Recently, Sony Online Entertainment had several folks from the media up to Austin to get a glimpse into how DC Universe Online (DCUO) is developing.  In addition to getting a primer at DC University (the gimmick the team put together for the event which was very cute), we got some hands-on time with the game.  What I saw made me very hopeful for the release.

For some reason, hearing about another superhero MMO when we already have two mainstream ones on the market (City of Heroes/Villains, Champions Online) doesn’t get most people excited for DC Universe Online.  However, having played the game, I have to say it has something the other games don’t have – an authentic superhero feel thanks to the inclusion of heroes we’ve grown up with – Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman and more.  Fighting alongside Wonder Woman – well there’s no explaining how that actually feels.  You’ll have to see for yourself.

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Over the next few days, I’ll be giving away EverQuest II Extended 30 day gold membership keys.  I’ll be giving them away on our Twitter, so be sure to add MMOCrunch to your Twitter and keep an eye out for the giveaways!

EverQuest II Extended is the new free-to-play version of EverQuest II, Sony Online Entertainment’s fantasy-based MMORPG.  EverQuest II has a ton of content and depth and is a must play for anyone who is a fan of the genre.  Take this opportunity to grab a 30-day key so you can get the most out of the free-to-play experience!

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Usually, when a game company goes under and the products in development aren’t picked up right away, that’s all there is to it.  Players looking forward to that title now have to move on, because the product will never see the light of day.  Heatwave Interactive decided to buck that trend and acquired Perpetual’s Gods & Heroes about a year ago.  Since then, they’ve been hush hush on what their plans were for the IP.  This GDC Online in Austin, they decided to open the curtain and give us a glimpse of their plans for the title.

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There were a lot of panels and lectures to attend at GDC Online 2010, but the most interesting one I attended came from J. Todd Coleman and Josef Hall, creators of both Shadowbane and Wizard101.  In this lecture, the two men walked us through the process they took in both games and showcased the different paths they took, one which ended in failure and the other ending in success.  They broke each game up into stages and really showed off how with Shadowbane, they really didn’t have a good process or foundation.  They took the opposite approach with Wizard101 and have achieved great success with this niche game.  There were similarities, of course, but the whole of the lecture was about how the two games differed in their development stages.

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Normally, going to a retailer in your local town doesn’t give you the best deals.  However, in a switch, Gamestop has a great deal for anyone who has been interested in picking up Fallen Earth, but hasn’t gotten around to it yet.  Between October 8 and October 22 (2010), consumers can go down to Gamestop and get a copy of Fallen Earth: Blood Sports $9.99.  It usually retails for $29.99, but during this short time period, there is a $20 instant savings for anyone who buys the box.  Plus, there’s an exclusive in-game mount, the Prairie Chicken.

Fallen Earth is a post-apocalyptic MMORPG with fast-paced FPS style combat.  The world itself is rich with lore (set in the Grand Canyon) and full of RPG elements.  If this appeals to you, then you shouldn’t miss out on this special deal.

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We received a new batch of screenshots taken in the current beta phase of Earthrise, an up and coming MMORPG from Masthead Studios.  The two shots above showcase the backgrounds that players will encounter in the world.  Set after the always anticipated World War III destroys the planet, this sci-fi MMO features skill based leveling and a strong focus on PvP.  Stay tuned to MMOC as we learn more about Earthrise as it continues in closed beta and nears ever close to launch.

Bigpoint has quite a few games that a lot  of people are playing but few are talking about.  From Farmerama to Battlestar Galactica Online to Dark Orbit, they have quite the diverse free-to-play catalog.  Today at GDCO in Austin, Texas, I got a chance to get by their booth to see the first all North American developed MMO they are publishing.  Titled Ruined Online, it’s a fast paced third-person arena combat shooter.  It’s built on the Unity engine, so it will be playable on all browsers, Mac and PC.  The world is post apocolyptic, and the first set of arenas are set in San Francisco.

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MapleStory has been around a long time.  It was one of the first games to bring the free-to-play model to the west.  It launched in North America in May 2005 and since then, it has grown to have over 7 million registered users in the United States (with over 95 million worldwide).  With unique platform style gaming, over 32 unique sub-classes, hundreds of skills, and thousands of quests, the game has become something of a content beast.  Players don’t lack for things to do.  When the developers went to the community to ask them what they wanted in Summer of 2009, they were surprised to hear the players didn’t want new content as much as a better MapleStory as it was.  So Nexon took that to heart and came up with the largest update ever in the history of MapleStory which will be rolling out beginning this Winter, called Big Bang.

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The headliner for my visit to True Games’ office was Faxion Online.  This show is the first time the developers have shown the game and I got quite a bit of information regarding to the upcoming free-to-play PvP oriented MMORPG.  The developers have been working on the title for about a year, building it on the Hero Engine.  Faxion Online’s story centers around the battle between heaven and hell.  Basically, everything in the game is already dead, including the players.

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While at True Games office, I was shown a game called Planet Crashers.  This game is targetting a young audience, and will be playable in web browsers, as well as the iPhone, Android and iPad platforms.  The game revolves around casual social combat.  Players will create characters and planets and engage in non-active combat.  What this means it that players will queue up a plan for combat and can then watch as it executes against another player’s queue.  There is an item shop for purchases, and items can also be earned through gameplay.  Characters are persisent, so a character can get involved in battles even when the player isn’t online.

The game will be free to play across all platforms, although the iPhone version will cost $1.99 initially.  Players won’t need new accounts to play across all platforms, though, as one account will allow them to hop from their PC to the iPhone seamlessly.   Another neat feature is that players will be able to get bonuses when playing against others who are local to them, thanks to a build in GPS version for the mobile versions.  Planet Crashers is currently targetting an early 2011 release.