[GhoStar]

I'll highlight the PSO related things. Nothing drastically new, but you might be interested either way. Though you might find it an interesting read if you like other Sonic Team games.

At E3, the XenGamers staff was given the opportunity to sit down for some questions with Yuji Naka, a man who needs no introduction.

XenGamers:How will you deal with multi-platform issues in Phantasy Star Online? Will there be a different design team for each platform.

Naka: We will have separate teams. Also, the Xbox version will have to coincide with the launch of Xbox live. So each release will take a different form.

XenGamers: The backdrops (the spaceship, utopian forest, etc.) are rather wondrous. What is your inspiration for these?

Naka: Well, PSO is a SF/Fantasy RPG. The setting for the game is Gal da Bal Island, on another planet. I wanted to create a sort of resort-like atmosphere for it.

XenGamers: What will be the story for the new versions of PSO?

Naka: I can't talk about the story in detail right now, but I want to follow up with the story that started in the previous game.

XenGamers: Will there be any downloaded content?

Naka: There will be a download feature. There are a lot of as of yet unannounced things in the works that I think will surprise players. I hope the players will enjoy this [aspect of the game].

XenGamers: Nintendo has seemed reluctant to embrace online gaming. Has this had any effect on PSO development for the GameCube?

Naka: No, not at all. Nintendo has a very positive attitude on network gaming. They are paying close attention to new forms of gameplay. I have heard Nintendo is developing network games in-house too. There have been no difficulties in [PSO] development with regards to this, and we have built a very good relationship with Nintendo.

XenGamers: We did not see any Sonic games at E3. Will this series be continued?

Naka: I think we're going to stop the ?Sonic Adventure? series at 2 for the time being. We want to do something different for the next title in the series. We are working on a number of Sonic games now, including ports of older titles. We'll be able to announce these in the near future.

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"Nintendo has a very positive attitude on network gaming. They are paying close attention to new forms of gameplay. I have heard Nintendo is developing network games in-house too."

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XenGamers: Will future Sonic games be platform exclusive (e.g. GameCube only, etc)?

Naka: No, we're not thinking in those terms. There is a good chance that Sonic will appear on a number of platforms.

XenGamers: How would you respond to comments that Sonic moves too fast in a 3D environment for the players to appreciate the scenery?

Naka: The player can slow down or stop and enjoy the scenery if something grabs his/her eye. I think Sonic himself doesn't always run full-tilt. I'm sure if he finds some nice scenery he stops to take it in. I hope players will do the same.

XenGamers: You released some Sonic sports games (such as fishing) for i-Mode cellular phones in Japan. Will you make any Sonic sports titles for the home consoles?

Naka: I get the impression that the Sonic sports games on i-Mode are pretty fun, so they may appear on other platforms. However, we aren't actually developing any at the moment.

XenGamers: Will we ever see another Nights game?

Naka: The GBA Nights game is on display in the E3 Nintendo booth. [Until the GBA version] I hadn't seen Nights in a long time, so it was nice seeing it again. Who knows?

XenGamers: How about a sequel to Samba de Amigo?

Naka: The cost of the peripheral is the big stumbling block here. If we could guarantee at least 100,000 people would buy the game, we'd make another one, but the hardware makes it difficult. I'd really like to do a sequel.

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: GhoStar on 2002-07-16 17:12 ]</font>

[Alisha]

hmmn i didnt realize the new area's were on a different planet O_o

[Denny]

If each Xbox release takes a different form, I hope that means one of them is PSO2.^_^

[HAYABUSA-FMW-]

On 2002-07-16 17:57, Denny wrote:
If each Xbox release takes a different form, I hope that means one of them is PSO2.^_^

What are you talking "aboot." It meant the GC and XBOX versions will be in different forms meaning GC PSO isn't the same as XBOX PSO.

PSO2? as in Phantasy Star Online 2? If the story is continued in the GC version as well as the XBOX one, you can't jump from PSO v1/v2 to a #2 as you say it, without the GC story or vice versa with the XBOX one.

The new versions have continued storylines so they are PSO2 if you wanna look at it that way.

[Javier_Von_Fenrir]

I love how Xbox owners keep hoping they will getting PSO2, it's quite humorous to watch.

[Shadow_Blade]

On 2002-07-16 19:10, HAYABUSA-FMW- wrote:

PSO2? as in Phantasy Star Online 2? If the story is continued in the GC version as well as the XBOX one, you can't jump from PSO v1/v2 to a #2 as you say it, without the GC story or vice versa with the XBOX one.

The new versions have continued storylines so they are PSO2 if you wanna look at it that way.

Ya never know. Anything is possable and Sonic Team in the past has preformed the impossable so who knows. ^_^

[Dangerous55]

This is confusing, even if they are diffrent they cant make them THAT diffrent. If they do that would be rather...retarded.

[Denny]

I love how Xbox owners keep hoping they will getting PSO2, it's quite humorous to watch.

Oh brother. It's actually humorous for me to read stuff like that. If Sonic Team actually does keep the series going beyond the currently planned Xbox version and Episodes 1 & 2, maybe they will create a new game from the ground up for the new systems (PSO2). That's what I meant by my reply, not "Oh my God! The Xbox could be getting PSO2 this year!"

How about you quit trying to turn this into the my system vs your system issue, or is that too hard for you to do?



<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: Denny on 2002-07-16 20:16 ]</font>

[BioFan]

Well at least we know there are seperate teams working on each version. So they should be working on the Xbox version right at the moment. Not like some people said Sonic Team would only start to work on the Xbox version after GCN version is completed. So we now know that is not true...
I am not sure what is the xbox version will be..Can't wait till TGS, probably it will be shown there...most probably will, or maybe even at ECTS...
Whether it is ver.2, or eps1&2, or PSO2, I am pretty much sure Sonic Team is giving as much effort to this one as it does with the GCN and DC version...Sonic Team is a great and respectable company, I am pretty sure each version willl be as great as the next...I am anticipating the GCN ver as well as XBox version...We all know what GCN ver will be getting, I can't wait to see the Xbox ver...

[Strider_Gren]

What would really be dumb is if Xbox Live released with Phantasy Star Online: Episode 1, and then later they released Episode 2.