The Importance of DUST 514

DUST 514 was announced back in August of 2009. On my birthday to be exact. It might not mean much to you if you haven't played any MMO's,  and chances are that you haven't even heard of it.  For some MMO players, and particularly the millions who fly little spaceships around in EVE Online, its a pretty big deal.  Imagine, if you will, a console FPS which is linked directly to whatever happens in a PC MMO game. Imagine if commanders in the MMO, flying those spaceships around, can either give direct orders to console players who are fighting a ground battle for planetary supremacy or issue warnings when opposing ships are sending reinforcements.

What we are talking about here is an interlinking of PC and Console players to create a chain of command of the likes that we, simply, haven't seen before.  The only thing I can think of that is even remotely similar is when Microsoft attempted to start the trend with their Windows for Games network. This had the ability to link PC and Console gamers in games like Shadowrun, but the system never really substantiated itself in the way it was intended.  Unfortunately, the system seemed to be treated much more like a pet project than a full blown functionality, and not we now hardly hear anything of it at all.

Enter CCP, a virtually unknown entity among console players but a powerhouse in the MMO market.  They have introduced a system to allow these entities to interact in such a way as to produce a sort of symbiotic relationship between both the consol and the PC players.  We'll have to see how this works out. Past incarnations of the player to player chain of command have worked with mixed results.  Battlefield Europe, previously WWII Online, have attempted it and mostly succeeded if not without a bit of player ranting involved in the system.

The possibility for DUST 514 to grow into something very big is only held back by its current inability to draw much attention to its existence.  That might come in time, however, as the development process moves on and more information is released.  CCP must realise, however, that the console FPS market is a much different beast than the PC MMO market. The former being much more finicky and expectant than the latter.  With titles such as Battlefield and Call of Duty, CCP is entering a super saturated market which doesn't take too kindly to neerdowells coming in and trying to get a piece of the action.

We would be wise to check the track record of CCP to see just exactly what is it that they are capable of .  EVE Online is a hugely expansive universe with an attention to detail, in particular as far as player run markets go, that has brought in millions of players since its inception.  On the technical side EVE Online is pretty much unmatched as far as server capability, with their systems historically being able to support 50,000 players, playing simultaneously, on the same server.  Graphically, it is also one of the most beautiful games you will ever play.

But whats really important here, the cream in the Campari, is the ability for the game to basically transcend platform limitations and allow players from both the PC and the console world to interact.  It bridges the chasm of exclusivity and shows that a free flow of information, not only just simple data, between the platforms is not so out of reach as some companies would have us believe.  The spectre of exclusivity and its prowess to sell consoles is indeed a difficult beast to slay.  But it does take scratch damage, and DUST 514 might just be a significant nick in one of its most vital of areas.

-Joseph-