• Summary of Second Phantasy Star Online 2 Media Briefing

    The second Phantasy Star Online 2 media briefing was held today and broadcast on nicovideo. For people that cannot view nicovideo version, you can view the video here:
    [ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fOaU-skUIeo[/ame]

    Here are some of the major highlights of the media briefing:
    • Free to Play and Cash Shop - Access to the game and executable will be free on all platforms. The game will be supported by an in-game item transaction shop.
    • iOS and Android Versions - Phantasy Star Online 2 will be released on iOS and Android platforms. These versions will use the same data as the PC and PlayStation Vita versions. However, they will be single player only.
    • Symbol Chat - Symbol Chat will return in Phantasy Star Online 2.
    • Character Creator Demo - A character creation demo will be released on April 5th.
    • PC Release Date - The Japanese PC version of Phantasy Star Online 2 is scheduled to be released during the Summer of 2012.
    • Japanese PC Beta Test - A beta test for the Japanese PC version is scheduled for late April. To sign up for the beta, visit the Japanese Phantasy Star Online 2 website and click on the golden beta button.

    Credit goes to Mike for bringing us this news. You can discuss this news in our Phantasy Star Online 2 forum.
    Comments 54 Comments
    1. Nexoz's Avatar
      Nexoz -
      Wow, I never would have thought Sega would make PSO2 a F2P title and I didn't expect there be iOS and Android versions of the game.
      Sega are going all out with this game. o.o !
    1. Tripike's Avatar
      Tripike -
      Exactly how popular are Android and iOS in Japan? It was my impression that Japanese cellphone technology was vastly superior to ours, could this be an inclination of a Western release?
    1. Elevator Doors's Avatar
      Elevator Doors -
      Noo not F2P. Damn it they absorbed the korean style. Means a ton of minor updates that hinder gaming flow, cash shops galore, and hackers 24/7. I mean all this on different platforms means multiple ways for people to destroy your hard work. Man i was totally willing to pay monthly for this. Now im up and down...
    1. AOI_Tifa_Lockhart's Avatar
      AOI_Tifa_Lockhart -
      How exactly will being F2P mean there'll be lot's of hacking? If you're judging this on Korean MMO's, none of which were made by Sega how can you compare this in any way to PSO2?
    1. Merumeru's Avatar
      Merumeru -
      So, free-to-play, oh wow, maybe that is the business model they need to go with X3 actually, I'm REALLY sure that it will make a huge difference, and probably for the better. Can't wait! XD
    1. Griffin's Avatar
      Griffin -
      This is definitely a shocker, but I find it to be a reasonable decision as it is quite fitting for the way Sega runs their online PS titles.
    1. SELENNA's Avatar
      SELENNA -
      That media briefing was awesome, and I don't understand a word of Japanese
    1. Overlord Zenon's Avatar
      Overlord Zenon -
      free 2 player, well i did hear a while ago, Sega and perfect world were teaming up to make a game, i wonder if PSO2 is it
    1. Kevin PSO's Avatar
      Kevin PSO -
      It's F2P ay. Well... now I'm really hoping it comes to console. I wouldn't want to be forced to create a windows partition on my mac through bootcamp just to play PSO2.
    1. Dandac's Avatar
      Dandac -
      Am I alone or is anyone else looking for/wanting a console annoucement? I would like to play PSO2 on my Xbox360 using my turtle beach headset and touchpad keyboard lol. I know its not really needed as you can set up your pc with an controller if desired, but I would like to see a multi-platform release that would include the likes of Xbox, PS3, WiiU ect. I think if it was not to much of a burdan to do so, they would be able to hit all the markets to get the biggest user base possible. The online series started on a console (Dreamcast) and I guess I kinda feel im not the only fan who would enjoy seeing another console release next to the pc one.
    1. HyperShot-X-'s Avatar
      HyperShot-X- -
      English PC version release announcement should come 1st if it follows their initial plan of "Global Support"... besides, next gen consoles(Xbox720?) are supposedly in the making for release 2013 or so, also if it ever comes that time for console port release in the next year or two, it'd probably be modified version of pso2 specifically for console market as you cannot put Free-2-Play pc port as is on retail shelves for console.
    1. OpheliaInfinity's Avatar
      OpheliaInfinity -
      I'll agree with most others that free is good, but I can't help but think a monthly price tag would be better. PSU's demo was full of hackers, scammers, and ...vulgar little kids... >.> It seemed the monthly price tag of PSU:AOTI was the barrier protecting true players from the masses of those kinds of people. Sure, there were still quite a few of those mentioned above in the full game, but significantly less.
      ...Just my thoughts, I'm not going to make a big deal about it and I'm definitely not going to take this f2p system for granted. Free is good, free is good, free is good...
    1. Pyro8562's Avatar
      Pyro8562 -
      They'll probably release it on the PS3 if any console since it's already on the Vita, and the PS3 already has a major F2P MMO(DC Universe Online) as well as the F2P FPS tie in to EVE Online, which will communicate with the EVE Online PC clients. Also we could totally get an announcement about a console version before the English PC version announcement because they still could put it on Japanese consoles before throwing it into the rest of the world.
    1. Overlord Zenon's Avatar
      Overlord Zenon -
      I want it on a console aside vita (handhelds arnt the same) ive played many of hours of PSO on gamecube with my friends, it was like crack, we didnt stop playing for hours on end and that was offline mode, lol
    1. AOI_Tifa_Lockhart's Avatar
      AOI_Tifa_Lockhart -
      If you want a barrier from annoying kids play it on the JP server, then you won't understand most of the people and the English speaking players if more of a tight knit community and more mature.
    1. XeoΩ's Avatar
      XeoΩ -
      Character Creator Demo - A character creation demo will be released on April 5th. I am defiently excited for this!
      For the free to play, I'm sure they will handle this accordingly. Being free or not will not stop hackers. They are in every online game reguardless. I really can't wait for this to come over seas!
    1. 60Hz's Avatar
      60Hz -
      Samuria & Dragons (a PSV from SEGA) game is not only free to play, it's FREE... the social gaming world has pushed these new business models on to the console world... i'm sure we'll see more of these strange (but easy on the wallet) ideas coming about.
      My question is how obtrusive will the micro-transactions be. Can i grind my way through to great items or will i have to purchase them... this seems to be the tough balancing act SEGA has to make... as a consumer of course i want everything free, but that is not sustainable at all for a company...
    1. 60Hz's Avatar
      60Hz -
      i would assume with this model focusing strongly on micro-transaction that the security will be fort knox level - being able to hack items would destroy their finances, especially if the pc version is free download... security should be top priority.
    1. Gun96's Avatar
      Gun96 -
      Lets not complain that its not on consoles or that its f2p. Lets see if the game even comes to western countries first then we can say something
    1. HyperShot-X-'s Avatar
      HyperShot-X- -
      Vita won't happen til 2013 and no logical reason to hold back a possible PS3 port announcement now if it was any earlier than that, and DCUO is only possible as 1st party title by S.O.E. to go F2Download/F2P on their own console and even that wasn't the perfect pc port as told, as for EVE Online console port or the like, that doesn't even exit in my knowledge base. I wouldn't be so sure about what will come next but I sure don't want to see history repeat again as it did with PSU on PS2, arguably the biggest mistake ever in franchise history.
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