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PSN Tuesday: Ni No Kuni, The Cave, Dust 514 open beta
This week's PSN content dump is live, headlined by Studio Ghibli and Level-5's joint JRPG, Ni No Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch. The other big new game is Double Fine Production's The Cave, the adventure game helmed by none other than iconic video game designer Ron Gilbert.Today also kicks off the open beta for Dust 514, the massively-multiplayer online shooter from CCP Games. PS Plus subscribers have a slew of discounts to consider, like NiGHTS into Dreams, The Unfinished Swan, Psychonauts and more. The full list of this week's content can be found over on the PlayStation Blog.
EVE Evolved: Merging EVE with DUST 514
When console MMOFPS DUST 514 was first announced, players were cautious of the game's ambitious goals. Developers promised that DUST battles would decide the ownership of planets inside PC MMO EVE Online, and that this would tie into system sovereignty and ultimately ownership of entire regions of space. We expected the two games to have separate communities and economies that would interact only when EVE players hired DUST mercenaries to take over sectors of particular planets, but we couldn't have been more wrong. Two years later, CCP blew our expectations out of the water with details of how DUST and EVE will be practically joined at the hip. We learned that the two games would share the exact same corporations and that ISK would be transferable between games. We also got a glimpse of the incredible plans for realtime integration, with EVE ships able to deliver air strikes to planets and DUST players able to shoot down ships in orbit with ground cannon. But have those ambitious goals stayed in focus during development, and what can we expect from DUST when it launches early next year? In this week's EVE Evolved opinion piece, I look through the public information on DUST 514's launch integration with EVE Online and speculate on how the link may evolve after release.
CCP's DUST 514 will stay in closed beta into 2013
CCP's DUST 514, the console shooter that connects to and extends the scope of EVE Online, is staying in closed beta at least through the end of the year. During a recent media and developer play session, Chief Marketing Officer David Reid mentioned that while the team doesn't yet have a start date for open beta, he's "confident that it won't be much longer after year end." Reid stated that the team wants to take its time with the beta. Nobody has ever really attempted this sort of connection between a console game and long-standing PC MMO before, and Reid says that the testing process will take time to ensure the kind of quality that CCP and fans expect of the game. This is, of course, terrible news for anyone who isn't a PlayStation Plus member (and is therefore unable to access the closed beta), since we all know that the world is going to end in late December. CCP's belief that the world will persist long enough for DUST 514 to go into open beta is noble, if ultimately foolish.
The Firing Line: DUST 514 beta impressions
I haven't played DUST 514's beta in a while, so I figured that this week's installment of The Firing Line was a good excuse to give it another go. As for first impressions, my initial session some months back wasn't worth writing about (plus there was that pesky NDA thing). It was also quite a short session that I've basically forgotten, so my intent today is to jot down some proper thoughts about CCP's new EVE-inspired shooter based on a solid evening of uninterrupted playtime.
PlayStation Plus members invited to DUST 514's 'precursor' release
If you're a DUST 514 fan and a PlayStation Plus member, we've got good news for you. CCP is hosting an exclusive closed beta event for subscribers from August 21st through September 4th. This latest testing phase marks what CCP is calling the "precursor" release for its sci-fi shooter sandbox. It features the first live server integration of DUST and its sister MMO EVE Online, and players will get to see CCP's orbital strike framework, instant battle matchmaking, and new environments. Those of you who prefer your shooters with a keyboard and mouse should be happy to note that the latest testing phase offers you the option to put down the PS3 controller and use your favorite peripherals. Finally, if you're not a PlayStation Plus member and you've yet to get a closed beta invite for DUST 514, fear not! You can purchase CCP's Mercenary Pack and receive unlimited testing access, in-game currency, skill boosts, and exclusive gear. [Source: CCP press release]
Get DUST 514 beta access with CCP's new Mercenary Pack
If you're on the fence about DUST 514, CCP has just announced a new early adopter package that may push you over the edge. It's called the Mercenary Pack, and it features in-game gear, currency, a booster, and some exclusive armor and weapons. Oh, there's an all-access closed beta pass included too. The game's first official beta event starts this Thursday, June 28th. CCP plans to run beta events every other weekend, but Mercenary Pack customers can jump into New Eden on off-weekends as well. The pack will set you back $19.99; it's available via the PlayStation Network. Click past the cut for a full listing of goodies as well as an image of the exclusive Dragonfly scout dropsuit. [Source: CCP press release]
Redeem your EVE Fanfest code for DUST 514 beta access
CCP is being rather selective with its invites to DUST 514's ongoing beta test. That said, if you attended Fanfest 2012 last month, you can now redeem a closed beta voucher code and get on with the sci-fi sandbox fragging. You'll need one of the code cards given out at Fanfest, and you'll need to enter the numbers on the new redeem page at the DUST 514 website. Once you've done so, you'll be placed in a queue to receive your actual beta code via email. CCP says it will begin sending out said codes "very soon, hopefully as early as the week of May 7, 2012."
DUST 514 beta starts in April, gameplay video released at GDC
CCP has been incredibly coy about public testing for its DUST 514 MMOFPS, but last night the company revealed an upcoming April beta window in an exclusive interview with Gametrailers. CEO Hilmar Petursson and CMO David Reid both gave the website a few interesting soundbytes as well as some long looks at DUST gameplay over the course of the eight-minute clip. DUST isn't intended as an EVE Online replacement, nor does CCP expect huge numbers of EVE capsuleers to play the new shooter concurrently with its flying-in-space sandbox MMO. "It is really about providing this new gateway into the EVE universe for all the people who have been intrigued by it," Petursson said. "In April we'll open up the beta test we've been running since December of last year," he revealed. Be sure to check out the full clip after the cut.
