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"If your patience refuses to be shackled by the Icelandic wooing of CCP's launch date-less Dust 514, the developer has a rogue way for you to get into its closed beta early: $20. The \"Mercenary Pack\" offers more than early access to the game's currently closed beta, but we're guessing a list of gun names and XP bonuses aren't getting you all hot and bothered (in case they do, we've dropped all that info after the break).Interestingly, the pack sounds an awful lot like CCP's original pricing plan for Dust 514. CCP reps told us at Gamescom last year, \"You effectively pay what we call a 'cover charge,' we're looking at likely around $20 for the initial download. That download gets you the game client plus a bundle of virtual currency which has the equivalent in-game value of $20.\" Since then, Dust 514 became free-to-play, eliminating the need for a \"cover charge\" system.The Mercenary Pack also includes 4,000 AUR ($20 of in-game currency), which &amp;ndash; wouldn't you know it &amp;ndash; was planned as part of Dust's original pricing strategy. The pack should become available on PlayStation Network &amp;ndash; for $19.99/&amp;euro;17.99/&amp;pound;15.99, depending on your territory &amp;ndash; at some point today when PSN updates.%Gallery-159124%Show full PR text   CCP ANNOUNCES NEW DUST 514&amp;trade; MERCENARY PACK    Exclusive Weapons &amp;amp; Items, In-Game Currency and Guaranteed Beta Access  Reykjavik, Iceland - 9 June 26 2012 - Today CCP Games is proud to announce the brand-new Mercenary Pack for its upcoming free-to-play massively multiplayer first-person shooter, DUST 514, scheduled for release later this year exclusively on the PlayStation&amp;reg;3 computer entertainment system. The Mercenary Pack provides players with an arsenal of gear, game currency and a booster to expand their opportunities on the battlefield. The pack also includes exclusive items, rewarding early adopters with uniquely styled armor and weapons, in addition to an all-access pass to the closed-beta program running throughout the summer.    DUST 514's first scheduled Beta Event begins this Thursday, June 28, with more following every other weekend. By purchasing the Mercenary Pack, players are guaranteed access to every Beta Event, and have exclusive access to the game on off-weekends. Anyone interested in testing DUST 514 can also sign up at www.dust514.com/beta, where they will be chosen at random to participate. All participating players will receive a unique dropsuit for each Beta Event to commemorate their time testing DUST 514.    The Mercenary Pack offers a $50 USD value for a price of $19.99 USD and is now available on the PlayStation Network.    The contents of the Mercenary Pack are:    4,000 Aurum ($20 USD value) - the in-game currency for DUST 514 that you can buy in the PS Store  30-dat Active Skill Booster - increases earned Skill Points (SP) by 50%  'Dragonfly' Scout Dropuit - a uniquely designed armor with unlimited use  'Toxin\" ICD-9 Submachine Gun with unlimited use and a custom skin  HK4M Shotgun X 50  Hacked Drop Uplink x 50 - allows players to create on-the-spot spawn points for their teammates  Fused Locus Grenade x 50  1.5dn Myofibril Stimulant x 50 - offers players a temporary melee damage boost against opponents  All Access Beta Pass - allows players to participate in every Beta Event, as well as additional play sessions during off weekends  One of the most anticipated titles of the year, DUST 514 brings intense infantry combat, large-scale warfare and deep character advancement to the PlayStation&amp;reg;3 in an exclusive free-to-play massively multiplayer shooter. Set in, and integrated with, the massive universe of EVE Online&amp;trade;, players wage war in the next generation of first-person shooters, where a single victory could prove the crushing blow to a galactice empire of thousands of online gamers.    The Mercenary Pack is available now in the US for $19.99 USD and on June 27 in Europe for 17.00 / 13.99. Players can purchase the pack via PSN. DUST 514 is currently in closed beta and is set to launch in 2012, exclusively on Playstation&amp;reg;3.      For more information, visit www.dust514.com/mercpack and follow DUST 514 on Facebook, Twitter (@dust514), and Google+."^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.engadget.com/2012/06/26/dust-514s-20-mercenary-pack-lets-you-play-the-game-right-now/>