Aug 5, 2009

Yesterday on DCUO’s face book. the DCUO team gave us some cool information on what they are working now in the alpha, take a read-

Tuesday, September 29, 2009

is an expert marksman with his bow and his dozens of trick arrows. He has excellent aim and never misses a shot at cleaning up the streets of Star City. He is constantly inventing new kinds of arrows, including a boomerang arrow and others that explode on impact.

Armed with a cutting wit and devilish smile, Green Arrow is a key member of the JLA and a very close friend to Green Lantern. Friends of Green Arrow consider him a bit outspoken for his own good; his snide remarks infuriate his rivals as Captain Boomerang, who yearns for the day he can cut Green Arrow down to size.

The by-products of his years of study and spiritual training are his enhanced strength and stamina, that are matched only by his political convictions. 

Make sure you check out all the downloadable AIM Icons, concept art, and new screenshots of Green Arrow now available on our website!

Don’t forget to stop by next month. If you like things that are bizarre and defy logic, you might actually like our October Focus Character…or perhaps we have that backwards.

September 16th, 2009

 Austin Game Developer’s Conference

Our buddies at MMORPG.com have sent us an article of their coverage of AGDC

DC Universe is not going to be just an MMO in tights. During a behind the scenes tour of SOE’s new Austin offices just prior to the start of AGDC, they gave us a chance to get hands on with the game and talk to Senior Producer Wes Yanagai about the game and some of the ways they will set themselves apart from not only superhero competitors, but also the rest of the MMO genre.

"[We want to] evolve the genre," Yanagai said. They call DC a massively multiplayer online action game. This is not World of Warcraft in tights and a cape. This fact goes well beyond the much publicized action combat and PvP (hero vs. villain) focus, down to the very core of the game.

Customization is a big example. The assumption of superhero MMOs, fostered beautifully by Cryptic’s City of Heroes and more recently Champions Online, is highly detailed character customization from the first moment. DC Universe won’t be going nose to nose with Cryptic on the number of sliders.

They believe firmly in earning your stripes. Where Champions allows nearly every detail of customization from even before a player first takes their first step, new characters in DC Universe will be a bit more reserved. To start, at least.

Don’t panic, there will still be the gamut of sliders, textures and features. People can wear tights; have armor and even other insanity from the first days of their crime fighting/causing careers. They won’t, however, have all the options. The coolest stuff will be saved for later.

This is the norm in most MMOs, but superhero games have always gone to great lengths not to mess with a person’s look, much to the detriment of item based systems. DC wants the best of both worlds.

Every item a player earns in DC Universe is permanently available in the character’s wardrobe, even if the item is traded, sold or tossed away. Then, as a second layer, players equip actual items to gain their statistical advantages. They are not, however, under any obligation to display them.

It is a bit tough to wrap the noggin around at first, but it may just work. Sure, Super Bob may be "using" a gun and "displaying" a sword, but it allows players to have the equipment they need and the look of the equipment they want.

Characters define their core colors and all items are automatically adjusted to fit in and look good. Players can also pick an "inspired by" if they want to be the visual disciple of an iconic character.

At creation, the player selects their super power (strength, fire, ice, etc.), the source of that power (eyes, a ring, a sword, etc.) and their super movement (speed, acrobatics, flight). Yanagai again wouldn’t give specifics about other possible travel powers, but they definitely hope to expand that last list beyond three.

As an action game, they definitely succeed. Hands-on, this game is fast, pretty easy to grasp and absolutely chaotic. We played on the Playstation 3 and within seconds were able to chase other players around and smack some sense into them. There are only eight abilities active for use at a time (one for each face button of the controller, then a second set of four when holding the left trigger), but combat is so fast, anything more would be overwhelming.

In comic books, there has always been "the core concept of heroes and villains," Yanagai noted and for that reason, PvP is a big part of the game. This is not just battles though. They’ve specifically designed encounters and missions where heroes and villains have mutually exclusive goals.

While the PvP is fast and feels like battles between super powered freaks should, it is obviously not for everyone and they discussed this too.

They plan to have full PvP servers as an option, but on the traditional servers, they never want to force players who’d rather keep to themselves into those situations. They’ll take a more traditional approach here and use mission (well flagged) with confrontational goals, areas of the world flagged for PvP, and personal flags that are contextual. Such as when a hero sees a villain robbing a bank, he would then have probable cause to engage in some fisticuffs.

At their current stage of development, Yanagai was excited that they are close to the point where DC stops being a collection of ideas and becomes an actual game. To date, they’d made a lot of core components that were key to their success. Combat is a lot of fun, for example, but how do the characters get those skills and abilities? Soon they’ll have a proper cohesive Alpha that links these parts together. They’re excited because "you can actually feel what the game is like."

In the demo, as mentioned, we were on a Playstation 3. What I didn’t say is that the other players were all on PCs. Yanagai hopes, although there are a lot of hoops to jump through, that this is always the case. With DC, at least, they think both PC and console gamers can and should play together. The nature of the game makes this viable, which obviously would be tough if it were a shooter, for example.

DC Universe continues development and at this time, it has no specific launch date or business model plans.

September 10th, 2009

DCUO responded on their facebook page to the article that listed the ‘No Subscription Fee’ -

DC Universe™ Online – The Official Game Page

September 6th, 2009

Our buddies over at  DCUO SOURCE posted up a great find by their forum member febreez123, who found an article-

by gamecoms who interviewed Wes Yanagi of SOE dev team on dcuo.  in the article on the last paragraph, Wes confirms that dc universe online will have NO SUBSCRIPTION FEES!!  thats correct, this is not only big news but confirms how we have said in the podcast that sony might be going to the free service, since Sony is trying to make MMO’s as common on consoles as action games.  Here is the part of the article as it shows the big news for DCUO fans-

Most importantly, we made sure to check in and see whether or not the title will be subscription-based or free to play.  In a surprising move, Wes confirmed that not only will there be no subscription fee for DC Universe Online, but that the game will feature completely platform-open servers; this means the servers will be cross-compatible between the PS3 and PC versions, no matter where you play.

check out the link below for the article  Gamescom

 Discuss Here 

August 27,2009

Over at DCUO’s facebook page, Creative Director Jens Anderson answered some questions on green lantern and other color lanterns-

Questions posted on 8/26/2009 by Matthew Davis

Have you guys made any decisions on different color lanterns or will it start out with just the green and yellow? Also do you think you might do any sort of Blackest Night halloween event next year?

Answer provided by DC Universe Online Creative Director Jens Andersen

Thanks for the question.

We’ll have the Green Lanterns for sure. Also, Sinestro is in our game and as you can see from the gameplay footage and demos we’ve put out, Sinestro is wearing his new Sinestro Corp duds. So…..I’ll let that speak for itself as far as the green and yellow corps go.

At launch our game focuses on the rich DC stories and locations on Earth. From there we will push out into the solar system, galaxy, universe and all the other layers of awesomeness that make up the 52.

Our story will set up why your hero or villain has come to be, what your place is among these legendary characters, and all of the rich history in DC’s 70+ years of story telling. The game sets up an "ideal" version of the DCU for your character to make their mark in. This means we pick and choose what the status of certain characters is that we think will make the most sense to new comers, make the existing fans happy and allow for the best possible stories to be told. For example…Bruce Wayne is Batman in our game even though he is "dead" in the books and Aquaman is a sea king who talks to fish rather than a Black Lantern etc….

We’ll build up to things like the War of the Light that you’re seeing right now in the comics. As for holiday style events…you bet!!

We’ve got lots of time to tell lots of stories once the game goes live. Aren’t persistent games like this awesome?! I think so.

DCUO San Diego Comic-Con 09 Highlight Video! Hey if you didn’t make it to the San Diego Comic-Con this year, you missed a ton of fun…like the DCUO Fan Event! Check out the highlights from

View video here-

http://dcuo-unlimited.com/downloads/

August 5th, 2009

Our buddies at mmorpg.com sent me over some news on some exclusive images they got from the dcuo team.  8 new images were sent over and you can view some below or click on the link to see all 8 -

 www.mmorpg.com/gamelist.cfm/game/350/feature/3360/page/1

Hey gang, check out the cool new Green lantern Wallpaper from DCUO’s blog-

Alittle video of our trip to SDCC ’09 DCUO UNLIMITED & The Batman Universe

July 28, 2009 Green Lantern movie: First Flight Review Today i was able to watch the GL movie and man i was so pleased, great job DC/WB on this one, here is a quick overview- When pilot Hal Jordan accepts a mysterious, powerful ring from a dying alien creature, it transforms him into a Green Lantern – one of an elite force of heroes. These heroes patrol the universe to ensure peace and justice under the leadership of the Guardians of the Universe. Unsure of their newest recruit, the Guardians assign Hal to their most-honored Green Lantern Sinestro for training, unaware that Sinestro wants to overthrow the Guardians and create a new order he’ll control. It’s a battle of might and willpower as Hall must prove his worth by defeating Sinestro to save the Green Lantern Corps. If you have a chance to check this film out, i highly recommend it. dc is batting a 100% on their animated movies and makes you wish GL had his own ongoing cartoon. http://www.warnervideo.com/greenlanterndvd/

July 25,2009 well guys in community news the dev team gave me alot of stuff for you guys, so in the next podcast we will have some contest for you guys to win some limited items from dcuo @ sdcc. and yes we got an exclusive jim lee poster signed to give away and he also did a drawing on the poster for a special dcuo unlimited fan to win.

July 14, 2009 Hey gang, As we get closer for DCUO UNLIMITED & The Batman Universe coverage of SDCC 2009, we want to get you guys up to date on what to look for and what to expect from The DC Universe at comic-con.  We have a special meeting with DC editors to get you guys the latest comic news and dcuo the video game.  We also have the Comic panels that we will be attending and giving you guys the latest news on our next podcast.   we hope while we are at SDCC we may also get you guys some nice goodies for our latest contest.  so stay tuned for big breaking news from SDCC 2009.

July 6 2009, We learned that Sony and the dcuo dev team will give us a private hands on look at DCUO the video game at this years SDCC.  this is very exciting news that we will cover on our next podcast.  so guys, send in your emails and questions you may have for the dcuo dev team and we will make sure to ask.  i am hoping to see what kind of damge we can do in the video game.  stay tuned to our sdcc 2009 coverage.

July 2nd 2009, Well today DC Comics sent over the dc panel run down for sdcc.  so lets take a look below and go through what you can expect from us to cover at this years San Diego Comic-Con.

THURSDAY, JULY 23
11:45-12:45 Superman: Two Worlds Room 6DE
2:15-3:15 Spotlight on Geoff Johns Room 6DE
5:00-6:00 JSA: The Great Society Room 5AB

FRIDAY, JULY 24
12:30-1:30 Batman: New Dynamic Room 6DE
3:00-4:00 DC Nation Room 6DE
4:30-5:30 Wednesday Comics Room 5AB

SATURDAY, JULY 25
11:30-12:30 Spotlight on Francis Manapul Room 4
12:45-2:00 DCU Editorial Presentation Room 6B
2:15-3:15 Green Lantern: Blackest Night Room 6quad

SUNDAY, JULY 26
12:00-1:00 Spotlight on Bill Willingham Room 2
2:00-3:00 Sunday Conversation with Dan DiDio Room 2

For the detailed panel descriptions, click on that handy “read more” link below.

Want the full list of what DC Comics has planned? Well, here you go.

Thursday, July 23rd

11:45-12:45 Superman: Two Worlds
Torn between New Krypton and Earth, The Man of Steel has only just begun his latest adventure. You’ve seen the stories. A new planet of Kryptonians. Scores of super-powered beings. The people behind Superman’s future are here to face the most trying times in his life. Meet the talented folks behind Superman as they give you a glimpse of what is in store for our favorite Super-family. Featuring Superman Group Editor Matt Idelson, Geoff Johns (Adventure Comics, Superman: Secret Origins), Greg Rucka (Action Comics), James Robinson (Superman), Sterling Gates (Supergirl), Renato Guedes (Superman), and more! Room 6DE

2:15-3:15 Spotlight on Geoff Johns
He is the mastermind behind the smash-hit, critically acclaimed Flash: Rebirth and DC’s most anticipated book of the year, Green Lantern: Blackest Night. Wondering what makes Geoff Johns tick? Don’t miss this panel hosted by Eddie Berganza, Group Editor—DCU, interviewing one of the most exciting talents in the DCU. Room 6DE

5:00 -6:00 JSA: The Great Society
DC’s legendary super-team enters a new era with top talent and explosive storylines in the second half of 2009! Get the inside scoop on everything JSA right here including info on the exciting spin-off title Magog and the main series Justice Society of America from the creative minds behind the franchise. Hosted by DC’s Senior Group Editor, Mike Carlin, with top talents Bill Willingham (JSA), Matt Sturges (JSA), Freddie Williams (Final Crisis Aftermath: Run), Amanda Conner (Power Girl), Jimmy Palmiotti (Power Girl) and more! Room 5AB

Friday, July 24th

12:30-1:30 Batman: New Dynamic
Now that the Battle for the Cowl has ended, what adventures lie ahead for the new Dark Knight?
Join Group Editor Michael Marts, Paul Dini (Detective Comics), Dustin Nguyen (Detective Comics), Greg Rucka (Detective Comics), and more as they discuss the legend of Batman and what the future holds for the newest man behind the bat. Room 6DE

3:00-4:00 DC NATION
Calling all NATION recruits! Bring your friends and hear top talent discuss where the DC NATION is heading from 2009 and beyond. Sr. VP – Executive Editor Dan DiDio hosts this exciting discussion with Ian Sattler, James Robinson, Geoff Johns, Greg Rucka, and more! Join them for a VIP look into the most talked about stories and events of the summer! Room 6DE

4:30-5:30 Wednesday Comics
Wednesday Comics gives a fresh twist to a grand comics tradition by reinventing the classic newspaper comics section and filling it to the brim with today’s top talent and characters! Learn all you need to know about DC’s excitingly innovative weekly 12-issue series from the title’s mastermind, DCU Editorial Art Director Mark Chiarello, and an all-star list of panelists! Believe us; you’ve never seen a panel or a project like this! Room 5AB

Saturday, July 25th

11:30-12:30 Spotlight on Francis Manapul
The hot up-and-coming artist Francis Manapul takes the stage to discuss his kinetic art on one of the most anticipated projects of the year: Adventure Comics with Geoff Johns! Hosted by Group Editor Matt Idelson see what’s it like illustrating the return of Superboy. Come find out from one of the freshest artists in the biz! Room 4

12:45-2:00 DCU Editorial Presentation
Dan DiDio, Senior VP / Executive Editor DCU, Ian Sattler, Senior Story Editor—DCU, and countless DCU talent are gathering for a discussion that’s not to be missed. Now that Blackest Night is upon us, what lies ahead for your favorite heroes? Got a question for your favorite DCU creator? Come on by! There’s no greater gathering of top-tier creative talent! Room 6B

2:15-3:15 Green Lantern: Blackest Night
The dead are rising in the DCU – who will survive when the Blank Lantern Corps attacks? This is your only chance to hear what’s coming up in Blackest Night, the most anticipated comic event of the year! Featuring all the key figures behind the biggest, coolest threat to the DCU in years! Hosted by Group Editor Eddie Berganza with Geoff Johns (Green Lantern), Pat Gleason (Green Lantern Corps) and others! Room 6QUAD

Sunday, July 26th

12:00-1:00 Spotlight on Bill Willingham
Both a master storyteller and an incredible artist, Bill Willingham has created a huge following for his best-selling books. His credits range from the DCU’s Justice Society of America, Salvation Run and Robin- to the already- classic Vertigo titles Fables and Jack of Fables and the new House of Mystery. Hosted by Vertigo Group Editor, Shelly Bond with Fables co-horts Mark Buckingham and Steve Leialoha. Room 2

2:00–3:00 Sunday Conversation with Dan DiDio
As the con comes to a close, sit back and unwind as Dan DiDio and friends invite you to a relaxed Sunday afternoon comics discussion. Share your opinions and listen to others as some of comics’ biggest names talk about their love of all things comics. All are welcome, no RSVP required. Room 2

This is a big list guys, we will discuss this in our next podcast.

June 22nd 2009,

Rerollz got a chance to ask a few questions of Wes Yanagi, Senior Producer of DC Universe Online. We got a chance to check the game out in person back at NY Comic Con and now we got a chance to learn a little more about the game. One point of interest is how they plan on meshing new gear that you get with your existing costume so it matches.

Rerollz: More of a general question for you; what audience are you shooting for with DC Universe Online? Are you trying to focus on attracting PVE focused players or the PVP players? Or Both?

Wes Yanagi: DCUO is an action game moment-to-moment with the month-to-month progression you’d expect from an MMO. We believe comic book fans, MMO players and console action gamers will all find something to like about this game. We’re committed providing a fun and exciting experience for both PvP and PvE players.

Rerollz: How is PVE going to affect PVP and vice versa?

Wes Yanagi: We expect to offer both PvE and PvP servers once the game launches, so right from the get-go players will have that option. On top of this, PvP will always be consensual. You will choose to play on a PvP server or PvP zone, or perform an action that will flag you for PvP.

Rerollz: What design direction are player vs. player elements heading in context with the game world? Will you have Open World PVP? Instanced PVP i.e. Arenas and battlegrounds?

Wes Yanagi:: All of the above.

Rerollz: The market will have several Comic Book MMOGs in the near future. If you ignore the IP how do you plan on differentiating yourself from games like Champions Online and the City of X series?

Wes Yanagi: DCUO is going to feel more like an action game than any MMO you’ve ever played before. We have a unique physics system that turns the world into your weapon, and there’s simply nothing else on the market like it. Ask anyone who’s played one of our demos and that’s the first thing they’ll tell you. Also, I don’t think you can ignore the incredible power of the DC brand, or the fact that we’ve got the comic industry’s best talent working on this game, including Jim Lee, Geoff Johns and Marv Wolfman.

Rerollz: Can you name three main goals or philosophies you had when designing the world as a whole? How are you integrating instancing, if any, with the game?

Wes Yanagi: We want players to step into the DC Universe for the very first time, we want players to create their own hero or villain, and finally, we then want them to write their very chapter in this fabled universe. All of this occurs in the context of a fast-paced action experience that yields a short-term adrenaline rush combined with the long-term satisfaction of loot and experience gains.

As far as instancing, we intend to use it for various adventure zones – interior locations and exciting locals such as Arkham Asylum or S.T.A.R. Labs, which we just demoed during E3. We want large outdoor spaces too, so Metropolis for example will be a fully open area for players to explore.

Rerollz: Character customization is very important to players. How extensive is your customization for player avatars? What are you allowing players to do and how will the change their appearance as they play through the game?

Wes Yanagi: We’re not revealing any details on player customization yet. The player characters we have shown at E3 and other trade shows are fairly representative of the level of customization you’ll be able to achieve, however. One interesting note is how we are handling itemization – when you get that snazzy new headpiece, for example, you will have the ability to mesh it with your existing costume so everything matches. Of course if you like the original look of your character you can toggle the appearance of new items off to preserve that as well.

Rerollz: Can you describe what a typical play session will look like as a veteran player if he or she only has a few hours to play a night? What kind of objectives will they be trying to complete on a daily basis?

Wes Yanagi: Think about what happens in the comics. Imagine as a high-level player working with Superman to stop Lex Luthor’s latest diabolical scheme. Or teaming up with the Society in an epic battle in front of the Daily Planet. These are the kind of epic experiences we want you to be a part of. And we’re consciously designing these situations so if you only have 30 minutes, you’ll still be doing something that has an impact on your character and the world.

Rerollz: This game is going to be released on the PS3 and PC. Will players on either platform be able to play together? Will you be able to play the same character on the PC and the PS3?

Wes Yanagi: Right now the game is cross-compatible on the PS3 and the PC, and we had 3 PCs and 3 PS3s running together at our E3 demo. How that carries into launch, however, remains to be seen, but technically there is nothing preventing us from doing that.

Rerollz: Recently at the GDC it was announced by John Smedley, “both The Agency and superhero MMORPG DC Universe Online will hit stores shelves sometime in 2010 instead of 2009.” What stage of the design phase would you say you guys are at right now? Rerollz was at the NYC Comic Con back in February and you had a pretty solid product on display. Recently what you showed at E3 equally in good shape. What are you with development right now?

Wes Yanagi: We’re still pre-alpha but closing in on Alpha very rapidly – we’ll have an announcement once that important milestone is reached. We still aren’t talking about an exact release date yet but as Smed said, 2010 will be our launch year. DCUO is coming along really well so far and the team at SOE-Austin is working hard to make sure we deliver the best online superhero/villain action game possible.

We’d like to thank SOE and Wes Tanagi for taking the time and answering a few question.

June 3rd, 2009,

Justice League Alert!: DCUO on PS3

Villainy hit the PS3 in style at E3, where DC Universe Online debuted on Sony’s system for the first time. I checked out a mission called Mutant Rampage, thanks to an early pre-alpha build. The mission involved a mutagen leak that’s turning people into misshapen freaks at super-science outfit STAR Labs, with different objectives for either hero or villain played out side by side. As a villain, the goal was to steal the mutagen and get it out to the Secret Society of Supervillains and as an auxilliary member of the Justice League of America, the player had to secure an antidote, subdue infected STAR Labs staff and bring the source of the mutagen to be eliminated. The folks at SOE call the well-known characters of DCUO “Iconics” and they were on display for the first time, too. The Joker and his psychopathic jester girlfriend Harley Quinn aided the villain character in his mayhem, while the hero avatar partnered up with Batman and later Superman and Green Arrow to quell the chaos.

Both sides of the mission were running on a PC and PS3 simultaneously on the same server. This cross-platform feature’s long been talked about but this marks the first time that it’s ever been shown. As the mission moved into its final stage, play shifted from a player vs. enemy scenario to player vs. player skirmishing. These big free-for-alls get explained in the story, too, this time as a showdown between the JLA and SSOV. The promises about action-heavy physics-based gameplay seemed well on their way to being kept and the good vibes generated by watching a create-a-character fight alongside the Dark Knight made me geek out a little bit. DCUO remains a game I can’t wait to get my hands on.

May 24th 2009,

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!

May 14th, 2009,

DCUO concept art hints at subscription plan?

Our friends over at DCUOSource have unearthed an interesting tidbit regarding the forthcoming DC Universe Online MMORPG. Sony Online Entertainment’s superhero extravaganza has been shrouded in secrecy for awhile now, and speculation has run rampant about what’s percolating in the depths of their batcave. Fans have questions about everything from game mechanics to subscription models, and some interesting images of a possible DCUO web site re-design may shed some light on the latter.

Apparently a web designer has included images of a new DCUO web site in his online portfolio, and as DCUOSource’s Vicious points out, one of them contains verbiage relating to a 14-day trial. Could SOE opt for a traditional subscription model for those of us looking to fight alongside the Man of Steel and the Dark Knight?

may 4th, 2009,

Why Sony DC Universe Online is Different

1. Extensive Environmental Interaction – pick up cars and throw them, run up buildings, throw enemies at each other, and more.

2. Different Stances for different powers and scenarios – defense, offense, player parties etc.

3. This is a console based massively multiplayer online roleplaying game with significant graphics firepower.

DC Universe Online is approaching alpha and the release date will most likely be pushed back. The big question is if it will be free to play or subscription based.

 April 16th 2009,

Solomon Grundy Revealded For DCUO

 Sony has just released artwork, renders and screenshots revealing Solomon Grundy for their upcoming DC Universe Online MMO!

Solomon Grundy is part zombie and part plant, a bizarre, centuries-old half-human life form filled with confused anger. At times he is a rampaging monster, at others a calculating and coldblooded villain. Solomon Grundy has been seen skulking in swamps, sewers, and abandoned buildings in both Metropolis and Gotham City. Denizens of these cities beware the low growl of “Solomon Grundy, born on a Monday…”

 March 22nd, 2009

DC writer Geoff Johns behind DC Universe Online story

Holy cold water wake up call, Batman! Writer extraordinaire Geoff Johns is the man behind the script for the highly anticipated DC Universe Online (DCUO) game for the PS3 and PC? Somebody give me a controller!

UPDATE: Brand new, high resolution screen shots from the game! Check out pics of Bizarro, Lex Luthor in his power-suit, Green Lantern, and more.

We already know the art for DCUO is based on the amazing Jim Lee’s art style. But you know the classic marriage of pizza and Pepsi? Well, Jim Lee has teamed up with the talented Geoff Johns, and the result is an explosion of awesome creativity. Like pop rocks in your mouth or something—it’s a very good thing indeed. Okay, maybe I’m getting a little carried away here … But my point is, I think it’s safe to say DCUO is in very capable hands.

The full press release from Sony Online Entertainment is below.

AUSTIN, Texas – Sept. 15, 2008 – Geoff Johns, the renowned writer behind popular DC Comics such as Green Lantern, Action Comics and Justice Society of America, has been brought on to write the saga of the DC Universe^™ Online (DCUO) massively multiplayer action game from Sony Online Entertainment LLC (SOE) in a first-ever collaboration with legendary comic artist Jim Lee, the company announced today.

DCUO for the PLAYSTATION® 3 computer entertainment system and the PC is currently in development by SOE in collaboration with DC Comics and Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment.

 “Having a writer of Geoff’s caliber brings even more authenticity to the DC Universe Online, and should provide fans with an exciting new medium for his storytelling skills,” said John Blakely, SOE-Austin’s VP of Development. “Together with Jim Lee, who is our executive creative director for the game, we are tapping into the very best talent from the comic book industry.”

Johns, 35, was born in Detroit and studied media arts, screenwriting, film production and theory at Michigan State University. After moving to Los Angeles, he worked as an intern and later an assistant for film director Richard Donner, whose credits include Superman: The Movie, Lethal Weapon 4 and Conspiracy Theory.

ohns began writing comics starting with 1999’s Stars and S.T.R.I.P.E., which he created for DC Comics. Comic writing eventually became his full-time career with notable works including The Flash, Teen Titans, 52, Action Comics, and Infinite Crisis.

“Taking comic books into the online space presents an exciting and unique opportunity for me as a writer,” said Johns. “I’m looking forward to creating a thrilling story that explains why the DC Universe has suddenly been populated with millions of new heroes and villains in a way that will engage players.”

 “We’ve brainstormed about the DC Universe many times but this will be our first time working together on something of this magnitude,” added Jim Lee. “This really shows the level of commitment everyone on this project has to capturing the DC Universe in an authentic, compelling way.”

DCUO offers a dramatic online setting where players can enter the DC Universe and battle alongside or  against their favorite DC Comics heroes and villains including such icons as Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, and The Joker, as well as many other fan favorites such as Green Lantern, The Flash, Catwoman and Martian Manhunter. The action and drama will play out in such well-known locations as Gotham City and Metropolis among others.

About Sony Online Entertainment
Sony Online Entertainment LLC (SOE) is a recognized worldwide leader in massively multiplayer online games, with hundreds of thousands of subscribers around the globe. SOE creates, develops and provides compelling entertainment for the personal computer, online, game console and wireless markets. Known for its blockbuster franchises and hit titles including EverQuest®, EverQuest® II, Champions of Norrath®, Untold Legends™, and PlanetSide®, as well as for developing Star Wars Galaxies™, SOE continues to redefine the business of online gaming and the creation of active player communities while introducing new genres on various entertainment platforms. Headquartered in San Diego, CA, with additional development studios in Austin, TX, Seattle, WA, Denver, CO, and Taiwan, SOE has an array of cutting-edge games in development.

SOE, the SOE logo, EverQuest and PlanetSide are registered trademarks of Sony Online Entertainment LLC. Untold Legends and Legends of Norrath are trademarks of Sony Online Entertainment LLC. All other trademarks and trade names are properties of their respective owners

About DC Comics
DC Comics, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company, is the largest English-language publisher of comics in the world and home to such iconic characters as Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman and the Sandman. These DC Super Heroes and others have starred in comic books, movies, television series (both animated and live-action) and cyberspace, thrilling audiences of all ages for generations.  DC Comics’ Web site is located at www.dccomics.com.