CCP sends in ground troops with DUST 514

CCP today finally revealed the super secret project that has been rumored for quite some time: DUST 514. The game is described as a console-based hybrid MMO/FPS set within the EVE universe. The announcement, which included a video featuring gameplay footage, was made during a keynote address by CCP CEO Hilmar Veigar Petursson at the Game Developers Conference in Cologne, Germany.

DUST 514 will offer first-person shooter and real-time strategy-style gameplay, and will interact directly with EVE Online, CCP’s flagship MMO. This interplay between the two games opens the EVE universe to console gamers and gives them a chance to become part of EVE Online universe.

The main focus of DUST 514 is brutal ground combat that takes place on the surface of the planets from EVE Online, where battlefield reflexes and strategic planning are equally important. Commanders and ground infantry will have all the tools they need to get thew job done including real-time configurable weapons and modular vehicles to deal with dynamic battlefield conditions.

CCP says that the game has been in development for three years at its Shanghai studio, which includes veteran designers of EVE Online and experienced talent from various sectors of the video game industry. Further details will be revealed at CCP’s annual Fanfest event October 1-3, 2009 in Reykjavik, Iceland.