Latest News and Updates

It has been common knowledge for some time that the PS2 and PC versions of PSU will be linked together, allowing players on either platform to interact with each other. There has been much speculation about whether or not the Xbox 360 servers would be included in this as well. PSOW has learned from an official source that, at this time, the Xbox 360 servers (which will use the Xbox Live service) are planned to be independant of the PS2 and PC servers and will not be linked. This means that if you're planning to meet up with your friends in PSU, it might be a good idea to pick your platforms accordingly, as it appears the Xbox 360 PSU community will playing exclusively with other Xbox Live players.

While this may not be a surprise to some, it does open the door for a lot more speculation, which will undoubtedly end up in our Phantasy Star Universe Forum, so head over there now to discuss this breaking news that you heard here first! Also, be sure to keep checking back for an upcoming announcement regarding this year's E3 convention and PSU!

SEGA of Japan has announced today on their offical website that they have sent out their final wave of invitations to the beta today, meaning that if you haven't recieved an email yet, you did not make the beta. You can chat and vent about this in our forums

We've also got some images and videos from some users in our PSU Forums. You can view the picture and video thread here, comment on them in the picture and video comment thread, and some questions and answers here.

Our news and video staff contributor, Jonathan_F, recently got interviewed by Gamertag Radio on Phantasy Star Universe. In this podcast, Gamertag Radio discusses PSU and reflects back on PSO. You can directly download the podcast here, and subscribe here.

"This fall 2006 Phantasy Star Universe will be coming out for the Xbox 360 and some of the GTR staff members are very excited about this news. We had the chance to interview one of the staff members from one of my favorite sites PSO-World.com & Phantasystarmonthly.com. He had the chance to play the beta version of the PC and gave us more information how this game will be offline and online, the difference from past games and the story.

We talked about our "favorite platform" (this is a joke), & what's up with Japan making mistakes with 99 Nights display at a local store. E3 coverage coming soon and remember to subscribe on Itunes to get all the audios during the week of May 8-12, 2006."

Around 11 minutes 30 seconds in the recording they start talking about PSU and PSO, and about 15:30 is when they start interviewing Jonathan_F. It's pretty interesting to hear about how PSU is in a review. Congratulations on the Interview, Jon!

According to the Japanese PSO BBS, Starting May 20, you will no longer need to pay to go online for EU/JP PSO Version 2. This means that you will no longer need to purchase a Hunters License for your Japanese or European version of PSO!

Please note that the US Servers are still down, this only applies to Japan and European PSODC Servers. You can read the rest at the Japanese PSO BBS. (Babelfish Link)

Discuss this in our Forums!

Sega of America and Sega Europe announced today that Phantasy Star Universe will be coming out for the Xbox 360 gaming console, with support for Xbox Live online play. The release is scheduled for Fall of 2006. So far, there is no word as to whether or not Xbox 360 players on Xbox Live will be able to interact with the PS2 and PC players, but we'll try to find out more info. In the meantime, enjoy the great news Xbox 360 owners! Here's the full press release:

SEGA ANNOUNCES PHANTASY STAR UNIVERSE COMING TO XBOX 360 CONSOLE

SEGA's Epic RPG Franchise Supports Xbox Live

SAN FRANCISCO & LONDON (April 19, 2006) - SEGA® of America, Inc. and SEGA Europe Ltd. today announced that Phantasy Star™ Universe will be available on the Xbox 360™. Scheduled for release in Fall 2006, the highly-anticipated role playing game (RPG) will release on multiple platforms including the PlayStation® 2 computer entertainment system and PC. Phantasy Star Universe offers two complete RPG experiences - a single-player action adventure spanning multiple planets, and a robust online multiplayer component that will support Xbox Live®.

Since its humble beginnings in 1988, Phantasy Star has revolutionized the RPG genre by creating new standards through innovative gameplay and online capability. Phantasy Star Universe offers a compelling story, both offline and online, that rebuilds the foundation of role-playing games with stunning cut scenes, sharply drawn personalities, and a cohesive narrative. This game revitalizes the Phantasy Star brand heritage while staying true to its roots.

"The reinvigoration of this beloved franchise on the Xbox 360 signifies another step for SEGA towards next-gen leadership," said Scott A. Steinberg, Vice President of Entertainment Marketing, SEGA of America, Inc. "Phantasy Star has a rich history, and now with Phantasy Star Universe in support of the Xbox 360 and Xbox Live, gamers can enjoy a fantasy role-playing experience of unprecedented depth both online with their friends, and offline in the robust single-player game."

Developed by SEGA Studios, Phantasy Star Universe offers long-time fans the single-player experience they have been clamoring for. The solo adventure features more than 40 hours of gameplay, an emotionally engaging story, stunning cut scenes, and a strong cast of characters with very distinctive personalities. The title's hero is Ethan Waber, a 17-year old cadet who begins his epic journey by first rescuing his sister at the GUARDIANS, a colony under siege by mysterious life forms known as THE SEED.

In Online Mode, players are given the opportunity to create their own characters from a range of races, as they explore all three planets in the Gurhal system. Fans can travel with their friends as a squad of six adventurers, enter urban sprawls teeming with hundreds of other players, and build their avatars into powerful warriors.

Phantasy Star Universe will offer a rich and constantly evolving world that will provide months of entertainment to fans of the series and RPG enthusiasts. The game is slated to ship in Fall 2006.

Key Product Features:

• Epic Story: Phantasy Star Universe offers a suspenseful single player adventure that fans have been clamoring for.
• Phantasy Star Brand Heritage: Since 1988, the franchise has evolved, and produced seven series to date - building itself as one of the most well established RPG franchises.
• Real-time battles where players choose their own strategies: Choose from over 200 weapon variations in over 20 weapon categories for melee, technique, or ranged-type combat. Players can also select numerous Photon Arts to defeat enemies.
• World Class Score: Soundtrack produced by premier orchestras and vocals from Poland, Hollywood, and New York.
• Online Gameplay: Offering the Best of Both Worlds
  • Multiplayer: Create a squad of up to six players to explore the universe and conquer quests.
  • Endless gameplay: In addition to over 40 hours of offline gameplay, gamers can spend endless hours online customizing characters, searching for rare items, leveling up, and joining friends for exhilarating new quests.
• Variety in transportation: Player-controlled vehicles offer a new type of gameplay for the Phantasy Star franchise.
• Character Customization: Go beyond standard customization for your character with precise measurements, an endless color palette, and outlandish outfits.
• Massive enemies: Over 70 unique enemy species, totaling over 220 enemy variations.

Thanks to Nash, Foxfire15, Majiteque for finding this story. You can discuss this in the ongoing thread in the Phantasy Star Universe forum.

The first round of closed Beta acceptance letters were sent out today by Sega of Japan. Anyone that received an email is now eligible to participate in the closed Beta that will begin on April 20th. Several additional rounds of acceptance letters will be sent out in the coming days.

If you are chosen to be in the beta test, your email will contain a username and password. You will be directed to go to this webpage to download an installer program. The installer program will then prompt you for the username and password. After that, it will begin downloading the Phantasy Star Universe setup file. It is 555 MB. Install the program just like you would with any other Windows program. Once the install is complete, you will be prompted to start the program. Since the servers will not be up until the 20th, there is not much you can do yet. Also, it is likely that you will have to install an older version of the DirectX 9.0 runtime in order to start the program.

According to this news entry on the Beta page, the beta will go from April 20th to May 10th. The servers will only be up during specific time periods. Since the game is still in the beta stages, the servers may go down without notice. A "Play Guide" and special BBS will be made available in the near future.

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

Details for two new quests were announced today for the Japanese version of Blue Burst. They are called "Toys Grown Old" and "Gallon's Plan." Toys Grown Old is an Episode 4 team quest, while Gallon's Plan is a special Episode 1 NetCafe quest. To read more about each quest, scroll down.

Clumsyorchid announced on the psobb.com forums today that two new Episode 4 quests, War of Limits #1 and #2, are being released for the US/EU version of Blue Burst. These are Annihilation quests, very similar to the Endless Night quests from Episode 1. Since these quests typically feature large numbers of enemies, they should offer excellent opportunities for finding rare items and leveling up. You can discuss these new quests in our Quests forum.

ADDITION: The release calendar was also updated today. According to it, the second group of War of Limits quests will be released on April 27th. The final War of Limits quest will come out on May 11. This will coincide with the start of a special week-long event.

The content calendar for JP Blue Burst was updated today with material for the April through June period. New content will include several new quests, a surprise character appearance, June marriage lobby, and reduction of drop odds on items. This will certainly tide JP Blue Burst players over until Phantasy Star Universe is released! You can scroll down to read more about the upcoming content updates.

• Mid-April: New Episode 4 Team Quest
• Late April: 2x Drop Rates for all Episodes (Runs April 25th to May 9th) and special Internet Cafe Quest
• Early May: A Surprise Character Visits Pioneer 2
• Late May: New Episode 1 Quest entitled "The Lost Thunder Pallasch" (this title may change)
• June 6th to 27th: Lobby 10 will become the Wedding Lobby
• Late June: Solo Mode Episode 4 Quest

Credit goes to Saffran for bringing us this news. You can discuss this update in our forums.