GDC 2012: CCP talks DUST 514 PC possibilities and World of Darkness development

GDC 2012 is now in full swing, and today we had the chance to sit down with CCP's Hilmar Petursson, Halldor Fannar, and David Reid to chat about the studio's upcoming FPS title, DUST 514. When asked about the studio's primary goal with DUST 514, the team had a simple reply: Make the best AAA free-to-play shooter possible. But is it coming to the PC?

While many EVE Online players aren't thrilled with DUST 514's PlayStation 3 exclusivity, there may be hope for a PC release yet. And while the devs weren't ready to make any official statements on the spot, a bit of wink-nudging indicates that a PC release may still be in the cards. As the devs note, mouse and keyboard controls are already supported in the PS3 version of the title. "I wonder why we did that," Hilmar joked during the interview.

We also had the opportunity to ask about the various ways EVE Online will tie in to DUST 514. Most players are already familiar with many of these aspects, such as a shared economy between the two games. The devs, once again, weren't ready to officially comment, but they did mention that the prospect of EVE Online players' being able to spectate ground battles as they took place is "a really intriguing idea." The studio elaborated by saying the connections between EVE and DUST will be added to the game over time. Players of both games will share the same market and the same currency, ISK, as well as a mail system, voice chat, and text chat. The contract system, which involves the players' hiring of infantry in EVE to fight for them in DUST, will ensure that EVE and DUST's economies influence one another while still allowing CCP a modicum of control over the economic balance between the two. Of course, players should certainly expect more interaction between the two titles to be added in the game's future.

DUST 514 players on the go won't be left out in the cold, either. The studio is planning to release companion apps for the game, which will allow players to perform tasks such as browse the market, purchase items, and customize characters.

We didn't let CCP escape without snagging a couple of nuggets about EVE and World of Darkness. As far as EVE is concerned, CCP's development focus this year is on "flying in space" (contrasted with "walking in stations"). World of Darkness, meanwhile, is not on hold as rumored. In fact, a "rather large" team of 60 devs is focused on bringing the World of Darkness to light.

We'll close on a hopeful note: Players who are eager to get their hands on DUST 514 won't have to wait much longer. The studio plans to reveal more details about the game's upcoming closed beta at the EVE Online Fanfest later this month (the closed beta for CCP employees is already underway). So keep your guns close, space cowboys; the universe is about to get a little bigger.

[After this article's original publication, CCP contacted us to make a few corrections pertaining to the relationship between EVE and DUST as well as closed beta. The article has been updated accordingly.]

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