Former Mirror’s Edge lead joins CCP Newcastle

Eve Online maker CCP Games has hired Owen O’Brien as executive producer of Eve: Valkyrie, a new VR spaceship dogfighting game in development at its studio in NewCastle.

As executive producer O’Brien will oversee all aspects of Eve: Valkyrie’s production.

O’Brien joins CCP following a long career at the award-winning game studio DICE in Stockholm. While at DICE, O’Brien led production of the critically acclaimed Mirror’s Edge, which was heralded for its creativity and groundbreaking take on first-person action.

“I worked with Owen for many years at DICE,” said Sean Decker, senior vice president of production at CCP.

“His experience bringing Mirror’s Edge to market will be invaluable as we work to make virtual reality an actual reality for gamers worldwide.”

O’Brien will report to Decker and will be based at the company’s Newcastle studio.

O’Brien added: “The opportunity to work with a focused, talented and passionate team at the forefront of game-changing technology is a dream scenario for me. But it’s not just about the technology. This was a project born out of a genuine passion for gaming, and that shows in what the team has already achieved.”

Eve: Valkyrie is a multiplayer spaceship dogfighting shooter set in the Eve universe. The game uses virtual reality to give players the sense of being a pilot in an Eve Online spaceship and will be released in 2014.