• We’ve seen more than 3.5 million hero characters and more than 2 million villain characters created
• More than 2.3 million registered users on the PS3
• Players have logged a total of more than 3.6 million days of playtime
• We’ve added more than 1,200 new NPC characters, 200 new quests, 2,500 new items and 1,800 new encounters

And that list doesn’t even include all of the new features we’ve put in the game, such as the new Research & Development system that we released yesterday with Game Update 8.

It’s clear we’ve been a little busy this past year, but we’re not slowing down at all for 2012. This year will see even more adventures, new missions, new DC heroes and villains, more chances for you to group with your friends for battle, amazing new gear and some exciting new features. We look forward to you joining us in the coming year and beyond.

Hope you’re enjoying the most wonderful time of the year – the holiday gaming season! One of the chief perks of a massively multiplayer online game is that the developers have a lot of freedom to make changes to the world, including creating special events throughout the year. In DC Universe Online, we’ve just begun our new holiday-themed event Season’s Greedings, which gives players fun new things to do set in a festive new look. As you make your way around Gotham City and Metropolis, you’ll see that both are decked out in celebration of the season. But that’s only the beginning!

All players are able to take part in a fun Holiday event starring our newest DCUO character, Larfleeze, the leader of the Orange Lantern Corps. Orange Lanterns? Yes, the Orange Lanterns, much like the Sinestro Corps or the Red Lanterns, are rivals of the Green Lanterns and are powered by the orange light of avarice, aka “greed.” Being a greedy little guy, it makes sense that Larfleeze wants all of the holiday presents for himself. As the player, it’s up to you to track down the stolen presents, battle Larfleeze’s deadly orange light constructs, and report your success back to Hal Jordan (if you’re a hero) or Sinestro (if you’re a villain) to collect your just desserts.

In addition to all of the fun, we’ve also added some great new holiday items to our in-game marketplace and vendors so you can make sure your character is dressed just right for the season. I mean, who wouldn’t want to fight crime dressed as a heroic snowman?

DCUO is now free to download and play on PS3. Just look for the game in the PlayStation Store and check it out. Season’s Greedings is running until January, so you have plenty of time to jump in and experience the holidays DCUO-style. We hope everyone has a great Holiday and wonderful New Year. See you in 2012!

You may have seen a few weeks ago when we announced that more than one million new players had jumped in to DCUO since the launch of Free-to-Play. That number is definitely larger now, and growing by roughly 6% each day. We love seeing all of the new heroes and villains in game, and hope you and your friends keep coming back to experience the great new adventures we have planned for the coming year.

But enough bragging! You probably want to know what’s going on with the new DLC, which hits PlayStation Store tomorrow. Lightning Strikes has something fun for players of all levels. You can amp up with the new Electricity power set, which offers supercharged new ways to heal yourself and your allies, and also gives you some pretty devastating damage abilities. Make sure to create a new character and see how fun this new power can be. Everyone will also get a chance to chase down some new bounties. Members of the Teen Titans, such as Cyborg, Kid Flash and Starfire, and the Rogues, including Captain Cold, Heat Wave and Trickster are on the loose, and you and your friends can earn some great rewards for taking them down.

For the high-level players, Lightning Strikes introduces a new map for you to fight in and a tough new combat duo, both of which revolve around Barry Allen, otherwise known as The Flash. The Central City map lets you get a glimpse of The Flash’s home city, which is having some problems thanks to a quickly unraveling Speed Force. In this new zone you will find a number of solo and group missions, tons of combat, and probably even some members of the opposite faction to fight. The Flashback Duo sends you and a friend on a critical mission to help save The Flash himself. Travel back in time via the Speed Force to the night Barry Allen gets struck by lightning, and stop the sinister forces trying to prevent the rise of the Scarlet Speedster. And let’s not forget that Lightning Strikes also introduces some great new gear for you to grab.

Thank you, and welcome, to all of our new players. We hope to see more of you in game soon. I mean, why not jump in and try it out? It’s free! Happy Holidays, everyone.

Remember back in September when we announced that DC Universe Online was going to be Free-To-Play? Well, it’s here! Starting today you can download DCUO from the PlayStation Store for free, and play all you want with no monthly fee required. Experience the game play features that have gotten players excited about DCUO since it launched, including the intense, fast-action brawler style combat system that makes it feel more like an action game than a massive online game. Now, you can see for yourself how DCUO offers the best of both worlds. Fight, fly, speed, battle with friends, pummel your enemies, explore the amazing locales of the DC Universe, hobnob with Wonder Woman… all for free!

We’re really excited about this transition because you all have been asking us to make this change, and now we’ve done it – we’re making DCUO accessible to so many more players. We heard all of you out there who told us at conventions, on Facebook and elsewhere that you’d love to jump in to the game, if only it didn’t have that pesky monthly fee. Well, now’s your chance. With our three levels of access there’s something for every type of player. Free-To-Play. Your way.

Are you a new player? Then just jump in and play for free. If you buy a few of the awesome items in our marketplace or a DLC pack (totaling at least $5), then you’ll get permanently bumped up to Premium Access, which gives you extra features such as more character and inventory slots. You can continue to play at Premium Access for as long as you want with the option to purchase extra features, or jump in to a Legendary membership for a monthly fee and get access to maximum game features and all DLC packs. Don’t want to pay that membership fee for a while? No problem, you’ll automatically become Premium Access if you drop your Legendary membership.

And for you current players, you may have already noticed that you’ve already been migrated to a Legendary membership. Former players, come on back! You’ll be granted automatic Premium Access as soon as you log in. We have all the details on our website if you want to know more.

We look forward to seeing all of the new faces, and old friends, zipping around Metropolis and Gotham City. Let’s hear from you in the comments below. See you in game!

What could possibly be better than battling with thousands of other players online in the first, and only, action MMO on the PS? How about battling FOR FREE? That’s right, DC Universe Online will soon be free to download from the PlayStation Store, and free-to-play with no monthly fees required.

So what’s the catch? There is none. The entire game will be open for you to play for free. We have gotten a lot of feedback from gamers asking for an opportunity to play without a subscription requirement. So, that got us thinking about how to offer access to the game in a way that allows gamers to play their way. We wanted something that would give players options. We know different types of gamers are playing – and want to play – DCUO, and we want each person to be able to play in a way that best fits their style. That’s why we’ve created three levels of access to the game:

• Free Access – Just like it sounds. Download and play the game for free. You also get all ongoing game updates (except DLC packs).
• Premium Access – This next level of access opens up to you if you spend at least $5 in the in-game store. Premium Access grants you additional benefits that improve your experience in the game, such as more inventory slots, more character slots, bank slots and more free Vault tickets. So all you have to do is pick up some cool items in the store or buy a DLC pack and you unlock Premium Access. The best part? Once you unlock Premium Access you keep it for the life of your account.
• Legendary Access – With Legendary Access you can unlock the maximum level of features and benefits. To unlock Legendary Access you can pay for a $14.99 per month game pass, or save big with a discounted multi-month pass. Lifetime members are automatically granted Legendary access. Legendary Access also includes all DLC packs at no extra charge.

I know all of this sounds great for the soon-to-be new players, but it’s just as good for all of you who still play, or used to play. Current players who are currently on a month-to-month or multi-month game pass will automatically be granted Legendary Access for the remaining time on their game pass once we officially transition to free-to-play. They can continue to play and stay at the Legendary Access level, or opt to migrate to another level.

If you used to play DCUO, this gives you a great opportunity to come back and rejoin your old crimefighting (or evil-doing) friends without spending a cent. If you previously purchased DCUO at a retail store or through a PSN download and activated your account, you will automatically be granted Premium Access when you come back.

You can go to our website for more details on the three levels of access, plus a FAQ that should cover any other questions that you may have. We can’t tell you how excited we are to be making this move, and can’t wait to have you all join us in game. Talk to us in the comments below and let us know what you think. We’re listening.