Latest News and Updates

IGN has posted a new article with some very interesting bits of information that we've all been waiting to hear. For starters, it appears that the PC and PS2 servers for Phantasy Star Universe WILL be connected, allowing players from both platforms to converse and team up which each other. An additional revelation is that security updates and patches will be stored on the PS2's memory card, which should ease some concerns about the PC version suffering from the previously announced absence of patches on the PS2 (which is hopefully no longer true). The article also touches on some details of character customization (giving an example of a character class with a whopping 56 different hairstyles and more!), and confirms the recently announced monthly pricing for the Japanese version of the game (which they estimate to be cheaper in the US). On a final note, the US release date is stated as being May of 2006 in this article. Whether that date is speculated, or from an official source, we do not know.

Thanks to Kazuma56 for posting about this news in our PSU Forum!

Edit: To add to the speculation about the date Electronic Gaming Monthly's latest issue is saying February 2006 for PSU, not May. We'll continue to keep you up to date as more information about the release date becomes avaliable. Thanks Lord_DS for those scans which can be seen in our PSU forum. -JonathanF

Some of you might recall a strange looking creature which made it's debut in a recent Famitsu article. It has been most commonly compared with the all-familiar RPG animal known as a Chocobo (found in the Final Fantasy series of games). Today, the official JP site gives us a closer look at this creature and trasportation buddy. It's name translates to "Lunga" and it will be one of the player-controlled means of transportation in PSU. Not only will you get to ride around on this interesting looking animal, but you'll be able to break obstacles and attack enemies that are in your way. Along with the update we get a few images (though a couple are EXTREMELY small) and a small blurb of info on the "Lunga" and "Flowder", which are among PSU's available transportation. Check it all out:

Information (Translated by EspioKaos): "You will discover a large variety of vehicles throughout your adventure. By using the "Flowder," you'll be able to move across the surface of water that you previously had no way to cross! On Moatoob, there's a native creature called a "Lunga" which will allow you to ride upon its back as it runs! Moving quickly about the field, the Lunga can destroy obstacles and attack enemies that are in your way with fire."

Thanks to lostinseganet for the update, and thanks to Lovejuice and EspioKaos for the images and translation!

PSOW's intrepid staff member, Rena-ko, spotted the following news at gamefront.de today:

"Sega announced in the latest issue of Famitsu that the online fees for Phantasy Star Universe will be 1260 yen (8.94 EU/ 10.53 USD) for your first 30 days online. After that, it will cost 1050 yen (7.45 EU/8.78 USD) to renew your account each month if you use the automatic renewal service."

Also, a new screenshot of the infamous Two-Headed Dragon was released. You can see it here:


You can discuss this news in our Phantasy Star Universe forum.

EDIT: The article on the page said nothing about a free trial period. At this point, we do not know whether PSU will have one or not.

kevlar_pso writes, "On the US PSO-X servers Halloween is over and Christmas is here. You may now find Saint Rappies, which if you've been nice this past year will give you a Christmas Present. Also, Pioneer Christmas has been uploaded. If you need some help with this quest, be sure to check out this thread in our forums."

PSOW's eagle-eyed Staff Member, Dhylec, spotted this news article earlier today. In it, details about the PSU preorder items were announced. As you may recall the preorder bonus items included a Visual Guide and CD. According to the news article, the Visual Guide will include concept drawings, character information, planet illustrations, and much more! The CD will include the Main and Opening themes for Phantasy Star Universe. Also, six new screenshots were revealed. Be sure to click on the thumbnails to see the full-sized versions!


Visual Guide and CD


Screenshots




You can discuss this news in our Phantasy Star Universe forum.

Several details of the Phantasy Star Universe launch in Japan were revealed today. First, the PS2 and PC versions of the game will be released on February 16, 2006. Based on this webpage, it appears that in addition to the retail version, Sega Direct will be offering its own special version. Both versions are slated to include a visual guide book and music CD if you preorder the game. However, it looks like the Sega Direct version will be offering an unspecific bonus. The Sega Direct version will cost 6800 yen (about 70 USD), while the retail will be 6120 yen (around 60 USD).

To be able to play online, you will need a Sega Link account. You will be able to obtain it from here. We know that it will be a fee-based service. However, it is unknown how much the fee will be. Additionally, it looks like you maybe able to share your account between the PS2 and PC versions of the game.

Also, the minimum requirements for the PC version of PSU were announced. You can see them here:
Operating System: Windows 2000/XP
Processor: 1.6 GHz Pentium 4
RAM: 256 MB
Hard Drive Space: 8 GB
Video Card: 3D card with 64 MB of VRAM
Direct X: 9.0
Network Connection: Broadband
Additional Comments: DVD Drive required.

Credit goes to PhotonCat for spotting this announcement. If you would like to discuss this annoucement, please visit our PSU forum.

EDIT: If you register your Sega Link account by the end of January (registration is free), you will receive an in-game item and have access to an exclusive screensaver. Also, you will be entered into a lottery to receive a Net Cash Card. You can read about the details here.

quo writes, "The Christmas decorations are now up, and Saint Rappies have replaced the Hallo rappies on the US BB servers.

Remember that Saint Rappies drop different mag cells than what the Hallo Rappies did. From the mag cells the Saint Rappies provide, you'll be able to make a Sega Console Mag, Panzer Tail, Angel Wings, Devil Wings, or Davil Tail."

This week's update on the official Japanese Phantasy Star Universe web site brings us not one, but TWO new videos to drool over. The first video we are treated with is titled "The Network of Phantasy Star Universe" and it shows us a little more of the online portion of the game, including character creation and player housing. The second video appears to be a regular trailer for the game, and seems include clips from some of PSU's in-game cutscenes. So far, we have been unable to access these new movies, but we'll be sure to update this post as soon as we have copies of the videos hosted in our Downloads section. In the meantime, here are some clips to build your anticipation:

To discuss today's update, or to get more information on what is shown in these videos, be sure to visit our PSU Forum!

UPDATE: We now have copies of the two videos, courtesy of PSOW member Parn. You can download these videos via the following links:

PSU - "The Network of" Video [9 MB]
PSU - Character Showcase Video [12.3 MB]

The latest batch of Famitsu scans give us some nice eye candy and a whole lot of stuff we can't read One thing we can read, though, is that PSU has been marked as a "Famitsu Choice", which hopefully means that it's going to kick butt and take names (of course, we all knew that already, right?). PSOW staffer Dhylec tells us a few bits and pieces from page two of the scan, which includes mentions of a "Photon Reactor", "Shield Line System (SLS)" and "Nanostranser". There are also some new enemies, with names like "De Stoba", "Viara" and "Gol Druba". Stay tuned to our PSU Forums for more detailed translations. In the meantime, check out the scans right here:

Thanks to Lord_DS for pointing us to this great update!