Interview with DC Universe Online Senior Producer

*Please introduce yourself and describe your role with DC Universe Online.

I am Wes Yanagi and I’m the Senior Producer for DC Universe Online.

*How is development coming along?

Development is going great. This is probably the most talented team I’ve worked with in my 19 years in the industry. The positive buzz we’ve received from our recent unveiling at Comic-con San Diego is a real testament to the team’s hard work.

*DCUO is planned for both PS3 and PC. Will the two versions be released simultaneously?

A simultaneous release is definitely our goal.

*Do you consider DCUO a casual game or more for hardcore players?

We view DCUO as a broad appeal game, something in between FreeRealms and EQ. We want you to be able to jump in and play within a few minutes, but not have to set aside a whole evening for endgame content.

*What about PvP? Will it be included in DCUO?

Absolutely. In DCUO, you’ll be able to play as a hero or a villain, so PvP will be a natural component to the game design.

*How would you compare DCUO to Cryptic Studios’ Champions Online?

One of our core goals for DCUO is to deliver on physics-based action combat. For example, if you have ice powers, you can turn someone into a physics object by freezing him. Now you can weaponize him and attack someone with him, or throw him down the street or off a rooftop to create space. Along with this, our moment to moment combat feels closer to a console action game rather than a typical MMO.

*How would you describe the artistic style of DCUO?

I would describe it at as a comic book come to life in 3D. Jim Lee and his team of comic book artists are responsible for just about all the concept art for DCUO and our artists work very closely with them to recreate the artwork in 3D. They all do such a great job that at the end of the day when you’re flying thru the skies of Metropolis and fight next to Superman and Green Lantern, it feels like you’ve stepped through a door into the DCU.

*How involved is DC with the development of the game?

Our main point of contact is Jim Lee, who is also the Executive Creative Director for the game. He’s a big gamer and a devout MMO fan, so it’s very productive when we discuss design concepts with him.