CCP, the company behind the moderately successful space MMO EVE Online, today announced that their MMOFPS Dust 514 will be free to play on the Playstation 3, a first for console games. Dust 514 will share the persistant universe of EVE Online and will be able to interact with starship captains in real time after downloading the game for free via the PlayStation Network.
Private testing of Dust 514 began in December of last year and has been expanding organically since then – however the first demonstration of the game in public will occur on March 22-24 at the EVE Fanfest in Iceland.
“DUST 514 has everything you could want in a shooter: thrilling gameplay, spectacular graphics and an incredible strategic depth that comes from sharing the living universe of EVE Online,” said CCP CEO Hilmar Pétursson. “DUST 514 embodies the passion and creativity the world has come to expect from CCP, and we think PlayStation®3 owners will be amazed at the opportunity to play such a groundbreaking new game of this caliber for free.”
"As the first true free-to-play FPS on PS3™, Dust 514 signifies a big step forward in the evolution of console gaming," said Phil Rosenberg, SVP of Business Development, Sony Computer Entertainment America LLC. "PS3™is the only platform where players will experience a AAA game like this for free and showcases our commitment to deliver the best games exclusively on PlayStation Network."
DUST 514 is set to launch later this year – what do you think of this decision to go Free to Play? Will you be picking this up and jumping into the EVE universe? Let us know in the comments.
