14 DAY TRIAL // Sony Online Entertainment has announced that DC Universe Online, the MMO that it was preparing for the PC and the PlayStation 3 with help from the comic book company, will be delayed to an unspecified date in early 2011 from its previous set date of November 2.
Both versions of the game will be pushed back and SOE is introducing a new external beta program for those who have VIP key codes for DC Universe Online, most of them given out at the Comic Con panel for the game.
The company is also giving access to the beta before November 30 to all those fans to pre order a copy of DC Universe Online before November 15.
Those who do so after that date will get a week of access before the official launch date, allowing them to familiarize themselves to the way the game systems work, giving them an advantage when the MMO goes live for everyone else.
Beta testers will also get a special badge for DC Universe Online and access to a special event called “Battle of the Legends”.
John Smedley, who is the president of Sony Online Entertainment, has said that the delay will allow the team working on the MMO to”address community feedback in a meaningful way.”
He added, “When we get deeper into external beta, we'll be able to share more information regarding the new launch date.”
Smedley might be talking about more time to create a better gaming experience but one big reason for the delay of DC Universe Online might be the fact that developer Blizzard has confirmed that World of Warcraft will get a new expansion, called Cataclysm, on December 7.
World of Warcraft is the elephant in the MMO room and rival game need to dance around its big launch dates in order to attract gamers and gain some measure of stability before the Blizzard game wows players back into its ranks.