Sony Online Entertainment invited members of the press to its Austin studio for a behind-the-scenes look at DC Universe Online. Editor-in-Chief Darryl Gangloff shares his notes from the class.

Last week, I had the chance to become a member of the freshman class of DC University. While I may not have earned a diploma, I did get an in-depth look at DC Universe Online under the guidance of the development team. The game was originally scheduled to launch on Nov. 2, but has since been pushed back to an early 2011 release date. As Sony Online Entertainment continues to polish the closed beta, they invited members of the press to their Austin studio to make one thing perfectly clear: this is not your typical MMO. Want to know why? Then follow along with my DC University course schedule for a behind-the-scenes look at DC Universe Online!

Campus Tour

John Blakely, the dean of DC University and SOE's vice president of development, kicked off the event with a guided tour of the Austin studio. As we wandered through the halls and looked at the artwork from DC Comics that lined the walls and cubicles, Blakely emphasized the company's “prove through play mentality.” All employees actually play DC Universe Online on a regular basis to provide feedback, and every one of them gets a vote. This tactic is utilized with all of SOE's games while they're in development. Fun fact: DC Universe Online was launched internally on July 7, 2007.

In addition to internal testing and the closed beta, SOE also finds players through outlets such as Craigslist and brings them to the studio to watch their reactions through a two-way mirror. Many of these testers aren't regular MMO players, so SOE learns some interesting things from these sessions. For example, one player didn't equip an item upgrade because he didn't think it matched the rest of his gear. Some of these testers come back for multiple sessions, which allows SOE to see how a new player may progress through the game. Another fun fact: this room is called “The Watchtower.” Every area in the studio has a game-related name. The building also houses the Star Wars Galaxies team, so the lunchroom is called “the Mos Eisley Cantina.”

For any player who may be worried that DC Universe Online won't stay true to the comics, have no fear! SOE has an impressive library of DC Comics at its studio that fills an entire room, and all employees have a required reading list that rotates regularly. It also helps that SOE has Marv Wolfman, a longtime DC writer who penned “Crisis on Infinite Earths” and created The New Teen Titans, at its disposal.

History – Bringing the Lore to Life

Wolfman just happened to be our first lecturer as we sat down in the studio's theater, also known as “The Batcave,” to begin our lessons on DC Universe Online. He commented that this year marks the 75th anniversary of DC Comics, and he's actually been working for the company since 1967. Wolfman is currently writing story arcs  for the MMO, and he's excited at the prospect of an entire game universe populated by players.

"You can start a storyline in one place and it picks up in another place, and you'll soon realize there's a connection. It's not just isolated events. It's a universe,” he said, giving the example that a weapon in one episode may pop up again later in the game.

Wolfman has been writing about these characters for six decades, and he's having fun matching them up in “the weirdest ways.” He also emphasized that he's most interested in writing in-game episodes that focus on villains. “Now they're the protagonists,” he said. “They need to succeed or fail on their own, just like the heroes. Heroes and villains meeting each other makes a great context for the game.”