DUST 514 releasing for free on the PSN

Free is a relative term, though it’s nice to see that game developers and publishers are at least attempting freemium style of game releases on consoles.

CCP Games today claims that their upcoming MMO FPS, DUST 514, will be the first, true, free-to-play FPS on a console. In this case, the PS3 via the PSN.

DUST 514 will link up to the EVE Online world and will cost players nothing to just play and get started. We’re assuming there’s a catch, but we aren’t quite sure how that catch might come into play once you’re hooked.

Read on for the announcement, and check back soon for more information. DUST 514 is scheduled to be released later this year.

CCP Games today announced that DUST 514, its fiercely innovative massively multiplayer online first-person shooter (MMOFPS) will be free-to-play on the PlayStation 3 computer entertainment system. DUST 514 is the first console game of its kind, set in the massive shared, persistent EVE Universe. Players will be able to download the game for free via PlayStation Network and jump directly into the most enthralling and sophisticated virtual world ever created. The first global hands-on demonstration of DUST 514 will take place at CCP?s EVE Fanfest March 22-24 in Reykjavik, Iceland.

?DUST 514 has everything you could want in a shooter: thrilling gameplay, spectacular graphics and an incredible strategic depth that comes from sharing the living universe of EVE Online,? said CCP CEO Hilmar P?tursson. ?DUST 514 embodies the passion and creativity the world has come to expect from CCP, and we think PlayStation 3 owners will be amazed at the opportunity to play such a groundbreaking new game of this caliber for free.?

DUST 514 will deliver exhilarating team-based combat on thousands of planets within the vast reaches of the EVE Universe. Mercenary teams in DUST 514 will work closely with starship pilots in EVE Online to wage battles, acquire territory, amass wealth and build empires.

“As the first true free-to-play FPS on PS3, DUST 514 signifies a big step forward in the evolution of console gaming,” said Phil Rosenberg, SVP of Business Development, Sony Computer Entertainment America LLC. “PS3 is the only platform where players will experience a AAA game like this for free, and showcases our commitment to deliver the best games exclusively on PlayStation Network.”

Closed private trials of DUST 514 began in December 2011 and will be organically expanding throughout the beta period. All Fanfest attendees will receive invitations to the private trial. The game is scheduled to launch later this year.