dx23

It seems that the DC Online at San Diego Comic Con was a clusterfuck of contradictions.

Good news:
-Kevin Conroy and Mark Hamill are going to voice Batman and Joker respectively. Adam Baldwin is Superman and Gina Torres is Wonder Woman.
- you can create you character from scratch but will be able to use DC iconic characters. Which ones exactly, they didn't elaborate.

Bad News:
The pricing. First, the guy from DC speaking said that the MMO would be free for those who had Playstation Plus. Then, at the end of the panel, the Sony representative said initial subscription fee for PC users is $49.99 per month; for Sony PS3 players, it's $59.99. that comes with a free 30-day subscription. After that, it will cost PC & PS3 users the same monthly subscription fee, $14.99 per month

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I'm fucking pissed at DC and Jim Lee. This is exactly the game people have asked for years, except customers like me don't want to pay $15 a month to play it. It is fucking ridiculous for a console game. A side note: This game has been in development for 5 fucking years (since 2005). All I can say is unless they indeed put free gaming to those with Playstation Plus (which will entice people to buy the service and the game) this game will most likely be a dud. I can't envision PS3 users, who have had free online gaming from the start, willing to purchase a monthly subscription to play a game.

More notes from the game here:

http://www.gamingunion.net/news/dc-u...ler--2278.html

http://www.newsarama.com/games/SDCC-...ne-100724.html

Mazje

You know what game I want to play? The one where you actually get to play as (and against) those characters in that video. Because that was fantastic.

I also want to pay $60 for it, be able to play multiplayer online, and have it not be an MMORPG.

And, Hell, while I'm dreaming, I want two campaigns, heroes and villains. With more future DLC offering more heroes and villains from the DC Universe.

And a pony.

fumanstan

I still don't really see how a monthly fee is that ridiculous for a console game. It's not like PC gamers were used to it at first either, but it's since become the norm, and depending on the number of user's, MMO servers are costly to maintain. Although I think that the monthly price needs to be lower to get people who are complaining to feel a little better about it. Especially since console users aren't used to it.

Giantrobo

Holy Fuck that video was KICK ASS. The WW fight scenes alone gave me chills.

JasonF

I don't mind a monthly fee, but as I've said, if I'm going to play a DC game, I want to be able to play as a real DC character (which is obviously inherently impossible with a MMORPG).

That video looked great (though "ZOMG! Things are so bad that the heroes are killing!" is a little played out), but I'll wait to see some actual gameplay footage before I get to excited.

dx23

Like I posted before, it appears that you will be able to use the DC characters, although they didn't mention which ones exactly. I imagine you can use Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, Green Lantern and Flash for sure, but I would also love to play as Swamp Thing or Nightwing or The Question or the Phantom Stranger.

dx23

Since I'm not a MMO expert (never played one), I'll ask this? Do they have storylines, similar to an action game like Marvel Ultimate Alliance or Batman Arkham Asylum? I think people expect that from this DC game but they are not going to play this game for 6 months straight in order to finish it.

To me this game will become a top seller if they drop the $15 monthly fee.

Decker

That's not happening. $15 is really steep, though any fee would probably be a killer on a console. I'd like it if it were free for PSNplus, but since it would pay for the entire service itself in 3-4 months, I don't see that happening. Perhaps a discounted rate for members?

fumanstan

If it's like other MMO's, then you'll probably have small tiny quests and self contained story lines to complete (saving people, robbing banks, whatever), then larger events that require multiple people to team up and defeat bosses (say an event solely around attacking Arkham Asylum), and then the main story line of the game moving forward as well that will probably change with expansion packs (like Braniac being the focus of the main game, and maybe they decide to have a huge Darkseid event next year and let you go to Apokalips).

But an MMO never really "ends" so you would never actually finish it. That's both a good thing and a bad thing; for one, an MMO is typically something that people can invest a lot of on going time in. Rather then playing a game for 15 hours, finishing it, and moving on to something else, it's usually enough to sustain people for months and years. That's why the subscription fee isn't too bad for people, since $15 a month usually ends up meaning they're not spending $60 for other games since they're so invested in this one.

On the other hand, it can feel like a giant waste of time once your character is at the max level and there's not much else to do while you wait for Sony/DC to release new content.

dx23

I think this is why it's not going to work. People are going to finish the main storylines and missions and the Sony/DC is going to release a sequel in 2 years instead of adding a true expansion pack with a long storyline or mission. Again, PS3 users are not used to pay to play online. That's why I think PSN Plus is going to fail and this game will most likely fail too. And you will have to account for the people who are going to buy this because they see their favorite characters are in the game and then they are going to be pissed when the don't know about the additional monthly fees required to play the game.

Decker

Well, PSNplus can't really "fail" because it's just an additional service that costs them very little. I'm sure Sony's figured that they'll make money on the service by giving out discounts and free DLC. There's no additional expenses, so the only way it "fails" is if they give away more in real costs than the $50/yr they collect. I don't really see how that would be possible (Missing out on full priced DLC purchases, I suppose).

It's not unprescidented on console MMORPGs to charge a subscription fee. In fact, a new one came out just two weeks ago called APB which had a modified subscription fee associated with it. But like all other console -based MMORPGs, it failed miserably.

BTW : That video above, while cool, had what to do with the game? It's not gameplay footage, not related to the gameplay of the game and features characters you can't play in the game. That would make a great movie trailer, but as a game trailer, it leaves a lot to be desired.

Giantrobo

What do any, as clearly marked,CINEMATIC TRAILERS, ever have to do with actual gameplay? It's obviously giving you an idea of what may be a central theme to the game. You know, the reason we're in this mess.

dx23

Actually, yes, according to Jim Lee you will be able to use some of the DC characters for gameplay. The video above is the main storyline they are using for the game.

The problem I see here is that DC/Sony have been releasing conflicting information of what exactly DC Universe Online is going to be. First it was just another MMO, but now, according to Jim Lee, you can use DC characters for gameplay and the video above makes this more of a Arkham Asylum/Marvel Ultimate Alliance game.

fumanstan

Is that just your wild speculation on what Sony/DC is going to do? If anything, I imagine they would try and push a lot of DLC to keep things interesting at least. I don't think it will be too bad, unless sales are dismal.

In any case, no console user was used to paying to play online, but XBox Live was a huge success. And no PC gamer was used to it either, but people started buying into it for Ultima and Everquest, and a huge number of "casual" folks bought into it for World of Warcraft. It can be done, but I think the price point definitely needs to start lower to help.

You did this in the Starcraft thread too. Nothing wrong with a cinematic trailer that focuses on story. There's already been other footage that shows in-game and gameplay footage.

fumanstan

A guess on my part, but I imagine using DC characters is going to be limited to them aiding you on various missions; I doubt that users would be flying around as Superman, since that wouldn't work in an MMO if everyone could choose to be Superman.

dx23

Is speculation based on the fact that DC/Sony have taken 5 years to develop this game and we still don't have a clear understanding about how it is going to be played, conflicting information given by both DC and Sony in the same discussion panel, and lack of info provided to this date. They seem to be completely disorganized and Jim Lee looks again like he has too much on his plate, yet he wants this game to be under his supervision. Just by looking how the have mishandled all of these gives me an idea that DC/Sony will be botching more stuff, including expansion packs in the months to come.

Again, Jim Lee stated that they would be playable/controllable characters since fans would like that. He didn't elaborate, but made it sound that it was more than Superman or Batman aiding your mission.

JasonF

Well, yes and no. This is the last I saw (thought maybe they announced something different in SD)

http://comic-con.gamespot.com/story/...nic-characters

So you'll be able to go into combat mode and play as Batman, but you won't be able to play through the campaign as Batman.

fumanstan

I don't think the "conflicting reports" are as drastic or bad as you make it sound. The only confusion seems to be how the iconic characters would be playable (which given JasonF's post, seems to clear that up) and the payment stuff regarding Playstation Plus. Nothing to me that would point to some massive confusion or mishandling of the game.

dx23

I don't know if Newsrama didn't quote Jim Lee well, but here is what they posted in their live blog regarding character use:

Again, Lee, DC and Sony need to make more clear what users are able to do in the game and what they can't. I'll probably be waiting until reviews come out before making any decisions.

dx23

Well, I think the payment stuff and the confusion regarding the Playstation Plus is a huge problem is they don't clear that up. Sales of the game (and maybe the PSN +) are going to depend on the on how the set this and what the consumer will get for their buck. Remember that the PS3 is not known for having MMO's and people like me who never played one but are fans of the DC Universe want to have things cleared up before making a purchase. At least I don't know what to expect of this game.

fumanstan

I don't see how it's a huge problem; it's not like that won't be clear before the game is released.

dx23

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this video shows the gameplay of the simulation rooms.

Decker

I know I'm voicing the same opinion as millions of others, but I'd certainly prefer a well-crafted DC-based MUA clone. That would be a day-one purchase for me -- especially with the talent involved with this project.

dx23

Me too. Again, this shows how out of touch DC comics is. They had a great game in Arkham Asylum, yet instead of cloning that with other superheroes of their Universe, the decide to go with this MMO. This MMO would certainly be more appealing if it was just a MUA ( another successful game) clone with the DC heroes and not an MMO. How hard it that to understand, Jim Lee?

JasonF

It occurs to me that if the character creation and skinning engine is robust enough, people will be able to make their own version of Superman, Batman, and all the rest.

Me, I'm making my own version of Vartox.