EON is a magazine that is all about EVE Online; a magazine that is only available to buy online, but one that – unlike most other EVE writings – can only be read offline, away from the relative discomfort of the computer screen.

Published every three months and packed with more than 90 full-color pages sandwiched between silky-smooth covers, it is a journal read by thousands and sent to over 80 countries all around the world (or across it, if you still believe the damn thing is flat).

A gaming mag of sorts, EON could be likened to a fanzine (since all of us who write for it are rabid EVE nutters), but it is also a souvenir: As events in and around New Eden fade into memory, and fall like grains of sand through the cracks of an ever-expanding forum, we toil like billy-ho to ensure our collective memory endures. Long after the EVE servers have been switched off (unlikely, we know) and far beyond the point where the internet has evolved into a semi-autonomous super-being that dictates our lives (already happened), EON will still be there, glistening on the shelf, waiting to be thumbed through. A bit like the ring that Gollum found, only not as wet – assuming global temperatures by that point don’t cause paper to spontaneously combust, in which case it might have to be kept soggy… though on the plus side, it will be unlikely to corrupt quite so spectacularly.

… erm…

… So, in a typical issue we feature the latest EVE news, community happenings, profiles of players, interviews with alliance leaders, reviews of ships, guides and chats with CCP personalities – not to mention previews of what’s ahead in terms of gameplay features and lots more besides. Admittedly some websites do news better, but can you read them on the crapper… without endangering your laptop? No, and because we’re immeasurably generous, we sometimes even give things away free to subscribers, like posters, charts and postcards… mostly papery stuff admittedly, but we did give away a DVD once, honest.

PLAYER GUIDES ↑ Some people play EVE waaay too much, but luckily their ceaseless dedication to the dark arts they excel at has the welcome aside that they amass a crapload of knowledge and experience, which is then passed on to those of us with less brain cells.

EVENTS ↑ Ah, where would we be without the annual Fanfest extravaganza? Back home with a steaming hot latte, probably. Curled up on the sofa with the respective issue of EON – which is happily the next best thing to being among all the ice (maidens) and cold (beer).

SHIP REVIEWS ↑ On hand to pass judgement on what to fly and what not to fly is EON’s very own testpilot, who every issue jumps aboard a class of ships to see if it can do what it was designed to, or anything that perhaps it wasn’t.

CHRONICLES ↑ The EVE universe is full of stories waiting to be told, and since we’d be waiting until the end of time for CCP to tell them all, it’s a good job there are plenty of talented storytellers among the EVE community to pick up the slack. And at least if you don’t like the stories, there are plenty of pretty pictures to look at.

PREVIEW FEATURES ↑ It’s all very well finding out what’s going on in the here and now, but EVE is constantly evolving (by intelligent game design, or so we’re lead to believe), so we make sure to find out what’s in store in the far, far future. We had the first picture of Trinity, Ambulation and of titans and the first details on Planetary Interaction, Faction Warfare and Heat. If EON was concerned with the future of Earth, we’d probably be the first to all the big scoops, but we’re not… which is probably just as well.