With the announcement out of GamesCom a couple of days ago, EVE Online players have been buzzing. The new project revealed by CCP, DUST 514, seems like one of the most ambitious things we've heard in some time. Not only are CCP intending to build a completely new MMO strictly for the console, but they're tying that MMO into their other property. Unbalancing EVE Online could upset a great deal of hardcore followers and result in a very large loss of revenue for their company. That said, if they are able to pull it off, without a doubt we'll be witnessing a fairly large evolution of the genre. Companies will likely stop trying to figure out how to shoehorn extant MMOs on consoles (where they have patching issues thus making it prohibitive) and perhaps look into making separate but complimentary MMOs that can play well together instead.
Now having said that, the question is how many MMO players will likely make the jump into an FPS environment on a console to play in the EVE Online IP? As much as I personally tend to suck at FPS games (ask anyone who has played L4D with me, seriously) I really love EVE and have to admit I'm looking forward to playing DUST 514. Truthfully, my little industrial corp really won't likely ever be hiring DUST mercs to protect Sovereign space (we'd have to get some first). But the idea of playing on the planet as a gateway to building connections with a corp and making some ISK sounds like tons of fun. Especially as I have a lot of FPS-fiend friends that I could likely talk into playing with me.
What do you think? Do you think MMO players and FPS players can successfully play together? Is there enough crossover? Will FPS players care, or will it be purely about the ISK, with the highest bidder getting the best players? Are you looking forward to (or dreading) the ramifications of DUST 514 when it comes to control in your corp's Sovereign space? Or are you one of the folks like me who is in a corp that doesn't have Sov, and thinks this could be a fun way to potentially make some ISK - and connections - from the couch while enjoying a nice change of pace? For those of you of a more sinister bent, are you already targeting which corps you plan to merc out as a DUST soldier and then screw over? The questions are myriad - so we'd love to hear from you! Will you be checking DUST 514?
Reader Comments (53)
Posted: Aug 20th 2009 8:20AM Crackbone said
Alot of the whining going on is typical. Personally, I'm all about CCP having the balls to try this, as we all know innovation in this market is few and far between.
I'll be picking it up on day 1.
I'll be picking it up on day 1.
Posted: Aug 20th 2009 8:25AM (Unverified) said
I can't wait to see how this pans out. At first I was a little nervous and skeptical but then I remembered that CCP isn't like other developers or publishers that start meetings of with "what will sell the best" as a mind set. I believe CCP developers start out every meeting with "You know what would be totally bad@ss! These guys love the world they've built and I can't wait to see where they take it. I just don't like that I'm going to go buy a new XBOX ( I gave 'em up for good after my 3rd RedRing o' Death or so I thought).
Posted: Aug 20th 2009 8:28AM Dirame said
Just pick up a PS3 slim version that is if the game is coming out on the PS3 anyway. I'm definitely going to pick it up, I also slightly suck at console FPSs because of the slow controls but when I get into it with little to no lag, I could go on a roll. Will definitely be picking up some DUST.
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Posted: Aug 20th 2009 8:31AM (Unverified) said
I guess i will be checking it out becasue i am curious. But i am not a real "first person shooter" guy so.... i think its only a look and see for me...
The concept of this addition to the world of EvE-Online is however great and shows (again) how games of today evolve in games of tomorrow!
The concept of this addition to the world of EvE-Online is however great and shows (again) how games of today evolve in games of tomorrow!
Posted: Aug 20th 2009 8:28AM (Unverified) said
I want to see what the pricing model is but even if its another 15 dollars a month I just won't get that second account. But if its 15 dollars a month it better be a deep and complex experience like eve is. Id like other things to do than just shoot people as well.
Posted: Aug 20th 2009 8:29AM Miffy said
Only if they release it for PC.
Posted: Aug 20th 2009 10:33PM Kamokazi said
Agreed. No FPS will make me go out and pick up a console....FPS on console=shit. I only got a Wii for SSBB.
I think CCP is missing out on drawing in the more mature hardcore shooter crowd on PCs that wouldn't touch a MMO, and they're going to be targeting a lot of relative children who will clash horribly with the EVE playerbase.
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I think CCP is missing out on drawing in the more mature hardcore shooter crowd on PCs that wouldn't touch a MMO, and they're going to be targeting a lot of relative children who will clash horribly with the EVE playerbase.
Posted: Aug 20th 2009 8:54AM (Unverified) said
Hell I'd try it just to see how the mechanics work out. As a kid I used to (try) and play those hardcore fighter flight and tank simulators (the ones were it took weeks to learn how to take off) and always thought how great it would be to play against teams of people online, but with air and ground support combined and trying to co-ordinate. I know it wont work like that but it will be interesting to see how it all fits together, even if the battles never effect each other.
But why on earth not port it to PC - OK do the consoles first to get that bit of the market, but the hardwork is done then (relativly speaking) And it costs a lot to develop for consoles, so I wouldn't get your hopes up of it being TOO indepth, but hell, not every aspect of a game has to be deep. I doubt they can afford to alienate the T-bagging crowd on Xlive.
But the console only part...that part of it is ... worrying to be honest.
Posted: Aug 20th 2009 8:41AM GRT said
What leads you to believe its going to be an MMO? From what I've read, it won't be. It'll be like every other FPS on console, only rather than just jump into a random 'match', the match you jump into will have some bearing on EVE (which is cool, don't get me wrong).
I can't imagine they'd think they could get away with a subscription fee when they're essentially competing against Halo and Gears of War.
I can't imagine they'd think they could get away with a subscription fee when they're essentially competing against Halo and Gears of War.
Posted: Aug 20th 2009 8:55AM Krystalle Voecks said
If you watch the presentation video for DUST, the first thing Hilmar Petursson says is that DUST is their take on "a console MMO". He also refers to it as playing in a "massive world taking place on the planets of EVE Online". Further, the diagram they use indicates that it's a console/FPS/RTS/MMO set in EVE.
So, that's where I'm taking that.
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So, that's where I'm taking that.
Posted: Aug 20th 2009 9:15AM GRT said
Hmm, what I was going by was a thread posted in the comments section of a Fidgit (http://fidgit.com/archives/2009/08/console_add-on_announced_for_s.php) article, but the thread link, which worked yesterday, is now a 404 (http://www.eveonline.com/ingameboard.asp?a=topic&threadID=1153056)
So maybe it was a fake or something, and so was removed. It was supposed to be an interview translated from German, and in it, the CCP rep said matches were going to be typically FPS-sized, not massive.
We'll see, I guess!
What's MORE interesting that people seem to be glossing over is...the planets. before DUST can launch, CCP has to add the whole planetary ownership expansion to EVE, and that sounds pretty exciting.
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So maybe it was a fake or something, and so was removed. It was supposed to be an interview translated from German, and in it, the CCP rep said matches were going to be typically FPS-sized, not massive.
We'll see, I guess!
What's MORE interesting that people seem to be glossing over is...the planets. before DUST can launch, CCP has to add the whole planetary ownership expansion to EVE, and that sounds pretty exciting.
Posted: Aug 20th 2009 9:48AM Krystalle Voecks said
Hmm. I didn't see that thread, so it's entirely possible you're correct. Been a bit busy with work the last couple of days. ;)
That said, the forums are down while Tranquility is being patched, so that's why you're getting a 404 on the URL right now. They're all tied together.
I'll have to check it out once they're back up. Even if it is more of a lobbied-type MMO, MAG has opened up the option for a heck of a lot of people on one battlefield.
I'd also note that PlanetSide players are proof that a (semi)persistent FPS MMO can work. (Seriously, I can't count how many times we've heard "please give us something like PlanetSide, only with better graphics, crafting, etc." from people.)
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That said, the forums are down while Tranquility is being patched, so that's why you're getting a 404 on the URL right now. They're all tied together.
I'll have to check it out once they're back up. Even if it is more of a lobbied-type MMO, MAG has opened up the option for a heck of a lot of people on one battlefield.
I'd also note that PlanetSide players are proof that a (semi)persistent FPS MMO can work. (Seriously, I can't count how many times we've heard "please give us something like PlanetSide, only with better graphics, crafting, etc." from people.)
Posted: Aug 20th 2009 4:45PM GRT said
Here's what I read (the thread is back):
K: The game isn't a sole shooter, but from the announcement also a MMO. How massive will be your multiplayer, how many people can take part in one skirmish?
CCP: If we take how many people can take part in one skirmish, I wouldn't call it MMO. We rather take the huge world of Eve Online in which the game takes place, and where many people account for. I can't tell at the moment how many players can take part in one fight. For one this is limited by the hardware but also which team sizes make sense and how the maps will look like etc.
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I guess you could interpret that a could of ways...
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K: The game isn't a sole shooter, but from the announcement also a MMO. How massive will be your multiplayer, how many people can take part in one skirmish?
CCP: If we take how many people can take part in one skirmish, I wouldn't call it MMO. We rather take the huge world of Eve Online in which the game takes place, and where many people account for. I can't tell at the moment how many players can take part in one fight. For one this is limited by the hardware but also which team sizes make sense and how the maps will look like etc.
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I guess you could interpret that a could of ways...
Posted: Aug 20th 2009 8:47AM GaaaaaH said
I'll be getting it provided it comes out o 360 (so i don't need another console).
Most of the whining has been overreacting. I doubt that DUST will be as much of an impact on Sov as the forum trolls believe.
Most of the whining has been overreacting. I doubt that DUST will be as much of an impact on Sov as the forum trolls believe.
Posted: Aug 20th 2009 8:47AM (Unverified) said
If they release it for the PC, I'm there.
I love that CCP has the guts to try something like this; the MMO industry is so stale right now - very few companies try to do anything aside from ape WoW. Can't wait for the innovation!
I love that CCP has the guts to try something like this; the MMO industry is so stale right now - very few companies try to do anything aside from ape WoW. Can't wait for the innovation!
Posted: Aug 20th 2009 8:53AM Jhaer said
We need more details, of course, but my interest is officially piqued. Its not on my "must buy" list yet, but its definitely on my "must keep an eye on" list.
Posted: Aug 20th 2009 9:00AM (Unverified) said
I will definitely be picking up a couple copies. At first I was really disappointed that it was console only but then I realized what better way for us EVE players to bring more players to EVE Online. If we show that we are willing to try out a console game with our friends maybe they would be more willing to try out the computer game for EVE.
Also many people have complained about EVE using their subscription money for the last 3 years to work on something they would never want. I think of it as an investment in the market and if they do a good job with DUST 514 the dividends for us initial investors will be greatly increased.
Think about the player base for consoles... it is huge. So if they used 1/4 of their money on DUST for 3 years and their subscription base triples (300,000 to 1 million) that means they will have (3/4 * 3 = 9/4) a little over twice as much money to spend on EVE Online from DUST 514 on. I know that CCP loves their original EVE Online fanbase so I'm assuming once DUST 514 comes out they will use that money to pour back into EVE Online. Think of it as your parents putting money aside for you when you are young. You really want that candy, expensive bicycle, or gaming console but when you are in high school and they buy your a really nice car you will not regret not having those things when you were younger.
Connecting people who aren't normally connected is always a good thing as well so I am all for this game and will support it anyway I can.
Also many people have complained about EVE using their subscription money for the last 3 years to work on something they would never want. I think of it as an investment in the market and if they do a good job with DUST 514 the dividends for us initial investors will be greatly increased.
Think about the player base for consoles... it is huge. So if they used 1/4 of their money on DUST for 3 years and their subscription base triples (300,000 to 1 million) that means they will have (3/4 * 3 = 9/4) a little over twice as much money to spend on EVE Online from DUST 514 on. I know that CCP loves their original EVE Online fanbase so I'm assuming once DUST 514 comes out they will use that money to pour back into EVE Online. Think of it as your parents putting money aside for you when you are young. You really want that candy, expensive bicycle, or gaming console but when you are in high school and they buy your a really nice car you will not regret not having those things when you were younger.
Connecting people who aren't normally connected is always a good thing as well so I am all for this game and will support it anyway I can.
Posted: Aug 20th 2009 9:19AM mackswift said
I remember years ago that Jane's Flight Simulations and the Tom Clancy games were going to do something like this; a persistent, online MMO that can interconnect with all its games. The Jane's effort got shuttered after EA shut down the studio, and I don't recall what happened to the Clancy version.
Honestly, I've been waiting for this for a while. The MMO genre needs to take it up a notch, and grow into this type persistent, interconnected gameplay. Imagine a Supreme Commander type RTS where a player takes a planet over for the EVE player that took over the system while an FPS commando squad takes over and raids the various space stations, mining asteroids, and ships.
Honestly, I've been waiting for this for a while. The MMO genre needs to take it up a notch, and grow into this type persistent, interconnected gameplay. Imagine a Supreme Commander type RTS where a player takes a planet over for the EVE player that took over the system while an FPS commando squad takes over and raids the various space stations, mining asteroids, and ships.
Posted: Aug 21st 2009 7:31AM HackJack said
I've "sketched" this kind of genre 9 years ago but since I was only 11 I couldn't do much for the actual development. I was really amazed that no one could think of a new genre that would combine all the other for the ultimate experience.
Actually this is STILL inferior to what I thought back then! It's so good to be a game designer with no funds Y_Y
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Actually this is STILL inferior to what I thought back then! It's so good to be a game designer with no funds Y_Y








