FPS General

Earlier this morning, CCP officially took DUST 514 out of beta and released the game into the wild. The PlayStation 3 exclusive shooter has spent a lot of time in beta testing, so why take the game out of beta now?

Has anything really changed from beta to release? Let's take a look.

Last week, DUST 514 received the Uprising update which was the final step before today's launch. Gameplay updates included:

Gameplay

• New Overview Map and Spawn Screen UI.
• Players are invisible / cloaked upon spawn for a few seconds.
• New Kill Screen that shows who killed you and his/her statistics.
• Major improvement to the login flow. Time to merc quarter reduced from 4:30 seconds to 1:30 seconds on average.
• New character creation screen.
• Increased EVE Online integration.

Drop Suits

• New dropsuit roles and race/role-specific bonuses added:
• Minmatar: Scout, Assault, Logistics
• Amarr: Assault, Logistics, Sentinel
• Gallente: Scout, Assault, Logistics
• Caldari: Logistics, Assault, Scout

Vehicles

Brand new vehicles, including:

• Enforcer HAV
• Scout LAV
• Assault Dropship

The mechanics and accompanying skills have all been tweaked as well.

At the end of the day, the just has spoken and the verdict is clear; DUST 514 has truly arrived at a point where CCP can proudly call this a release client. The game feels completely different from our time spent in beta testing and that is exactly how it should be.

If you played the game in beta, we strongly encourage you to go back and give it another spin because this is not the same game that you played even a month ago. CCP has introduced a wealth of changes to bring this game from its lengthy spell in beta testing to proper release and it's worth a second look.

With CCP's Fanfest 2013 this year came many announcements for players worldwide, including a launch date for DUST 514. Indeed, fans were delighted to hear this weekend that the groundbreaking, free-to-play first-person-shooter launches May 14th on PlayStation 3, and players can join the war for galactic supremacy with the ease of a free download from the PSN.

“Reaching this point has required many years, hundreds of CCP employees, and the engagement of millions of players who contributed fantastic feedback during the beta process,” said Hilmar Veigar Pétursson, CEO of CCP. “Now we start the real journey, which, decades from now, we will look back on with astonishment at all we accomplished. The EVE Universe will outlive us all.”

DUST 514 brings intense infantry combat, large scale warfare and rich character advancement to the PS3 in a system-exclusive free-to-play persistent shooter set in, and integrated with, the massive universe of EVE Online. Wage war in the next generation of first person shooters, where your next victory could prove the crushing blow to a galactic empire of thousands of online gamers.

Stay tuned to our DUST 514 center for future DUST 514 discussion. We're busy rounding up all you want to know about this year's Fanfest, so be sure to visit http://www.curse.com/tag/eve-fanfest-2013 to stay on top of coverage.  

 This post originally published on DUST514.org on Monday, January 14th.

The Dust 514 open beta begins on 22nd January 2013, CCP Games has announced. Everyone to download Dust 514 first-person shooter and play for free on their PS3 from that day. The news comes a few days after CCP merged Dust 514 Eve Online.

"The launch of the Dust 514 Open Beta is another step towards our long-term vision for CCP and Eve," said CCP boss Hilmar Veigar Pétursson. "But this is just the beginning. As we have done with Eve Online, in the coming weeks, and for years to come, we will continually improve upon and add to the Dust 514 experience, as well as add deeper integration between the two games and their communities."

Meanwhile, CCP confirmed that those in the closed beta will face no further character resets, so all play from now on counts. Those not in the closed beta can get a head start before the open beta begins through the Dust 514 Mercenary Park, which you can buy now from the PlayStation Store. 

In addition, anyone who plays a match before 22nd January gets a 100,000 Skill Point bonus to use in the open beta.

I played EVE on and off for nearly a decade so it’s reasonable to assume that I’m pretty excited for DUST 514. Or at least I was...at some point during 2012 I got sidetracked and stopped following the development of the game. Maybe it was my workload or maybe it was evolving tastes, but if I really had to, I would say that I lost interest somewhere around the time when it was announced as a PS3 exclusive. For starters, I didn’t have a PS3 at the time and secondly I just couldn't wrap my head around how a game with aspirations of major MMO integration could accomplish what it wanted to do on a console.

But in a few days the DUST beta will merge with EVE online’s servers, so I figured it was time to give it a shot. I purchased the mercenary pack and downloaded the game on PlayStation Network. By the time I reached the character creation screen I was already pleasantly surprised, they had kept some of the most hardcore facets of the MMO such as skillpoints, ISK and races. After much deliberation I opted to play as a Caldari Civire, a capitalistic and conventional soldier. I was eager to see how EVE’s almost limitless character appearance customization would fair in the switch to the PS3. But to my surprise instead of plethora of morphable attributes I was left to choose between four different avatars selectable by any race.

I was slightly miffed, but that didn’t last long as I was greeted with a loadout editor and an almost fully realized suite of menu options. Things like skillpoint queues, marketplaces tabs and even in depth load out editors reminiscent of ship loadouts in EVE. After I was sufficiently satisfied with my skill point placement and loadout I headed into the game to be immersed in the chaos of battle.

About an hour later I was back at my computer browsing Reddit and procrastinating about my next video. That's as long as I lasted, just an hour.

While the game is still in beta and I don’t want to condemn it just yet, I will say that my personal opinion is that DUST 514 was an idea with a lot of potential that has been partially, if not entirely, lost in translation. It’s free to play so you should definitely experience it for yourself, however I wish you the best of luck in overcoming the control scheme, the frame rate, aiming, limited weapon selection, a lack of map diversity and an inevitably short lifespan due to the impending death of this console generation.

So I will stop backhandedly complaining and cut to the point. DUST 514 should be a PC exclusive and should furthermore reside within the EVE client. Period.

Update: The winner has been chosen! By random number generation, with bonus points for sheer awesomeness, BeauEnnui is walking away with 15 billion ISK! Congratulations, Beau, don't spend it all in one place. 

FPS General is giving away a massive amount of in-game currency for all of you EVE Online fans - wait, EVE Online? Isn't this a shooter blog...didn't I click...

Okay, before you get too worried about why we're talking about an MMO on an FPS blog, here's the deal; FPS General is giving away an absolute smorgasbord of EVE Online currency - known as Interstellar Kredits or, simply, ISK. Now, you know us. When we host giveaways, we host giveaways. That's why we're giving away 15,000,000,000 ISK. That's 15 billion in-game dollars. Not million, but billion. Three extra 0's on the end there.

If you haven't played EVE Online, winning 15 billion ISK would be a great way to get yourself started. This is easily one of the most popular and durable MMO's, allowing players to build their own massive empire in space, buying ships and making the choice to subjugate everyone you come in contact with or to set up strategic alliances with established corporations. EVE Online is a massive offering and even more so when you remember that it has a sister game; DUST 514, the PlayStation 3-exclusive first-person shooter. DUST and EVE players can work together, with both games being hosted on the same core servers, allowing some really fascinating interaction across the games. EVE players can issue contracts to DUST 514 soldiers and will actually be responsible for coordinating air strikes (that will take place in DUST 514) to help the DUST mercenary get their job done.

For the EVE player, 15 billion ISK will go a long way towards building your empire and getting yourself in a position where you can begin to offer DUST 514 players various contracts, assigning them missions to help further your galactic power.

All you have to do to be eligible to win is:

• Like the video on YouTube.
• Subscribe to FPS General for great shooter content and giveaways every day.
• Visit the forums and tell us why you should win!

Good luck!

CCP, the studio working on EVE Online and its sister game, first-person shooter DUST 514, has announced an awesome partnership with PlayStation Universe, giving players a chance to win some epic DUST 514 gear.

Some of the prizes include DUST 514-themed mousepad, posters and t-shirts. To be eligible to win, all you have to do is submit your best piece of user-created content from the DUST 514 world. They're looking for videos, images, fan art and things of that nature.

Some of the examples of what you can submit, include:

• BEST DUST 514 MOMENT: Pull off the impossible head shot? Take out a Dropship with on shot? Risk life and limb to heal a teammate? Share your best DUST 514 moments in less than 154 words.
• DUST 514 FAN ART: If you are artistically inspired by the action, the assaults and the aesthetic of DUST 514 then please submit your DUST 514 fan art. All mediums will be considered so go wild.
• MEME: If you find humour and irony in the skirmishes of DUST 514 then express it with a user created, DUST 514 meme!

The contest runs from now until midnight on November 14th, 2012 so head on over to http://www.psu.com/ and submit your work. Winners will be chosen shortly after the contest closes on November 14th, so don't hesitate if you have some awesome DUST 514 content in mind.

Preparing yourself for a life as a galactic mercenary is no walk in the park. Selling your services as a soldier of fortune can be a great way to turn a profit, and a greater way to cut your lifespan in half. Equipping yourself with the right mentality and gear will ensure you live a long and prosperous life of taking other people's long and prosperous lives.

In DUST 514, that's exactly what youre going to do. Currently in-development by EVE Online studio, CCP, DUST 514 is moving along smoothly in closed beta. The PlayStation 3-exclusive shooter is a lot of fun and packs a hell of a punch for a free-to-play game.

In the latest video for the game, CCP runs us through everything you need to know to get started in DUST 514, from Dropsuit Fittings to matchmaking options. If you're invited into the beta, this video will prepare you for the experiences that await you.

Check out http://www.dust514.org/ for more information on DUST 514!

DUST 514 is tearing it up on PlayStation Network, currently in closed beta but expanding rapidly. So rapidly, in fact, that we're just handing out beta keys for free. If you've been waiting for a chance to get your hands on DUST 514, your time has come!

In DUST 514, players can be a part of the EVE Online game world without ever stepping foot into an interstellar board room. CCP, the studio behind both games, have merged the two game worlds in a way that, quite frankly, we've never seen done before. Players in EVE Online will be able to directly interact with the mercenaries in DUST 514 on PlayStation 3 (exclusively on PlayStation 3) in a multitude of ways, most notably with the Orbital Bombardment mechanic.

This mechanic will ultimately allow players in DUST to call in air strikes and support from warships in EVE Online. So, EVE players on PC will be able to directly interact with battles raging on the planets below them, delivering aerial strikes to coordinates marked by DUST players on PlayStation 3. We had a nice, in-depth chat with David Reid, CCP's Chief Marketing Officer. Be sure to give that a read for more information on the EVE Online - DUST 514 integration.

Entering our beta key giveaway is literally as easy as filling out your information and clicking a button. No gimmicks, no strings attached. Grab your beta key and join us on the battlefield!

Grab your key today at http://www.curse.com/digital-giveaways/dust-514-ps3!

Please note that these keys are region-locked to United States PlayStation 3 users.

CCP has announced this morning that PlayStation Plus members will be able to get their hands on the DUST 514 closed beta, as the studio begins to expand the test phase of their upcoming first-person shooter.

DUST 514 is, of course, memorable for not only being a free to play shooter on PlayStation 3 with AAA-quality graphics and mechanics, but for its unique connection to the world of EVE Online. CCP is the developer of both games, and even though they support separate platforms, the two game worlds are going to be directly connected in a multitude of ways. This ranges from things like in-game mail to full orbital strikes sent in by EVE Players to support DUST 514 mercenaries on their battlefield. Check out our interview with CCP's David Reid for more information on how DUST and EVE coincide.

As CCP begins to offer their game to a wider range of players, the team is opening the beta test to PlayStation Plus subscribers. This offer will run from today through September 4th, giving PlayStation Plus users a chance to get some exclusive time with the game as it is only available to players who purchase the Mercenary Pack and folks who were lucky enough to get invited by CCP.

On top of the new PlayStation Plus users who will be coming on board, CCP is releasing the much-anticipated Precursor update for the game, bringing a ton of new features and integrating DUST 514 and EVE Online for the first time through in-game mail and communications.

Check out some brand new screenshots in the gallery below!

Earlier this week, we had the chance to sit down with CCP's Chief Marketing Officer, David Reid, to chat about the upcoming Precursor update for DUST 514.

The Precursor update was revealed this morning and we are really looking forward to getting our hands on these changes in closed beta.

In the interview, David and I chat about the Precursor update including whether or not mouse and keyboard users will have an advantage over standard controller users, how Orbital Strikes will work if you don't have friends in the EVE universe, how the PlayStation Vita app will support DUST 514 and so much more. 

The full interview can be found below, use the navigation at the bottom and the left margin to read the full interview!

So, for anyone that might not be familiar, can you share a little bit about yourself and what you do at CCP?

Absolutely. I’m David Reid, I’m the Chief Marketing Officer here at CCP. I’m based in California, and run all of the marketing, sales and PR for CCP globally.

Okay, awesome. So, you guys just announced a pretty big update. Can you talk a little bit about that update, the Precursor Update?

Absolutely, Precursor is a huge step forward for us with DUST 514. We are, you know, marching forward towards open beta and then launch. Precursor adds a lot of functionality now. For people who have been in the beta up until now, they’ll recognize a lot of different stuff.

We expect that Precursor will actually - the actual target launch date is August 21st, it may go out a little earlier than that just depending on how things go with the actual migration. So, it’s not exactly next week for what it’s worth, but the 2st is the target launch date.

The primary thing going on here, among many features that are being added, the biggest moment for us at CCP is we actually are - for the first time, now - linking the EVE Online and the DUST universe. They’re being done on what you’re Curse audience will likely, some of them who are EVE players, will recognize the name of our Singularity or our CC Server. It’s sort of akin to the Public Test Server that many MMO’s have, where features and code that is going into its final testing stages goes into that public environment. So, we’re using CC right now to connect everything going on with DUST 514 on the PlayStation 3 to the EVE Online audience who is playing on the CC Singularity server there.

Keep reading for more on DUST 514 with CCP's David Reid!

DUST 514 Executive Producer, Brandon Laurino, has issued a brand new Producer's letter detailing some really exciting changes coming to CCP's DUST 514 in the coming weeks. If you're not familiar with DUST, this is a free to play first-person shooter exclusive to the PlayStation 3 that exists in the same game world as EVE Online.

The Precursor update is CCP's next big step on the road to open beta and, ultimately, launch. This update is huge in several ways but, most prominently, it is going to be the first time that DUST 514 players can interact directly with EVE Online players on PC/MAC. CCP is rolling things out in a very staged manner, not wanting to overload players with new features and new levels of social connectivity to the EVE universe.

To get things going, players will be able to chat directly with EVE Online players from within DUST and send in-game mail between the two games. CCP is also introducing the framework for the highly-anticipated Orbital Strike mechanic that will actually let DUST 514 players request air support from EVE Online players in real-time. The framework is being laid down in the Precursor update, as players will only be able to request Orbital Strike's from an AI-controlled War Barge rather than actual EVE players.

The interactivity between EVE players and DUST mercenaries is just the tip of the iceberg with the Precursor update, so click Keep Reading below to learn more about the Instant Battle matchmaking, PlayStation Vita companion app and so much more!

While the world waits for that coveted DUST 514 beta access email to come through, CCP and Sony are offering you a much easier way to guarantee yourself beta access, but it's going to run you $20.00.

Starting today, players can purchase the Mercenary Pack which will give them a host of DUST 514 in-game goodies, but most importantly, you will be getting guaranteed access to all of DUST 514's beta events - the first of which, conveniently, starts this Thursday, June 28th. Along with beta access, players are going to get a bunch of in-game currency and exclusive items. As CCP puts it, the Mercenary Pack 'provides players an arsenal of gear, game currency and a booster to expand their opportunities on the battlefield.'

All told, the items you'll be getting in exchange for your $20.00 include...

DUST 514 is CCP's ambitious, free to play shooter coming exclusive to the PlayStation 3 in the near future. The team was on hand showing off both EVE Online and the aforementioned shooter that shares the same game world.

Above, you can check out a preview of what to expect in DUST 514, with footage taken from the game's ongoing beta test phase. We're more than a little excited for DUST 514, and it was great to see the game in action at E3. DUST is a gorgeous game and CCP is a developer that we trust to do the absolute best job possible in merging the game worlds of EVE Online and DUST 514.

Players who have been waiting for a chance to get their hands on CCP's upcoming first-person shooter DUST 514 may soon be in luck!

CCP has officially opened up registration for closed beta over at http://www.dust514.com/. Closed beta invites will be prioritized by EVE Online players and folks who attended EVE Fanfest earlier this year in Iceland. After those invites have been dished out, CCP will begin inviting standard DUST 514 players - those players who do not meet the early invite requirements.

Keep an eye on your inbox in the coming weeks, but make sure to register at http://www.dust514.com/ to be eligible for a beta invite!

DUST 514 is the upcoming first-person shooter from CCP, the studio behind the super successful MMO EVE Online. The game actually shares its game world with DUST 514, so right off the bat, DUST ends up with this really dynamic game environment as decisions made by player-owned space corporation in EVE Online affect the game world of DUST 514.

The only thing in DUST 514 that really stays the same is the landscape. The terrain that you will fight on is more or less the same each time you log on to play, but outside of that, it's pretty much fair game. Structures will change, however, based on what is needed for that district to thrive.

DUST 514 Community Manager CCP CmdrWang has posted a blog update on the official official PlayStation Blog, detailing how this sort of dynamic atmosphere was created in the game, and what types of variables determine what you'll encounter when you log in each time...