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DC Universe Online unleashes the Halls of Power
It's been years since DC Universe Online launched, and yet players have spent all of that time without nearly enough material on the New Gods. But that's changing now; the Halls of Power part I DLC has just been released, and that includes exactly what you'd expect if you know who the New Gods are. Darkseid's son Kalibak and the villainous Mantis are seeking out relics beneath the surface of Apokolips and New Genesis, leading Mister Miracle and Big Barda to recruit heroic forces to stop their malevolent designs. The DLC contains two new Raids and one new Operation for eight players, along with an Alert and an Operation for four players. It also offers six new Skill Points, new styles and gear, new feats, and all of the other widgets like base items that you'd expect. This content is available now for players on both consoles and PCs, so even if you're not versed enough in DC lore to understand what's going on, you can still take part and start smashing (or helping) the villains. [Source: Sony Online Entertainment press release]
DC Universe Online DLC is 75% off right now
Not everyone is as rich as Bruce Wayne, so for those of you who have been pinching your pennies instead of splurging on DC Universe Online content, here's where your thriftiness pays off. Steam is holding a 75% off sale for much of DCUO right now. This includes 10 DLC packs for $2.49 apiece and the Ultimate Edition bundle for $7.49. In fact, you could buy the whole kit and kaboodle (that's a superhero term) for only $32.39 $22.50. That's less than the cost of many box games these days right there, so what are you waiting for? [Thanks to Balsbigbrother for the tip and to greaterdivinity for the math!]
Touring DC Universe Online's league halls and Halls of Power
It was a couple of years ago that we got our first in-depth look at DC Universe Online's personal housing system, dubbed lairs. Since then, heroes and villains alike have been looking forward to the league version. Thanks to the announcement earlier this month, we knew that the wait for league halls was almost over; guild-level housing was to hit this summer. Surprise! GU39 and league halls launched today! And thanks to a special tour with Creative Director Jens Andersen and Community Manager Ted Stone (AKA Mepps), I got a good look at the league hall system and how it all works in the Halls of Power Part 1 DLC due later this summer.
DC Universe Online highlights the creation of Batman
It's been 75 years since Batman's creation, and that means everyone is talking about the Dark Knight. More than usual, even. DC Universe Online has gotten in on the action with a series of short videos exploring how Gotham's protector was brought into the game, what players can do to really feel like a part of the bat-family, and what the future holds for everyone's favorite nocturnal billionaire aside from beating up clowns. The videos feature artist Jim Lee, voice actor Kevin Conroy, and various members of the DCUO development team looking at every aspect of the character in the game. There are three different videos past the break, but each one is fairly short -- you can watch them all at once or take them in chunks, whichever you'd prefer. It's a great dose of bat-nostalgia for fans of the game.
SOE Live player panels include support for military gamers
SOE Live posted its list of player panels today for its convention, with topics ranging from supporting military gamers to fansite management. The full list is as follows: Friday, August 15 11:00 am - 12:00 pm -– EQ2U & Dragon's Armory 12:00 pm - 1:00 pm –- Live Together, Die Alone: Surviving H1Z1 as a Group 1:00 pm - 2:00 pm –- Inter-Outfit Operations in PS2 3:00 pm - 4:00 pm –- Become Your Character: Tricks and Tips for Cosplay 5:00 pm - 6:00 pm –- Military Gamers: Taking Care of Each Other Saturday, August 16 10:00 am - 11:00 am -– Social Media/Steaming & Fansites 12:00 pm - 1:00 pm -– Effective Guild and League Management 1:00 pm - 2:00 pm –- Improving Your EverQuest 2:00 pm - 3:00 pm –- DCUO – Advanced Raid Tactics 2:00 pm - 3:00 pm –- The New Conglomerate 3:00 pm - 4:00 pm -– Hardcore Decorating in EQII 4:00 pm - 5:00 pm –- EQII Game Macros, ACT Triggers, and You!
DC Universe Online adding League Halls this summer
Just because reruns dominate the TV during the summer doesn't mean that geeks need to submit to rehashed entertainment during these months. Why, DCUO has canceled the annual family road trip to pump out a new DLC that's coming later this summer, just to keep everyone happy. The game's 11th DLC is called Halls of Power Part 1, and it will send player heroes into a new saga looking back at the ancient past in the Fourth World. The DCUO dev team is creating five additional raids, alerts, and operations to go with the update, and players will have six new skill points to earn. However, the crown jewel of Halls of Power Part 1 is the implementation of League Halls, which looks to be DCUO's answer to guild housing. League Halls will be added shortly before the DLC for free to all players. [Source: SOE press release]
Norrathian Notebook: SOE says bye-bye ProSiebenSat.1, hello Landmark Player Studio
Double the pleasure, double the fun! SOE made two big announcements Wednesday that brought smiles to the faces of many fans. One said goodbye; the other said hello. But both were good news indeed, especially for Norrathians. Sometimes parting is just sweet, without the sorrow. Such is the case with the first bit of news: the departure of ProSiebenSat.1 from SOE. That's right, my European compadres, rejoice because SOE is bringing you back into the fold! The deal that quickly went sour for fans squished between the US company and the European partner is over, and SOE's titles are returning fully to its portfolio while region locks are being lifted. I can hear you all singing hallelujahs and dancing in the street! The second bit of news worthy of celebration was the launch of Player Studio in Landmark. Although it arrived later than anticipated thanks to the international tax registration processes, the wait was worthwhile because players from not only the U.S but also Canada, Sweden, France, the UK (yes, including Ireland), Germany, Norway, and Denmark can now submit items for sale to other players. That means that aspiring money-makers and non-builders who want to buy their cool items can finally find one another and do business. And that just paves the way for the system to work in EverQuest Next. As great as the announcements are, neither is without a few downs mixed in with the ups. Norrathian Notebook explores both bits of news to get you the necessary details.
SOE and ProSiebenSat.1 splitting up, account migrations coming
"Sony Online Entertainment and ProSiebenSat.1 have jointly decided to migrate all PSG accounts for PlanetSide 2, DC Universe Online, and EverQuest II back to SOE in the near future," wrote SOE's Linda "Brasse" Carlson on the company's forums. SOE and PSG originally joined forces in 2012 to the dismay of European gamers who opposed the forced transfer of existing player accounts and regional server restrictions that threatened to affect international guilds and sub-communities.
Take a look at DC Universe Online's survival mode
DC Universe Online is gearing up to make survivors out of its players. That's kind of the whole focus of the game's upcoming survival mode, which sets players against waves of enemies in a test of endurance and persistence. So what does it look like in action? Well, you can check that out in a fan video just past the break showing off 11 minutes of action in the survival mode on the test server. The footage in question isn't the group's full run of survival mode, just a shot at a full group clearing through the first round and some of the second to give viewers a sense of how it works. There's also some mild cursing in the video, so you might not want to turn your speakers up to full if you're watching this at work. But if you haven't jumped on the test server and you want to see what it'll be like to stand against the hordes as long as you can, just jump on past the break.
Infinite Crisis shows off Atrocitus
The Red Lanterns are a pretty mad bunch. That's not to say that they're crazy, that's to say that they are collectively very angry and in fact use that anger to fuel their power rings. (Along with blood.) So it should come as no surprise that the upcoming Infinite Crisis character Atrocitus is himself quite angry, being the leader of the Red Lantern Corps and a font of raging destruction. When he goes live on June 11th, players will have a chance to take his angry antics into the arena. Right off the bat, Atrocitus is different -- he has no Will meter, instead using Rage to fuel him. Rage is gained by dealing or taking damage, with his skills being free and turning into a more powerful version once the Rage meter is half-full. Those skills include an attack buff, a taunt for drones, a pull and taunt for other heroes, and a cone debuff and DoT as an ultimate. Check out the big guy in action in the video past the cut. [Source: Turbine Entertainment press release]
SOE announces game-specific player events for SOE Live
Are you headed to SOE Live this summer? We are, even if the game list is a tad shorter than in previous years. And that's why we're excited to see SOE's latest official post about the convention, set to run in Las Vegas, Nevada, this coming August 14th to 17th. The studio has announced special events for several of the games it plans to feature at the event: Plane raids await EverQuest fans. Deck-building games and PvP tournaments lie in store for DC Universe Online players. EverQuest II players will participate in speed instances and a murder mystery quest. Landmark devotees will be treated to a mega-build event and a harvesting-themed dice event. Finally, the studio has planned a squad showdown event for PlanetSide 2 players. Early bird registration for SOE Live ends on Monday.
DC Universe Online launches Amazon Fury Part I
While a Wonder Woman movie still seems about as likely as the Earth transforming into a giant robot, DC Universe Online is giving the heroine star billing in its latest DLC. Amazon Fury Part I is the first of three DLC packs focused around the Amazon Civil War, with an emphasis on Wonder Woman, her mother Hippolyta, and her nemesis Circe. The new DLC includes two solo Iconic Visions in which players take the role of Circe or Wonder Woman, walking through the start of the war now raging. Two new Duos and one new four-player Alert are also available, taking players through Themyscria's palace, port, and warehouses. A new open area dubbed Gotham Under Siege ties in as well, with the divided Amazon forces rampaging across an alternate phase of Gotham City. Members are able to download the new content now at no additional charge, while free players can purchase the DLC separately if they'd like to jump in. [Source: Sony Online Entertainment press release]
SOE compensates players for All Access issues
Acknowledging that the recent switchover to the new All Access program has been "frustrating," SOE announced today that it will be compensating its playerbase for these issues. The studio will be handing out 50 replay badges to DCUO players, adding an additional week to seven-day Landmark closed beta keys, and triggering double XP weekends for Dragon's Prophet, EverQuest, EverQuest II, and PlanetSide 2. "The implementation of this new membership plan across SOE's game portfolio has been one of the most complicated updates to our billing system to date," SOE apologized in a post. "As fellow gamers, we know that this has been frustrating and we sincerely regret any inconvenience this has caused."
DC Universe Online launches Amazon Fury DLC Part 1 for legendary members
Just a day after SOE's new All Access membership plan kicked off, the studio has unleashed two updates for its superhero MMO, DC Universe Online. Weapon Mastery has been introduced today for all DCUO players; primarily, it grants gamers the "ability to master multiple weapon types and seamlessly combine them during combat." Also live today for early access players is Amazon Fury Part I, the first chunk of DLC focusing on Wonder Woman and the Amazons. It includes a new storyline, a new alert, duos, solo content, and a new shared open area. It'll be available for purchase formally on May 6th. We've included the Weapon Mastery video after the cut. Enjoy! [Source: SOE press release]
DC Universe Online begins prototyping survival mode gameplay
In response to player requests for a gameplay mode that will challenge endgamers in the lull between DLC packs, SOE is experimenting on what it's calling "survival mode" for superhero MMO DC Universe Online. According to a post on the official forums, the team is prototyping a wave-style event "where 8-player groups face off against waves of progressively tougher enemies and bosses," which ends with a full wipe and properly marks and rewards survival, though not in a way that makes the events "necessary to progression." Writes SOE's JackFrost, We will return to an existing environment and use existing (but ever more challenging) enemies. Initially, we are planning to use Oan Sciencells, and feature a multitude of Lantern-related characters. Reusing existing resources means we can do this without impacting future content planned for DLCs. The event will likely be available only for limited amounts of time, cycling in and out of the game. It will not be attached to any DLC, but it will require a high (end-game) Combat Rating. Finally - and most importantly - it is intended to be a FUN, extra event for leagues and groups of players to throw themselves at, see a completely new experience in DCUO, and take real satisfaction in their accomplishments. Survival mode is early in development and subject to change; the developers have requested player feedback on the forums.
Infinite Crisis recruits Blue Beetle
Infinite Crisis has recruited a new warrior in its fight against property damage and excess jungling: Blue Beetle. Blue Beetle, aka Jamie Reyes, came across a blue scarab that wrapped him up in battle armor. The sentient armor and Jamie came to a mutual understanding to fight for whatever player was controlling them that session. Blue Beetle comes equipped with an energy cannon, a scarab scanner, a dash, and even an infiltrator mode. Bad guys get too close? Time for a little mandible taser, am I right? Turbine touts Blue Beetle as a highly mobile champion that can sneak up and smack down solo targets. Check out Blue Beetle in action after the jump.
Amazons await in DC Universe Online's 10th DLC this spring
DC Universe Online's 10th DLC is coming this spring, and it will pack an Amazonian punch. Titled Amazon Fury Part I, this DLC begins a three-part series focused on Wonder Woman and the Amazons, including Queen Hippolyta. Aside from introducing the Amazon story arc, this pack opens up the Themyscira Palace District and seaside port for adventuring in the new alert and duos, introduces weapon mastery, allows players to relive moments as either Wonder Woman or Circe that led to the war, and brings a new alternative phase of Gotham City that's under siege by the Amazons. Amazon Fury Part I will be free to Legendary Members; free players will be able to purchase it. Get a sneak peak at what's in store in the gallery below, then peruse the full press release after the break. [Source: SOE press release] [Update: SOE contacted us to clarify that the DLC will be free to Legendary Members, not a pay purchase. Yay! We've adjusted the text accordingly.]
DC Universe Online's playerbase 'still growing'
DC Universe Online celebrated its third birthday in January, and unlike many of its contemporaries, SOE's superhero action MMO is still growing. This is according to creative director Jens Andersen, who recently told IGN that porting the game to the PlayStation 4 served as an impetus for improving the overall product. "We're in our third year and our player base is still growing; it's been really wonderful," Andersen said. "I think the PS4 was a tremendous help, but the other platforms have remained solid as well. We treated PS4 as a relaunch and addressed countless points of feedback from our existing players. This helped with retention of players on all platforms." Andersen also seems to be all in with DCUO for the long haul. "I love working on this game and cannot imagine myself stepping away from it anytime soon. We are all very proud of the work we do here and look forward to a bright and continued future."
Infinite Crisis hits open beta on March 14
Turbine has announced that its Infinite Crisis MOBA will launch its open beta on March 14. Former Lord of the Rings Online and current Infinite Crisis executive producer, Jeffrey Steefel, commented on the game's growth since closed beta began: "We now have three maps, three modes, a huge amount of different ways you can play the game. Twenty-seven characters and, in fact, we are adding a new character every three weeks." The game is said to include new costumes for each character, a digital comic, and action figures in the near future.
DCUO update brings feat unlocking and moon PvP
DC Universe Online rolled out Game Update 34 today, bringing with it a powerful feat unlocking system for players with multiple characters and a trip to the moon. Feat unlocking allows players to spend replay badges to unlock feats attained by an account's characters for other characters on the same account. There are a few limitations, such as being unable to unlock feats that are specific to roles or alignment that conflict with specific characters. The pricing for feat unlocking is one replay badge for a 10-point feat, three badges for a 25-point feat, and five badges for a 50-point feat. Today's update also brought with it a new green aura, additional items at tier vendors, new HQ map markers, an update for sorcery pets, new feats for DLC 9 content, and a 5v5 PvP map that just so happens to take place on the moon. As they say, that's one small step for Superman, one giant leap for playerkind.
