DC Universe Online was originally released almost three years ago on the PlayStation 3 and PC. Sony Online Entertainment are now bringing the massively multiplayer online role-playing game to the PlayStation 4. We caught up with Senior Creative Director of the game, Jens Andersen to talk about how the PS4 version will stack up against others, the improved visuals and more.
Rashid Sayed: DC Universe Online is a fairly well known game now. As most of your target audience is already playing the game, what was the inspiration behind bringing the game over to the PS4?
Jens Andersen: MMOs have a very long lifespan, so it was important for us to be on the next-gen consoles. We want DCUO to be around for years to come and while not everyone will make the switch, we wanted to make sure our players had the option to play on a platform that best suits their lifestyle. The new generation of consoles brings a lot of power to the table and we’re excited to be one of the launch titles!
Rashid Sayed: Ever since its original release in 2011, DC Universe Online has received an amazing amount of post launch content and patches. Will the PS4 version of the game include all these updates on day one?
Jens Andersen: Everything that is available in the game right now, which includes 31 game updates and 8 downloadable content packs, will be available on the PS4. Players on all platforms – PC, PS3 and PS4, will continue to see regular updates and DLCs.
"Players on all platforms will get a smoother and more satisfying gameplay experience. Specifically on the PS4, however, we’ve optimized the game to take full advantage of the next gen hardware so players will see a higher resolution of the textures."
Rashid Sayed: Gameplay and features wise, what has changed in the PS4 version of the game?
Jens Andersen: We made a ton of updates to get the game ready for today’s launch on the PS4, but many of the improvements can be seen on all platforms. For example, character progression was retooled to make it smoother, environmental destruction was added to many areas in the open world, and over 2,000 points of feedback from our community were addressed. Players on all platforms will get a smoother and more satisfying gameplay experience. Specifically on the PS4, however, we’ve optimized the game to take full advantage of the next gen hardware so players will see a higher resolution of the textures.
Rashid Sayed: Can you please let us know what resolution and fps does DC Universe Online run on the PlayStation 4?
Jens Andersen: The game looks and runs amazingly smooth — performance has really improved. We’re targeting 1080p at 60 frames per second.
Rashid Sayed: Given that you’re going from a keyboard-mouse configuration to the DualShock 4, what will the control scheme be like? Will you be taking advantage of the controller’s features such as the touchpad? Will there still be support for a keyboard and mouse on the PlayStation 4 version?
Jens Andersen: Yes, we will be taking advantage of the DualShock 4. We are starting small but have some great things planned for the future. Initially, we’ll be using it as a button and it will act similar to the “select” button on the PS3 controller. We have plans to use it for scrolling in menus, as well as zooming in and out of maps.
As for the control scheme changing, it really hasn’t. Keep in mind that we already had the game working on the PS3 controller. In fact, many of our PC players plug in controllers to play DCUO because they really enjoy the control scheme.
"We fully support the share button; players will be able to share their DCUO experience live from the game. This is a feature we're extremely excited about given SOE's interest in live streaming and our Player Direct program."
Rashid Sayed: There’s been some anxiety about the file size of next-gen games. Games Killzone Shadow Fall and Call of Duty: Ghosts have file sizes close to 40GB. Can you please let us know what will be the file size for the PS4 version of DC Universe Online?
Jens Andersen: Players will only need to save 20 GB to be able to download DCUO on PS4 launch day. Of course, we’re always adding new content in the form of updates and DLCs so it will increase slightly over time.
Rashid Sayed: The PS4 boasts several community and streaming features. How are you planning to utilize those?
Jens Andersen: We fully support the share button; players will be able to share their DCUO experience live from the game. This is a feature we’re extremely excited about given SOE’s interest in live streaming and our Player Direct program. We really admire the videos that our players make and can’t wait to see what gets shared from the PS4.
Rashid Sayed: Last question: Will the revenue model (in-game pricing) be similar to the PC version?
Jens Andersen: DCUO’s free-to-play model will remain the same on all platforms, allowing players to experience DCUO in a way that best suits their lifestyle.
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