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DCUO registers 120,000 new players, sees concurrent user spike [Updated]
If the early returns are any indication, DC Universe Online's free-to-play conversion is looking pretty successful. Sony Online Entertainment boss John Smedley recently tweeted that the superhero MMO picked up 120,000 new player registrations since its Tuesday evening cutover. Smedley also said that concurrent users swelled 400% during the same time period. The one downside to the title's newfound popularity is the login queues. Earlier this year SOE consolidated all of the game's launch-day shards down to a few "megaservers" and PC Gamer reports that login queues are paying the price as a flood of F2P tire-kickers descends on Gotham City and Metropolis en masse. [Update: John Smedley sent out another tweet on Friday heralding even more good news for SOE: "Over 330k new players. Concurrent usage is up 600% in DCUO! F2P FTW!"]
The Daily Grind: Do single-player games influence your MMO choices?
OK, I admit it. I'm not playing many MMOs this week (Heresy! Burn the infidel! Etc.). I'll log a couple of merc matches in Global Agenda and maybe complete a faction quest or two in Age of Conan, but almost all of my gaming time is going toward Rocksteady's glorious Batman sequel. Arkham City is so good, in fact, that it's made me patch my long-neglected DC Universe Online client just in case I feel like soaking up some more Gotham City atmospherics while I'm away from my Xbox 360. And how sad is that, seriously? Anyway, since this is the Daily Grind and not the daily-random-game-related-rambling, I'll cut to the chase in favor of the traditional question: Do single-player games influence your MMO playing? Every morning, the Massively bloggers probe the minds of their readers with deep, thought-provoking questions about that most serious of topics: massively online gaming. We crave your opinions, so grab your caffeinated beverage of choice and chime in on today's Daily Grind!
SOE teases Gotham City fly-through video
Look! Up in the air! It's a bird, it's a plane, it's the latest DC Universe Online fly-through video! Unfortunately for you Man of Steel fans in the audience, it has nothing to do with Superman. I know, that was mean. SOE's Gotham City is cooler than Metropolis though, and glimpses of its gothic glory are enough to give cynical game journos a reason to grin, so what are you going to do? At any rate, feast your eyes on the creepy confines of Arkham Asylum, the rusty, run-down facade of Ace Chemicals, and the dimly lit digs of Crime Alley, the Gotham Freight Yards, Amusement Mile, and more. Don't forget to check out the legendary Bat-signal atop the Police Department while you're skulking about. Gotham City. After dark. It's all yours after the cut.
DC Universe previewed, Andersen talks character customization
With the launch of DC Universe Online just around the corner, we're starting to see a bit more information revealed about Sony Online Entertainment's superhero extravaganza. Gamespot reports on its lengthy hands-on at SOE's Austin development studio; highlights include a quest chain in the city of Metropolis as well as observations on the game's RPG and gear mechanics. Fan website DCUO Source also contributes some interesting info in the form of a collation of comments from the game's Facebook site. Ordinarily, reader comments regarding teaser videos aren't anything to write home about, but the fact that SOE's Jens Andersen chimed in to answer questions provides some interesting reading. One exchange that seems particularly noteworthy is Andersen's response to a fan concerned with the lack of information on DCUO's character customization options. "Character creation will be ongoing throughout the game with our appearance collection system and real items with stats forming a great fusion between form and function," Andersen says. "This means less choices upfront but more meaningful ones as you go through the game. It's a far cry from starting in rags and a loin cloth like in fantasy MMO's but it also isn't a fluff fest of everything which takes away the impact of getting cool stuff in games you can show off to your friends," he writes.
DCUO releases new brawling screens
November 2nd is fast approaching, and you closet-superheroes are no doubt dusting off your tights, underoos and power armor in preparation for Sony Online Entertainment's DC Universe Online. The comic-inspired MMORPG will take would-be crime-fighters from Metropolis to Gotham City, and whether you've got a PC or a Playstation 3, you'll find a home as well as plenty of competition on Sony's servers. Speaking of competition, CVG has released a set of new screenshots from the game that focus on everyone's favorite MMO pastime: violence! Whether you're itching to spec out a beefy brawler who pancakes opponents with his fists and feet, or a lithe ranged attacker who fills up on POWs, WHAMs, and KRAKs from a distance, DCUO looks to satiate your hunger for action. Check out our gallery below for a little bit of the old ultra-violence. %Gallery-100729%
DCUO video shows off new combat
Sony Online Entertainment's Jens Andersen, Creative Director on the studio's forthcoming DC Universe Online title, is featured in a new video over at GameTrailers. The four and a half minute clip, a preview of next week's E3 2010 coverage, highlights a bevy of features for the new superhero title, and also shows off the improved combat animations and mechanics. "We took this great combat model from action games, because it pays off in the superhero experience, and we put it together with all the great online features that MMORPGs have, with the community, the progression, and being able to feel that sense of accomplishment that you have as you're leveling up your character," Andersen enthuses. The video showcases the physicality of DCUO's combat, as well as quite a few cameos from superheroes (and villains) that call the storied 70-year old franchise home. Check it out over at GameTrailers or after the jump.
