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SOE outlines DC Universe Online PvP roadmap
SOE just released GU24 and Mister Mxyzptlk onto DC Universe Online's live servers, but the firm is already looking ahead to future 2013 patches. First up is the PvE-focused Origin Crisis DLC, and after that we should see some additional PvP changes. As such, Creative Director Jens Andersen posted a PvP roadmap yesterday that features tidbits about gear progression changes, arranged matchmaking, and some sort of map scheduler. The gear changes look to have quite an impact on how PvP works in DCUO, since SOE is breaking them down into seasons that will introduce new tiers of equipment over time.
Previewing DC Universe Online's Home Turf update
Over the last couple of days, we've seen some pretty cool clips and snippets of DC Universe Online's Home Turf update. Due on January 29, Home Turf brings an innovative system for player housing, new challenges for heroes and villains, and a 1:1 PvP matchmaking system that lets players duke it out in the comfort of their personal lairs. Don't let the focus on housing fool you, though; Home Turf introduces a host of new features that have the potential to change DCUO as you know it. We sat down with creative director Jens Andersen for a closer look at Home Turf and the many ways in which it deepens and expands upon DC Universe Online's existing content. Put simply, this latest batch of DLC offers more than just a place to hang your cape.
DCUO opens the doors of Home Turf January 29
Yesterday, we brought you the new DC Universe Online trailer that showed off features of the upcoming Home Turf DLC pack. Shortly after that, Jens Andersen took to Twitter to tease players to be on the lookout for a release date for the highly anticipated update. Luckily, the wait wasn't too terribly long; a recent official tweet revealed that Home Turf launches on January 29th. Legendary players will be able to access all the new content and grab their personal lairs next Tuesday, as can all PC players and US PS3 players who purchase the DLC. The pack will be available to EU PS3 players the next day, January 30th. Following the lead of previous DLC packs, Home Turf will cost $9.99 USD.
New DCUO lair livestream highlights themes and decorating possibilities
Just a few days ago, DC Universe Online's Creative Director Jens Andersen and Systems Designer Andrew Buschmann introduced folks to the new housing lairs in the upcoming, and aptly named, Home Turf DLC via livestream. Today, the duo was joined by Ben Naumann, lead environment artist, for a more in-depth foray into the themes, styles, and overall decorating possibilities of the housing system. Three distinct themes (dive, art deco, and gothic) will be available for all players who purchase the DLC or who have legendary status, and four others (ancient, industrial, cave, and bunker) can be purchased. Lair trim and certain coloration of the themes matches your superhero's color scheme by default, but can be altered. The trio also demonstrated decorating and teased viewers with a quick mention of a new amenity: the suit holder. Although there is still no exact release date for Home Turf, you can whet your appetite for what's to come by watching the entire stream after the break. And for more information on the lairs, read Massively's interview with Andersen at SOE Live.
DCUO livestream shows off new Home Turf housing mechanics
If you're a fan of superheroes, player housing, or superhero player housing, you're going to want to take a look at the latest livestream vid on the official DC Universe Online TwitchTV channel. On Friday, SOE's Jens Andersen and Andrew Bushman played around with the game's new housing system in a 19-minute excursion that you can watch after the break. The duo explained a bit about obtaining and accessing DCUO's new superhero lairs, and they also pointed out that you don't have to be a paying customer to get some personal space. Free players will get a small apartment to call their own, while Legendary members will have more options and more available swank. The housing mechanics will debut with DCUO's latest DLC offering, Home Turf, which is scheduled to release in early 2013.
SOE Live 2012: A deeper look at DCUO's housing lairs
Thursday's announcement of the addition of player lairs to DC Universe Online set this little housing-lover's heart all aflutter! While there were more bits of news about the new Home Turf DLC coming next year, my focus was understandably on the lairs. And I was very happy to sit down at SOE Live and talk shop with Jens Andersen. As creative director for DCUO, Jens shared many juicy tidbits about the new system for this special edition of Some Assembly Required. So what's in store for denizens of Gotham and Metropolis? Let's start with personal instances that are accessed from realistic points within the cities, functions that stretch to accommodate different levels of creativity and decorating savvy, and a unique dueling system that will be unlike anything players (or their furniture!) have seen before. Players can even get rewards and achievements for collecting items and decorating their homes. Sounds intriguing, no?
SOE Live 2012: Friday keynote highlights DCUO, EQ, and EQII
Day two of SOE Live wrapped up with yet another keynote, this one focused on DC Universe Online, EverQuest, and EverQuest II. Creative Director Jens Andersen of DCUO, Executive Producer Thom Terrazas from EQ, Executive Producer Holly Longdale from EQII, and Dave Georgeson, the EQ Franchise head, all took a turn on stage to give a rundown of what each game had launched over the past year, and more importantly, where each is headed for the future. But before that, SOE paid tribute to the military veterans in attendance (pictured above) and gave two of the longest-serving military members NVIDIA cards to thank them for their service. Read on for the highlights!
Hands-on with DC Universe Online's Hand of Fate DLC
Ah, DC Universe Online. It's what I like to call a vacation MMO. It's so easy to run that even older machines can tackle it, yet it still looks great even in screenshots. The action-based combat seems odd at first, but within a few minutes, you realize just how much fun it is to pick up cars, fly straight into the sky, and jump off buildings, landing with a massive THUD. It's just fun to play, and on top of that, its character creation is often overlooked. It gives players satisfying control over how a character moves and feels. I've enjoyed making smaller scrapper-types so far, but I played an entirely different character for this press tour. Yes, I said press tour! I joined DCUO Creative Director Jens Anderson for a hands-on with the latest DLC, Hand of Fate. We found ourselves in a PUG -- yes, a PUG -- and took orders from Doctor Fate himself. Read on!
DC Universe Hand of Fate DLC coming in September
Did you know that Sony Online Entertainment is on its fifth DLC pack for DC Universe Online? The firm released a blurb earlier today highlighting the Hand of Fate update that's coming your way in September. Would-be superheroes can look forward to new utility belt attachments, new operations, new side missions, and magic-powered Legends PvP avatars. "We want to provide players with unique hero and villain experiences that immerse them in the most iconic DC Comics locations: Gotham City and Metropolis. What we hope players find in this DLC are emergent game play moments that challenge and reinvigorate them in the open world," explains DCUO creative director Jens Andersen. Hand of Fate will be free for Legendary members and available for purchase via the in-game store and PlayStation marketplace for Premium and Free players. [Source: SOE press release]
DC Universe Online expanding Legends PvP with Last Laugh DLC
DC Universe Online's fourth DLC pack is on the way. As you're probably aware, it's called Last Laugh, but what you may not know is that it's focused on PvP. New iconic characters are making their way to the game's Legends mode, including DC stalwarts like Power Girl and Amon Sur. Up to this point, much of Legends PvP has focused on what creative director Jens Andersen terms the Bat family. Characters like Batman, Bane, Two-Face, Robin, and the Joker are all mainstays. Now, though, players can step into the tights of both Kryptonian and Lantern heroes, and they can do so on the new Fortress of Solitude Legends map. That's not all, of course, but you'll need to head to Games Radar for more details plus a nifty video.
DC Universe Online's next update: Welcome to Paradise
Going toe-to-toe with your first big, recurring villain in a final showdown is an important moment in every superhero's life and an experience that DC Universe Online players will get to treasure in the game's next content pack. The update will bring Brainiac, the main scumbag since DCUO launched last January, to his knees -- and bring players to Paradise Island, home of Wonder Woman and the Amazons. Players will find Brainiac as he's assaulting the Amazons' island and have their final confrontation with him there. But don't worry about the ache of missing your main antagonist, heroes! If there's one thing that comic books have taught us, it's that you should never count a villain out for good -- and that the conclusion of one story arc doesn't mean that things are going to settle down at all. As Jens Anderson (Creative Director for DCUO) says, Brainiac's future isn't settled; his fight "will be an ongoing one as he tries to recover from the player's resistance and future Luthor's manipulation of everyone... The story will then move into a new phase, but Brainiac's actions will always have a lasting effect on DC Universe Online." Moving forward, players can anticipate learning more about the shady figures of Future Lex Luthor and Future Batman.
DCUO puts Valentine's Day on hold, plans seasonal events
Roses are red, violets are blue, Valentine's Day will be back eventually in DCU... O. Fortunately for those disappointed with the lackluster event last year, SOE agreed with the general sentiment and promised that the future version will be the snugglebunny event of the season. However, it looks like the new, improved Love Day feats won't make it to the game in time for February 14th. That said, the team is already focusing on several upcoming events to coincide with each of the major seasons. "Over the next cycle, starting with summer, we will be adding the following: Boss fights to Summer, Winter, and Spring, and open world content to Fall," Creative Director Jens Andersen writes. The next scheduled event in DCUO is for March's St. Patrick's Day. Hopefully, by this time next year DCUO will be in a more loving mood with Valentine's Day 2.0!
DCUO Lightning Strikes update to feature superhero origins content
By now you're probably aware of DC Universe Online's impending content pack. Lightning Strikes drops this Tuesday, December 6th, and in case you weren't already excited, PC Gamer's got a bit more for you to chew on. In addition to a new Central City map and a new set of electricity-based superpowers, DCUO is adding some origin content designed to titillate DC Comics fans and introduce newbs to the canon's long and storied history. Sony Online Entertainment creative director Jens Andersen told PC Gamer that the Flash's Cosmic Treadmill is the first of several origins-type devices slated to appear in the superhero MMO, and SOE plans to let players revisit "the origin stories of DC's biggest villains and heroes." The initial origin story occurs in one of DCUO's duo instances, where you and a friend will be whisked back in time to the night that Barry Allen rode the lightning and became The Flash. Head to the PC Gamer for the full article text, and check out the Lightning Strikes teaser video after the break.
SOE webcast fielding your DCUO F2P questions tonight
In case you haven't heard, DC Universe Online is going free-to-play sometime toward the end of October. Everyone's favorite DC Comics-flavored MMO (OK, the only DC Comics-flavored MMO) is also the star of this week's Sony Online Entertainment webcast. Executive producer Lorin Jameson and creative director Jens Andersen will be fielding your questions about superhero-sized free-to-play and the future for digital denizens of Gotham City and Metropolis. The webcast happens on SOE's Stickam channel; you can also catch it via the Stickam tab on SOE's Facebook page. What time, you ask? Set your alarms for 7:00 p.m. EDT, and check out this handy timezone conversion link if you're unsure how that equates to your local time.
New DC Universe video explains SOE's Lantern Corps focus
If you've been wondering why Sony Online Entertainment chose to focus on the Lantern Corps for DC Universe Online's first game pack, a new video featuring creative director Jens Andersen has your answer. "The Green Lantern Corps gives us a great stepping stone off of Earth, out of our solar system, and into the galaxy at large so we can begin exploring the great expanse of the DC universe," Andersen explains. So while Gotham City and Metropolis are still the heart of the DCUO experience, players and DC comics fans alike will be adventuring beyond the familiar confines of humanity's home planet as the game grows. Aside from that, Andersen says that SOE was keen to get light powers into the game as well, and players can use both light and fear variants to wreak havoc on their enemies. You can read more about the new Fight for the Light pack on the official DCUO website, and don't forget to check out the new screens below (and the video after the cut). %Gallery-128108%
Witness Ra's al Ghul's revenge in the new DCUO trailer
In you haven't heard, Ra's Al Ghul, a nemesis of the Caped Crusader, has dug his talons into DC Universe Online, and it's up to you to stop him from killing millions of innocent people by joining other heroes in this 4-man alert and defeat Ra's and his lethal minions deep in his mountain stronghold. Jens Andersen, the creative director for DCUO, shares the latest visuals in a walkthrough video released by IGN and presents a guided tour of the inner sanctum of Ra's al Ghul's League of Assassins. Each member of the league has his or her own mystic power you must overcome before you face off against Ra's al Ghul himself. This 4-man alert is just part of the new additions to DC Universe Online in Update 3. Get the whole scoop from Krystalle Voecks, who recently sat down with the developers to discuss the patch, then check out the video after the break.
Alter-Ego: Update 3 and more in store
Good things are on the horizon in DC Universe Online, heroes, and villains! After having the chance to sit in on a roundtable discussion with Jens Andersen, Mark Anderson, and Lorin Jameson on Thursday, I am confident that the team in charge of the game's development is taking a good hard look at all the feedback it's been receiving from players. Aside from getting a chance to hear more about the soon-to-be-released Update 3, we were able to get a handful of answers for some burning questions that players have been asking about recently -- and some screenshots in the gallery below to give you a sneak peek! Additionally, we managed to get a hint of things to come, as we're certain anyone who was watching Thursday night's DC Universe Online stickam chat noticed. For those who didn't make it, don't worry -- I'll be running down several interesting points from that event too since it meshes well with the roundtable discussion. All you have to do to get the super-scoop is join me behind the break! %Gallery-50201%
New video shows off DCUO's tech-based mentors
Not every character in DC Universe Online is granted metahuman powers or magical abilities. Thankfully, for those who started out as average joes that simply want to do good (or evil), there's the technology powerset, which offers a plethora of control options. Currently, there are two technology mentors in DC Universe Online that can help put players' feet on the right path: Batman and The Joker. While we've seen Batman and The Joker revealed long before the game launched, this newest video from SOE features Creative Director Jens Andersen giving us a bit more information about the two origin storylines that players have a chance to experience if they pick one of these two iconic characters as a mentor. So, if you've ever wondered what it might be like to right wrongs or create chaos on the darkened streets of Gotham, check out the shiny new DC Universe Online tech mentor video behind the break.
DC Universe Online developers having a chat with fans tomorrow
Are you enjoying DC Universe Online? Would you be enjoying it even more if you had a chance to speak with the developers about what's on deck for the near future and what issues will be getting addressed soon? If so, you're in luck (and you have some strangely focused sources of happiness, but that's not really germane to anything). The team announced earlier today on the game's Facebook page that this Wednesday will see the first post-launch virtual chat with development. Jens Andersen, Chris Cao, and Mark Anderson will all be on hand for this chat, starting at 8 p.m. EST (5 p.m. PST) on Facebook. The chief focus of the discussion will be on the game's recent February update, covering what went right, what needs more work, and what the team has learned from the first patch in what's sure to be an ongoing update cycle. So if you're a DC Universe Online fan, with or without the oddly specific criteria, you might want to clear out some time tomorrow evening to catch up with the development team.
DCUO's Jens Anderson unveils the Meta origin story
So you want to be Superman? That is an extremely lofty goal for you. There is no way you can... Wait, what's that? According to the Creative Director of DC Universe Online, Jens Andersen, it is possible for you to follow in Superman's footsteps. If you choose the Meta-Human storyline in DCUO, you will follow either the Man of Steel or -- if you are the villainous type -- Superman's arch-nemesis Lex Luthor. The team at Sony Online Entertainment just released a video on its facebook page outlining just what it takes to don Supe's heroic cowl. However, if you are in a more nefarious mood, Massively has a special treat for you. Wednesday, Contributing Editor Krystalle Voecks joined me for a run-through of the first instance in the Meta-Human villain line. In SOE's official video, Andersen mentions assisting Parasite. Well, we can show you exactly what that looks like with this video. Take a peek after the cut for both the Meta origin story and the Livestream video. Or you can pop over to DCUO's official facebook page for more information.
