“Project Legion”. What is it?

Let’s call it a spiritual successor. Part experiment, part project, “Project Legion” is an idea grown from the seeds of DUST 514. Dubbed an MMOFPS with RPG elements, Legion could become everything people originally wanted from DUST – a free PC release with a more open, pliable world.

The ambition is huge and details are scarce.

ZAM's Deputy Editor, Colt "ShdwFlm" Casey, sat down with Julien Dulioust, “CCP Z”, Monetization Director in CCP Shanghai, at EVE Fanfest 2014 to learn a bit more.

With another year comes another incredible Fanfest.

Each year, fans of EVE Online and the EVE universe gather to celebrate the home they've created. This year's event is only a week away, from May 1 - 3. To help you plan ahead, CCP Games just put out a blog post detailing the festivities. In addition to the huge array of panels and presentations, there are special events occurring throughout the week:

EVE Vegas: the largest fan-organized EVE Online gathering of the year, and a great opportunity to talk one-on-one with the developers from CCP Games. As a result, I had a chance to interview David Reid, the man whose decisions shape our perception of gaming's most enigmatic journey.

Today's chat, part two of two, mostly examines the link between CCP's games in the EVE Universe.
We also answer a few miscellaneous questions along the way. Once again, let's dive right in!

EVE Vegas: the largest fan-organized EVE Online gathering of the year, and a great opportunity to talk one-on-one with the developers from CCP Games. As a result, I had a chance to interview David Reid, the man whose decisions shape our perception of gaming's most enigmatic journey.

Today's chat, part one of two, narrows in on his behind-the-scenes look at marketing such a complex game. We also talk extensively about current events, including EVE: The Second Decade: Collector's Edition and the upcoming Rubicon expansion. Even if you don't play EVE Online – as I didn't, prior to this event – the discussion is still fascinating for anyone interested in the games industry as a whole.

Without further ado, let's begin!
 

Hello to all our new readers, and welcome back to those who have been following ZAM's bi-weekly column, The Free Agent. Our mission, as always, is to answer the question "Can gaming REALLY be free?"

The previous episode of the Free Agent got a little buried under all the gaming news coming out of E3 two weeks ago, so if you want to know what free buys you in the new Action RPG Marvel Heroes, be sure to take a gander at Episode 5.

For this week's episode of the Free Agent I dusted off the old PS3, which has been relegated to Netflix duty for the better part of two years. That's right, for one episode only, the Free Agent is going console.

Why you ask? Well it just so happens that our next assignment is the PlayStation exclusive Dust 514, a free-to-play FPS from Icelandic developer/publisher CCP that many are calling the first true MMOFPS. So can console gamers play to their heart's content without spending a cent? Let’s find out.

Dust 514 is here and with it is a new shiny trailer introducing PS3 players to the world of Dust 514 and the EVE Online Universe. Fight for money, fight for glory, fight your own way.

Today, CCP pulls the shrink-wrap off its latest game. After running in open beta since January 22, DUST 514 is ready for prime time. Developed in Shanghai exclusively for the PlayStation 3, the MMOFPS represents a new window on EVE Online’s universe of New Eden.

More importantly, the Icelandic developer sees DUST 514 as the start of a new deal for console-bound FPS gamers. As Chief Marketing Officer David Reid put it, there are tens of millions of Battlefield and Call of Duty players waiting to be liberated from a prison that they don’t know they’re in.

CCP has posted a new video Dev Diary on the Dust 514 site giving us some more information on drop suits and fittings in the upcoming MMO shooter. Game designer Gavin Frankle explains some of the different dropsuits currently available and the wide array of customization available through fittings.

You fought the good fight in New Eden on EVE Online but now its time to sign-up and go planetside with CCP Games' Playstation exclusive MMOFPS Dust 514. Effective immediately, Dust 514 has entered Open Beta status enabling anybody with Playstation Network access to join in. 

With Open Beta comes the Dust 514: Gathering Forces Trailer. As we've come to expect from CCP the trailer perfectly emphasizes the MMO aspect of the game, the video and description follow. 

With DUST 514 already linked up and interacting fully with the Tranquility server for EVE Online, CCP has announced that everyone who wants to join in the warfare and general backstabbing won't have to wait much longer.

On January 22, all PlayStation 3 owners can access DUST 514 for free as part of Open Beta, which should increase the pool of players dramatically. It's a big milestone for both EVE and DUST 514 as stated by CCP CEO -- acronym overload -- Hilmar Veigar Pétursson, in today's press release:

“The launch of the DUST 514 Open Beta is another step towards our long-term vision for CCP and EVE. But this is just the beginning. As we have done with EVE Online, in the coming weeks, and for years to come, we will continually improve upon and add to the DUST 514 experience, as well as add deeper integration between the two games and their communities.”