Phantasy Star Universe PC/PS2 Shuts Down March 31st, 2010. Where do we go now?

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So for today's shocking, but everyone saw it coming  announcement, Phantasy Star Universe will be closing down it's PC/PS2 servers. Due to low population, SEGA has decided to shift focus to the XBOX servers. The XBOX servers although dwindling in players, still has quite a grip on it's population.  It's expected that the XBOX servers will continue to receive updates including the AOTI+ Supplemental Update. Though the announcement did not specifically say this. Edward posted a message on the official site, quote:

Please note that after January 29th 2010, no new PSU subscriptions will be available for purchase for PC/PS2. Those who are subscribed as of that time will be able to play, for free, until service closure.

The schedule is as follows:

• January 29th 2010: MAG+ event begins for PC/PS2 and Xbox 360 servers.

• January 29th 2010: No new PC/PS2 PSU subscriptions will be available for purchase.

• January 29th 2010: Free play for PC/PS2 PSU begins. No more billing cycles will take place on or after this date.

• March 31st 2010: PC/PS2 servers / service closure, the PlayStation2 and PC versions of Phantasy Star Universe online play will not be available after this date, however, please continue to enjoy the Single Player version of the game.

For those who play the Xbox 360 version of Phantasy Star Universe: SEGA will continue to support, in full & with regular updates, this version of Phantasy Star Universe. This includes bringing currently unreleased and anticipated content to the XBox 360 servers. We will be able to provide more details on future Xbox 360 PSU content over the coming weeks and months.

Son in essence PSU Pc/Ps2 servers will be free for January 29th to March 31st, which I guess will allow everyone to say their goodbyes before they leave. What's interesting to note is what Edward says next..

While we are sad to see the PC/PS2 version of Phantasy Star Universe end, the year 2010 is the 10th anniversary of Phantasy Star Online — and this server / service closure is helping to pave the way for bigger and better things for the Phantasy Star franchise in the very near future!

Sakai also shared a somewhat similar statement during his New Year's message. We should continue to see things from the Phantasy Star Series in 2010, considering it's the 10th anniversary of Phantasy Star Online. Does this mean a new flagship title Phantasy Star will be announced?  Does this mean PSPo2 will soon get an announcement for the English release?  We'll just have to wait and see.

[via psu]

Where do we go from here?

There aren't many games out there like Phantasy Star Online. Fortunately, the market for non-targeting, action RPG systems are slowly rising out of Korea and China.

For now most MMOs focus less on action and more on strategic gameplay. This is where a player clicks on an enemy and engages in auto combat. The player may press a sequence of buttons to use various skills. In these MMOs you never see characters roll out of the way, strafe behind the enemy, shoot and run away from a distance. You are pretty much "attached" to an enemy during the entire combat.

Whatever Sega plans to do with the Phantasy Star series, we do at least have some hope for other games that follow in it's footsteps. Here are a few games coming soon for the PC that provide an action oriented, non targetting system.

  • Continent of the 9th
    • Offers a more graphically realistic approach to PSU.
    • Follows in PSU's footsteps with instanced like gameplay.
    • Battle animation tends to be flashy and mimics PSU's style.
    • Limited Character races.
  • TERA Online
    • Beautiful graphics, serene visuals, open world gameplay.
    • Players aim their attacks at enemies.
    • Character Classes/Races similar to PSU.
  • Dragon Nest
    • Instanced gameplay.
    • Gameplay feels ripped out of PSZero

Of course if you are on the handheld market, you can still play Phantasy Star Zero and look forward to Phantasy Star Portable 2, if and when it does come out.

 

What will Sakai do next?

Shougai PSO posted a quote from Dengeki Magazine regarding an interview about PSO10th Anniversary. In it he says, given that last year's Phantasy Star Portable 2, is seen as the compilation of the series.  The next new thing he wants to do is something incredibly challenging that is "a giant leap", [possibly something extremely different than what we'd expect /something that upgrades the series?] however, he still wants to please the traditional fans.

[via shougai]

Reactions

Ana has blogged her reactions on the current news, also speculates there might be some new Phantasy Star game in development. Kotaku comments section (view the unpromoted comments) has more reactions.  Other player reactions will be posted here.

Phantasy Star Portable 2: Ocha-ken Passwords

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The cute and green Ocha-ken toys are now in Phantasy Star Portable 2. Head to your vision phone to enter these passwords! Select the fourth option to input these passwords into the system. You can get your very own fashionable TCSM to go along with your Force. 

Ocha-ken Doog: TCSM
お茶犬ドゥーグ
3485 0502

 

Ocha-ken Doll: Room Item
お茶犬ヌイミ
7545 4663

 

Shincha-ken Doll: Room Item
新茶犬ヌイミ
4864 1356

 

Pa, Panda! Table
パ、パンだ！テーブル
3453 2321

 

Phantasy Star Portable 2: Preview Resonance of Fate DLC + Support Notices

Ricardo 3 Comments

Articles and Blog Postings about Phantasy Star Portable 2 this week.

Upcoming DLC

Terada posted some photo leaks of upcoming items you can obtain in Phantasy Star Portable 2. This includes an outfit from Reanbel (US: Leanne), a character in the upcoming game, End of Eternity (US: Resonance of Fate). Apparently due to copyright issues, the name was changed, yet for some reason every main character has a different name in Japanese and English .

 

Can't Touch This… yet…

From the same game, another tie-in item known as  "Anchor King" was released with a free product code for the Playstation Store.  Originally this card was given out during Jump Festa 2010. Sadly this item isn't available to everyone, you have to attend Little Wing Grand Prix to get it. They will only give it out until March 13th, 2010. They plan to release this item as DLC at an unknown future date.

 

Hatsune Miku is back, this time for her VN02 outfit which was noticeably missing in the Vision Phone passwords.

The release date for these items are unknown.

 

Notices

1/13/10 Due to a bug within the mission data that prevents some players from advancing, Toro and Kuro mission should be downloaded again. This mission is patched automatically when connecting to Internet Multimode.

1/13/10 Players were banned for breaking rules that forbid you from displaying violent, harassing, and slanderous behavior to other players. Bans were also sent out for behavior that is deemed sexual in nature or goes against public moral standards.

If this game were to be localized in English, I do wonder how Sega of America will enforce these rules. They are pretty loose on Phantasy Star Universe rules, you really had to go out of the way for to get banned for harassment.

[via notices]

Level Data

A chart showing Internet Multimode player levels as of January 2010.

 

Wings of Universe

Wings of Universe, Phantasy Star Portable 2's official soundtrack was released the other day. The CD includes 40 songs. You can view the track list on Shougai PSO. I haven't heard many new songs while playing this game. So far the new music doesn't stand on it's own like it does in PSZero. Like any Phantasy Star Universe game, they'll play Mystery (Mistery) over and over and over.

 

Missing Panties Again? Almost!

Stop making her bow you perverts!

A while back, Kotaku posted an article linking to a Japanese blogger in which a certain female outfit makes it appear as if she no panties underneath. Terada recalls a little story about the "Santa Dress". Immediately after the final data was complete and sent to testers, they reported back that there were polygons missing  for the panties. Of course they had to get that fixed pronto! Strangely enough, Terada reports the Santa Dress is one of the most popular DLC items. Gee I wonder why… (Pretty much all Japanese bloggers including Shougai PSO posted the Bow action so they can see up their character's  skirt…)

 

Little Wing Grand Prix Update

Sakai posted some tidbits about the Little Wing Grand Prix. The Little Wing Grand Prix is an nationwide event in Japan where two players play through a customized challenge mission solely for the event. The details on what each class can use and the layout of the mission can be seen here.  This includes the medal which apparently is an actual medal, and not the room item equivalent.

It's REAL!

After the event meeting was over, he shook hands with almost everyone and became teary eyed. Well it's nice to see that he has an emotional connection to his game.

I found it funny to read about parents and their kids in a tag team. Yes, Japan takes gaming seriously. 

Locally we have our own PSU tournament, The Great Gurhalian Cup II, hosted by Edward. If PSP2 gets localized we'd like to see Sega Of America hold events like this across America, not just limited to the internet.

[via pspo2blog]

Fake Passwords

Making life suck for everyone, Fake Vision Phone Passwords are circulating. I guess you could see these as "Dream Collaborations" or pranks anonymous likes to spread around. For now, no official announcement has been made between Monster Hunter weapons, and various celebrity posters.

 

Rie's Repca Repca?

Who is Rie Tanaka? And you call yourself Otaku! On her blog she writes how she discovered a person using the character name in whom she voice acted. She found out that you can wear "replica" outfits of the main characters from Phantasy Star Universe. Karen Repca (カレン・レプカ)  was recently released in the Wandering Interstellar Peddler 2 mission. With just 3 Photon Boosters and 12 Photon Crystals, you can get other replica outfits of various PSU characters. Why not try wearing Hyuga, Maya, Lou, Curtz, and Vivienne's repca outfits!

Of course everyone asks where you can get Photon Boosters, and for now you can randomly obtain them by S ranking "Toro and Kuro's" mission, or playing the "Fanta Quiz Battle" where you must answer questions related to Fanta in Japanese of course!

[via rie]