Hypothetical PS 10th Anniversary.

[xBladeM6x]

As the title states, this is Hypothetical, and completely made up. What if for the PSO 10th Anniversary, they announced a new PS game that was online / offline for the consoles and PC, however, it wouldn't be coming for a while.

As a "side" announcement they said that you could download Phantasy Star Online (Includes Episode 1+2+4) from the PSN / XBLA and PC for $10-15, and it had no subscription fee. Along with that though, to support the servers, they go the PS:P2 route. They allow brand new clothing to be purchased from the marketplaces with real money for about 2-4 dollars a pack. Each pack would include 2-3 new outfits for each of the race / class combos, and there would be 1 free pack with 4 other paid ones.

Would you be for this, or against it? I know there have been multiple topics about this kind of thing before, but this was just my own personal idea and was wondering how many people would like the idea of something like this.

Inb4tl:drit'sanotheroneofthesetopics. :wacko:

[joefro]

Sounds pretty good. :) I would be okay with a "freemium" PS game. As long as it's not like Guardians Cash and it is only for cosmetics, I think it would be great.

[xBladeM6x]

Sounds pretty good. :) I would be okay with a "freemium" PS game. As long as it's not like Guardians Cash and it is only for cosmetics, I think it would be great.
I know I would play it. I know by saying this, I'm "tooting my own horn" here, but I love the idea I came up with. :3

[str898mustang]

Inb4tl:drit'sanotheroneofthesetopics

[xBladeM6x]

Inb4tl:drit'sanotheroneofthesetopics
shush you.

[pikachief]

tl:drit'sanotheroneofthesetopics

I'm really hoping for the next phantasy star game. (but please fresh on the consoles please! Dont release it for PS3 when the PS4 is out lol)

They said they planned PSU to last 5 years. 5 years isnt that far away :P Also with PSP 2 and PS0 they have so many new things that are in those, so many new good things that they can't bring to PSU!

The game seems to have run its course, but can obviously run a bit longer. just long enough to maybe stop updating when the next game is out but still keep the servers online a bit longer so theres a nice transition faze :)

PSO on XBLA/PSN would also be an awesome thing, just have it on microsoft and Play station servers! no monthly fee if your on their servers right? Maybe u can have it so no maintenance or updates are necessary. its not like other game's servers need monthly fees lol

[Esther Reagan]

Who says dreams can't come true? :D



[Edit] Segac.

[Daemon Gildas]

I would do terrible, terrible things for a remake of the original PSO. If they just took Episodes 1, 2,4, and maybe a new episode for good measure, added a new coat of paint, and maybe had a deeper offline-story mode, I wouldn't need another new game for at least a year.

Really, the only gripe I had with the original PSO, was the story-telling; I loved how they told it to you, as an outsider, but I think it would be cool to actually *play* as Ash and experience the story from his perspective. PSO's story was obviously very deep, but a lot of it went on when you weren't looking. From a multiplayer stand-point, it was perfect, but it also felt like there was a story that was waiting to be told, but never had the opportunity.

In fact, I would be happy if they *just* released a Story-mode for PSO, even if it took the form of an "Expansion" for PSU. They've already got a large portion of the files in the game for MAG, they'd just have to rebuild the old locales, but they could still use a great deal of the existing files to do so. I'm not saying they'd even consider it, but it's certainly feasible.

In any case, like I said, I loved PSO, but it always felt like there was an untapped potential there. Using the "template" characters, they could easily fill out an entire game. For instance, how did Ash go from being a total putz, to a Darth Maul-wielding badass? Perhaps there was an untold love-story between Ash and Sue? What was the deal with Bernie and Rupika? Like I said, the characters could easily fill a story.

[RemiusTA]

I would do terrible, terrible things for a remake of the original PSO. If they just took Episodes 1, 2,4, and maybe a new episode for good measure, added a new coat of paint, and maybe had a deeper offline-story mode, I wouldn't need another new game for at least a year.

Really, the only gripe I had with the original PSO, was the story-telling; I loved how they told it to you, as an outsider, but I think it would be cool to actually *play* as Ash and experience the story from his perspective. PSO's story was obviously very deep, but a lot of it went on when you weren't looking. From a multiplayer stand-point, it was perfect, but it also felt like there was a story that was waiting to be told, but never had the opportunity.

In fact, I would be happy if they *just* released a Story-mode for PSO, even if it took the form of an "Expansion" for PSU. They've already got a large portion of the files in the game for MAG, they'd just have to rebuild the old locales, but they could still use a great deal of the existing files to do so. I'm not saying they'd even consider it, but it's certainly feasible.

In any case, like I said, I loved PSO, but it always felt like there was an untapped potential there. Using the "template" characters, they could easily fill out an entire game. For instance, how did Ash go from being a total putz, to a Darth Maul-wielding badass? Perhaps there was an untold love-story between Ash and Sue? What was the deal with Bernie and Rupika? Like I said, the characters could easily fill a story.


Storymode is what killed PSU. Sorry, but the PSO method of storytelling is PERFECT for the series. I dont want some shitty psudeo-anime styled bullshit cliche storyline going on while i play this game. It should just be the player, the NPC's, and the mission.


Im so sick and tired of every videogame storyline trying to be SO EPIC or THE NEXT BIGGEST AND BEST STORYLINE EVER with EPIC PLOTTWISTS or something. Im sick of every videogame trying to be "Final Fantasy VII". Its never going to happen, guys. Know why?; because you always overlook the main reasons why games like those are what they are. The fact PSU tried so hard to be a "love and friendship" Anime is the reason its storyline fell flat. Too much fanservice, not enough to-the-point. Everything felt tacked on, barely thought out. The Divine Maiden, born and raised on magic, disobeys papa and suddenly dies from a pathetic magic burst (MST is a useless stat), and her twin sister (who has never used a single technic in her life) suddenly is able to just...take her place like nothing happened? Magashi fuses with a reactor and becomes DARK FALZ? A PLANET-SIZED HIVE attacks the Gurual System? SEED are supposed to be the most dangerous known lifeforms in the PSU Universe, and Lumia Waber comes out of NOWHERE, with NO BATTLE EXPERIENCE, at like 14 YEARS OLD and participates in missions with grown-ass, battle seasoned warriors?

Sorry, i'd like my fanservice to stay in Japan's new pedo-central anime shows. These "Emilia's" and "Lumia's" can STAY out of the Main Character slots, please and thank you. (Sad part is, when Lumia finally becomes of Main Character worthy status in PSP2...they give the lead to ANOTHER whiny little 14 year old loli? Thanks alot Japan. Im happy to see you're so infatuated with underaged females.)

Now, i know it seems im blowing up at the person I quoted. Im not. But you have to understand, this is 2010 sonic team, NOT 1999-2000 Sonic Team. Your idea definitely works -- some character development would be decent. But the thing is, a "character-driven story" will quickly become another "Sonic the Hedgehog 2006", "Sonic Heroes", "Shadow the Hedgehog", "Sonic Unleashed", "Sonic and the Secret Rings", "Sonic and the Black Knight"......need I go on? Bottom line, less is best for incompetent Sonic Team.



Oh, and the PSU-Versions of the PSO Episode 1 stages are complete and utter disgraces. They're flat, generic, and are even less artistically executed than some of PSU's absolute worst environments (Temples, anybody? A giant building full of hundreds of EMPTY rooms? Good job ST.) My Fangasm during MAG very, very quickly faded when i realized they didn't do anything but take a flat PSU stage and reskin it.

[Kenbog]

Oh, and the PSU-Versions of the PSO Episode 1 stages are complete and utter disgraces. They're flat, generic, and are even less artistically executed than some of PSU's absolute worst environments (Temples, anybody? A giant building full of hundreds of EMPTY rooms? Good job ST.) My Fangasm during MAG very, very quickly faded when i realized they didn't do anything but take a flat PSU stage and reskin it.

I totally agree with you there, temples, labs, relics are empty rooms with doors and stairs, noting else no variation noting interactive.
I mean come on, a lab without any material to do experiments with ? a military base with only security robots and hangars? no armory no missile depot noting that proofs people actualy work there like a chair or anything...
You know how they make new missions? Use premade rooms and slam them together.

[Tetsaru]

I'm really hoping for the next phantasy star game. (but please fresh on the consoles please! Dont release it for PS3 when the PS4 is out lol)

I agree that console placement is very important, although I think PSU suffered from being released too late on the PS2 (no hard drive support? REALLY??) and too early on the 360. As for PC, there shouldn't be ANY problem with that.

My ideal platforms for the next Phantasy Star game would be PS3, 360, and PC... but ONLY if they could have all regions and consoles able to play alongside each other. There was absolutely NO need for PSU's servers to be like they were; all it did was cause problems down the line. As far as I could remember, Square-Enix was able to keep all regions and consoles together on their servers on FF11, and they had the EXACT same platforms as PSU did: PC, PS3, and 360. If they were able to do it, Sega should've stepped up and done it too.


They said they planned PSU to last 5 years. 5 years isnt that far away :P Also with PSP 2 and PS0 they have so many new things that are in those, so many new good things that they can't bring to PSU!

The game seems to have run its course, but can obviously run a bit longer. just long enough to maybe stop updating when the next game is out but still keep the servers online a bit longer so theres a nice transition faze :)

If PSU DOES last 5 years, it'd only be because they released content to non-Japanese players at the rate of a standard Dragonball Z plot development... :disapprove:

Sorry, but that doesn't bode well with me. I think it's usually better that developers DON'T announce content updates until they know for damn sure that they've worked out all the bugs and have tested it on another server thoroughly; THEN they can say, "we've got this new update coming out within a few days" and then people don't feel as anxious or left in suspense waiting for it to come out. That way, it feels more like a pleasant surprise rather than, "when are getting _____" and no one knows for sure... *repeatedly inserts rant thread (http://www.pso-world.com/forums/showthread.php?t=164930) about it*


PSO on XBLA/PSN would also be an awesome thing, just have it on microsoft and Play station servers! no monthly fee if your on their servers right? Maybe u can have it so no maintenance or updates are necessary. its not like other game's servers need monthly fees lol

I'm pretty sure it'd still be P2P, regardless of what system you're on, but I'm okay with that as long as the game is being properly managed and updated. If it was like PSU's current state, it better be F2P instead - I ain't throwing away $10+ a month for shitty service.


Storymode is what killed PSU. Sorry, but the PSO method of storytelling is PERFECT for the series. I dont want some shitty psudeo-anime styled bullshit cliche storyline going on while i play this game. It should just be the player, the NPC's, and the mission.


Im so sick and tired of every videogame storyline trying to be SO EPIC or THE NEXT BIGGEST AND BEST STORYLINE EVER with EPIC PLOTTWISTS or something. Im sick of every videogame trying to be "Final Fantasy VII". Its never going to happen, guys. Know why?; because you always overlook the main reasons why games like those are what they are. The fact PSU tried so hard to be a "love and friendship" Anime is the reason its storyline fell flat. Too much fanservice, not enough to-the-point. Everything felt tacked on, barely thought out. The Divine Maiden, born and raised on magic, disobeys papa and suddenly dies from a pathetic magic burst (MST is a useless stat), and her twin sister (who has never used a single technic in her life) suddenly is able to just...take her place like nothing happened? Magashi fuses with a reactor and becomes DARK FALZ? A PLANET-SIZED HIVE attacks the Gurual System? SEED are supposed to be the most dangerous known lifeforms in the PSU Universe, and Lumia Waber comes out of NOWHERE, with NO BATTLE EXPERIENCE, at like 14 YEARS OLD and participates in missions with grown-ass, battle seasoned warriors?

Sorry, i'd like my fanservice to stay in Japan's new pedo-central anime shows. These "Emilia's" and "Lumia's" can STAY out of the Main Character slots, please and thank you. (Sad part is, when Lumia finally becomes of Main Character worthy status in PSP2...they give the lead to ANOTHER whiny little 14 year old loli? Thanks alot Japan. Im happy to see you're so infatuated with underaged females.)

Now, i know it seems im blowing up at the person I quoted. Im not. But you have to understand, this is 2010 sonic team, NOT 1999-2000 Sonic Team. Your idea definitely works -- some character development would be decent. But the thing is, a "character-driven story" will quickly become another "Sonic the Hedgehog 2006", "Sonic Heroes", "Shadow the Hedgehog", "Sonic Unleashed", "Sonic and the Secret Rings", "Sonic and the Black Knight"......need I go on? Bottom line, less is best for incompetent Sonic Team.

Again, Remius speaks the truth. :wacko: PSU's storyline was TERRIBLE - no wonder a lot of people never played the missions involved with it. For me, PSO's story was MUCH more memorable, partially because you could access the little capsules lying around on the ground that had Red Ring Rico's/Heathcliff Flowen's messages WHILE you were playing the level - a feature I don't see much in games these days, I guess because vivid high-resolution CG cut-scenes are the big thing now (which you SHOULD be able to skip in ANY game, btw). It just seemed much more intriguing to follow each character's development in the game through their own first-person dialogue up until the last bosses, where you see what they've become. All I really remember from PSU was OMG IT'S THE SEED KILL EM WE WILL CHOOSE TO FIIIIIIIGHT, etc. etc... :disapprove:


Oh, and the PSU-Versions of the PSO Episode 1 stages are complete and utter disgraces. They're flat, generic, and are even less artistically executed than some of PSU's absolute worst environments (Temples, anybody? A giant building full of hundreds of EMPTY rooms? Good job ST.) My Fangasm during MAG very, very quickly faded when i realized they didn't do anything but take a flat PSU stage and reskin it.

Although I thought it was cool that they implemented something that nostalgic, their execution wasn't that great. To me, it felt kinda awkward fighting PSU variations of old PSO enemies... where were the Hildebears? The Ob Lillies? The Canadines? They can put Boomas and Rappies in the game, but as much as they like to reskin stuff, they can't put classic PSO enemies in the classic PSO levels!? Lame. :nono:


I totally agree with you there, temples, labs, relics are empty rooms with doors and stairs, noting else no variation noting interactive.
I mean come on, a lab without any material to do experiments with ? a military base with only security robots and hangars? no armory no missile depot noting that proofs people actualy work there like a chair or anything...
You know how they make new missions? Use premade rooms and slam them together.

What can I say - Sonic Team's design at it's finest. :disapprove:

[Anon_Fire]

I agree that console placement is very important, although I think PSU suffered from being released too late on the PS2 (no hard drive support? REALLY??) and too early on the 360. As for PC, there shouldn't be ANY problem with that.

My ideal platforms for the next Phantasy Star game would be PS3, 360, and PC... but ONLY if they could have all regions and consoles able to play alongside each other. There was absolutely NO need for PSU's servers to be like they were; all it did was cause problems down the line. As far as I could remember, Square-Enix was able to keep all regions and consoles together on their servers on FF11, and they had the EXACT same platforms as PSU did: PC, PS3, and 360. If they were able to do it, Sega should've stepped up and done it too.



If PSU DOES last 5 years, it'd only be because they released content to non-Japanese players at the rate of a standard Dragonball Z plot development... :disapprove:

Sorry, but that doesn't bode well with me. I think it's usually better that developers DON'T announce content updates until they know for damn sure that they've worked out all the bugs and have tested it on another server thoroughly; THEN they can say, "we've got this new update coming out within a few days" and then people don't feel as anxious or left in suspense waiting for it to come out. That way, it feels more like a pleasant surprise rather than, "when are getting _____" and no one knows for sure... *repeatedly inserts rant thread (http://www.pso-world.com/forums/showthread.php?t=164930) about it*



I'm pretty sure it'd still be P2P, regardless of what system you're on, but I'm okay with that as long as the game is being properly managed and updated. If it was like PSU's current state, it better be F2P instead - I ain't throwing away $10+ a month for shitty service.



Again, Remius speaks the truth. :wacko: PSU's storyline was TERRIBLE - no wonder a lot of people never played the missions involved with it. For me, PSO's story was MUCH more memorable, partially because you could access the little capsules lying around on the ground that had Red Ring Rico's/Heathcliff Flowen's messages WHILE you were playing the level - a feature I don't see much in games these days, I guess because vivid high-resolution CG cut-scenes are the big thing now (which you SHOULD be able to skip in ANY game, btw). It just seemed much more intriguing to follow each character's development in the game through their own first-person dialogue up until the last bosses, where you see what they've become. All I really remember from PSU was OMG IT'S THE SEED KILL EM WE WILL CHOOSE TO FIIIIIIIGHT, etc. etc... :disapprove:



Although I thought it was cool that they implemented something that nostalgic, their execution wasn't that great. To me, it felt kinda awkward fighting PSU variations of old PSO enemies... where were the Hildebears? The Ob Lillies? The Canadines? They can put Boomas and Rappies in the game, but as much as they like to reskin stuff, they can't put classic PSO enemies in the classic PSO levels!? Lame. :nono:



What can I say - Sonic Team's design at it's finest. :disapprove:

And the voice-work was total bleh.

[Typestatic]

And the voice-work was total bleh.

The JP version did well voicing EP2 and 3 speech parts. It didn't feel boring when compared to the Western release... which didn't have any at all.

[BIG OLAF]

I, honestly, don't want a PSO remake as the next console PS game. I'm sure some of you have heard me say that I never really liked PSO (not saying it wasn't a good game, but it just wasn't for me), so I wouldn't want the next big PS game to go that direction. However, I think the original PSO on XBLA/PSN would be a cool idea.

I want the next console PS game to be somewhere completely new and different. Not Ragol, not in Gurhal, not in Algo, not Coral.

Somewhere 100% new.

*waits for the barrage of "OMG U DIDN'T LEIK PSO?! SINNER! UNCLEAN! UNCLEAN!"*

[Typestatic]

I will always mention it, something like Shining Force Arcade (by sega) but with less door keys ;;


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AJ1Gyfp607g"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AJ1Gyfp607g


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q83-AWJ7uDA"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q83-AWJ7uDA

[Kenbog]

I will always mention it, something like Shining Force Arcade (by sega) but with less door keys ;;

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AJ1Gyfp607g

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q83-AWJ7uDA

Hell yeah! give that with a more futuristic look and a character/class/status customizations and allot of content; and I find myself playing it for years, everyday :O

Oh and an equal treatment as JP!!!! witch is the main reason PSU failed at the first place.

[Typestatic]

Hell yeah! give that with a more futuristic look and a character/class/status customizations and allot of content; and I find myself playing it for years, everyday :O

Oh and an equal treatment as JP!!!! witch is the main reason PSU failed at the first place.

Of course, Phantasy Star would not be Phantasy Star without a futuristic setting :D

[Yuicihi]

I agree that console placement is very important, although I think PSU suffered from being released too late on the PS2 (no hard drive support? REALLY??) and too early on the 360.

I don't think it was so much a problem of timing on the 360 as much as it was both the update schedule and the nice subscription fee that Sega enforces.

Anyone remember the beta, which was free? Indeed, there was actually a very large amount of players during that, which actually screwed the servers for a good amount of time. Come actual full release, and suddenly that large population was gone. You COULD raise the point that you don't need Gold to play PSU online, but the thing is, I would wager that most people who were interested in PSU actually did have Gold, which lead to paying $120 a year in addition to the $50 a year for Live. Sega couldn't really do much of anything about this, of course, but it more than likely had the largest effect on the population. Hell, the demo's probably some degree of proof.

[RemiusTA]

Our psu service aint worth $10 a month, but PLEASE GOD JESUS IN HEAVEN don't let the next game be F2P with Cash Shop.

It'll absolutely wreck the franchise. I refuse to play Phantasy Star : Maple Story, I refuse to pay money for content that i should have got when i fucking paid $50.


F2P is the cash-cow of the developers, but the devastating bane of the players and it's game's economy and balance. When people design F2P games, they design them to PUSH you to use the Cash Shop, no matter how much they say they dont. Expect slow EXP rates, more Grind-fails with annoying consequences, and pathetic content that only grows if you pay them. Paying an extra $10 every now and then for "mini expansions" is acceptable. Paying them to play a mission, or to buy clothing i should be able to earn...i'll never buy the game.


Things like DLC and Cash Shops are whats killing videogames these days. Everyone's getting lazy, trying to find the easy way around satisfying the players. What ever happened to "give it your all in one shot", or "LETS DO OUR BEST!"? Now its "give them a little bit and make em pay us for what we should have given them to start with". The best thing F2P+Cash Shop does for the developers is give them the leeway to say " WELL ITS FREE YOU DONT HAVE TO BUY IT" or "YOU DONT EVEN PAY FOR IT SO STOP COMPLAINING" (Like every PS3 fanboy does when I tell them Playstation Network is ridiculously slow and sucks ass.) Its a "Be Lazy and Still Get Paid" card. It isn't always, but I have yet to play an F2P game where the buyable content is truly optional without breaking the game and putting a chokehold on the players. It ALSO allows them to put really fucking stupid and annoying Game Design decisions in the game, just to give you a way around it (Like PSU's v.1's grinding system. v1 was P2P, but it's system is dumb as shit anyway -- failing your earned items to make them lose worth is the shittiest thing they thought of for PSU.


Free Course and a paid subscription are fair enough. Cash Shops or "Guardians Cash" can suck my dick.

[Daemon Gildas]

Just because PSU's story mode was a complete disgrace to my senses, doesn't mean a story revolving around PSO would end as badly; they just really need to step their game up.

But just look how well-told some of the older Phantasy Star stories were? PSU's issue was that it was focused purely on a multiplayer experience to begin with. If they did a "PSO remake", on the other hand, they could focus on really making the story something worthy. I certainly don't fault PSO's story-telling method; like I said, it worked great for a multiplayer game. But by delving into a single-player experience, such as the first games, you could really flesh it out in new ways.

I think the real issue with that idea, is like you said, this isn't the *original* Sonic Team. I'm not sure I wouldn't trust them to not ruin PSO for me, either. But I stil think the concept, itself, has some merit. For instance, imagine in BioWare was the one handling it?

[RemiusTA]

Just because PSU's story mode was a complete disgrace to my senses, doesn't mean a story revolving around PSO would end as badly; they just really need to step their game up.

But just look how well-told some of the older Phantasy Star stories were? PSU's issue was that it was focused purely on a multiplayer experience to begin with. If they did a "PSO remake", on the other hand, they could focus on really making the story something worthy. I certainly don't fault PSO's story-telling method; like I said, it worked great for a multiplayer game. But by delving into a single-player experience, such as the first games, you could really flesh it out in new ways.

I think the real issue with that idea, is like you said, this isn't the *original* Sonic Team. I'm not sure I wouldn't trust them to not ruin PSO for me, either. But I stil think the concept, itself, has some merit. For instance, imagine in BioWare was the one handling it?


Exactly. If anything, you should expect them to ruin it. It doesn't matter how good a concept it is, If you dont have the right people to execute it it's going to fall flat. The old PS games did well because 2010 Sonic Team didn't make it.

That, and it isnt just about being good. Sonic Team wasn't a "regular" good kind of company, they made very unique and high-quality games for their time. just look at Sonic Adventure 2 /SA2B. That game had alot of essence put into it, from the storymode to the multiplayer content, to the absolutely amazing Chao Raising system to even the option and tutorial menus. They put just as much time into graphics into gameplay (and SA2 looked REALLY good when it came out) and even into the music. Go backwards through ST's track record, and its the same for every game they did, including the genesis games, games like Nights, Sonic Adventure, and, of course PSO EP.I&II. (And if you played PSO EPIII, this cant be more obvious. That game has one of the best soundtracks and prettiest loading menus ive ever seen.)


The new ST is just trying its hardest to find out what they need to cut out and what they can leave in to make a great game, and it just doesn't work like that. Even if they do find that magical sweetspot....all they'll accomplish is creating a "good game". They wont create anything magical like the PSO series or anything Nintendo can do with Mario or Zelda. They just don't have the talent or the drive anymore.

Prime example? All it took for PSU to move forward the inch it should have moved 4 years ago was for ST to hand the game over to Alfa Systems. And BOOM -- the game gets almost an overhaul in game mechanics and content.