GDC Europe 09: Ambitious new online MMO/FPS hybrid detailed in keynote
CCP's Hilmar Veigar Petursson unveiled the studios's latest ambition at GDC Europe today - a new project called Dust 514 which bridges the gap between FPS and MMO audiences.
The game is an FPS for console - but one that is set in the EVE universe, and feeds back into the bigger space trading MMO on PC.
Explained Petursson: "It's our take on the console MMO - we looked hard at how people play in their living room and chose to make a specially made experience for that environment."
Players take he role of 'a gritty marine running around buying trucks and guns', living on planets in EVE Online.
The back story for the game is to be teased any explained in an upcoming EVE Online novel.
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The game is structured to merge a lot of strategy, MMO and FPS elements, and has interplay with EVE itself, said Petursson. Dust 'becomes an input' for the PC MMO gameworld and will 'dictate' the content of it, he explained.
He added that there is a big opportunity to get two usually different player audiences - FPS fans and MMO players to work together.
He said: "There are ways in which these communities will meld in time. Our hope is that alliances will start to form and we will have social structures that spills over from the console game to the PC one. Or you might be able to control parts of the universe with both games. So while one fleet does the flying , the troops do the dying."
The game is being developed at CCP's Shanghai studio, using the 'Enterprice Scrum' method.
"We are leveraging all of CCP's International infrastructure into this project," concluded Petursson, adding that more details would be given at EVE's Fanfest 2009 event, which takes place later this year.
It was not made clear for which console the game will be released, or if it will debut on both 360 and PS3.
Making Dust 514 a console only game is going to really mess things up. PC FPS gamers are going to be pissed (myself included). FPS's are meant for pc, you can't aim worth crap on a console.
So first they'll piss off the FPS crowd, then in 3 years when the next gen of consoles come out, the series is going to start seeing a decline in players because they'll be playing their fancy new console. That'll piss everyone off. EVE players will be mad cuz the fps players aren't helping their side of the game.
PC will live forever as a gaming medium, consoles last an average of 5 years. This is a very very bad move to make this console only.
Best thing to come out of CCP since Eve itself. This may very well revitalize any experiences which may be lacking in the game universe. Something that, in the minds of many players, has been a long overdue addition.
Thank you CCP for continuing to kick ass. You Rock.
