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New DUST dev diary has guns, lots of guns
There's a new DUST 514 dev diary video making the rounds, and this time the focus is on the title's guns. They fall into three categories (heavy, light, and sidearm), the first of which are restricted to mercs wearing heavy armor. As with DUST's dropsuits, weapons may be modified via add-ons and new skills in a similar manner to EVE Online's extensive spaceship fitting options. Producer Thomas Farrer, also known as CCP Wolfman, is your guide to the guns of New Eden, so join him after the break for the full clip.
CCP releases Welcome to New Eden video for DUST 514
CCP has released a new DUST 514-focused developer video. The clip is titled Welcome to New Eden, so if you're looking for any new tidbits about the upcoming sci-fi MMOFPS, you probably won't find them here. If you're a DUST newb, on the other hand, this one's for you, as it gives you a rundown on what sets the game apart from its legions of FPS competitors. In a nutshell, the difference-maker is EVE Online and the way that DUST integrates with a pre-existing game, economy, and playerbase on a scale that is basically unheard of. As producer Thomas Farrer puts it, "DUST is different pretty much by virtue of what it really is. DUST is a persistent FPS on PlayStation 3. Not only is it directly linked to EVE Online, a PC MMO, it's set directly within the EVE Online universe." Warp past the cut for a look at the full clip.
Innovating outwards: The joining of EVE Online with DUST 514
Even though the PC-using EVE Online and the PlayStation 3-playing DUST 514 gamers may be separated by platform boundaries, CCP fans in both worlds will be joined at the hip in an odd, first-of-its-kind symbiotic relationship when DUST 514 launches. It's an intriguing prospect, but fans are wondering just how CCP is going to pull it off and how the two games will interact in practice. DUST 514 producer Thomas Farrer sat down with Gamasutra to shed some light on the nitty-gritty details behind the auspicious plan. Farrer says that the buzz over DUST isn't as big as the team hoped, but he thinks this is due to the project taking a completely new angle on the industry: "Often, particularly in first-person games, games often look very inwards when it comes to how they are trying to innovate or move things forward. What we've tried to do is look more outwards." Farrer outlined how the two titles will share the same economy, corporate structure, and social features. He says that the already-constructed EVE Online universe was a boon to the team's plans, since the established setting provided a perfect backdrop to a persistent shooter MMO, and that the two teams are in constant contact with each other as the project goes forward. Of course, some computer players are put out that DUST 514 will be exclusive to the PS3, but Farrer acknowledges the slight possibility that it might not always be so: "Right now, we're pretty much just entirely focused on PlayStation. That's what we're going to remain focused on at least for the foreseeable future. But you know, who knows what happens in the future."
The MMO Report: Nerd-flu edition
In this week's MMO Report, Casey comes to us directly from E3 2011, where he verbally spars with a variety of game developers while battling off hunger, fatigue, and nerd-flu. Watch Casey's stats slowly dwindle as he confronts the many dangers of E3, such as overstimulation and the dreaded natural light. The first stop on Casey's E3 journey is an interview with Square Enix's Frank Fonseca, with whom he discusses the upcoming tactical MMORPG Wakfu. He gets a few details on the political system and discovers how tactical combat plays out in an MMO space. Next, he gets some face-time in with Producer Thomas Farrer and Creative Director Torfi Frans Olafsson from CCP, who tell Casey all about how the interplay between EVE Online and upcoming DUST 514 will work and why DUST 514 is different from other console shooters. From there he scurries off to En Masse's booth to have a chat with TERA's North American Producer Chris Hager, who discusses TERA's big political system reveal as well as the name of his potential political party. Last stop on the Casey-train is BioWare's booth, where Casey parleys with Star Wars: The Old Republic's Senior Live Producer Blaine Christine. Blaine gives Casey the low-down on Tatooine, the newly introduced player vehicles, and what players can expect in regard to The Old Republic's much-hyped story. For the full video, sadly lacking in the Uncle Casey's mailbag department, jump on past the cut.
E3 2011: DUST 514's realtime integration with EVE Online
During Monday's Sony conference, EVE Online developer CCP Games made an appearance to announce that the company's upcoming MMOFPS DUST 514 will be exclusive to the PlayStation 3. The ambitious title aims to link the world of ground troops fighting over planets to EVE Online's universe of spaceborne conflict. EVE players will be able to hire DUST mercenaries as part of an ongoing territorial war, the concept for which we got a glimpse of in both the E3 DUST 514 trailer and the previous A Future Vision trailer in March. When DUST 514 is released in spring 2012, PC-based ship pilots will be fighting for control of industrial infrastructure, planets, star systems, and whole regions of space alongside console-based ground troops. CCP's future vision for the virtual universe of New Eden is slowly starting to become a reality, and we can only hope that both games live up to their sizable potential. We caught up with CCP at E3 to find out the details on DUST 514's gameplay and how the DUST-EVE link will work. Skip past the cut for the incredibly juicy details on DUST 514's gameplay and how DUST mercenaries will interact with the EVE universe. Before reading on, be warned that a change of underwear may be required!
