DC Universe Online ???

[eastmen]

This is surprising to me:
http://ps3.ign.com/articles/114/1145646p1.html

It shouldn't . The game was designed with a controller in mind. In the pc beta i stoped using a mouse and keyboard and put in my 360 control pad. The combos later in the game do not lend themselves to a mouse and keyboard

 

[patsu]

http://www.lazygamer.net/official-sony-confirm-dc-universe-discs-locked-to-single-account-forever

This week, we posted up a warning about how we discovered that DC Universe becomes linked to your account when you activate it, destroying your ability to sell it, trade it or rent it.

…

the folks at SOE were very quick to respond to our enquiry, and they had the following to say:

“Once the PSN key has been consumed with a disk it cannot be resold/replayed with the second user adding a sub – only the original consumer can use that acct.”

We weren’t too sure if that meant that a new code could be obtained by a second hand buyer, or if the disc and account were seen as one, so we wrote back and got the simple and straightforward answer that:

“Disk and account are one”

…

So once again, be warned: If you see the game for sale second hand without its original activation key (highly unlikely) or want to sell it off, it doesn’t work that way.

 

[Arwin]

Apparently that is like most PC MMO's work, but it is the first on console I think.

 

[Shifty Geezer]

Ummm...how can this be news? The game has next to no value. You need a subscription. Buying the game it comes with 3 months subscription or whatever it is. You can't sell a mobile phone and pass on your contract, so why expect any other subscription model to be the same?

Perhaps it came as a shock to console shoppers who are unaware what a subscription model MMO is, but that's naivety on their part.

 

[patsu]

It can be news for people who have not tried MMO before, especially for console gamers.

 

[patsu]

http://www.joystiq.com/2011/02/22/dc-universe-online-gets-first-game-update-soe-has-more-on-the-w/

The first major update for DC Universe Online is now available for both the PS3 and PC versions of the game (just a day or so after the first buyers' subscription plans kicked in). The patch includes a new eight-player raid inside the Batcave; a number of new missions based around Catwoman and other DC luminaries; some "Love is a Battlefield" holiday content and the long-awaited Auction House functionality. Sony is also streamlining the social UI quite a bit, answering players' wishes for an easier-to-use chat system.

On plans to fix bugs:
http://www.pcgamer.com/2011/02/21/dcuo-interview-part-1-squashing-bugs/

We’ve found that [the problems with chat] have been very population-dependent. Because our leagues are so big (like I’m in a league that has 750 people in it) its’ basically stressing our systems so we had to put in more tech to make sure that that whole thing works.

…

Basically, right now, the thing that’s making everything not work or more annoying is the chat and communication. Right after that, is grouping and group queuing.

PCG: Another major problem that you didn’t mention is the animation glitching that people are seeing in PVP, which lets cheaters chain together a crazy number of abilities. Is it going to be difficult to fix that? Is that even fixable?

CC: Well we’re actually trying to find out what’s going on, to be honest, because what’s interesting is that what people are calling “animation glitching” [isn't really a bug at all]–it’s inherent to our system. It’s complicated to explain, so let me know if it comes across. Our system allows you to interweave weapon combos with abilities in your ability tray. That means that, in some cases, your ability tray needs to override your combo animation. In other words, if you gotta heal, you gotta heal right now because someone is about to die. So what we do is actually cut off the animation you were doing with your combo, and just instantly play the healing animation.

So sometimes people see what looks like a “glitch animation” which is actually our fail safe for when you need to heal or when you need to taunt or when you need to stun right away.

 

[patsu]

'DC Universe Online' Goes Free-To-Play November 1
http://splashpage.mtv.com/2011/10/28/dc-universe-online-free-to-play-release-date/

While Sony Online Entertainment had previously mentioned that their DC Comics-inspired online role-playing game, "DC Universe Online," was also removing a required monthly fee, it wasn't immediately clear when that would start. Apparently, it's really soon. Like next week soon.

The developers held a webcast last night to make some announcements about the online title that allows you to play as your own character in DC's world. Primarily, the video focused on dating and detailing the game's free-to-play transition. "DC Universe Online" will officially become free to everyone on November 1, with three tiers of membership tailored to your desired level of interaction.

First, there's the straight-up free account. You don't have to pay anything, but your account has limited character slots and inventory slots. You'll also lack other features such as voice chat, so this account is really for those looking to check out the game or play casually.

If you're looking for a step-up from the free account, spending $5 in the game unlocks the "premium" account. Once you've spent the five bucks, the premium content – including additional slots and voice chat – is yours forever.

[...]

 

[Shifty Geezer]

Yeah, I'll give this a look. Looks very 'PC' from videos though, so I doubt it'll 'take' with me.

 

[Shifty Geezer]

It's available to download now for free. 25.5 GBs. won't actually fit on my 40 GB original PS3 unless I remove some stuff! It's also over half of my monthly broadband cap. So probably not going to look at it now.

 

[patsu]

DC Universe Online population spikes 1,000% on free-to-play switch
http://www.gamespot.com/news/dc-uni...on-spikes-1000-on-free-to-play-switch-6344319

...

On Saturday, the SOE executive took to his Twitter feed to reveal that user-base numbers were up 900 percent over pre-free-to-play numbers since the new business model was introduced on November 1. Since then, the figure has ballooned to 1,000 percent. Smedley did not provide a breakdown of which platform new users are flocking to.

The player influx hasn't come without a cost, however. The massive influx of users has resulted in users reporting long waits to get into the game, and various other issues. The latest update from Smedley is that the team is aware of the issues and is "on it." Servers are being added to the DCUO infrastructure, and subscribers are being pushed to the front of log-in queues.

...

 

[Shifty Geezer]

If they hadn't such a stupid download requirement, that would have been a lot higher.

 

[Arwin]

If they hadn't such a stupid download requirement, that would have been a lot higher.

And then so would their server issues have been.

 

[patsu]

I wonder if it makes sense to have NetFlix, GameFly, and folks distribute BR demoes (that can be turned into full purchase), and free-to-play games.

 

[patsu]

Hmm... SOE really going after Free-to-Play big time ?

Sony Online's EverQuest II Goes Entirely Free-To-Play
http://gamasutra.com/view/news/38514/Sony_Onlines_EverQuest_II_Goes_Entirely_FreeToPlay.php

Following last year's experiment to run a concurrent freemium service, Sony Online Entertainment's fantasy-themed MMORPG EverQuest II is switching to an entirely free-to-play model.

The switch will occur in early December, according to the company, to coincide with its latest expansion pack, Age of Discovery.

The game, which recently celebrated its seven-year anniversary, will no longer require an upfront fee to download and play.

Memberships will now be split into three classes: a Free class that offers basic functionality with some limitations, a Silver class that removes many restrictions, and a subscription-based Gold service that offers several premium-tier options for ease of play.

 

[patsu]

SOE Supercharges DC Universe™ Online with Lightning Strikes DLC Pack, Featuring The Flash
http://www.prnewswire.com/news-rele...s-dlc-pack-featuring-the-flash-134044623.html

Sony Online Entertainment LLC (SOE) will soon launch its second Downloadable Content (DLC) pack for DC Universe Online with the worldwide release of Lightning Strikes, later this year. Launching simultaneously on the PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system and Windows PC, Lightning Strikes introduces Electricity Powers – the game's eighth power set – and a new adventure starring the iconic speedster The Flash.

"In this DLC pack, fans have the opportunity to immerse themselves in another great character and action-packed story from the DC Universe," said Jens Andersen, Creative Director for DC Universe Online. "With exciting gameplay, a new power set and new locations to share with your friends, we packed a whole new kind of fun into this DLC pack and are eager for our players to dive into another legendary adventure."

In addition to the new Electricity Power set, DC Universe Online players will also be able to interact with The Flash-themed characters and content with new maps and features:

Central City – An all-new map that offers players a more open world experience that provides on-going gameplay, with solo and group missions.
The Flash Museum Duo – Players can now experience the Central City of today and tomorrow. In The Flash Museum Duo, players can travel back in time to the very moment when Barry Allen became The Flash and battle foes inside the Central City Police Station!

Electricity Powers – Players now have the opportunity to get the new Electricity Power set for current and new characters. The new Electricity Power set allows players to leverage the lightning power of electricity and use new types of attacks in combat. Electricity Powers include the Tesla Ball, which creates a floating ball of electricity that zaps nearby enemies; the Shockwave, which shoots streams of electric bolts at enemies; and Ionic Drain, which drains energy from the environment to replenish a player's health while simultaneously damaging surrounding enemies.

New Gear – Players can earn all-new gear sets including the new Zoom-inspired gear set for villains, and the new Black Lightning-inspired gear set for heroes.

New Characters – Lightning Strikes brings players new iconic DC Universe characters including Livewire, Black Lightning, The Top, The Trickster, Static and more. New characters – such as Livewire – will be featured as new "Inspired By" options for players who can choose to create a new character inspired by some of DC Universe's legendary characters. Additional new characters – such as Black Lighting – serve as a bounty mission that players can fight if they choose to be a villain.

[blah]

 

[patsu]

While the change is still fresh...


What Difference Did Going Free-to-Play Make for DC Universe Online?
http://kotaku.com/dc-universe-online/

We know that DC Universe Online's recent switch from subscription-based MMO to free-to-play added one million subscribers to the game in one week, but what does one million free players mean to the bottom line? How's a 700 percent increase in daily revenue, for starters?

Sony Online Entertainment head honcho John Smedley hit Twitter this morning to share some exciting numbers generated after flipping the DC Universe Online free-to-play switch. Numbers like a six percent growth in the title's player base since the change. And that's not just people popping on to see what the game is about and leaving; more than 85 percent of daily logins are return players, coming back for more free super heroic goodness.

And of course there's the money that comes when you stop making players pay and making it an option instead. That 700 percent is split almost evenly between PlayStation 3 (53 percent) and PC (47 percent) players, with the most popular items in the game's cash marketplace being the Vanguard of the Heavens character skin and additional character slots.

...

 

[patsu]

Second DLC available...
http://blog.us.playstation.com/2011/12/06/new-dc-universe-online-dlc-lightning-strikes-today/

Today we’re celebrating not only the launch of our second DLC Pack, Lightning Strikes, but also the amazing success that we’ve had since making the Free-to-Play transition just over a month ago. Bottom line, there are a whole lot more of you out there playing DCUO. And apparently you’re having a good time, because most of you — more than 85%, in fact — are returning again and again for adventures in Gotham City and Metropolis.

You may have seen a few weeks ago when we announced that more than one million new players had jumped in to DCUO since the launch of Free-to-Play. That number is definitely larger now, and growing by roughly 6% each day. We love seeing all of the new heroes and villains in game, and hope you and your friends keep coming back to experience the great new adventures we have planned for the coming year.

...

 

[patsu]

http://forums.station.sony.com/dcuops3/posts/list.m?topic_id=39889

Server Downtime 12.13.2011 - Game Update 7 Notes Included

All servers will be offline beginning at 8:00 AM PT (5:00 PM CET) for a patch to the DCUO client. Downtime is anticipated to be less than 3 hours. Players may note the following changes (more notes may be added):


New PvP Arena! Watch your back! Take on other players in the new 5v5 death-match arena located high above Earth in the Justice League of America Watchtower! Look for “Watchtower (5 vs 5)” under Arenas: PvP in your On Duty menu.

New Seasonal Content & Daily Mission! –Larfleeze wants the holidays all to himself. He stole everyone’s holiday gifts and is attempting to send them off-world for his own selfish use. Find and recover the stolen gifts in Metropolis and Gotham City before it’s too late! Look for “Yuletide Fear” (Villains) or “Winter Plunderland” (Heroes) in your Mission Journal.
New Seasonal Collections –See who made the Naughty and Nice list this holiday season!
New Seasonal Items and Appearances –Collect Holly Leaves by completing the “Season’s Greedings” Daily Mission.
New Seasonal Feats – Winter is Coming so be sure to stock up on seasonal feats!

Oolong Island! The defenses of Oolong Island have been redeployed in an effort to keep out those that threaten Chang Tzu's plans.
Pterosaurs will now move to ground level when attacking, rather than nuking from orbit.
Oolong Island is now shorter than previous versions.
Many count requirements have been reduced.
Crazed Robots no longer re-spawn in most areas.
Players no longer need to collect parts for T.O. Morrow before gaining access to his Laboratory.
The 'Protect the Scientists’ section is now a wave event that is more manageable.
Various fixes were made throughout Oolong Island.

Vendor Item Sorting!
Vendors should now display a logical sorted order to their sale lists.


Alerts:

Oolong Island:
Oolong Enforcer should now always summon its minions even if the fight resets.

Oan Sciencells:
Prison Break: This Mission should now complete properly.

Audio:
New music has been added for the Tap Room Safehouse.
A new unique Winter Holiday seasonal piece of music has been added to Gotham City and Metropolis when players zone into each (available during the Winter Holiday only).

Feats:
The "Coast City Duo" feat has been renamed "Ferris Aircraft".
“Deprogrammed” should now complete as intended.

General:
Players should now be able to consume collection items that have been removed from their bank or shared bank slots.
Combat rating should no longer incorrectly display as zero after leaving Legends PvP or leveling up.
Multiple stacks of the same item sent through the mail should now give the recipient the correct amount when claimed.
Fixed pathing issues of Robot and Green Lantern in the Monitor Womb of the JLA Watchtower.
Certain collection nodes in Gotham City that were re-spawning too fast have been fixed to have spawn times in-line with other collection nodes.
The Lantern Corps Deputization Decree can now be deleted.
Phase-with should now work properly for group mates in Central City.
The Quick Menu option “Phase With” will now put you in the same Central City instance/area as your Group or Friend.

Marketplace:
Steam: You can no longer attempt to purchase Station Cash through the Steam wallet if you have Steam Community disabled in-game. You will be directed to turn this option back on in order to make Station Cash purchases.
Players can now directly access the Marketplace through an Account Access Level dialog box in the User Interface.
The Marketplace should now show the correct amount of Station Cash needed to gain Premium Access.
PS3 Only: Users should now get a more accurate purchase completion message after purchasing items from the marketplace.
A Festive Winter Hat and Reindeer Antlers have been added to the marketplace.
Long hair will no longer show through the Sequined Urban Cap on male characters.

Missions:
Through the Portal: Donna Troy now properly resets to her starting locations after KO’ing players.
Fear Itself: Scarecrow will no longer appear to have "deer in the headlights" syndrome after throwing grenades at his enemies.

Movement Mode:


Acrobat:
Fixed an issue that prevented fast movement mode from increasing speed even though the effects were displaying.

Powers:
Increased the bonus to Dominance while in the Controller role to 100%.

Gadgets:

Neural Neutralizer is now properly listed as being useable while controlled as well as states it has a damage prevention barrier.

Raids:

Sunstone Matrix:
Kryptonian Infantry's Whirlwind attack radius now matches its effects radius.

Skills:
The Stealth trait purchasable in the Martial Arts and Bow weapon trees has been renamed Cunning; This trait now boost Critical Power Chance by 1% in addition to increasing Stealth Rating by +1 Level.

UI:
Any stats on the character sheet that are zero should no longer be displayed.
PS3 Only: Fixed a crash that could occur after pressing X when scrolling using the analog stick.
Character Select: Fixed an issue where character count would increment on queue status updates.
Corrected the description of the "Critical Healing Magnitude" Trait. It now properly reads as "Boost Critical Healing Magnitude..."
Fixed an issue that would sometimes cause targetable NPC’s names and icons to display in yellow instead of their intended color.
Fixed an issue that would sometimes cause your User Interface to show you were in a combat state when you were not.

Visual:
Fixed various environmental visual bugs in Metropolis and Gotham City.
Fixed an issue with graphical distortion on Joker presents.
The handholds for potted plants in the Gotham University duo have been corrected.
Fixed an issue with graphical distortion in Area 51.
Fixed an issue that could cause the fire or ice brawling ranged beam effects to play twice when used with an ability that has a longer animation.
Shades of Gray: Fixed a number of geometry issues within the Oblivion Bar.
Fixed various visual issues associated with clipping through gear.
Fixed numerous issues with animal skin clipping through head gear.
Out of the Shadows: Various particle effect adjustments and targetable objects fixed.

Weapons:
New 97DPS Epic Weapons for every role have been added to Oolong Island Hard Mode, HIVE Hard Mode, League of Assassins Stronghold and Batcave: Outer Caverns Alerts.

Martial Arts:
Increased the combo reset timer for Martial Arts to bring it in line with other melee weapons.

 

[patsu]

Server Downtime 01.10.2012 - Game Update 8
http://forums.station.sony.com/dcuops3/posts/list.m?topic_id=42035

New Game Feature
-Research & Development! Players are granted a new mission at Level 10 – Look for “Research & Development” in your Mission Journal.

R&D Workstations and Vendors are located in the following locations: Hall of Doom, JLA Watchtower, Burnley and Midtown Nightclubs, Midtown and Diamond District Police Stations.

R&D parts including Exobits, Exobytes, Plans, Focusing Elements and Salvageable items can be found throughout DC Universe Online.

Player Pet Improvement! Summoned Player Pet stats now scale with its owner's combat rating making it more effective and viable in combat situations.


General:

Fixed an issue where players would not be returned to their last location when using the Batcave Teleporters inside the JLA Watchtower and Hall of Doom.
Projectile based attacks should now reliably travel 25m, rather than occasionally falling short or going long.
Multiple collection nodes have been lowered to be in reach by non-flying characters.
The Defender’s Compartment Trinket buffs are now correctly affected by their cool down.
The Speedforce Rift that was directly underneath the Gotham Otisburg Adept Flight Challenge has been moved further away so it will not interfere with this challenge.
The Catwoman race path has been adjusted so all players can fit through each race ring.
Fixed an issue that could cause player combat rating to not update when receiving an item from a loot bauble.


Alerts:

Ace Chemicals

Fixed an issue causing the doors to close too early on the security waves. The doors will now remain open until the security NPC’s are engaged.
There is now a short delay before the Scorecard appears after defeating Chemo.


Area 51

Assist Cadmus Agents with Munitions: Cadmus Agents should no longer have memory issues if you have already spoken with them once.


Kahndaq

Players with Telekinesis Abilities can now affect the Rigid Bodies in this instance.


Duos:

The OMAC Base and Cape Carmine Lighthouse Duos now update the correct amount for the feats Duos Rookie, Expert, Master, Dynamo and Dynamic.
Flash Origin Duo: Fixed Joyous Musical Balls to fire in a slow half-dome rather than shoot straight up into the air in the open area of the boss-fight room.


Feats:

New Feats have been added for the DLC “Lightning Strikes” content to bring the possible skill points in-line with the previous DLC, “Fight for the Light”.


Missions:

He Wants a Devolution: The door will now open when the “Report to Flash” bulletin appears even if you are KO’d at the same time as Grodd.
Unknown Evil: The Minotaur no longer returns after he has been defeated.
Supersize Souls: Players that have finished the main quest line are now able to return and receive the Glutton Form to finish the side quest.
Raven’s Destiny: Fixed an issue where players could become gated due to the console that grants access to the rest of the Police Station de-spawning.
Party Time!: After defeating Batman or Joker in the final boss fight the door will now open.


Powers:

Updated the remaining tree descriptions for controllers to say they receive 100% Dominance when in Control Role.
You will now see blue fly text reporting Power restoration effects instigated from super abilities and consumables.
You will now see damage caused by your pets reported as orange fly text.
You will now see damage taken by your pets reported as purple fly text.
Your pet’s damage, healing and power contributions are now credited to your score card at the end of instances and arena matches.


Electricity:

Bio-Capacitor and Invigorate will now properly heal group members when their health falls below 35%.
Bio-Capacitor will now properly heal you and a teammate.
Voltaic Bolt will now properly apply a de-buff to characters in the Tank Role when you are in Healer Role.
Group Transducer's description was updated to reflect that it can damage attacking enemies.
Invigorate's heal over time effect will no longer stack with multiple uses.
Electrogenesis: Updated the description to be clearer about target types.


Gadgets

The tooltip for Anesthetic now states the correct supercharge cost.
Shortened the animation time on Neural Neutralizer


Mental:

Grandeur and Reflect Pain now correctly prevent damage roughly equal 100% of your Dominance and 50% of your Restoration.


Nature:

Using abilities in Insectoid Form will apply the standard Healing role anti-Tank de-buffs in PvP.


Sorcery:

Updated the Watcher, Fury, and Guardian pet to more consistently attack the last enemy you attacked.


User Interface:

Map UI: Street view mode: Street view mode now zooms in smoothly and fixed an issue with missing tiles.
Map UI: The Player icon now appears as green.
Inventory UI: The Stack splitting UI will now always appear in the correct position when using a game controller.


Visual:

Midtown Police Station: The police in Midtown Metropolis have come to the realization that the new pipes they added to their column near the holding cells were placed right on top of a wanted poster. They decided it was easier to move the wanted poster to another face of the column.
Icons are now smoother and less aliased!
The officials at Stryker's Island Prison have begun a long term renovation to the basic structure of the facility. The base structure is more durable to deal with the increased power levels of the inmates.
The display time for the win/lose duel icons that appear above players heads has been reduced.

 

[patsu]

DC Universe Online Celebrates One Year Online
http://blog.us.playstation.com/2012/01/11/dc-universe-online/

Happy birthday, DC Universe Online! Yes, today is the first anniversary of the launch of DCUO, and what a great year it has been. I want to take this chance to thank all of our players for always keeping us on our toes and helping make this game better every day. From our launch as the first action MMO on the PlayStation 3 computer entertainment system to our incredible Free-to-Play transition, so much has happened in the past year that it’s hard to even keep up. I’ll throw some fun facts out there so you can see just how much can be crammed in to 365 days. Since launch…

* We’ve seen more than 3.5 million hero characters and more than 2 million villain characters created
* More than 2.3 million registered users on the PS3
* Players have logged a total of more than 3.6 million days of playtime
* We’ve added more than 1,200 new NPC characters, 200 new quests, 2,500 new items and 1,800 new encounters

...