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Barely Related: Marvel's Civil War, DC movies galore
Welcome to Barely Related, a conversational Friday column that presents the non-gaming news stories that we, the Joystiq staff, have been talking about over the past week. And no, we're not stopping our focus on industry and gaming news. Think of this as your casual weekly recap of interesting (and mostly geeky) news, presented just in time to fill your brain with things to discuss at all of those weekend shindigs. Grab a fresh drink, lean back in your armchair, and get ready to talk nerdy with us.
Barely Related: Affleck's tiny Batman ears, tons of TV
Some weeks are more hectic than others for no apparent reason – and that just makes the weekend so much sweeter. Welcome to Barely Related, a conversational Friday column that presents the non-gaming news stories that we, the Joystiq staff, have been talking about over the past week. And no, we're not stopping our focus on industry and gaming news. Think of this as your casual weekly recap of interesting (and mostly geeky) news, presented just in time to fill your brain with things to discuss at all of those weekend shindigs. Grab a fresh drink, lean back in your armchair, and get ready to talk nerdy with us.
Infinite Crisis profiles speedy hero The Flash
The Flash, who unlocked his abilities through expert use of the sciences, will use his super speed as a passive damage boost in Infinite Crisis, allowing him to increase his output the more he moves around. He can also steal enemy movement speed, increasing his own.
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.
New power set, Central City map coming to DCUO on December 6th
December 6th is shaping up to be quite a big day for Sony Online Entertainment. Not only is EverQuest II's latest expansion slated to debut, but so is the new Lightning Strikes content pack for DC Universe Online. The pack is free for subscribers and $9.99 for F2P folk. There's plenty of bang for your buck too, and it all starts with a new power set (electricity) and continues with new gear, a new open-world map (Central City), and plenty of new DC Comics characters and missions to populate it. New faces include Livewire, Black Lightning, The Top, and The Trickster, and you can learn more about DCUO -- as well as download the client -- at the game's official web destination, and we've tucked the newest trailer right after the break.
DC Universe Online's Lightning Strikes DLC pack announced
DC Universe Online has had a lot to say about its recent free-to-play transition, with the game boasting a one million player increase since the change took place. But that's in the past already; what's en route in the near future? Well, today Sony Online Entertainment is announcing the latest round of DLC for the freshly F2P superhero game. The new DLC is entitled Lightning Strikes, and it focuses on everyone's favorite speedster, Flash. The update will bring a variety of new content for veteran and fledgling players alike. So what can players look forward to when Lightning Strikes? We sat down with some of the game's developers to find out, so follow on past the cut and have a gander.
Engadget interviews Dwyane Wade: the technology behind the Fly Wade (video)
It's not all that difficult to peer at some gadgets without fully understanding the wizardry and magic that assists in driving them from concept to reality. Did shoes ever cross your noggin as being technologically eye-opening? Sure, a few pairs of kicks have caught our attention over the years, but could a pair of sneakers be more than just that? To answer that question, we sat down with NBA star Dwyane Wade and Jordan Brand designer Mark smith to figure out what goes in to a modern pair of kicks. Read on to introduce your brain to the latest in shoe technology. %Gallery-120428%
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.
SDCC 2010: Up, up and away at the DCUO panel
Are you pumped for DC Universe Online after watching the recent "Who Do You Trust?" trailer or our own interview with John Smedley? We can hardly blame you -- it's tough being a superhero waiting in the wings. While we count down the days until its November 2nd launch, there's a lot more DCUO goodness to be had. Massively was on hand at the DCUO panel at this year's San Diego Comic-Con, where Jens Andersen, Chris Cao, Marv Wolfman, Jim Lee and Mark Hamill (who is reprising his voice work as the Joker) were on hand to answer questions about DC's upcoming title. Hit the jump for the full skinny on time travel, heroes, villains and Bat-shark repellent.
See 'The Flash' superhero game in action -- before it disappeared
We'll be the first to admit that the early gameplay footage for a canned The Flash game -- the one BottleRocket was rumored to be making for Brash -- looks a little rough, as you'll see right after the break. But considering how early the footage is (just six months into development), we can't help but think there's a little something there. We don't know if it's the animation, the sense of speed or maybe just the borrowed Danny Elfman score, but we're feeling like this canceled rendering of the Scarlet Speedster is a definite missed opportunity. [Via superannuation]
BottleRocket fizzles out of existence
BottleRocket Entertainment, the company that had worked on Splatterhouse and a game based on The Flash, has shut down. Studio founder Jay Beard confirmed the closure and noted in an email that he plans to make a new operation "from the ground up." According to Beard, BottleRocket had been in a precarious position "for the past six months," presumably ever since Namco Bandai pulled the Splatterhouse project from the studio citing "performance issues." The developer denied the accusation and members of BottleRocket were even put back on the Splatterhouse project after the full team was removed. Another contributing factor to the studio's passing was likely the halted Flash game that was allegedly in development until publisher Brash Entertainment's demise. Hopefully, Beard will have better luck with his next studio.
The Flash speeds into DCUO
Maybe it's just the resident comic book nerds here at Massively, but as soon as we saw Geoff Johns announced as part of the team involved with writing the story for DC Universe Online, we just knew The Flash had to show up. Sure, it makes sense to have him in there since he's a major part of the DC license. He's also the perfect choice to show off super-speed as a travel power, too. But Geoff's work on the Flash storyline was absolutely awesome, thus having him in the game is something we're pretty psyched to hear confirmation of. SOE explained his spot in the game a bit further in the press release noting that we'll be dealing with the Wally West incarnation of the Flash, who "easily runs at light speed, vibrates through objects, create explosions through friction - and, when at agonizing top capacity, can manipulate time and bridge dimensions." We just wonder if a high-level speedster will be able to manipulate time and bridge dimensions too. Can you imagine how cool that would be? For now, enjoy some concept art for this newest addition to the DCUO cast!%Gallery-34118%
Kinetik speeds into the profiled halls of Champions Online
It's becoming apparent that somebody is a Flash fan, because the most recently profiled Champions Online character, Kinetik, is very much inspired by the iconic character. Not that we think it's a bad thing, especially considering that there are differences between the the characters.Of course there are a lot of Flashes in the DC Universe. We're speaking specifically about Barry Allen and the lab accident that turned him into the scarlet speedster. Kinetic -- aka Brendan Grant -- may have had a lab accident, but the events leading to his clash with superheroism are drastically different from Barry Allen's. Also, much of the two character's purposes in life are different as well. Barry has his love Iris, while Brendan has his younger brethren in need of his help. Read the profile if you're keen for the specifics.What really has us curious is the fact that all the Champions profiles so far feature characters whose powers are represented within the game somehow. Kinetic seems to be the exception with his superspeed being his bread and butter power. The game has superspeed as a travel power, but nothing beyond that. With the recently announced delay, will we see the addition of these powers? Or, are players merely expected to substitute other powers in order to feel super speedsters themselves?
Sneak a peek at BottleRocket's Flash game
From the "Things That Might Have Been" file, early images from a game based on DC's The Flash (reportedly in development for now-defunct Brash) have popped up on personal sites of artists Bryan Johnson and Veronica Lynn Harper. Both sites say the work was being done for an unannounced 360 title being developed by BottleRocket. We've reached out to the company for comment.It's a shame, too. The Flash, we'd imagine, would be a tough license to nail and we're curious how BottleRocket would have handled it.[Via VG247 and superannuation]%Gallery-45058%
Geoff Johns revealed as writer for DC Universe Online
How do you make DC Universe Online with Jim Lee in charge of the art direction even more exciting for comic fans? You bring Geoff Johns on as writer for the game's backstory. Geoff is the man responsible for one of the best runs on The Flash, his envisioning of Green Lantern: Rebirth and the highly engaging cooperative effort that was 52. Basically, if you're a fan of DC comics and haven't bothered with them for a while, you should really check his stuff out.According to the Newsarama interview with Geoff, he's only responsible for writing the general state of the world, its characters and the whole story behind why all these new superheroes (that'd be us) are suddenly cropping up everywhere. Beyond that, nothing has been confirmed, although he did say it'd be possible to come back to write more stuff. In that regard, Geoff also says the game will be set more or less within the current DCU at the time of launch. Players can expect to see story arcs both new and old -- or something like them -- to eventually show their faces. If DC comics fans were only a little excited before this is a reason to start smiling, or maybe even do a fist-pump. Go ahead, we won't look.[Thanks, Haggs]
Metareview - Justice League Heroes
The success of the X-Men Legends series proved that there is still a market for good hack-and-slash RPGs. But Warner Bros. Interactive wasn't about to let Activision and Marvel Comics have all the fun -- not when the WB is home to DC Comics and some of the most beloved superheroes of all time. The resulting Justice League Heroes falls a little short of its mutant counterparts, despite the efforts of Snowblind Studios (Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance, Champions of Norrath) and Justice League Unlimited writer Dwayne McDuffie. Die-hard fans will be disappointed by the omission of some popular Leaguers, although the alternate costumes and their unique modifiers might make up for that. More unforgivable is that the members of Gotham City's impressive rogues gallery are absent from a JLH villains roster that sorely needs them. How about a Batman Legends next? Game Informer (73/100) was generally displeased, but cited a first for The Man of Steel: "It only offers two-player offline cooperative play. Enemy types and environmental architecture are highly recycled. The plot reads like a kindergartner's first attempt at writing. On the plus side, this is the first game that successfully makes Superman a fun character to play." 1UP (65/100) wasn't content throwing down with Lex Luthor, Braniac, and Gorilla Grodd: "Maybe the drama would have been more believable if the villains weren't downright dumb. A talking gorilla, an intelligent robot, and a killer bee? That's all you got, DC? Where are all the Batman villains? The Joker, Two-Face, Catwoman -- now those are villains worth fighting. Not some dude who calls himself 'The Key'." IGN (64/100) thinks JLH's character balance is a little off: "Surprisingly, Zatanna is the most potent character in the game. She can heal, cast an over-powered fire attack at low cost (when leveled up), and can turn 95% of all enemies into harmless rabbits. Sadly, Batman is easily the most useless and joyless character you can select. Even Aquaman is more fun to play. Batman's powers, such as calling in a fleet of bats, just don't cut it."
Justice League Heroes gameplay screens fly onto PSP
Somewhat like God and Lucifer, man and mosquitoes and my wife and I, DC Comics and Marvel have been locked in an age-old battle against each other. And over the past couple years, Marvel has had its time in the video game limelight, showcasing its best group of superheroes - The X-Men. But now it's DC Comic's time to fight back, and they are bringing Justice League Heroes.Up until now, all we've seen is character art of the game, but Gamespy has just posted nearly 10-new gameplay screens that show all your super heroes in top form. And judging by these screens, the game seems to be coming along rather nicely.Developed by Snowblind Studios, Justice League Heroes puts the player in control of Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, The Flash, Green Lantern, Martian Manhunter and Zatanna to try to stop the diabolical Braniac. And what will surely give the fanboys a wet dream, Heroes is chock full of extras like unlockable costumes and characters.You'll get your Justice League fix when the game releases Nov. 10.[Via Gamespy]
