The floodgates for DUST 514 details opened at E3, and there's a lot to talk about when it comes to CCP's upcoming shooter. We stopped by their booth to discuss PS3 exclusivity and EVE Online integration.

Playstation 3 Exclusivity

When I asked Olafsson why CCP decided to sign exclusively with the PlayStation 3, he said, “We wanted to avoid cannibalizing our playerbase.” CCP believes that by reaching out to players on a different platform, they can grow the population of New Eden without seeing a drop in the number of active EVE players.

Makes sense, but whether DUST 514 remains permanently exclusive to the PlayStation 3 is another matter entirely. When asked if Xbox 360 and PC could be in DUST 514’s future, Farrer and Olafsson exchanged coy looks before changing topics.

On the technical side, expect to see up to 40 players take part in battles. CCP is developing DUST 514 around the Unreal Engine 3 while planning to integrate server nodes with EVE Online so that players of both games will be connected at the hip. DUST 514 will be available through digital distribution exclusively – meaning no retail copies will be available at your local store. On the flip side, that means no monthly subscription will be required, but don’t be surprised to see microtransactions be a big part of DUST 514.

DUST 514 and EVE Online Integration

The most intriguing thing about CCP’s presentation was how they planned to connect EVE and DUST 514 together. Farrer didn’t just tease us with the prospect of orbital bombardments, but claimed that ground forces will be able to fire back at ships in orbit. Meaning you can actually get in a shooting match with players in an entirely different game.

Mind blowing? It gets better.

Corporations and Alliances in EVE are the same in DUST 514. That means all the billions of ISK you’ve saved up on your character can be transferable to your DUST 514 character. Farrer was quick to point out that because EVE characters are pod pilots and not ground combat specialists, don’t expect to be able to transfer characters between games. To bridge the two worlds, CCP plans to introduce a “space elevator” to let ground and space forces ferry resources back and forth.

Closing thoughts

With the Incarana expansion rolling out on June 21 in EVE Online and DUST 514 on the horizon, CCP’s plans for the New Eden universe are ambitious to say the least. The big questions remain how many players CCP will be able to attract on a new platform to a pre-existing universe and how effectively they can integrate the two games together. CCP has thrown down an impressive gauntlet —now we just have to wait to see if they can rise to the challenge.

DUST 514 launches in summer 2012.

Christopher "Aurum" Wyatt