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Defiance

Developer: Trion Worlds
Status: In Development
Release: April 2013

There have been lots of games that were inspired by film and television, and likewise plenty of attempts have been made to adapt stellar video game IPs into feature films. Call it an act of defiance (I know, terrible pun), but Trion Worlds and the SyFy Channel (it's pronounced "siffy"... honest!) have teamed up to be the first to launch both a TV series and MMO set within the same world simultaneously.

Well, almost the first. Anyone remember Hero 108?

While we walked away from the 2012 event season with mixed feelings about Defiance, a thing to keep in mind is that it won't only be releasing in April along with the TV series, but it's launching on PC and consoles as well. As such, some of the deeper MMO connects we've come to expect from a PC only release have necessarily given way to locking in a core console shooter experience first and foremost.

With that said, Defiance is still high on our radar, and you can bet your arkfall that we'll be playing the heck out of the game between episodes of the show this April.

Read more about Defiance on Ten Ton Hammer
The Defiance official website

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DUST 514

Developer: CCP
Status: Closed Beta
Release: 2013

Have you ever loaded up a console game and thought to yourself, "Hot diggity clown vipers, I bet this game would be so incredibly awesome on PC!" Call me old school, but PC is where it's at for shooter purists, which makes DUST 514 an interesting specimen of sorts.

While DUST may be a PS3 exclusive, it's also one of the few shooters I've ever had a genuine interest in playing on that particular platform. It also sits in an oddish space where on the one hand you could simply consider it a multiplayer shooter and call it a day, but on the other it offers a lot of MMO hooks, even if a massive open world isn't among them.

It's also one of the numerous games on our list that is kind of still in beta, but also taking real world cash for in-game purchases so could be considered a launch product. The game also comes with the PS3 Uncharted bundle, prominently featured on one of the side panels of the box.

Regardless, DUST 514 is a great game that helps expand the EVE universe in interesting ways. If you own a PS3 you'll absolutely want to check it out, and can sign up for the beta on the official site or by purchasing the Mercenary Pack.

Read more about DUST 514 on Ten Ton Hammer
The DUST 514 official website

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