Comics Bulletin logo
Search
  • Columns
    Random
    • Superhero Films – Chapter 21: Swamp Thing (1982)

      Jason Brice
      January 24, 2015
      Columns, HaphazardStuff’s Superhero Film Series
    Recent
    • Revisiting the Witchblade/Fathom/Tomb Raider Crossover

      Daniel Gehen
      February 8, 2021
    • The Full Run: Usagi Yojimbo – The Wanderer’s Road Part 2

      Daniel Gehen
      December 4, 2020
    • The Full Run: Usagi Yojimbo – The Wanderer’s Road Part 1

      Daniel Gehen
      October 30, 2020
    • What Looks Good
    • Comics Bulletin Soapbox
    • The Full Run
    • Leading Question
    • Top 10
    • The Long-Form
    • Jumping On
    • Comics in Color
    • Slouches Towards Comics
  • Big Two
    Random
    • Exclusive Marvel Preview: "Age of the Apocalypse" #4

      Jason Brice
      September 10, 2015
      Big Two, Marvel Comics, News, Previews
    Recent
    • 3.0

      Review: X-MEN LEGENDS #1 Delivers A Dose of Nostalgia

      Daniel Gehen
      February 22, 2021
    • 4.5

      DCeased: Dead Planet #7 Presents a Hopeful Future (Review)

      Daniel Gehen
      January 22, 2021
    • Retro Review: Detective Comics #826 Remains a Holiday Classic

      Daniel Gehen
      December 3, 2020
    • DC Comics
    • Big Two Reviews
    • Marvel Comics
  • Indie
    Random
    • 4.0

      Advance Review: Lake of Fire #1

      Jason Brice
      August 3, 2016
      Image, Indie, Reviews
    Recent
    • 4.0

      Review: Beast Wars #2 another chance to change the past

      Stephen Cook
      March 3, 2021
    • 4.5

      Review: THE LAST RONIN #2 Hurts So Good

      Daniel Gehen
      February 19, 2021
    • TIME BEFORE TIME—A HIGH STAKES TIME TRAVEL SCIENCE FICTION SERIES SET TO LAUNCH THIS MAY

      Daniel Gehen
      February 19, 2021
    • Reviews
    • Archie Comics
    • Boom! Studios
    • Dark Horse
    • IDW
    • Image
    • Oni Press
    • Valiant
  • Reviews
    Random
    • 4.0

      Batgirl #19

      Jason Brice
      March 14, 2011
      Reviews
    Recent
    • 3.0

      Review: X-MEN LEGENDS #1 Delivers A Dose of Nostalgia

      Daniel Gehen
      February 22, 2021
    • 4.5

      Review: THE LAST RONIN #2 Hurts So Good

      Daniel Gehen
      February 19, 2021
    • 2.3

      Review: SAVAGE #1 Needs Taming

      Daniel Gehen
      February 16, 2021
    • Singles Going Steady
    • Slugfest
    • Manga
      • Reviews
    • Small Press
      • Reviews
      • ICYMI
      • Tiny Pages Made of Ashes
  • Interviews
    Random
    • The Fantastic Truth: Paul Cornell on Fantastic Four: True Story

      Jason Brice
      July 15, 2008
      Interviews
    Recent
    • Interview: Jon Davis-Hunt Talks SHADOWMAN

      Daniel Gehen
      June 8, 2020
    • Interview: Becky Cloonan talks DARK AGNES and Her Personal Influences

      Mike Nickells
      March 4, 2020
    • Simon Roy

      Interview: Simon Roy on His Inspirations and Collaborations on PROTECTOR

      Mike Nickells
      January 29, 2020
    • Audio Interview
    • Video Interview
  • Classic Comics
    Random
    • Small-Press Super-Heroes of the '80s: Zot!

      Jason Brice
      November 14, 2014
      Classic Comics Cavalcade, Columns
    Recent
    • Countdown to the King: Marvel’s Godzilla

      Daniel Gehen
      May 29, 2019
    • Honoring A Legend: Fantagraphics To Resurrect Tomi Ungerer Classics

      Daniel Gehen
      February 15, 2019
    • Reliving the Craziest Decade in Comics History: An interview with Jason Sacks

      Mark Stack
      January 2, 2019
    • Classic Comics Cavalcade
    • Classic Interviews
  • News
    Random
    • Hi-Fi Color for Comics

      Jason Brice
      April 1, 2014
      Kickstarter Spotlight, News
    Recent
    • TIME BEFORE TIME—A HIGH STAKES TIME TRAVEL SCIENCE FICTION SERIES SET TO LAUNCH THIS MAY

      Daniel Gehen
      February 19, 2021
    • Image Comics and TMP Announces SPAWN’S UNIVERSE

      Daniel Gehen
      February 18, 2021
    • SAVAGE DRAGON IS A FORCE TO BE RECKONED WITH THIS MAY

      Daniel Gehen
      February 17, 2021
    • Press Release
    • Kickstarter Spotlight
  • Books
    Random
    • Review: "Intro to Alien Invasion"

      Jason Brice
      September 16, 2015
      Books
    Recent
    • Collecting Profile: Disney Frozen

      CB Staff
      November 22, 2019
    • Collecting Profile: NFL Superpro

      CB Staff
      August 31, 2019
    • “THE BEST OF WITZEND” is a Wonderful Celebration of Artistic Freedom

      Daniel Gehen
      September 15, 2018
    • Review: ‘Machete Squad’ is a Disappointing Afghan Memoir

      Jason Sacks
      July 31, 2018
    • Review: ‘Out of Nothing’ is the Antidote to Our Sick Times

      Jason Sacks
      July 23, 2018
    • Review: ‘Bizarre Romance’ Shows Rough Edges in the Early Days of a New Marriage

      Jason Sacks
      July 10, 2018
What's New
  • Review: Beast Wars #2 another chance to change the past
  • Collecting Profile: Blue Beetle
  • Review: X-MEN LEGENDS #1 Delivers A Dose of Nostalgia
  • Collecting Profile: Kraven the Hunter
  • Review: THE LAST RONIN #2 Hurts So Good
  • TIME BEFORE TIME—A HIGH STAKES TIME TRAVEL SCIENCE FICTION SERIES SET TO LAUNCH THIS MAY
  • RSS Feed
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Google+
  • Contact Us
  • Write for us!
  • Visit Video Game Break!
Home
Interviews

Marv Wolfman: A Behind the Scenes Look at DC Universe Online

Jason Brice
February 2, 2011
Interviews
With the recent release of DC Entertainment’s DC Universe Online, Comics Bulletin Publisher Jason Brice sat down with writer Marv Wolfman to get an inside look on what it took to bring this gaming innovation to life.

Enjoy!


Jason Brice: How did you become involved with the development of DCU Online?

Marv Wolfman: I was already writing videogames when I was asked by DC’s Paul Levitz and Hank Kanalz if I’d be interested in working on the DCU MMO. Needless to say I jumped at the chance. Obviously, working with characters I knew so well was a lure, but also being one of the people who was making sure they’d translate correctly to games was even more important.

Brice: What different writing muscles did you have exercise in the development of the game as compared to writing a superhero comic book?

Wolfman: Comic book stories, or any printed media stories, have a beginning, middle and end. Stories have constructed as they have been for thousands of years. You can play with the structure but ultimately a story is about a character who goes through a series of problems and situations until it’s resolved, for good or bad. Most videogames are the same. But MMOs are very different.

The structure of an MMO can’t be beginning, middle and end because the player controls the game. They decide their world and what they feel is most important about it. You can try to lead them a certain way but they can choose to go a different way. MMOs are all about players deciding for themselves. So you have to construct story concepts more than a story. You tell them here and there and someplace else that certain events are happening and you hope they will choose to participate in them.

You build up over the course of numerous missions the bits and pieces of a story until they decide to follow it. But it’s like presenting them with a map of the United States. You can tell them how to get from New York to Los Angeles, but they choose the roads they want to go. Of course if you show them there are a lot of great sites if they follow Route 66 they may choose to do so. My job is to find ways to move you through the story through suggestion. And even if you don’t choose to do that, you will still learn about the story because it will be referenced every so often. And if you choose to follow the story you will discover so many other great missions and challenges.

Brice: What was the most challenging aspect to creating plots that interweave with each other between Metropolis and Gotham…and the other story locations?

Wolfman: As I said above, my job is to present material that makes the player realize there’s a bigger thread they can follow. So you can plant something in Metropolis that might lead them to Gotham. And if what I do is intriguing enough, they may go there. That’s the challenge.

Brice: Is there anything that you’re particularly pleased with or proud of in the game that you can tell us about?

Wolfman: I’m really pleased that as many of my ideas, concepts, missions, etc. made it into the final game. After all, games are about play and play has to come first. That I was able to suggest story missions that hundreds of thousands if not millions of people will play is incredible.

Brice: Have you logged many hours as a player yet? Has anything surprised you as a player so far?

Wolfman: I was on the Beta and it was more beautiful than I expected. The backgrounds are gorgeous and the play, even on the PS3, is flawless. I’m expecting my comp copy any day now so I can play the actual game.

Brice: What power trees have you played? Are there some that appeal to you more than others?

Wolfman: Ask me after I’ve played the real game. I wasn’t on the Beta long enough to get too deep into it. The PS3 Beta came later than the Computer Beta and I was away for the holidays for much of it. So I only got to play for a week or so.

Brice: How important will the “mentoring” aspect of player development be beyond providing missions and assistance in boss fights?

Wolfman: The mentoring is only a small part of the game. The DCU characters are there to fight alongside or, on occasion, to battle. This is not a matter of Superman standing there with an exclamation point over his head. You’re fighting Brainiac at his side or helping him on a mission. Or you’re fighting against the Joker. Or with the Joker. Depends on whether you’re a hero or villain.

Brice: How closely tied will the game be to ongoing events in the paper and ink DCU?

Wolfman: It will be closely tied to the bi-weekly DCU Legends Comic that I’m writing along with Tony Bedard. Otherwise it’s the DCU characters are in a story separate from current continuity.

Brice: Are there any specific plans for incorporating older events and storylines from the DCU into DCU Online?

Wolfman: Yes. You’ll see concepts that harken back to some DCU material. But I won’t say what so you’ll be surprised when you see it.

Brice: Will there be opportunities to travel to locations off-world, such as Oa or Apokolips?

Wolfman: That’s for Sony to answer.

Brice: How far in advance have you been plotting “episodes” for release?

Wolfman: I wrote my parts of the game about two and a half years ago. I worked on it for about a year and a half.

Brice: Thanks for taking the time to talk to us at Comics Bulletin, Marv!

Wolfman: Thanks!


 



Jason BriceMary Wolfman

Share On:
Tweet
Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? #19
Klezmer: Tales of the Wild East (Book One)

About The Author

Jason Brice

Related Posts

  • Top 10 Greatest Members of the Justice League

    Chris Kiser, Chris Murman, Christopher Power, Jason Brice, Jason Sacks, Karyn Pinter, Maxwell Yezpitelok, Ray C. Tate
    June 22, 2010
  • Top 10 Lamest Avengers

    Jason Brice, Kelvin Green, Ray Tate, Robert Tacopina, Samuel Salama Cohén, Zack Davisson
    June 11, 2010

Latest Interviews

  • Interview: Jon Davis-Hunt Talks SHADOWMAN

    Daniel Gehen
    June 8, 2020
  • Interview: Becky Cloonan talks DARK AGNES and Her Personal Influences

    Mike Nickells
    March 4, 2020
  • Simon Roy

    Interview: Simon Roy on His Inspirations and Collaborations on PROTECTOR

    Mike Nickells
    January 29, 2020
  • Interview: V.E. Schwab on revisiting Red London in The Steel Prince

    Stephen Cook
    March 13, 2019
  • Interview: David Foster Wallace and Hellblazer, words on Wyrd with writer Curt Pires

    Stephen Cook
    February 27, 2019
  • “The Night Has Teeth” An Interview with Sarah deLaine, Artist of Image Comics’ “Little Girls”

    Jason Sacks
    February 26, 2019
  • Interview: Caitlin Kittredge talks the future of Witchblade

    Daniel Gehen
    February 12, 2019
  • Interview: Andy Nakatani and the Future of Weekly Shonen Jump

    Daniel Gehen
    December 19, 2018
  • INTERVIEW: Todd Matthy talks robots, princesses, and bridging the divide with storytelling

    Stephen Cook
    September 13, 2018
  • INTERVIEW: Gallaher & Ellis discuss THE ONLY LIVING GIRL

    Daniel Gehen, Thea Srinivasan
    September 7, 2018
RSSTwitterFacebookgoogleplusinstagramtumblr

Comics Bulletin is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for website owners to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com, audible.com, and any other website that may be affiliated with Amazon Service LLC Associates Program. As an Amazon Associate, Comics Bulletin earns from qualifying purchases.

All content on this site (c) 2018 The Respective Copyright Holders