Months from release and days from the first public beta, the importance of PS3 shooter Dust 514's incorporation into the EVE universe is already being felt if creator CCP are to be believed.
"Already corporations have been recruiting mercenaries and trying to build their on the ground armies," explains Marketing Lead Cameron Payne.
Dust 514, the upcoming online sci-fi multiplayer shooter for PS3, exists in the same universe as the PC MMO Eve Online, and outcomes in either title will impact the other, as troops planet-side go to war to win territorial rights for the space-faring corporations, whose starships can be called in for orbital strikes during Dust 514 matches.
Given the opportunity to gain a tactical lead over competitors, players representing EVE corporations have already been reaching out to commission the best up and coming FPS players.
"Of course - they're not stupid," laughs Payne, speaking to GRTV at the company's E3 booth. "They've been planning for this. Already corporations have been recruiting mercenaries and trying to build their on the ground armies. To make sure when the doors are open and there's real resources and planetary territory at stake that they're prepared.
"It's funny," he continues, "because they're actively marketing the game for us in some regards, but looking for the good first person shooter players out there, that they know they can bring to their corporation - and as you know a corporation can span both games - and so a full-fledged corporation will want to have both the starship side of things as well as a top-notch, on the ground mercenary team.
"That's already been happening even before we expected it to start. EVE players never cease to amaze us."
For his thoughts on how the company won over the community, and more on how the two games will co-exist, check out the full GRTV interview right here.