Yesterday, CPP games brought the ambitious, free-to-play, MMO FPS DUST 514 out of beta testing and into the ‘real world’ as it officially launched on the PlayStation Network, sucessfully connecting PlayStation 3 gamers with the world of EVE Online, launched 10 years ago, on the PC.

“We set out to create something so ambitious and so crazy that we as gung-ho Vikings, had no choice but to make work,” wrote creative director “CCP Praetorian” on the PlayStation Blog. “We sought to expand the EVE Universe from the stars to the planetary surfaces by creating an intense FPS on console and linking it to the largest single-shard PC-based MMO in history. Not only did we want to link DUST 514 to EVE, we wanted a ramped-up level of interaction where DUST mercs communicated with EVE pilots and cooperated in space and on the ground to generate galactic conflict of amazing scale.”

He adds that “this is only the beginning of the road for DUST 514 we turn it over into the hands of our players to mold and shape. We, the development team, will always be updating the game so that it grows with its players. And the ways they interact with DUST 514 are always evolving. At CCP, we think of launch as just that: the beginning of an endless upward climb. Today begins a truly exceptional gaming experience where the ramifications of every laser blast will be felt across the galaxy.”

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Some key highlights of the free-to-play title include:

• Intense infantry combat: High-octane FPS warfare on thousands of worlds and countless battlefields
• A groundbreaking connection: Share the infamous universe of New Eden with the starship pilots of EVE Online. Call in orbital strikes from EVE ships and make decisions that impact both games in real time.
• Planetary Conquest: Form a corporation with EVE and DUST players, then conquer, develop, and exploit hundreds of planets, building an empire to span the stars.
• Endless depth: Choose from thousands of far-future skills, weapons, dropsuits, and more to create the ultimate mercenary to suit your playstyle.
• Vehicles on-demand: From speedy light vehicles to devastating tanks to dropships raining death from above, you can customize, deploy, and helm hundreds of sci-fi vehicles.
• Free-to-play: DUST 514 is entirely free to download and play, exclusively on PlayStation®3.

Are you downloading DUST 514 today?