Marketing is Key

The other day we were sort-of lamenting the fact that Dust 514 won't be multi-platform (only because that guarantees sales, mind you) but we got to thinking about what else is really important: How SONY has to hit a homerun marketing Dust 514 to the right people. This article on Sony's lackluster marketing hit the nail on the head. As much as we think that Kevin Butler is extremely effective marketing casual, niche games to much of Sony's target audience, we simply don't feel like he would be the right man for the job.

Advert: The Seraphim Initiative

In the coming months, an Eve and Dust 514 corporation with solid foundations that is willing and prepared to hit the ground running will be difficult to find and access. As one of the online community's most future oriented and capable corporations to full spectrum warfare on the Eve and Dust 514 platform, Seraphim Initiative serves as the foremost military styled corporation catering to the specific combined arms needs of our clients.

CCP killing off Campers?

One of the most intriguing things I have heard so far in Dust 514 is the ambitious approach CCP has taken towards the environments. With maps touted to be an enormous 5km squared in size there will be plenty of battlefield to fight over, but this isn’t what excites me.

Advert: Information Broker Extraordinaire

Our first advertisement didn't take long at all. We'll let Information Broker Matticus Astra of EVE take it from here.

Greeting future Dust Mercenary Corporations! I am Matticus Astra and I deal in information. I pay for it, trade it and sell it on a level unseen in New Eden. While the value of information may not be immediately obvious to you, it will be very soon. New Eden can be a cruel and cold place to those unfamiliar with its intricacies and politics. Intel is one of the many resources that EVE cannot do without and with my network of spies, informants and sources inside most of the major alliances, corporations and even the CSM, I am the person you come to for who's vulnerable, who's planning what, who can be bought, sold and where the weaknesses and strengths inside every organization exist. I can also make introductions to some of the most powerful people in New Eden a reality. The costs of my services vary from the standard coin of ISK, to simple favors when called upon. Email me here to inquire about how we may be of use to each other.

I look forward to hearing from you.

GNN maintains no relationship with third party advertisers that may appear on this blog. Reference to or the appearance of any particular service or trademark is not controlled by GNN and does not constitute or imply our association, endorsement or recommendation.

Dusters Ad Services

We'd like to tell our readers about a new service that we now offer. With the momentum created by the beta announcement, we've gotten countless emails from EVE and future Dust Corps anxious to advertise their services, and in need of a place to find those willing to do the work they need done. We've decided to provide that, FOR FREE.

Dust 514 Community Manager Interview

Dust 514's new Community Manager CCP_CmdrWang was nice enough to sit down with Drizzcat of newedenradio.com for a few questions many fans of the forthcoming MMO have had for some time. We learn some great things regarding multiple chat channels, the possibility of Keyboard and Mouse for our PC Brethren and a bit regarding the use of Alt Accounts for spying. All in all, a good read. Use the link below for the full interview.

Interview

Sign Up for the Dust Beta!

On your mark, get set, GO!


Got an EVE Online Account? You can now sign up for the Dust 514 beta. While participation is NOT guaranteed, you will be thrown into the "consideration" pool. We've already had a few questions regarding signing up now for 14-day trials or with the buddy system and still being eligible. We've already asked Dust new Community Manager about this on Twitter. Hopefully he'll be able to clarify that as soon as possible.


Good Luck!
http://www.eveonline.com/devblog.asp?a=blog&nbid=3358

UPDATE: His response.

CCP_CmdrWang CCP_CmdrWang

@NewEdenGNN not sure if it will work for trial accounts, but give it a go.

2 minutes ago
UPDATE 2: Paying Accounts only. Cmdr Wang was trying to make a funny. 

Mars Industries "War on Your Terms"

 "The saddest part is that with of all of these breakthroughs in science, the majority of them were used for one thing: WAR. We could have seen Universal Power Sources, Wave Technology and countless advances in Transport and Health Science. Instead, we saw the implementation of creative and varied ways to kill others and take what was theirs. Men can be such horrible, evil things."--Amarr Philosopher

What Should a Web-App do?

With a game that provides as much depth as Dust 514 promises to, it's almost necessary to push the envelope with features that will set a new standard for multiplayer. We've seen some of the web-apps for popular games like BF3 and COD and were left feeling like there was something missing. Sure, they add to the game slightly, but they don't allow us to truly interact with the game on any level whatsoever. They simply aren't a necessity and don't truly enhance your game experience. A truly integral web-app gives us the ability to make changes to our characters and corporations despite not being logged onto our PS3. That is the NEW standard.

Should MAG Be Free-to-Play?

After Sony Online Entertainment made the decision to make DC Universe Online free-to-play (FtP) and abandoned their subscription model they have seen a mammoth 700% increase in revenue from what was a struggling game. This begs the question, should MAG follow a similar course and offer the downloadable version of the game for free on the PSN?

Copy of A Psycho: Part 3, WAR GODS

Part 1| Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5

Upon entering the meeting room of the Maraikhom Alliance’s starbase, the contrast could not be greater. While the rest of the facility has colorful, brightly lit hallways, the room I’m stepping into is dark, cold, and has an odd coziness to it. The massive table in the middle is surrounded with the inhabitants of various organizations, each one protruding a dark shadow along the walls like a children story gone hideously wrong.

Dev Blog: Dropsuits!

We could get used to Mondays like these, Today CCP releases more details today with some great information on the equipment designed to protect us in the harshest of environments: DROPSUITS


Read about them here

Consequences, Consequences, Consequences

"Scams and real, tangible losses will be great on a number of levels, first; because listening to whiners is always fun. They are the natural resource that keeps EVE running." --Unknown EVE Player

Game Modes Part 2: Going In Deep

One area of importance that CCP have kept tight lipped about so far is Game Modes. We've chosen to focus on it a little more due to how much it affects console gamers unfamiliar with New Eden. The importance of game modes cannot be understated as these are one of the most fundamental parts of the game and whether or not the game will be enjoyable or seem just another moving generic death match to many. With mercenaries ultimately vying for control of planets and their resources, it is inevitable that the game modes will reflect this but how will CCP approach it?

Games Modes Part 1: Staying True to EVE

We've been thinking a lot recently about the different type of Game Modes .vs. Sandbox style gameplay in regards to Dust 514 and after some debate we've come to the conclusion that both can be done, while still staying true to the fiction and story that is New Eden. We realize that EVE was here first and that staying true to EVE's plot is really the most important thing. The issues are simple, many console players aren't ready for the total sandbox style of EVE. They certainly want to participate in a title with this much depth, and with Dust being the first of its kind incorporating a truly tangible connection to a PC universe prospective players are certainly intrigued. Many of them will appreciate what the game offers outside of shooting people and immerse themselves in it, some will even become EVE players. But there are also the console players that simply want to enjoy the combat, and make no mistake, this is nothing to look down upon or scoff at. New Eden certainly has a place for single-minded soldiers--especially those good at what they do. The Drone Mentality fits perfectly into the EVE/DUST Mythos. There has never been a time where the powerful haven't used soldiers to further their own ends. Still, the average console player needs content and while Dust seems to have that in abundance, they also need variety. In truth, we all need variety or our gaming experiences begin to slow to a halt because of the grind of monotony.

Dust 514 screenshot suggests great variety

Taken from the PlayStation .blog Flickr account. When CCP posted on Facebook about the new PlayStation blog entry, this was the cover image (it was very small and hard to make out). Whatever that image was, it wasn't actually part of the post about the infantry weapons. I went on the PS Flickr account and finally found this.

Dev Blog: Infantry Weapons

Today's gift is another Dev Blog (which are seeming to be coming much more frequently) focusing on what many people consider to be the most useful information outside of gameplay: HARDWARE! We get to take a look at infantry weapons and get a nice brief description on some of the logic that goes into designing weapons for Dust 514 in addition to some of the cool, technical aspects as well. Use the link below for a brief look at some of the light, heavy and sidearms we'll see in Dust 514.


Weapons

Surprise Attack!

WARNING: Thinking thoughts too much may explode brain.


There is a rumor of Surprise Attack not being an actual option. Hearing this news, our brains went into overdrive about something DUST related, and we camped out under a rock for a couple days. After due deliberation, we decided that we are disappointed. Why? Because everything we know about EVE tells us it's a sandbox title where CCP establishes broad guidelines, steps away, and then lets the players experience the game with the most hands-off policy ever seen by a developer.

Friendly Fire, Grouping & Chat

When looking to make a game above and beyond the call, it is a good idea to look at the top titles of the past couple years. Battlefield 3 is a top tier title, and a very good game, but there are two glaring omissions that prevent it from being a truly great tactical game. CCP, as you develop your next enjoyable experience, DUST 514, we like to point out a couple things that we felt DICE could have done better.

Poll: View Game in Dust 514?

All gamers eventually ask, "how the hell did that guy kill me?" or "where the **** did they come from?" or some variation of these questions.


Ask and ye shall receive. Uncharted 2 presented us with the ability to watch completed games from different perspectives, on a large scale, for the first time. This feature has gamers screaming for more like a fat 10 year old and his chocolate cake. The power to rewatch ourselves and our teammates allowed us to study tactics, mistakes, correct bad habits, and show off our dominance. It also prompted us to ask ourselves- could we and should we see this in Dust 514?






The advantages are numerous, and it would add a nice "highlight reel" aspect to a well-done battle log-style Web Application if one is in the works. The downsides? Recording games from multiple perspectives will require enormous amounts of server-side memory, and could possibly limit other more necessary features. With all this said, what would you choose? 'Support it!,' 'Hell no!,' or 'Maybe if...' Select one and comment on the why, how, etc in the comment section.

View Game in Dust?

The Importance of Dust 514

For some reason I was pondering my gaming history, and how it shaped my desire/excitement for Dust 514. I was also thinking of the importance and impact of Dust 514 to the industry.

Coming to Dust? Deadly Blue Dots

Another organized group of FPSers coming to Dust 514 are the DBD. An early MAG clan, this group is apparently making the pilgrimage to the "greener possibilities" of New Eden. They are currently active in MAG and BF3 during the wait for Dust. According to their latest post on dust514.org they are actively recruiting. Notable members include Leithery, Gauder, Remdam and JonnyNoNames.

Before the MAG Lady Sings

With MAG in its final stages and Dust soon on the horizon, one of the saddest things to see is the fall of MAG. The number of truly large scale, epic battles between clans have diminished due to players jumping ship to BF3, MW3 and the Starhawk beta, and other reasons that have been covered at other times and forums. Even small-scale organized scrims in sabotage have seen a huge downturn. However, like any good death should be - there is going to be one last battle royal, the likes of which has never been seen! (Or hasn't in a long time). This fight of all fights is being organized by the community to celebrate MAG before the transition to Dust 514 begins.

The Science of Warfare

"It was simple, really. Although warfare had graduated from the surface to the heavens hundreds of years prior, it was a simple, instinctive change to re-adapt our weaponry to prepare the clones for combat on the surface of planets. Hundreds of years of conflict had given us countless hellish, nightmarish devices to unleash on our enemies."

--Anonymous Minmatar Arms Dealer

GNN is Recruiting!

While we may be the News leader throughout the galaxy we still have positions to fill...


Social Coordinator - Manage GNN's Youtube, Twitter, and other social platforms (TBD) on a daily basis.
Requirements:

1. Active Twitter account.
2. Active Google Youtube account.
3. Active means the candidate has been using these platforms for the past 6 months. In addition, a good candidate will have tweets, and comments on videos that we can see.
4. Social Attitude - meaning the candidate will talk with people, join groups, follow them, and report back to us in a weekly format for what the candidate did (or didn't) do.

To Apply:

1. Check the requirements above. If the candidate does not have them - sorry.
2. Link those account profiles to us so we can check them out.
3. For your accounts, make sure we can see when you signed up, subscriptions, channel views, etc if the public cannot see them already.
4. If interested send an email to magww@live.com for more information.

Anything we didn't cover? The candidate should take the initiative and act upon said thought.

The GNN team thanks you for your cooperation and continued reading and comments!

GNN Introduction

by: Tolen Rau

Coming to Dust? Thunderclap Corporation

Known for recruiting experienced ground-pounders, Thunderclap is a growing corporation. They focus on communication, teamwork and experience. Not considered an elite corp as of yet, they are working hard to change that.


Thunderclap Corp.’s main focus is the acquisition and defense of planetary assets. These assets are then sold to create revenue for the corporation. The corporation  pays well and are known to quickly upgrade their personnel. This is not a mercenary corporation, as they believe in creating their own revenue and do not depend on contracts from other corporations.


Notable members include the commander of their planetary operations, Skyline516.

Will DUST change EVE's Balance of Power?

"Looking back, we were fools to think the clone technology wouldn't change the way we waged warfare. Soldiers whose experience could be passed on, and that could be trained by the instant upload developed later? These warriors could be constructed and even if killed--were reborn as long as the ISK flowed. It's the reason our alliance crumbled. Equipment and Tech can tip the balance, but wars are won with MEN, and our ignorance of that proved to be our undoing."

--Raz Amatal, former Corporation CEO

GNN: Meet Tolen Rau

A Gallente native who studied on her home planet and cut her teeth as a tireless on-site reporter for over five years, Tolen Rau is one of the senior anchors on the GNN. Known for her businesslike and almost stern delivery, she is a first-rate journalist known for being one of New Eden's most dedicated researchers and beautiful faces. Trustworthy and respected, she is the standard by which other news anchors are held.

(GP) Galactic Press Reports

 A compilation of current news from across New Eden.

The GNN Launches!

From a collective effort within New Eden we launch a news service that is second to none with a dedication to honesty, accuracy and integrity in reporting all the relevant events. We give you...The Galactic News Network! All the news from Dust 514 and New Eden in one place, for your Ease and Comfort.Wondering who we are, what we do and what we need from you? Keep Reading!

Is the Medic Obsolete?

Crazy question, I know. For this to be taken seriously, please disregard the following facts we don't know yet:

1) How much it's going to cost for a new body
2) Wait and/or travel time to jump back into the game
2b) Where we can pop up/spawn
3) All other stuff concerning what we don't know about Dust 514

With that in the back of your mind - enjoy.

Copy of A Psycho: Part 2 (Dust 514-inspired story)

Part 1| Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5

Names are strange, they are seen as important, yet tell you nothing about the individual. Mine is Varian Wulf, that name is a memetic relic from the original Varian Wulf, I am a clone, one that inherited his memories and thoughts. Perhaps names are important because it lets us cling to an illusion of identity.

Kill Camping at its Core

Since we transformed our blog into a place where future DUST 514 players can congregate, players have been concerned with the nature of the game's consequences forcing players to camp or risk losing their equipment, "fits", or other things  they've worked hard for. We have to apologize because we recently listed the "sacred cows" of FPS and we neglected possibly the most popular of them all: CAMPING.

Five Things CCP can learn from SOCOM

 In another look at some of the pitfalls CCP can avoid with Dust 514, we take a look at SOCOM. Many consider this the game that revolutionized shooters for consoles, but any look at its recent releases show the game has certainly fallen on hard times. How this happened is a source of much debate. We take a look at where Zipper went wrong.

Dust 514's RDV

It seems the Dust 514 info is coming down to pipe at a much more steady rate nowadays. Today the PS Blog revealed just what piece of hardware is required to get heavy equipment/vehicles and other goodies too big to carry to various points on the battlefield in a moment's notice. The Rapid Deployment Vehicle.


Read about it here

For those that paid attention, we may have also gotten clues about Stealth Technology and Electronic Warfare.

Future Dust Merc: Bassmeant

Our latest interview is with a frequenter of many games in the FPS genre, and he counts himself in the Battlefield side of many of our console debates. In one of our more candid and informative interviews he chimes in on why FPS hasn't progressed, how many games in the genre went wrong, how clans are important and why its important that players be their own endgame.

Suggestion: The Trainer

Could there be a more valuable tool than a place to train our troops and recruits free of the long arm of stats and KDR in Dust 514? Its hard to say, but many would agree that its almost a necessity.

Coming to Dust? The Dark Flock

Another of the groups taking the plunge into Dust 514 is one of the clans that dominated MAG from the outset. TDF was lauded as one of the game's finest clans and if not for a very controversial loss in Clan Wars would have probably seen by most to be the #1 clan in MAG. Dust 514 is new territory however, and with the loss of many of its core members, it remains to be seen if new leadership is able to maintain the high level of play that made the group well-known. Notable members include Four Studios, The Regis Mark V, RSPetree, AngelSunshine and former OSGer Alyoyo. Notable events include the rift that caused many of their core members to leave, being one of the major clans to participate in TTT, and the infamous loss to 3C (and their ringers) in the first major highly anticipated clan war.

Dust 514's MCC

A new Playstation Blog released today with more information on Dust 514. The item of choice today? The Mobile Command Center. 200 meters in length? We're excited and hopeful. Read more about it below.

The Mobile Command Center

Player Interviews: Leovarian of EVE

Our most recent interviewee is EVE player Leovarian of SSpectre, a long-time veteran of EVE. Keep reading for the full interview and his views on his corp the Azure Dragoons, Expansion and how importance balance is to gameplay.

Real Commanders

So many of the squad-based games we currently play offer Commander or Officer positions without actually giving the players who apply for them the necessary tools to be successful.We'd like to see a shift in this game mechanic by giving those people tasked with leadership roles the ability to truly command. The early indications are that Dust 514 is one of those games and the people privileged with leading us will have the abilities they need. A few of our writers chimed in with a few ideas for a few things we'd like to see.

Coming to Dust? The Seraphim Initiative

Another of the highly trained, cohesive groups making their way to Dust 514 that puts an emphasis on both fun and being successful is the SI. Under the jurisdiction of the Colonial Marine Corp, this group has both experience in EVE, MAG and Battlefield. Some of its most popular representatives include Zeigfryd, Etero Narciss and their Director; SilverTip.

MEDIC! CORPSMAN! DOC! NURSE!

So, I read and commented on KG's article, 'Can CCP Break the Cycle,' and promptly decided to dedicate a full article to the medic. Or just the people who want to be the prototypical medic aka heal people and get them back into the fight. Here's to the FPS healers (as oppposed to RPG healers in MMO's).

"People don't yell, "MEDIC!" because they're having a great day." - Rapp, CMC Corpsman

Expansion (throwing out ideas)

When I first heard about Dust 514, one of my biggest concerns was variety of planet environments the player would be able to fight in; I was hoping for a massive amount of planetary environments, like permanently dark and stormy environment with lots of lightning, harsh deserst, volcanic, arctic, predominantly liquid (doesn't have to be water, could be liquid methane, or other possible liquids), various levels of gravity, and various atmospheric lighting, and sky colors. Killzone, however flawed it is, has spoiled me with its environments. An interview with Halldor Fannar (the CEO CTO of CCP) revealed that the majority of the battles would be fought on temperate planets, and battles on more extreme planets would be rare. Furthermore, those extreme planets would require the player to purchase special suits to fight in (which makes sense).

Dust Dev Blog: Scaling the Universe

A new Dust 514 Developer Blog has been introduced, and it describes some of the ways they'll be handling battles, sharing the same back-end with EVE and hosting conflict all over the globe. Dedicated Multi-Core Servers FTW!

Scaling the Universe

Can CCP Break the Cycle?

Much of what we've heard about Dust 514 has been music to the ears of fans of "shooters with depth." So many of us are tired of the same-old, same-old tired aspects, tactics and exploits when it comes to shooters. Many of the elements that current shooters contain are outdated, poorly done and only remain because many developers refuse to innovate. One of the real ways CCP can grab the attention of shooter fans is by eliminating many of the time-worn, sacred cows of first person shooters. We've decided to list some of these for your viewing pleasure.

Coming to Dust? RND

Next up: RND. While this Valor clan may have done much of its damage after what is largely considered MAG's "prime", they are well-known for their teamwork and their staunch dedication to larger game modes like Domination (where they still average 40 per night). Their leader YDubbs81 is a frequent forum contributor and they reportedly already have elements within EVE. They are also rumored to be considering an alliance with the likes of V-C and KEQ.

Do you know any other clans or notable players making the exodus to Dust 514? Let us know regardless of games or console so we can highlight some of the colorful personalities we'll be seeing soon in our Coming to Dust series. Email our blog at magww@live.com

Develop article on dust 514

Another great writeup on the importance of Dust to the PS3, and to the emerging Persistent Shooter genre as a whole. Well written, and we totally agree. Its time for a paradigm shift within MMOFPS. The same old, same old is tired, stale and just wont cut it any more. Check out the article below.

Dust Article