JP PSU Developer interview notes from Dengeki PlayStation [Archive]

EspioKaos

Jun 25, 2008, 10:04 AM

Shougai PSO (http://www.g-heaven.net/pso/topics/080625c.html) just posted some details from a developer interview in the latest issue of Dengeki PlayStation.

Re: AOTI items
* A future update will re-introduce a new way to get the sabers Sange and Yasha.
* As it stands, the only way of getting them was through MAG and Dengeki Mission Carnival.
* The Stique series of weapons available in The Arms Dealer (http://psupedia.info/The_Arms_Dealer) are recommended for leveling photon arts.
* Stique weapon characteristics are high PP recovery and low PA power.

Re: AOTI events
* The "GUARDIANS Report" will return for Japan's 2nd anniversary event. (This report gives details on various player statistics such as most popular race, sex, type, etc.)
* Expect more of the most popular features from last year's 1st anniversary celebration.

Re: AOTI GMs and management plans
* A feature similar to our weekly GM live support is being considered for Japan. (Wow, we actually influenced them!?)
* It is noted that the GMs and development staff are two separate divisions.

Re: AOTI player shops
* It is stated that it would be very difficult to change the number of digits used to price items.
* In place of doing that, a new shop system is being planned.

Re: AOTI missions
* New items will be added to The Clothier (http://psupedia.info/The_Clothier) in a future update. No specifics were given as to what will be added.
* More new weapons similar in style to the Stique series will be added to The Arms Dealer (http://psupedia.info/The_Arms_Dealer).
* A system update will change the influence of time and party members on the chances of a rare mission appearing. The clear time of a mission will not have as great of an effect, however the number of party members will have a greater effect than now.

Re: What lies beyond AOTI?
* The developers want to put more focus in linking PSP and AOTI with unique content.

chaoskila

Jun 25, 2008, 10:06 AM

1st post

umm increased in digits could take place if a new shop is implyed?
so what we can have more moneY?

Golto

Jun 25, 2008, 10:07 AM

"A future update will re-introduce a new way to get the sabers Sange and Yasha."

I was hoping they would do this.

Mysterious-G

Jun 25, 2008, 10:20 AM

Fabulous. No more need to farm MAG now. (Except for the grinding bonus.)

Arika

Jun 25, 2008, 10:27 AM

Re: AOTI events
* The "GUARDIANS Report" will return for Japan's 2nd anniversary event. (This report gives details on various player statistics such as most popular race, sex, type, etc.)
* Expect more of the most popular features from last year's 1st anniversary celebration.

>>> ^^; , shade of the darkness haven't started yet. another event again!!? It will be on September if it is 2nd year celebration. but... I think it is too fast <_<; another after another...

Re: AOTI GMs and management plans

>>>our only adventage is going to be stolen D:

GM and developer are separate division :

>>> this is what I alway say. people on our side should realize this instead of complain everything to GM.

JAFO22000

Jun 25, 2008, 10:36 AM

* A feature similar to our weekly GM live support is being considered for Japan. (Wow, we actually influenced them!?)

We have weekly GM live support? I've never heard of this. To what are they referring? Is this only on the PC/PS2 servers?

desturel

Jun 25, 2008, 10:37 AM

Re: AOTI player shops
* It is stated that it would be very difficult to change the number of digits used to price items.
* An increase in digits could take place if a new shop system is implemented.

Guess people are running out of places to store their money. Of course adding digits to the money system will cause amazing inflation on item costs. Things that use to cost 10mil will now cost 100mil. things that cost 99mil will cost 999mil (or more depending on the number of digits added). Sure it makes sense to expand the economy because of how easy it is to get money, but I still don't think this is the best idea.

EspioKaos

Jun 25, 2008, 10:38 AM

We have weekly GM live support? I've never heard of this. To what are they referring? Is this only on the PC/PS2 servers?
It's for all servers. Here (http://psupedia.info/GM_events#GM_Live_Support) is the schedule.

Mr_Confused

Jun 25, 2008, 10:42 AM

Guess people are running out of places to store their money. Of course adding digits to the money system will cause amazing inflation on item costs. Things that use to cost 10mil will now cost 100mil. things that cost 99mil will cost 999mil (or more depending on the number of digits added). Sure it makes sense to expand the economy because of how easy it is to get money, but I still don't think this is the best idea.

exactly how would that cause inflation, you still have the same amount of money and things are still worth the same amount just now you can hold more than 99 mil. its not like there adding a extra zero to your money as well.

JAFO22000

Jun 25, 2008, 10:44 AM

It's for all servers. Here (http://psupedia.info/GM_events#GM_Live_Support) is the schedule.

Thanks Espio, I was not aware of this. I suppose it works the same as it did during the Winter Event, with them starting a party in the waiting room of a Guardians branch and players joining as space is available? Interesting.

EspioKaos

Jun 25, 2008, 10:50 AM

On the digit increase thing, I'd like to stress that they did not say for certain they would increase the max money limit. Also, I've made a slight correction/clarification of that statement. I went back to read what was said on it, and it seems that a new shop system is already in the works, but it's something they're doing "in place of a digit increase." In other words, "it's too difficult for us to increase the money cap, but we're improving the shop system for you."

Ezodagrom

Jun 25, 2008, 10:53 AM

Thanks Espio, I was not aware of this. I suppose it works the same as it did during the Winter Event, with them starting a party in the waiting room of a Guardians branch and players joining as space is available? Interesting.

I went once to one of those GM live support, they're not in a party. Basically they're on the Guardians Branch (Moatoob), answering the questions ppl ask around there, there's no "line" for waiting/no limits of space, since they don't go to the waiting room mission on these live support.

Arika

Jun 25, 2008, 11:14 AM

new shop system might need to come with an expansion tho :wacko:

Golto

Jun 25, 2008, 11:34 AM

Maybe they will make it so PMs can store more than 99.99 Million but not players' inventories? So the seller won't lose money if their sales goes over the 99.99 mill mark.

desturel

Jun 25, 2008, 11:38 AM

exactly how would that cause inflation, you still have the same amount of money and things are still worth the same amount just now you can hold more than 99 mil. its not like there adding a extra zero to your money as well.

* It is stated that it would be very difficult to change the number of digits used to price items.
* An increase in digits could take place if a new shop system is implemented.

If things won't increase in price, then there's no need to add in extra digits. Because people will be able to hold more money, they will have more money to spend. Because people have more money to spend, big ticket rare items will increase in price. The limiting factor on the price of an item right now is that you can only spend max meseta at most to get an item.

If you look in the trade forums, people are asking for two and three stacks of money for their trade items. Do you really think if the shops can now hold an extra digit worth of money or 900 million that people will not charge 900 million for their items?

With more room to expand, prices will always go as far towards the upper limit as possible. I'd suggest you brush up on basic economics.

I'm not saying that di-photons will now be work 100k or anything. I'm saying a Relic Edge which currently sells for around 1mil because that's the max the economy can support, may cost 5mil. An Agito Repca board which currently costs 40mil may cost 100mil or more.

r00tabaga

Jun 25, 2008, 11:52 AM

so then if they are gonna use the PSP and AotI in conjunction, will we see more unique weapons then? I read about twin sabers on the PSP where one saber was red and the other was blue!

JAFO22000

Jun 25, 2008, 12:12 PM

I went once to one of those GM live support, they're not in a party. Basically they're on the Guardians Branch (Moatoob), answering the questions ppl ask around there, there's no "line" for waiting/no limits of space, since they don't go to the waiting room mission on these live support.

Oh. So basically, it's just a clusterfuck in there. What a load of pigshit.

EspioKaos

Jun 25, 2008, 12:20 PM

Oh. So basically, it's just a clusterfuck in there. What a load of pigshit.
To be honest, the ones that I went to were relatively well-behaved. There were a few fuck-knuckles here and there, but overall, people were asking legitimate questions and not making (too many) snide remarks to the GMs' responses. Of course, it could've just been luck that made my experiences good. :lol:

JAFO22000

Jun 25, 2008, 12:24 PM

To be honest, the ones that I went to were relatively well-behaved. There were a few fuck-knuckles here and there, but overall, people were asking legitimate questions and not making (too many) snide remarks to the GMs' responses. Of course, it could've just been luck that made my experiences good. :lol:

I don't expect the same level of maturity over here on the 360 servers....;p

BFGfreak

Jun 25, 2008, 12:36 PM

I don't expect the same level of maturity over here on the 360 servers....;p

Actually, I've been to one on the 360 side, and it was pretty mature as well, (of coarse, if there is a grever, the GM's kinda ban them) Also, I think one is outside, and there's another in a mission, so it's kinda they do both.

Ffuzzy-Logik

Jun 25, 2008, 12:40 PM

Re: What lies beyond AOTI?
* The developers want to put more focus in linking PSP and AOTI with unique content.This is disheartening.

stukasa

Jun 25, 2008, 01:00 PM

Re: AOTI missions
* New items will be added to The Clothier (http://psupedia.info/The_Clothier) in a future update. No specifics were given as to what will be added.
Guardians Formal outfit, maybe? :wacko: (if we don't get it from the Shred the Darkness event, that is)

Guess people are running out of places to store their money.
How much money do people need? JP players already have 8 character slots and you can store 99,999,999 in each PM's storage and each character's inventory, plus another stack in your common box. Is 99,999,999 x 17 not enough for them??? :-?

Shiro_Ryuu

Jun 25, 2008, 01:16 PM

Ken_Silver

Jun 25, 2008, 01:37 PM

I am worried. There is still no guarantee that the PC/PS2 US/EU servers will be getting connectivity to PSU-PSP if we even get it. Will we on the PC/PS2 US/EU servers be left out?

Indica

Jun 25, 2008, 01:37 PM

Re: What lies beyond AOTI?
* The developers want to put more focus in linking PSP and AOTI with unique content.

LOL, wish the developers for our servers were this motivated.

Kylie

Jun 25, 2008, 01:42 PM

Not much I didn't expect. :-P I'd like to see some more word on the future of PSU in expansions, sequels, new missions - not improvements or future content that's... already on the disc.

Inazuma

Jun 25, 2008, 02:25 PM

its great to hear they are working on something to fix the meseta/player shop problem. armas line armors w/ elements over 30% are worth more than max meseta. red knight, red wall, and pretty much any high % or grind is over 100m meseta.

if they arent gonna increase the max meseta by one digit, maybe they will give us an item worth 100 million that is able to traded along w/ meseta.

so if i wanna buy a red knight for 350 million meseta, i could give 3 stacks of meseta to an npc and get 3 of the 100m items. then bring those along w/ 50m meseta and buy the red knight from a player shop.

so whenever you max out your meseta, just take a trip to the npc, trade it for that special item, then store that in your PM. it should also be possible to turn the item back into a full stack of meseta. as long as there arent bugs that let ppl dupe or glitch the system here, i dont see why it couldnt work.

Turb0

Jun 25, 2008, 02:43 PM

The problem with the money digits isn't that we need to hold more money, it's that there are a number of items worth more than 100 mil, which makes it a pain in the ass buying one. If they added another digit, it could potentially fix that problem.

if they arent gonna increase the max meseta by one digit, maybe they will give us an item worth 100 million that is able to traded along w/ meseta.

so if i wanna buy a red knight for 350 million meseta, i could give 3 stacks of meseta to an npc and get 3 of the 100m items. then bring those along w/ 50m meseta and buy the red knight from a player shop.

so whenever you max out your meseta, just take a trip to the npc, trade it for that special item, then store that in your PM. it should also be possible to turn the item back into a full stack of meseta. as long as there arent bugs that let ppl dupe or glitch the system here, i dont see why it couldnt work.

That actually sounds like a pretty good idea, the only problem would be the whole trade scam thing. Maybe this new shop system they're working on has a scamproof way of trading?

SonicTMP

Jun 25, 2008, 04:01 PM

Hmm wonder how they are going to "upgrade" thge shop system. Right now the search by condition is damn close to thew WoW auction house. They simply need to make the name search part a bit more flexable.

Short of just removing shops and setting up a centeral AH (not likely) they can't do much. Unless they do something wacky stupid like set item prices.

And on another note. I really wonder why they like to stay in the past so much. Other MMORPGs are racing ahead and PSU isn't trying to get to the next floor.

RadiantLegend

Jun 25, 2008, 04:11 PM

beyond AOTI? Where is my damn killer elite????????

Shishi-O

Jun 25, 2008, 05:11 PM

new expansion nao!!!

Or...10 months after japan LOL

pikachief

Jun 25, 2008, 05:17 PM

a 4/4 love inferno sells for max meseta, because of trade scams and such my friend ahs no way of getting a good deal for his 7/7 love inferno.

The increase in meseta to hold is for items that are selling for more than max meseta not for storing purposes :P

RemiusTA

Jun 25, 2008, 05:44 PM

Rayokarna

Jun 25, 2008, 06:02 PM

Absolute fucking fail. Im not about to pay to play a version of Crystal Chronicles that COMPLETELY sucks.

*facepalm*

If you link the two together we get MORE missions and MORE items because for PSP there is downloadable content. If they try and link the two together to make PSP data fully compatable with AOI data its like having a totally new expansion in its own right.

From PSP on it's own we should have a completely new mission and items bank. I wish you would look into stuff before branding it. -_-

Brainwrecked

Jun 25, 2008, 06:38 PM

Re: What lies beyond AOTI?
* The developers want to put more focus in linking PSP and AOTI with unique content.

Absolute fucking fail. Im not about to pay to play a version of Crystal Chronicles that COMPLETELY sucks.

*facepalm*

If you link the two together we get MORE missions and MORE items because for PSP there is downloadable content. If they try and link the two together to make PSP data fully compatable with AOI data its like having a totally new expansion in its own right.

From PSP on it's own we should have a completely new mission and items bank. I wish you would look into stuff before branding it. -_-

What about us 360 owners? As I doubt Microsoft is going to let anything other than their own stuff connect to XBox Live, is there anyway we'll be able to get stuff exclusive to the PSP? Say, a 3-, 6-, or even 12-month (blech) delay?

Or is the PSP content going to deliver nothing new in the long run, just unlock some neat stuff way before it's available to the main PSU clients?

I can see flipping the bird to Microsoft for Microsoft wanting things done exclusively their way. It just ends up hurting the consumer is all. For once, I wouldn't be yelling at Sega over something PSU-related.

Rayokarna

Jun 25, 2008, 07:07 PM

What about us 360 owners? As I doubt Microsoft is going to let anything other than their own stuff connect to XBox Live, is there anyway we'll be able to get stuff exclusive to the PSP? Say, a 3-, 6-, or even 12-month (blech) delay?

Or is the PSP content going to deliver nothing new in the long run, just unlock some neat stuff way before it's available to the main PSU clients?

I can see flipping the bird to Microsoft for Microsoft wanting things done exclusively their way. It just ends up hurting the consumer is all. For once, I wouldn't be yelling at Sega over something PSU-related.

Maybe in the form of a giant patch for the 360, you people do have the HDD space...

Apone

Jun 25, 2008, 07:22 PM

didn't Microsoft say that just about any device with USB connectivity can interface with the 360? including the PSP? I remember microsoft joking about this a couple years ago.

Brainwrecked

Jun 25, 2008, 08:15 PM

Maybe in the form of a giant patch for the 360, you people do have the HDD space...

Yeah, because the last expansion pack turned out so well. We have to sit through the loading screens, answer if we want to start the detected expansion pack (which defaults to No), and then sit through the loading screens again. All this, and we still got jipped out of our non-story-mode voices.

If I'm reading into this PSP thing correctly, I'm thinking Sega is about to pull a Sonic & Knuckles. Much like how there were some extra things only Knuckles could get to in Sonic 2, Sega planned way ahead for some extra content that would only be unlockable in the future. However, that would mean that in our expansion packs, maybe even the original client, there is content that can be unlocked only (or early, depending on how Sega rolls with it) by playing PSU on PSP. In that case, no extra expansion pack necessary. Sega just has to unlock the content.

didn't Microsoft say that just about any device with USB connectivity can interface with the 360? including the PSP? I remember microsoft joking about this a couple years ago.

The joke was probably made towards the PSP's media playing capabilities. Much like how there's an optional download to allow the XBox 360 to interface with iPods.

RemiusTA

Jun 26, 2008, 12:45 AM

*facepalm*

If you link the two together we get MORE missions and MORE items because for PSP there is downloadable content. If they try and link the two together to make PSP data fully compatable with AOI data its like having a totally new expansion in its own right.

From PSP on it's own we should have a completely new mission and items bank. I wish you would look into stuff before branding it. -_-

LOL? I failed to look into something?

What you fail to realize is that this means they developers are planning a FUTURE with PSP-PS2 linking.

This means PSU is still going to be a game with a PS2 centered platform....

.....Which, ultimately, means this game is going to continue to fucking suck. More graphical problems? More memory problems? More lag problems? More unlocking shit off my fucking CD?

No thank you. Im not looking foward to a future plan that has no future. The game already sucks population wise, and making exclusive content for PSP/PS2 linking is just going to further kill the game. If nobody is going to buy PSU, nobody is going to buy PSp. I hope this isnt their excuse for an expansion. If so, ive lost 100% faith in this game ever comming out of this mile deep mantle hole its burned itself into.

If AotI is plauged with memory and graphical problems, what on earth do you believe another expansion full of material is going to bring? Slower load times, more memory clutter. As long as these stupid ass fools keep developing a next-gen MMORPG for the PLAYSTATION 2, they are never going to reach full potental with this game. This is just more ways for them to be lazy and milk money out of you -- by making you buy the expansion, paying for $10 subscription fees, AND paying for whatever downloable shit you get on the PSP version. I just find it funny they are about to repeat the same mistakes Nintendo made with the Gamecube on the fucking playstation, like its going to work any better.

Saddest part is, i see more of a future for the PSP version than the PS2/PC version, thanks to downloadable content. Pathetic how the handheld system is more advanced and MMORPG-suited than the console. But still they back the playstation 2.

And the most PATHETIC part about this whole thing that hasn't hit a single one of you guys is that Phantasy Star Portable was never even mentioned stateside by SEGA, except by those who found out. This game is Japan Only.

Some future. At this rate even if it does work out, none of us will be able to experience it.

Ogni-XR21

Jun 26, 2008, 02:36 AM

PSU is and has always been made for the japanese market and the PS2 in mind, the western market is just an afterthought. PSU will NEVER neglect the PS2 userbase, it's the core system the game was made for, and the system that has the most users in Japan.

We will rather see PSO2 for next gen systems than a full fledged PSU that is optimized for 360 and PC, anyone who thinks otherwise is just delusional imo...

Criss

Jun 26, 2008, 03:30 AM

I'd like to remind everyone that the console that has insane connectivity with the PSP is the PS3, not the PS2.

With that in mind, and the fact that no new expansion was yet announced for PC/Console PSU, they might very well be working on a complete overhaul for PS3/PC and X360, with HDD support and downloadable content. Like they pulled for PSO with Blue Burst on PC. I'm pretty sure SEGA knows that they've shot themselves in the foot by still releasing a toned down version of the game to fit on one disk after Sony pulled support for the PS2's HDD. So I wouldn't be surprised if they had started work on a next-gen version and if AotI was just a fix and filler to help the game survive until it's released. The PS3 is finally starting to catch up, and can only get better with new features like in-game XMB access and trophies coming up soon in firmware 2.4, then Home coming in sometime later.

PSU isn't dead yet. There isn't much news about the future of the main PSU servers, but the amount of new content they're putting on that PSP version is impressive, and can only mean that more good things are coming. If they're actually planning something big, and haven't completely given up on the US/EU servers, they will release the PSP version here at some point.

Zantra

Jun 26, 2008, 03:33 AM

I just don't understand why they won't give us a portable PSO, considering the fact that this seems more like PSO now, than PSU.

Ahkaskar

Jun 26, 2008, 03:42 AM

LOL, wish the developers for our servers were this motivated.
I think they're the same devs. Problem is they're more motivated for their servers than ours.

The people pushing the decisions want to focus on JP, so the ONE dev team does more for those servers. SoA justs get handed patches which may or may not actually include what they asked for and then people blame the SoA GMs when it doesn't happen.

Criss

Jun 26, 2008, 03:44 AM

I just don't understand why they won't give us a portable PSO, considering the fact that this seems more like PSO now, than PSU.
Because PSO is outdated, especially when it comes to the combat system, and PSU's subpar graphics allows SEGA to port most of the graphical assets to handheld without doing much change, so they can focus more on content and fixing some of PSU's main flaws.

Developping a PSO portable game would require them to redo pretty much all of the maps, character models, etc, while having to keep the same obsolete combat system.

PSU has all the potential needed to be better than PSO in nearly every aspect. The original PSU release was just crippled by hasty development and by Sony pulling back support for the PS2's HDD.

goldbrease

Jun 26, 2008, 04:11 AM

Zantra

Jun 26, 2008, 04:17 AM

i'm still trying to figure out how a conjoined psu offline psp and online ps2/pc and mabe 360 is gona work. are there going to be achievment codes to get that you trade in online to get stuff? or is there going to be like sega stations were you take you psu copy in plug it in and since its suposedly conected to you online chars it will give them the achivements?

i realy don't understand how this will work.

USB cable.

PS2 (or PS3, or PC) with a copy of PSU: AOTI in it.

and your PSP, with a copy of PSP in it.

Connect and transfer you online PS2/PC characters to your PSP game.

and your PS2/PC characters get special items.

And, a mission or two of some sort.

It's also speculated that you will get Vivienne's partner card for PC/PS2.

goldbrease

Jun 26, 2008, 04:26 AM

USB cable.

PS2 (or PS3, or PC) with a copy of PSU: AOTI in it.

and your PSP, with a copy of PSP in it.

Connect and transfer you online PS2/PC characters to your PSP game.

and your PS2/PC characters get special items.

And, a mission or two of some sort.

It's also speculated that you will get Vivienne's partner card for PC/PS2.

so as i read this as we do special stuff in psu psp we can connect it to our ps2 and transfer data to the ps2 and get special items while doing the same the other way around?

RemiusTA

Jun 26, 2008, 01:20 PM

I just don't understand why they won't give us a portable PSO, considering the fact that this seems more like PSO now, than PSU.

Because PSU is absolutely nothing like PSO.

EspioKaos

Jun 26, 2008, 01:24 PM

Let me do some clarification on the whole AOTI data import to PSP thing. There seems to be a lot of confusion on the whole thing.

* The import process takes place entirely on the PSP. From the main menu, you select the data transfer option which will prompt you to enter your Japanese PSU ID and password. Obviously, you must have a wireless internet connection for this to work.
* After entering your account information, you select which character to transfer.
* After transferring your character, you will receive a special item in AOTI; either Vivienne Fluge or Whitill Wing.
* In PSP, your character will retain the name, race and appearance of your AOTI character. Also, your level will transfer, but only up to LV20. (In other words, if you are LV21+ in AOTI, your PSP character will start out at LV20.)
* Excluding the clothes/parts your AOTI character is wearing at the time of transfer, none of your AOTI inventory will transfer to PSP. That means your weapons, photon arts, PM, common box inventory, etc., etc. will not transfer. You will, however, be given 10,000 Meseta in PSP to get you started.

SonicTMP

Jun 26, 2008, 03:04 PM

* After transferring your character, you will receive a special item in AOTI; either Vivienne Fluge or Whitill Wing.

wait wait... you're saying that a unit that has been on disc since PSU first came out is ONLY going to be aviable via a xfer process from the psp version over 3 years later of the release?

My mind is truly baffled how this works. Assuming this comes tot he US if we want either of those items (i highly doubt they will be released normally) we'll have top buy a psp and psu for it... Great so have to drop what.. $250 for an in-game item? Awesome.

God I can't wait for wrath of the lich king.

Inazuma

Jun 26, 2008, 03:33 PM

Psywarrior

Jun 28, 2008, 04:41 AM

it would be nice if in the update if there could be an option about how meseta is distributed amongst the party in party missions. for instance if there could be options for distributing meseta like: give meseta to the finder, or distribute meseta evenly amongst the party.

EspioKaos

Jun 28, 2008, 09:08 AM

this really bothers me too. i dont wanna spend $250 just for a whitill wing. espio, do you know if it would be possible to ask a friend w/ the psp to load up my char so i can get my wing? or is it limited to one psu account per copy of the psp game.
That's a really good question. I imagine it would be possible to do that, but I haven't seen anything to confirm one way or the other.

Lyrise

Jun 28, 2008, 10:01 AM

Optimistically, I would think they would let you get away with having a friend get the items for you, but I can think of too many factors that would keep it at 1 per copy.

1. We've had to register the game (PSU/AotI) just to play OFFLINE. I wouldn't be surprised if PSP does the same for here too.

2. It would cause RMT to explode through the roof. "Will download your character for x yen!" (Just becuase you think it is Japan does not mean it can't happen. It WILL happen and you know it.)

3. They are not above extreme item exclusivity. Look at the Knuckles statues and the Dark Sonichis. You could only get them by registering a PSU serial at a certain time (Sonichi)/now(Knuckles statue). To this day, there is still no way to get anymore of these, other than to register more PSU serials for the Knux statues.

Personally, I don't see a problem with wanting to reward loyal customers (or at least those that'll fatten their bank accounts). And for me, it's not really spending $250, since I've had a PSP for awhile now (mainly since they announced the Star Ocean remakes) it'll just cost me the $50 for the game (which I DO want for the game not just the item), and I see the Wing or the Fluge as additional icing on the cake. Besides, you're still going to spend just $50 dollars for the item either way, as 200 of the supposed 250 goes into Sony's bank account and not Sega's.