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Fight through the underworld in DCUO's new DLC
SOE has announced DC Universe Online's next DLC update. It's called Amazon Fury Part II, and it's coming your way "early this year," according to the firm's press release. Three eight-player raids are part of the new pack, as are a pair of four-player operations and one single-player mission. Story-wise, Amazon Fury Part II introduces Ares, Hades, and Cerberus to the DCUO mythos and allows players to fight alongside Wonder Woman or Circe as they battle through the underworld in search of Queen Hippolyta. The DLC also includes new themed base items, new feats and collections, more skill points, and new gear. Creative director Jens Andersen offers further details in the latest producer's letter.
Experiencing Legends PvE with the DC Universe Online devs
DC Universe Online fans who've long wanted Legends PvE learned at SOE Live that the feature was finally on its way to the game. And now patience is about to pay off! Legends PvE is launching with GU43, along with plenty of other goodies like new underwater bases and a new legends character. There's even something for the PvPers: revamped arena award rules. Executive Producer Larry Liberty and Creative Director Jens Andersen recently led a media tour of this upcoming content, showcasing Deathstroke in all his Legends glory along with sharing a few other tidbits of news (like the release window for Amazon Fury Part II). As Liberty put it, "Game Update 43 wound up becoming quite a bit bigger than we initially anticipated."
Touring DCUO's War of Light Part II before next week's release
The DC universe is a big one, and DC Universe Online has multiple storylines involving various heroes and villains playing out through its DLC trilogies. So far, however, only the first part of each trilogy has been available to play. But that's all about to change! Starting next week, players finally get to sink their teeth into the continuation of one when the second part of War of Light, which premiered earlier this year, finally releases. Members will be granted early access to War of Light Part II on November 11th while everyone else gets the DLC on the 18th (with the exception of European players who will get it on the 19th). But thanks to a tour with Creative Director Jens Andersen and Assistant Creative Director SJ Mueller, we didn't have to wait until next week to see what's in store.
SOE Live 2014: DCUO's Legends PvE and a la carte DLCs
A superhero game deserves a super announcement at SOE Live, and DC Universe Online delivered. Creative Director Jens Andersen and Assistant Creative Director SJ Mueller shared details about many upcoming updates, from the second installments of the various trilogy story arcs to new movements and powers to a whole new way to purchase the DLC themselves. Oh, and we can't forget one of the biggest announcements: Legends play is coming to PvE!
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'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."
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Free for All: Why developers need to stop apologizing
Remember the old saying "confidence is attractive"? Well, it is. It's possible that we've all been the victim of a confident person at one time or another, whether we're buying that extra add-on for our cable package or "investing" money into a Kickstarter. This is exactly why an MMO developer needs to be confident and keep the apologizing to a minimum. Apologies come in many different forms. Over the course of our lives, we spend a lot of time giving and receiving apologies. It's not as sinister as it sounds; saying "sorry" helps cut down on confrontation and can even help to form new relationships. Unfortunately it's also very easy to apologize too much. In this age of indie development and crowd-funding, developers need to be aware of when they are saying sorry too much, and players need to watch out for overly apologetic people.
DCUO begins the War of the Light in today's update
The first part of DC Universe Online's War of the Light DLC has gone live today, kicking off a multiple-update story arc involving the Lantern Corps, planet hopping, and a transformed Metropolis. Senior Creative Director Jens Andersen says that this update will get players to see the game from a whole new perspective: "Players are getting more than just a new storyline with this DLC. We transformed Metropolis for the War of the Light trilogy and created new, expandable environments and content -- separate from the original -- for players to explore." The DLC also includes the tanking rage powerset, more 4- and 8-player operations, plenty of Green Lantern gear, and the Legends PvP characters of Saint Walker and Atrocitus. The update is included with a subscription or can be purchased separately for $9.99. [Source: SOE press release]
New DCUO trailer highlights Rage powers available today
The War of the Light has begun. This first installment of the multi-part DLC series is available to play today for subscribed members of DC Universe Online. War of the Light Part 1 introduces the crimson Red Light Rage powers set, the Blue Lantern Corps, new four-player operations, new Legends PvP characters, and the sentient planets Ranx and Mogo. Nonsubscribers can purchase War of the Light Part 1 starting January 28th, but everyone can get a preview of the Rage powers in action in the trailer below, and read up more on the DLC in Massively's interview with Creative Director Jens Andersen. [Source: SOE press release]
DC Universe Online's War of the Light DLC and Armories
If you are a follower of DC Universe Online, you know how the developers love to introduce world-changing DLCs for players to adventure in. Last time it was the Sons of Trigon, a massive adventure that threw players against the forces of Trigon, took players through a new zone, handed out a lot of new loot, and introduced a new power set called Celestial. We even played through some of the Trigon DLC with Jens Anderson, Creative Director. This time around the team is introducing several things that players have never seen before, starting with the Blue Lantern Corps, twin sentient planets Mogo and Ranx, and a new Red Light power called Rage. Coming up on top of the DLC will be Armories, displays that players can place in their lairs or hideouts not only to display favorite looks, but to allow players to switch between loadouts and looks on the fly, in the field! So, how will all of this work?
Cross-platform play comes to DC Universe Online... on consoles
It's always been just a little frustrating for players of DC Universe Online that you can't always play with your friends. If you play on your computer and your best friend is on her PlayStation 3, well, the two of you just aren't going to be able to team up. But starting with the launch of the game on PlayStation 4, players will be able to experience cross-platform play, assuming the two platforms are the PS3 and the PS4. Creative director Jens Andersen confirmed that all console players will be able to work together on the same servers, thus ensuring that old-school players and new console players will coexist. Andersen also confirmed that while the launch version will not make use of the system's new controller, it's possible that more controller support will be introduced further down the line. This is good news if your friends are on the same platform, although PC users will still have to simply look on with longing.
Touring DCUO's Sons of Trigon with SOE's Andersen and Scott [Updated]
It's been only a few weeks since DCUO's Sons of Trigon DLC was first announced, but it's already appeared on the test server, and the date it goes live is just around the corner is [Updated!] the week of August 26th for early access players and September 3rd for everyone else. Yesterday, DCUO Creative Director Jens Andersen and Systems Designer Jesse Scott sat down with press to lead a livestream tour highlighting the new zone, new bounty missions, two Legends characters, and new Celestial powers. Read on for a look at what the heroes and villains of the DC Universe can anticipate!%Gallery-196440%
SOE Live 2013: DCUO's Sons of Trigon DLC and beyond
Just before the events of SOE Live actually got rolling, DC Universe Online's next DLC was announced. But that little bit of foreknowledge certainly didn't mean that folks had heard everything; it was, in fact, quite the opposite. Attendees were treated to an eye-ful and earful of Sons of Trigon goodness as well as some other non-DLC 8 related tidbits. We were on the scene to catch these announcements in the various panels for you, and we also got to speak with Design Director Jesse Benjamin, Producer Larry Liberty, and Creative Director Jens Andersen to hear their thoughts on DCL 8, see a preview of the new areas, and get a hint of what's coming in the future.
SOE Live 2013: DCUO changing its loot mechanics
Even though the focus of DC Universe Online's presence at SOE Live was the upcoming DLC Sons of Trigon, SOE had some other superheroic news to deliver as well. The devs are rebooting the game's loot system, so now when groups and raids kill a boss, every single person will get items of their very own. The items will be random as far as piece and class, so no one is assured to get something they can actually use. Although no exact date was given, Creative Director Jens Andersen stated that the change would be rolled out in stages instead of waiting for the entire system to be overhauled. He added that the newer tiers would see the change first, then the lower levels. Keep an eye out for our upcoming DCUO panel impressions for more info. What happens in Vegas doesn't stay in Vegas, at least where SOE Live is concerned! Massively sent intrepid reporters MJ Guthrie and Karen Bryan to this year's SOE Live, from which they'll be transmitting all the best fan news on EverQuest Next, EverQuest II, DC Universe Online, and the other MMOs on SOE's roster.
DCUO has 11 million registered users, SOE explains F2P strategy
DC Universe Online was built with a subscription model in mind, creative director Jens Andersen recently told Gamasutra. How, then, did SOE manage to convert the superhero MMO to a free-to-play model and grow the playerbase to include 11 million registered users? Andersen says that SOE wanted people to be able to freely access all of the game's launch content while offering the option to maximize playtime via various convenience items. "If you like this game a lot, and you want to dedicate more time to it -- not pay-to-win, but dedicate more time to it, and front-load that time and progression, you can do that through various means," Andersen explains. "Otherwise, if you want to play it for free, you'd go at the pace that the game determines for you." SOE came up with a system of replay badges that serve as gear reward gates, effectively allowing players to (re)play content for free but preventing them from claiming the reward a second time until the lockout timer has cycled through. Cash shop items can reduce or eliminate the lockouts. "So your time in the game is the same as a free-to-play person's time, you're just front-loading that time," Andersen says.
E3 2013: Porting DCUO and PlanetSide 2 to the PlayStation 4
Just because SOE didn't have many new games to showcase at E3 this year doesn't mean that the studio didn't have a lot to talk about. In fact, there was plenty to be said about two of the existing games porting to the new PlayStation 4. And while some of it is good, sadly there's some not-so-good thrown in as well. Joystiq caught up with DC Universe Online's Creative Director Jens Andersen and Adam Clegg, a game designer on PlanetSide 2, to get the scoop. Mirroring the executive producer's sentiments from our interview, Andersen noted that DCUO has an advantage thanks to being currently available on the PS3. And while not having specifics to announce, Andersen added that he'd be very surprised if the game didn't take advantage of PS4's social functions. However, the game will not (at least initially) be able to use the console's streaming and quick installation features, remaining a download and install title. For PlanetSide 2, the big news is that the console will allow optimization of the graphics "1,000 times better" according to Clegg. The big bad news is that it will be impossible to have cross-platform play, so folks who want to play on the PS4 will not have access to their PC characters. In a separate interview with Rev3Games, Art Director Tramell Isaac noted that the PS4 version would feel like a native console game, not just a jerry-rigged PC game. Massively's on the ground in Los Angeles during the week of June 10-13, bringing you all the best news from E3 2013. We're covering everything from WildStar and Elder Scrolls Online and ArcheAge to FFXIV's inbound revamp and TERA's latest update, so stay tuned!
DCUO and PlanetSide 2 devs deal with good and bad on PS4 ports
Sony Online Entertainment doesn't have any new games at this year's E3 conference. But the developers behind DC Universe Online and PlanetSide 2 are hard at work anyway, and not just because they're running two live MMOs. Both games, which currently run on the PC (for both) or the PS3 (for DCUO) are coming to the PlayStation 4, which presents both positives and negatives for the developers involved. Adam Clegg, game designer on PlanetSide 2, says he's excited to develop for the PS4 rather than the PC, because it'll make optimization for the game's graphics "1000 times better." Currently, the PC team has countless builds of hardware to optimize the game for, but everyone playing on a PS4 will use the same hardware, which makes things much easier. Additionally, Clegg says improvements should go the other way, too, as optimizing for the PS4 should make the game better for PC users.
A tour of DC Universe Online's new Origin Crisis DLC
DC Universe Online's latest DLC, Origin Crisis, allows players to fill the shoes of some of their favorite -- and not so favorite -- heroes and villains and fight to keep reality as it is. Thanks to yesterday's update, players will actually be traveling through time in order to stop a chain of events that might result in entirely new universes and timelines. You'll be bamming and powing your way through content in the hopes that history remains intact. We sat down with Jens Andersen, Creative Director of DC Universe Online, to discuss this special DLC, a pack that has been in planning since the game's conception.
Dev livestream shows off the characters in DCUO's Origin Crisis
Ever since DC Universe Online announced the DLC Origin Crisis, fans have been clamoring for more information. Creative Director Jens Andersen provided just that last week, offering plenty of details about the story, instances, and new iconic suits coming with the DLC. But he didn't stop there; Andersen and SJ Mueller, Assistant Creative Director, gave players a lengthy look at the council members of the upcoming DLC via webcast. After introducing the various versions of Batman and Lex Luthor, viewers then got to choose match-ups for duels to the death. Who would win between Cybernetic Luthor and Primal Batman? And what if all joined in for a 5v5 death match? If you've got an hour, watch how that all turns out (and get a sneak peek of the Origin Crisis cinematic) in the full video after the break.
Jens Andersen reveals DCUO's Origin Crisis DLC
Although he's been dropping hints and teasing fans for a while now, Creative Director Jens Andersen kept the bulk of DC Universe Online's seventh DLC, Origin Crisis, under wraps. That all changed when we met up at GDC; he opened the floodgates of information, sharing a wealth of details about the story, the content, and the new costumes. And now I can pass it all along to you. Story-wise, Andersen expressed how excited he was to finally let players in on the arc that ties up a few loose ends left dangling after DLCs 2 and 3 -- Lightning Strikes and Battle for Earth. As for content, Origin Crisis adds two new raids, two four-man operations per side, two special solo challenges (which offer the chance to play as a legendary character), a new superpower, and a new tier of PvE gear. Oh, and let's not forget the three new iconic-based suits.
