Announced in the summer of 2009, Dust 514 is the first person shooter spin-off for the super successful space-based sci-fi MMO, EVE Online. It's the first game to be developed by CCP since EVE and I should clarify that it's much more than just a spin-off. What makes Dust 514 so special is its importance to the EVE universe, where the happenings on each planet actually affect the bigger EVE Online universe.

We saw (and loved) the impressive Dust 514 trailer from well over a year ago. It was very Halo-esque but with a lot more polish, shine and vastness to it. CCP has just released and new video, titled 'A Future Vision,' a pre-rendered trailer which depicts what CCP hopes to create as an interconnected gaming experience where players can jump into the war in any way they wish.

Dust 514 is being designed for the Xbox 360 and PS3 according to CCP head honcho Hilmar Veigar Petursson, and a year ago, CCP agreed to a deal with Epic to utilize the Unreal 3 Engine. Although the below video doesn't feature in-game footage, it does show you the ideas CCP is gunning for, especially with how land-based vehicles and more importantly, the ships up in space, affect the game.

"CCP presents a future vision of EVE: where your choices always have an impact...and consequences."

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=45mlVuLs_Nw

For a little more history and detail on the game, the following synopsis is from the official Dust 514 site:

DUST 514 is a First Person Shooter (FPS) and strategy experience set within the EVE universe. The primary gameplay features brutal ground combat that takes place on the surface of planets, delivering the visceral, adrenaline-fueled experience of futuristic firefights. Developed for the current generation of consoles, DUST 514 will be equal parts battlefield reflexes and strategic planning, allowing commanders and ground infantry to work together, utilizing the real time configurable modular weapons and vehicles at their disposal to adapt to and control dynamic battlefield conditions.

More than a mere persistent world, DUST 514's connection with EVE Online makes New Eden a true virtual reality. The planets that DUST 514 players fight on will be the same planets that EVE pilots see and interact with in space. Both worlds will be linked in such a way that cooperation between players is optional, but beneficial to both if accepted.

I've not had time to get invest into EVE Online although I have had my fun with it in limited spurts in the past and have frequently myself being impressed by the updates and big-picture planning on the part of CCP. I'm already sold on Dust 514 and can't wait to see how it's implemented into the bigger EVE universe and how much of an impact our planetary surface skirmishes affect what's going on up in space.

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Dust 514 doesn't have an official release date but was previously hinted for a late 2011 release.