DC Universe Online – Going Free to Play !!

[NARMAK]

Published By: Sony Online Entertainment
Developed By: SOE Austin
Release Date ETA 2010
Genre: Persistent Online RPG
Formats: PS3 & PC
Official Website: http://dcuo.station.sony.com/
Official DCUO MySpace: http://blogs.myspace.com/dcuo




About the Game

Set within the famed DC universe with creative input from Legendary comic book artist Jim Lee as the Executive Creative Director, Marv Wolfman & Geoff Johns will be penning the stories, this Action based MMO will explore the various worlds of DC comic Superheroes & Villains with favourites such as Metropolis City, the home of Superman among many other heroes, already shown & Gotham City home of Batman announced but yet to be shown properly

Players will be able to assume the role of either a hero or villain & fight alongside DC heroes & villains such as Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Green Lantern, Joker, Bizzaro, Doomsday & many more

The action is REAL TIME like a dream come true, there is no waiting about for your turn & hitting the attack button gives an instant reaction & you really choose how you fight & the tactics you employ to win

Super powers are the only things that are on a timer as they need to recharge before being used again however normal attacks are ever ready unless theres some power that should stun your player yet to be seen, your safe

You can create your Hero or Villain with a multitude of powers from the ground up how you like or follow a pre-set template of your DC favourite Heroes or Villains then tweak that if you wish to & you start off with powers from then on & those powers are then enhanced as you become stronger

If you choose to have super speed, you will possibly be granted much faster speed and/or be able to run for longer distances & in the case of super strength, if you weren't able to lift that bus a level ago, then maybe you would be able to after as your strength grows

The initial story of DCUO was written by Geoff Johns, a rather famous/popular DC comics writer. Marv Wolfman (another well known comic book writer is also doing some work on it). Johns has been quoted saying that the initial plotline in DCUO is "Secret Origins" - basically setting your hero's place in the DCU and filling out his origin. He has not mentioned many other details other than the fact that players will travel all over the DCU - including exotic places like the Doom Patrol's castle headquarters in Europe. Johns has also indicated that as part of the "Secret Origins" story the players will meet and interact with a large variety of DCU heroes and villians including Black Adam.

DC Hero & Villain Profiles

Doomsday

Doomsday, the cursed Kryptonian creature was bred to embody hate and rage. His sole reason for living is to extinguish all other life, including the citizens of Metropolis and their beloved hero, Superman.

Doomsday's body is covered with vicious bony spurs that can render even Superman's skin. His endurance makes him almost impossible to kill. He is the epitome of villainous power and strength. With the ability to regenerate after every battle, Doomsday becomes bigger and stronger; therefore no opponent of his has ever defeated him twice.

Don't think that Doomsday is a mindless creature destroying everything in his path just because he hates all living things. He can think and reason, which makes him a valuable weapon to anyone seeking to manipulate and control his rampages of mayhem and destruction. But who could possibly want to do such a thing? That's right: Lex Luthor is obsessed with capturing Doomsday to turn him into the ultimate minion for Luthor's destructive plans.

The story of when Doomsday attacked Metropolis is a tragic one. During Doomsday's rampage, an epic battle erupted on the streets of Metropolis where neither Superman nor Doomsday would back down. Superman knew Doomsday's rage would fuel the fight driving the battle on as Superman continued to weaken, incurring severe wounds which began to drain his stamina. In the end, the two combatants attacked each other simultaneously with a fatal blow, leaving both lifeless in front of The Daily Planet Building & perfectly situated for a cover story that would shatter the world.









Eurogamer Doomsday Trailer

The Flash

The Fastest Man Alive, Wally West easily runs at light speed, vibrates through objects, create explosions through friction - and, when at agonizing top capacity, can manipulate time and bridge dimensions.

The Flash is a time-honored member of the Justice League. The latest in a long line of Flashes, each with their own unique way of tapping into the primal "Speed Force," Wally is determined to live up to the noble legacies of speedsters such as Barry Allen, Max Mercury, and Jay Garrick.

Flash's enemies call themselves the Rogues Gallery. This deadly collection of brutal foes includes Captain Cold, Heatwave, Mirror Master, and the lethal speedster Zoom - villainous threats not just to Keystone City, but the world.









Solomon Grundy

Solomon Grundy has superhuman strength and endurance but is nearly mindless; he doesn't even remember much of his past or his true identity. Being part zombie, part plant, and part bizarre can lead to some interesting run-ins with heroes like Green Lantern and Superman. At times he can be a rampaging monster running wild on the streets, while at other times he seems almost childlike as he searches for his lost identity.

What makes Solomon Grundy a threat to all the heroes in the DC Universe is his enhanced strength. He can take massive amounts of bodily damage, only to regenerate and rise again for another battle. Each time Solomon Grundy returns, he's evolved in some way, he is the epitome of what doesn't kill you, makes you stronger.

Solomon Grundy can be seen trudging through the swamps and navigating through sewer lines and abandoned buildings in both Metropolis and Gotham City. A conversation with Solomon Grundy may only have him answering with the rhyme, Solomon Grundy, born on a Monday & If you dare to pay homage to our zombie villain of the underground, recite the following to appease his inner spirit:

Solomon Grundy,
Born on a Monday,
Christened on Tuesday,
Married on Wednesday,
Took ill on Thursday,
Grew worse on Friday,
Died on Saturday,
Buried on Sunday.
That was the end of
Solomon Grundy.









Lex Luthor

Lex Luthor is Superman's sworn archenemy. If the Kryptonian Superman embodies selflessness, Earth's own Luthor is selfishness personified. He uses his genius-level intellect and driving ambition only to advance himself and crush others.

Even without super powers, Lex is easily the most dangerous human being on the planet. The Metropolis (and American) economy would collapse without his support. And as head of the technological powerhouse LexCorp and commander of the deadly criminal cartel called the Injustice League, Lex is perfectly positioned to lead the new generation of metahuman villains to victory.

Lex is devoted to ridding the world of Superman for the good of humanity or rather, for one man: himself. His talk of empowering the common man is only a cover. Charming, fascinating, and utterly indifferent to the suffering of others, Lex is a true sociopath.









Killer Croc

A genetic condition gave Waylon Jones his hulking, reptilian appearance but his cold-blooded and destructive rage comes from the years this misfit spent in Arkham Asylum and Blackgate Prison. Now he is more animal than man. Travelers near the Gotham City waterfront, sewers, and swamps, beware





Killer Croc character render

The Green Lantern

Hal Jordan acquired the power ring and lantern from a dying alien whose spaceship crashed on Earth. The aliens objective was to find an individual who is "utterly honest and born without fear" all which describes the character of Hal Jordan. Hal is the premier Green Lantern in the famed Green Lantern Corps, an intergalactic police force. Armed with his ring, which creates hard light constructs powered by his imagination, Hal patrols Earth with his mantra:

"In brightest days, in blackest night,
No evil shall escape my sight.
Let those who worship evil's might
Beware my power, Green Lantern's light!"








Confirmed Travel Powers

In DCUO, you'll be creating a hero or villain from your own imagination that will strive to fight alongside or against iconic DC characters. A combination of choices will determine the exact powers andnabilities of this character. Fundamental among these choices is the question of how you move.


Flight

Obviously, you need the option to soar through the sky. While an oldie-but-goodie, this movement power gains some new dimensions in DCUO. Firstly, you'll have combat powers based exclusively on your ability to fly. Want to catch up to that super speedster who's racing away? Hit your intercept ability and swoop in for the kill. Need to get across the city right quick, Boost your flight speed and leave your enemies reeling from the sonic boom. We're finding in our play tests that players who like to have good general movement controls like the flexibility of flight. And while it does provide easy mobility, it also tends to also attract the eye.


Super Speed Run up and over anything. Fast.

That's super speed in DCUO. You've seen it in gameplay movies. Super speed redefines, run and gun by giving players the ability to fight and move everywhere. Play testing has shown that players who like more of a racing game feel to their movement enjoy super speed. The agility and precision made possible by this set of powers brings a whole new level to skill-based gameplay. Of course, that same level of control has another edge. Lose control and you can end up in all sorts of interesting places. Let's just say that the ceiling ain't the best place to stop and take a shot.

Acrobatics

Acrobatics lends an entirely new feel of platform play to DCUO. In leaps and bounds, players arc through the skies of Metropolis, pausing on the side of buildings to take cover or take a prime shot. Double-jumping and air dashes add a level of mid-air control that keeps the other movement types on their toes. Like no other power, acrobatics puts tactical control of the terrain into the player's hands. Of course, that also means that you have to be aware of your surroundings. Accidentally sticking to an overpass while trying to escape your lead engineer can be problematic.


Subscription Fee or Free to Play information

Sony has said previously that they are aware console players are normally not willing to pay a monthly fee. While nothing official has been mentioned it is very possible that we will see DCUO with no monthly fee, but some sort of micro-transactions (maybe additional powers/costume pieces among other things?) may be a viable option


Mission Structures

Whether you decide to be a Hero or Villain within DC universe, you will have the opportunity to work towards the same missions for very different opposing reasons & this has already been shown off in the public demos shown thus far at places like NYCC letting players participate in the 'Doomsday Dillema' to very different goals

Heroes try to subdue the Kryptonian monster alongside superman while Villains duke it out alongside Lex Luthor in his vision for world domination & all the while trying to fight opposing heroes or villains in such comic book known places like STAR labs within Metropolis City

The missions are given by Superman on the Heroes side & The Information Broker on the Villains front to carry out missions to further their own causes be it world salvation or world domination

You have the opportunity to traverse the Massive cities that are set to feature in the game by a multitude of means such as jumping huge distances, running at super speeds a la 'The Flash' style & of course flying to your mission destinations where you will be greeted by opposing Villains or NPCs with a nefarious interest in the mission or Vice versa if you are a Hero

You are given step by step objectives that can span a vast amount of areas potentially & a length of time depending on just how the developers do decide to structure their missions & of course the exciting prospect that your missions will possibly have you visiting other cities to try & complete you mission

We have been told that at some point that Heroes & Villains may have to team up if a great threat comes that threatens their survival although they may still have a little fight between themselves as is expected & quite frankly gotta be normal right

Controls & Game Mechanics

The control scheme for the PlayStation 3 Dualshock is still a work in progress & trying to be finely balanced for the end user experience but has been demonstrated in working order for players to use during their hands on with the game & below is a demonstration

PlaySation 3 controller demonstration

Players have also been told that they will be able to use the controller on the PC version if they decide to & also this raises the possibility of Keyboard & Mouse control on the PS3 as well although yet to be fully confirmed & will update as soon as information becomes available

You can choose one of three roles, offensive, defensive, and support on the fly and this mechanic is supposed to allow any group to quickly fill out the necessary tanks/dps/healers they may need and is a bit revolutionary compared to existing traditional MMOs.

The "death" mechanic at the moment is currently that most/all instanced missions will be timed and if you are defeated there is a period of time before you automatically revive increasing with each consecutive defeat the player suffers with the penalty becoming, running out of time needed to finish the mission instead of big resurrection, xp, or corpse run penalites.


General Features

DCUO is an action-focused hero and villain game in a fully realized DC Universe

Players can experience the intensity of a 3D world created in the artistic vision of legendary comic book artist Jim Lee and DC Comics' WildStorm Productions

DCUO uses a state-of-the-art physics engine that turns the world into your weapon

Extreme customization allows players to create their own custom hero or villain

Players will embark on story-driven adventures penned by Geoff Johns and other famous DC writers

The DCUO game world's depth will span the entire DC Universe

Physics based gameplay world

MEDIA

Previews

Joystiq pre-alpha Hands-On
IGN NYCC 09 Hands-On

Game Video Footage

Hero Gameplay

Developer Walkthrough 1 HD
Developer Walkthrough 2 HD
Developer Walkthrough 3 HD

Villain Gameplay

Developer Walkthrough 1 SD
Developer Walkthrough 2 SD

DCUO Video Archives

IGN DC Universe Online Video Archive

Gametrailers DC Universe Online Video Archive

The archives above should contain most videos available for DC universe online thus far & some may offer better quality than others or some not available in the other sites

















Concept Art