DC Universe Online had a bit of a rocky start, despite a fairly smooth launch. A lot of players dropped the MMO after the first free month and others questioned the point of paying a subscription for a game that felt like it ended as soon as they hit max level. But credit where credit’s due, after six months of floundering DCUO hit its stride and presented players with a significant increase in content including an all new set of powers. The move to a free-to-play model in autumn enticed more players into the world of caped crusaders and maniacal villains and it has continued to see more improvements and updates since then, with update 8 — the crafting update — going live yesterday.
To celebrate DCUO‘s one year anniversary, any character created by the end of the day (January 11) will receive a mission which will allow them to collect a special anniversary cape. You don’t need to collect it today, though. As long as your character exists today you will be able to get your prezzie at your leisure.
If, for some bizarre reason, you like statistics, SOE has provided some year one stats:
- More than 3.5 million Heroes, more than 2 million Villains
- More than 1.8 million registered players on PC, and more than 2.3 million registered players on PS3
- 3.6 million days of playtime total by all players in-game
- More than 1,200 new NPC characters added since launch
- More than 200 new quests added since launch
- More than 2,500 new items added since launch
- More than 15 new zones added since launch
- More than 1,800 new encounters since launch
1.5 million more heroes than villains? Disgusting stuff.