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.

Award-winning writer Marv Wolfman has joined the creative team at WildStorm Productions that is working with SOE to bring the DC Universe to life on the PS3 and the PC.

Supporting the game’s distinctive, dynamic look is a physics-based combat system that makes traditional role-based massively multiplayer online games a thing of the past. With DCUO, players will have virtual powers that feel truly epic in scope from the get-go. Fly around, grab a bus, and toss it at your foes. Shoot energy blasts from your power ring as you dash with incredible speed along the side of a skyscraper. Or turn rivals into ice cubes and then lob them from atop the Daily Planet building.

Heads or Tales features Gotham City District Attorney turned crime boss Harvey Dent/Two Face, and delivers new game play content suited for players of all levels and criminal persuasions including new missions, raids, and encounters. Players will also be able to explore the darker side of Batman when he is infected with a virus and teams up with DCUO's most formidable boss, Brainiac's Avatar of Technology.

Beginning late October, players will be able to download and access DCUO for free on both the PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system and PC. As part of this transition, SOE is introducing three new access levels to the game: Free, Premium and Legendary. All three levels will provide access to open world gameplay and missions, general game updates and fixes to the game, with each level offering different game options and benefits.

“When we launched DC Universe Online, we introduced a very different brand of massive online game driven by fast action combat to PC and PS3™gamers and with that, we discovered a new type of online gamer,” said John Smedley, President, Sony Online Entertainment. “We’ve listened to our community, and we’ve determined that the free-to-play model is the best fit for DC Universe Online.”

Smedley added, “Our philosophy embraces learning from our experience and as a pioneer in the free-to-play space with proven successful games like Free Realms and Clone Wars Adventures, we believe this new model will expand the DCUO experience and offer more options that cater to every type of player so they can play the game in a way that fits them.”

All three levels provide access to the current game, but allow differing tiers of convenience and flexibility. The levels are:

• Free: New players will now have access to the current gameplay in DC Universe Online (including Gotham City, Metropolis, and all current raids and alerts), with the ability to create two characters, join a league and many other benefits. Free level players will be able to purchase downloadable game packs/updates, additional character slots, powers and more through microtransactions.
• Premium: Any player who has spent at least $5 USD (including former paid subscribers and new players who have purchased $5 of in-game items) will qualify for the Premium access level. Premium level players will have more benefits available to them than the Free level player, including additional character slots, additional inventory slots, and higher cash limits. Downloadable adventure packs, additional character slots, and more can be purchased in-game.
• Legendary: Maximum features and benefits are included at this level. Loaded with enhanced additional features, Legendary access will be available for a $14.99 USD monthly fee and includes all DLC packs at no cost, more than 15 character slots, more than 80 inventory slots, the ability to form unrestricted-sized leagues, and many other benefits.

Key Features:

• Based on the distinctive, acclaimed artwork and designs of comic book legend Jim Lee.
• Iconic DC Comic settings and characters, from Gotham City to Arkham Asylum, Batman to Blue Beetle.
• Players can enter a persistent DC Universe and fight alongside their favorite heroes and villains to play their own adventure in the mythology of these legendary characters and locales.
• DCUO will be an online world that stays true to the DC Comics property and allows players to feel and act like super heroes or villains.
• Physics-based fighting turns vehicles, streetlights and other players into weapons, resulting in dynamic combat scenarios that are different every time.

DC Universe Online, rated T for Teen, will carry an anticipated retail price of US$59.99 for PlayStation 3 and US$49.99 for PC in North America. The game includes one 30-day game membership, with monthly subscriptions available thereafter for US$14.99. For customers playing the PC version of the game, DCUO will be included in SOE's all-in-one Station Access subscription.