Microtransactions have seen a long and winding road in video games over the past few years. Originating in the Asian market as a way not only to prevent piracy, but to capitalize on a growing demand from gamers to pay for only what they want and/or use in their game of choice. And hot on the heels of Turbine’s announcement of a planned console based MMO, Icelandic developer CCP, of EVE Online fame, announced on Saturday that their newest offering, DUST 514, is not only squarely pointed at the console market, but will also be forgoing the subscription model and supported through microtransactions.

DUST 514, a strategic FPS, is setting out on an entirely new path for gaming, bridging the gap between their PC only product, EVE, and this console based shooter. Players from EVE and DUST will be able to interact, predominantly through CCP’s New Eden social network, which is slated to launch early next year. EVE, which focuses on space combat, and DUST with deals with ground combat will be interlinked through the social network, and EVE players will be able to ‘hire’ DUST players to attack planets of districts of planets from them, with players of both games able to join the same Corps and Alliances. However, this link will not be available right off the bat. CCP hopes to expand the appeal and associated player base of it’s online world, but plans on doing it slowly. The link between the two will be introduced slowly in order to ease long time EVE players to these new arrivals. These new arrivals will also be under intense scrutiny, as a new flux of players could have a number of impacts on EVE’s economy, one that’s been the subject of scandals and controversies over the past year.

CCP said that they will not be implementing a ‘leveling’ system, common in most MMO’s. Instead, a series of in-game achievements, known as the “achievement matrix” that will unlock new customizable weapons and vehicles. There will be also no character classes, rather, players are defined by the equipment they carry/own.

And where might these customizations come from? Here’s where the in-game item shop, or “virtual items marketplace,” as CCP is officially calling it at this point, comes into play.

So it looks like we’ve got two top name studios, both CCP and Turbine that are gearing up to take on microtransactions in a big, big way. Turbine has already fired the first salvo, with the recent swap of Dungeons and Dragons Online from subscription to a free-to-play hybrid, to great success. DDO features a number of items for sale via microtransactions in their in-game shop. While CCP has not offered a hybrid version of play for their games, they are working on a console game that will link two different games together. When CCP implements this in-game item shop, with various equipment, weapons, etc. through microtransaction purchases could CCP consider allowing the water to flow back the other way? Meaning, if microtransaction purchases are a success in DUST, the question remains, would (or are the already?) take a serious look at the economic functions underway within DDO? On the other side of the coin, with Turbine’s DDO growing in numbers and microtransaction puchases, and recently announcing that they’re currently developing an MMO for consoles, could we see the same microtransactions monetization model from the Westwood, Mass studios?