It’s been a long time coming, but the worlds of PC and consoles have finally crossed paths with the official launch of the Dust 514 beta on the PlayStation 3. Going live later this afternoon,Dust 514 on the PS3 seamlessly integrates with EVE Online for the PC, allowing players on both platforms to impact the world of the other.




First announced at E3 2011, Dust 514 is a massively multiplayer first-person shooter that, at first glance, appears to be more or less like every other Sci-Fi oriented gunner in the genre. Players select a side to fight for, deck out their characters in cool gear and weaponry, then hit the battlefield in order to blast holes into anything that moves and quite a few things that were just sitting there, minding their own business.




Built from the ground up to integrate with the PC’s pre-existing strategy MMO, EVE Online, however, the events and victories that take place within Dust 514 will have a direct impact on the events, economy, etc. of its PC sibling and vice versa. According to developer CCP games, this collaboration creates a game ecosystem “where a single victory could prove the crushing blow to a galactic empire and thousands of online gamers.”




“Now EVE Online’s expansive New Eden Universe connects two different games across PC and console platforms in real time,” reads a statement prepared by CCP Games. “This is the first time two games from different genres and different platforms, a PC space combat simulator and a console first-person shooter, have been linked together into one massive online gaming experience.”




Those interested in checking out Dust 514 can do so later today when the PlayStation Network undergoes its regular weekly update. While various bits and pieces of content are available for purchase within the game, Dust 514 itself is a free-to-play affair.