DC Universe Online creators talk about S.T.A.R. Labs and game storylines
Comic-Con International is underway in San Diego, and we're already hearing some news about the superhero MMO genre. The latest info about DC Universe Online comes from a Wired article by Frank Rose which focuses on S.T.A.R. Labs, the futuristic glass and steel location familiar to anyone who grew up reading DC comic books or watched the Superman animated TV series.
S.T.A.R. Labs, short for Scientific and Technical Advanced Research Laboratories, will be a hub of storyline activity in the MMO. It's fitting, as this is a place where great scientific advances are made, but also a place where things can go horribly wrong. This means it's perfect neutral ground to be incorporated into DC Universe Online, and the location will tie in with the respective storylines of the game's heroes and villains.
Ultimately, though, S.T.A.R. Labs will be just one backdrop for the stories that players experience. Quoting DCUO writer Marv Wolfman, the Wired article states that players will interact with over 100 DC Comics characters through a number of missions unique to your character type, whether you're superpowered, a magic user, or rely upon your gadgets and ingenuity.
Although details about the game's major story arc (written by Geoff Johns) are still under wraps, a clear influence from existing themes in the comic books will pervade the DCUO stories that players experience. This will probably come as good news to comic fans, but surprisingly, this is a two way street? The potential exists for the game's storylines, even player-created characters, to find their way into print in DC Comics, according to DCUO's Executive Creative Director Jim Lee. He tells Wired, "That's my hope. That's the payoff. To have your character in print forever is a very cool achievement."
