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SOE Fan Faire 2011: DCUO reveals new downloadable content: Fight for the Light
At SOE's Fan Faire this year, DCUO fans were treated to a look at the Fortress of Solitude, part of the new game update that's coming soon. But while the community address highlighted the fact that heroes and villains alike will work together to defeat Brainiac, it seemed that any news about the game would be the same thing fans had already heard and seen at E3. Little did they know that there was much more on the way, because later this summer, DCUO will have its first download pack arriving on both the PC and PS3. Curious about what the new content will be? Put on your power rings and read below the cut!%Gallery-128108%
E3 2011: Hands-on with DCUO's Game Update 4
Although we just uncovered the teaser for Brainiac's raid on the Fortress of Solitude, we knew that wouldn't be enough for eager DC Universe Online fans. We went behind the scenes at the Sony Online Entertainment booth to get to the rest of what Game Update 4 has to offer. Armed with a battery of questions from the DCUO community and Alter-Ego columnist Krystalle Voecks, our Massively reporter Dan O'Halloran attacked SOE's Mark Anderson and got a sneak peek at the beginning of the new Fortress of Solitude raid. %Gallery-125739%
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%
Alter-Ego: Only doom in the hall
Just after my column went live last week, we saw the Sony Online Entertainment servers start to come back online. Those of us who consider DC Universe Online our MMO home were able to once again get our hero or villain on and meet up with friends we'd been relegated to catching up with on Facebook. (Don't get me wrong, Facebook is fine for what it is, but it can't compare with getting to bash virtual superhero or supervillain heads in alongside your league-mates!) As I mentioned last week, the restoration also came with a nice variety of goodies. With the added outage time tacked onto the 30 days, everyone was awarded 45 days of free play time, which isn't too shabby. I'd also note that the 45 days free applies to all Sony Online Entertainment game accounts you might have -- whether or not they were active at the time of the outage. This offers DC Universe Online players who may have opted to cancel after the first month the perfect chance to log in and check out the content updates that have gone live since launch, without having to spend a dime. The real question is this: What type of future might we see for DCUO in the aftermath of the outages, especially with so many players screaming that they were leaving? Join me behind the break as I look at our first week back on the mean streets.
SOE welcomes players back, Mark Anderson named DCUO's new game director
"It's good to be back!" Many Sony Online Entertainment customers have said this these past few days as the studio's titles came back online after a two-week absence. They're not the only ones, either; many of the leads to SOE's host of MMOs are saying the same thing today. Eight developers representing a large portion of SOE's library posted "Welcome back!" messages on the Station Blog, expressing a mixture of relief, happiness, and hopeful visions for their games' futures. Several of these developers have also used the opportunity to show that they were working hard during the break. "We're incredibly glad to have our worlds back online again," EverQuest II's David Georgeson said, "and we really appreciate you all being so patient with us while we strengthened the castle walls." There's certainly a lot of information to digest in these eight posts. Lorin Jameson dropped the news that Mark Anderson's been moved up to become DC Universe Online's latest game director, while Georgeson hinted at a "major new feature set" for EQII that's in the works. Several of the devs mentioned that the downtime will result in a delay of future patches and expansions so that they can be properly tested. You can read the full assortment of "Welcome back!" posts at the Station Blog.
Chris Cao: DCUO's Update 2 is all about "chance"
We heard some tantalizing details of what Sony Online Entertainment has planned for DC Universe Online's March patch a few weeks ago when Game Director Chris Cao and Art Director and Mark Anderson sat down on the Stickam chat to offer a teaser of what players could expect. Following up, we had a chat with Cao to find out some more specific details on what exactly our superheroes can expect coming in March. According to Cao, the primary theme for this update is "chance," which is reflected both in our chance to face off against The Penguin as boss and in the addition of Two-Face/Harvey Dent in Legends PvP play and as an instance character. That fifth-dimensional trickster Mister Mxyzptlk is likewise being introduced to the game as part of a holiday event themed around St. Patrick's Day. We knew most of this from the Stickam chat; that's why we went digging deeper for the scoop on DC Universe Online's development. Check it out behind the break! %Gallery-50201%
SOE teases The Penguin's appearance in DCUO Update 2
Now that the first monthly patch is live in DC Universe Online, it's a good time for the development team to take a moment to reflect on what was good and not so hot in this first update -- as well as let us know what's planned for the next step. Game Director Chris Cao and Art Director Mark Anderson sat down to talk with fans about just that through SOE's Stickam account earlier today and did just that. In next month's update, which is being called Update 2, players will have the chance to face off against The Penguin as the DC Universe Online team continues the gang war storyline that is currently in game. Along with The Penguin are a series of penguin henchmen players will battle, including robot penguins! Two-Face will also show up in game to take part in the ongoing gang war and to become a new Legends character for players to unlock. Knowing SOE, we'll likely see a reveal of more information on Update 2 and The Penguin sometime in the coming weeks. We'll be certain to keep an eye out for any umbrellagrams and bring you news as it develops!
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.
NYCC 2010: Interview with DCUO's Jim Lee and Mark Anderson
DC Universe Online was all over New York Comic Con. The folks at Sony Online Entertainment presented a playable demo on the show floor, an info-laden panel highlighting character creation and a super-exclusive fan event with 500 of DCUO's biggest fans. Before the fan event got popping, Massively enjoyed the opportunity to sit down with comics legend Jim Lee and DCUO Art Director Mark Anderson. Lee, co-publisher of DC Comics and executive creative director of DCUO, and Anderson shared some special insights into the game's development. Conversation ranged from DCUO's similarity to Grand Theft Auto to Lee's introduction to the MMO genre.
NYCC 2010: DCUO's Q&A panel and fan event
The gods of New York Comic Con smiled upon Detective Comics fans and MMO junkies alike this weekend, as DC Universe Online kicked butt and took questions at not one, but a senses-shattering two Q&A sessions on Saturday. Conventioneers enjoyed a glimpse into the character-creation process at the "Creating the Next Legend Panel," and then Sony Online Entertainment invited fans to a special Q&A event afterward. And I would not be exaggerating if I said the audience reaction was riotously positive. Executive Creative Director Jim Lee, Creative Director Chris Cao and Art Director Mark Anderson shared details and fielded dozens of questions about the DC-based MMO at both events. Discussion ranged from costume creation to endgame content to the game's recent delay to early 2011.
