Answered by the DCUO Dev Team.

Question #1

Q: After looking through some of the interview found on "The Source Book" over at DCUO Source, one of the recurring messages your development team is trying to impress upon those gamers interested in this title, and those who may become interested, is the message that DC Universe Online is an action game first, and a massively multiplayer online game second. What message do you have for gamers who might be concerned that DC Universe is Planetside, but with costumes and capes?

A: DCUO is going to be a totally new experience for players. We’re blending two genres – console action and MMO – into a game that’s going to provide something we believe people will find unique and compelling. Our team composition reflects this goal, as we have developers with both MMO and action game experience coming together for this project.
We often talk about how DCUO is going to provide the moment-to-moment intensity of an action game, yet we also recognize the importance of giving players longer-term goals and objectives over weeks, months and years. We’re also going to provide more traditional MMO conventions, such as leveling and loot.

Question #2

Q: The DC Universe Myspace page has tons of friends, tons of fans, and tons of comments. To my knowledge, this is the first time a major MMO developer or publisher has used "mass media" sources such as Myspace of Facebook to promote their product. Is this going to be the primary means of communication with the potential player base, or, as with other SOE products, will there be a fully dedicated website and message board system available to those who purchase the game when it is released?

A: Our MySpace site has been a great way to interact and get our message out directly to the fans. As will all SOE games, we’ll also be providing a dedicated web site in time for DCUO’s launch.

Question #3

Q: Recently, "Playstation Magazine" (October 2008) did a story about DCUO in which they interviewed John Blakely and Chris Cao. During the story, the release date of the game was estimated to be sometime in the latter half of 2009. Tell us a little bit about what the development team is working on right now with the game, and what the next big milestone is in the development process.

A: We technically have not announced a release date or even a time frame, so that late 2009 estimate you’ve read about isn’t something we’ve stated as fact. The truth is, we’re still pre-alpha. We’re also thrilled with the response to DCUO so far. All we can say for now as that the game will launch when it’s done. An MMO is a massive undertaking and we want to make sure all of the pieces are in place and polished first and foremost, to make sure players have the best experience from the start.

Question #4

Q: There are a few very lucky people who had the opportunity to play DCUO at Comic-Con. When is the next opportunity gamers who are eager to get their hands on the game (such as the staff at DCUO Source) might be able to do so?

A: That’s a great question! Unfortunately we’re not quite ready to talk about when that might be, but we’ll be sure and keep everyone at dcuosource.com up to speed with any news along those lines!