforts like this show how video games can be used to make a better world, as EVE Online players have played a significant part in the fight against the Coronavirus pandemic, even if individual contributions may not be that much.
Those wanting to take part in the latest Project Discovery need only make an account and start playing EVE Online. There are both free and paid options, so players unsure of whether they will like the game have an option to start out with no commitment required. CCP Games will no doubt continue their efforts to fight the Coronavirus.
EVE Online is available now on PC.
Source: EVEOnline