Some updates have been added to EVE Online's Buddy Program to make the offer even more worthwhile for everyone involved.

Players can now invite friends to EVE for an extended 21-day Trial, and for each trial user that becomes a subscriber, the person that invited them will get an extra 30 days of game time added to their account.

The extended offer is only valid until Dec. 1. More information can be found here or after the jump.

Also, six videos from Fanfest have been posted on the official EVE Online site. They cover numerous panels and the keynote speeches, as well as quiz show between two teams of online devs.

CCP is warning players about a phishing e-mail circulating that claims to be from EVE Customer Support.

This email claims that we had a database issue and lost some customer information and it asks you to login to make sure your information is still there. They conveniently provide their very own login link. This is of course not true; we have not lost any account information.

We'd also like to add that our knowledge when it comes to English grammar and spelling is far better than what is in the phishing email.

Quantum Rise is upon us! EVE Online's ninth expansion is now available in full to subscribers as a free download.

Quantum Rise improvements include: More upgrades to hardware and software structures; Certificates provide benchmarks for the skill system, goals for new players, help during corporation recruiting and bragging rights; A new medal system allows corporations to build and bestow their own custom rewards; UI changes include a moveable HUD; In-game Subscription Services allow players to convert 60-day EVE Time Codes (ETCs) into two 30-day items in game that can be traded freely through all regular means; The new industrial capital ship, the Orca; Autopilot avoidance and new routes.

A full press release regarding the expansion can be found after the jump. Also, CCP Elerhino has posted a dev blog entry outlining some new pages that were added to the EVE Online Web site to keep track of certificates and medals.

The biggest expansion to date for EVE Online will be released March 10, 2009, according to CCP. The announcement came on the last day of Fanfest. Eurogamer has the details:

The focus of the expansion will be "true exploration," with players using new skills and modules to travel through wormholes into all-new, unconnected space. There they will find unique stellar phenomena and the resources and artefacts that will lead to the third level of technology in the game universe, Tech 3 - the first such update since Tech 2 was introduced back in 2004. The star feature of Tech 3 will be modular, customisable ships. Instead of providing each faction with one or two new ships each, CCP will provide each with a template that comes in five sections, with five options in each.

One bit of clarification is needed: the Eurogamer article incorrectly states the amount of permutations possible for ship combinations. As seen in this thread, the correct amount is 3,125 (five sections with five options each). Or, CCP Mephysto mentions in the thread that 12,000 combinations may be possible if you consider all four races. The full Eurogamer article can be found here or below.

Here it is people!  The notes for Quantum Rise, due to come out soon!

CRITICAL

• Vastly outperforming previous network technology, StacklessIO brings reduced latency and faster response to EVE Online. With StacklessIO, the groundwork has been laid for pushing the limits of today's server technology to new heights. For the past two years we have been developing this new technology to increase the performance of our network communication infrastructure in EVE. This new network layer reduces network latency and improves performance in high-volume situations, e.g., in fleet-fights and market hubs such as Jita. More information can be found in CCP Explorer’s blog on StacklessIO

• We've migrated all of our key servers to 64-bit software, allowing the scale of player battles to surpass the previous limit of a few hundred on each side and improving performance in extremely high traffic regions of space. Full details of EVE 64 can be seen in EVE64 Dev Blog by CCP Explorer.

FEATURES
Ships

• Outer Ring excavations (ORE) and Deep Core Mining (DCM) have completed a joint venture by creating The Orca. This new empire-capable vessel is designed as a "sub capital" logistical ship with a mining command focus, ideal for the day to day needs of corporations or individuals. Filling a void between regular and capital ships, the Orca is a more affordable option for pilots who can’t yet fly capitals. These boats are able to use stargates but do not have jump drives. CCP Chronotis provides full details in the Orca Dev Blog.

CCP has a lot on their plate, what with the newest expansion, Quantum Rise on the way.  But they're also aiming to expand the EVE franchise with a possible console based shooter!  Eurogamer reports :

EVE Online developer CCP has hinted that an FPS based on the EVE universe is in development.

Footage was shown of a Halo-like shooter on a daylit, Earth-like planet surface. The architecture and gun designs were clearly redolent of the space MMO's art style.

There was also a third-person view of a land vehicle driving across the surface.

Earlier in the presentation on the future of EVE, CCP bosses Hilmar Petursson and Nathan Richardsson had mentioned that CCP has a "game console strategy", and a slide mentioning PS3 and 360 was shown.

Between QR, World of Darkness (CCP's other MMO development project), and this, we've got a lot to pay attention to in the coming months!

With Fan Fest in full swing, it's time to start the voting for the second Council of Stellar Management!  CCP Xhagen has posted a dev log on the issues at stake, and why voting is so important!

Today the voting booth has been opened for the second CSM. The campaign so far has been vibrant and lively and we truly look forward to seeing the results.

Why should you vote?

This question is asked in every election, no matter where said election is being held. The answer to why you should vote in EVE is that the CSM is there to influence us in regards to EVE.

We want to bring to your attention several topics that the CSM has affected to varying degrees.

An example of how they have affected change would be the Orca, a ship type that has been worked on for some time, which became reprioritized due to CSM input. That is, the CSM had presented the need for an industrial ship of a size between the ‘old' indies and the freighters, thus the Orca was bumped up in the development line.

As in any democratic environment, I urge you to vote!

Eurogamer has some coverage of EVE's Fan Fest, going on this weekend, including a look at the premium graphics offering, and changes to come.

"EVE in a a state where, if you run the Premium graphics edition, half of it is done, you could say," CCP's chief technologist Halldor Fannar told a press conference on the first day of the EVE Online Fanfest in Reykjavik, Iceland today.

"The particle system really shows its age now if you're flying a Premium ship," he conceded. "The effects are like from another era."

Lots of good information, and today's presentations should including WiS, so lots to look forward to!

Quantum Rise is coming soon, and the features page is now live!

EVE Online surges forward with both breakthrough core performance upgrades and further evolution of the game world in our ninth free expansion. The rapid and successful deployment of the Stackless IO component and the EVE64 migration presented such a sudden and significant ascent to the very edge of technology that it was only fitting to name this expansion QUANTUM RISE.

Changes aplenty, including the speed rebalance!

EVE Online Executive Producer Nathan "Oveur" Richardsson posted an extensive blog entry today outlining a number of upcoming additions to the game, including the EVElopedia, the ability to convert EVE Gametime Codes into CONCORD pilot licenses that can be put on the market or into a contract, and the development team's two-expansions-per-year target.

The EVElopedia will see the light of day before the end of the year. It will start out with a simple integration, while over time it will become more and more intertwined within the EVE client. ... [It] will help you delve further into the depths of the combined knowledge of all EVE players and developers.

Richardsson also said that social networking and communication tools, including blogging, should be available next year. The CONCORD pilot licenses should be available in the Quantum Rise expansion or shortly before, and he believes they can benefit both players and CCP in a number of ways. His full post can be found here or in its entirety below.