Japanese news site Shougai PSO has just posted information regarding two brand new Phantasy Star-related trademarks! These two trademarks, Phantasy Star: Eternal Hunters and Phantasy Star: Eternal Planets, were filed by SEGA of Japan on August 17, 2010. Both are listed as class 9 trademarks (electrical and scientific apparatuses), so they could be potential names for new games, audio CDs or other media. No other information is known about these titles at the moment, but stay tuned, as we'll post the latest news about them as it surfaces! In the meantime, join in the ongoing discussion of this topic at the forum.

During a live stage event recording of "Infinity Radio" at TGS last night, Satoshi Sakai announced the Japanese release date for Phantasy Star Portable 2 Infinity! The game is scheduled for release on February 24, 2011. As there will be both physical and digital releases, there are two price points. The UMD version will retail for ?5,040, while the digital download version rings up at ?4,500. Furthermore, a special bonus will be given to those who pre-order the game in the form of a redeemable code which will net you the following items:

• Flowen Suit and Rico Dress (Clothes and parts sets based on Heathcliff Flowen and "Red Ring" Rico Tyrell's clothing from PSO.)
• Meniscurs (twin saber) and Fortuna (sword)
• "Bonds Mission" code (To be used in the new mission creation feature to add Dilla Bravas as the boss to a mission.)

In other exciting news, a few new details have been spotted in a video posted at Japanese gaming news site 4Gamer.net. The video itself features a battle against Geel Zohg, the semi-aquatic scorpion boss of Clad 6's VR resort area. Throughout the presentation, new (and returning) weapons and even a new Technic were spotted. A few of note include:

• Foverse (A new fire Technic which creates fireballs that circle your character.)
• Zero Cane (A wand originally featured in Phantasy Star Zero.)
• Infinite Saber (A new twin saber.)

Stay tuned as we await more details on this upcoming title. In the meantime, feel free to join in the ongoing discussion at the forum!

Details for this week's content update have just been announced at the official PSU website!

• The Holy Ground/R, a brand new advanced mission will be added to the Resident Security Department. This is a 2nd stage GAM, so you must have at least 500 AMP to access it. Restrictions for this mission include:
  • All players capped at LV20.
  • Cannot use Photon Charges or PhotonChargeCosmos.
  • Cannot use EX traps.
  • Cannot use body units.
• The annual fireworks festival begins on Neudaiz!
• The usual Casino Voloyal decoration rotation will occur.
• For the duration of the fireworks lobby, the traps Fireworks and De Ragan's Breath will be on sale at NPC vendors.
• A brand new RCSM, Shag Hodogg, will be released in the new mission.

Feel free to head over to the forum and jump in the ongoing discussion of this update. Update: The official Japanese Xbox 360 site has been updated with information regarding this content. There are two new details to note:

• The fireworks lobbies will be active until September 17.
• Individual player AMP caps will be increased from 500 to 1500.

Details continue to roll in as GM Edward has posted the second round of notes detailing the upcoming supplemental update! This week, we're treated to information on GUARDIANS advanced missions and GUARDIANS advanced style.

GUARDIANS advanced missions

• Otherwise known as GAMs, these missions provide an extra challenge to players by setting certain restrictions, such as on character level or weapon and unit usage.
• GAMs allow you to earn advanced mission points (AMP) which can be used not only to progress your GAM stage (allowing you to play more difficult missions as they are released), but also for purchasing very rare items and materials.

GUARDIANS advanced style

• Also known as GAS, this is a customization feature which allows you to bring out the true potential of your character.
• GAS customizations require advanced points (AP), which can be earned by collecting advanced experience points (AEXP). AEXP, in turn, can be earned either by playing GAMs or by being at the game's current level cap.
• There are two types of GAS: type customizations and style customizations.
• Type customizations are upgrades which are bound to your current type, and include customizations such as those to weapons and attributes.
• Style customizations are all-around upgrades which are bound to your character instead of your current type. These include features such as increased blocking rates and boosted trap damage.

Discussion of this news is already underway at the forum, so feel free to chime right in! And stay tuned as part III of Edward's update notes (along with title update notes) will be arriving in the coming weeks!

Announced this morning on the SEGA Europe blog, Phantasy Star Portable 2 for the PSP has been confirmed for release in North America and Europe this year. Specific details are a bit slim, but Phantasy Star fans can expect to see PSP2 become available sometime in Fall 2010. If you were bummed that Sega's recent teaser countdown was not for a Phantasy Star game, this will hopefully brighten your day!

The story in Phantasy Star Portable 2 takes place three years after the events in Phantasy Star Universe, with resources in Gurhal quickly running out. Players will work for a private military group, known as "Little Wing", aboard the space colony Clad 6.

One of Sega's top five selling games of last year, PSP2's Western release will include a new story, full online functionality, new weapons, additional character customizations, an enhanced combat system, and other improvements. It is still uncertain which content and DLC from the Japanese release will survive the trip West, but more information should be available in the near future.

We'll keep you up to speed on the latest details and release date, but in the meantime, join in on the ongoing discussion of this exciting news in the forums!

Update: Gamestop now has PSP2 available for pre-order and is showing an estimated released date of September 28, 2010. Thanks to Thor131 for the heads up!

Right on the heels of Tuesday's MAG+ announcement comes some saddening news for the local PC/PS2 Phantasy Star Universe servers. GM Edward posted on the official forum that the English PC/PS2 servers will be closing Wednesday, March 31, 2010. Next week's update on January 29 will be the PC/PS2 version's final update.

As of January 29, 2010, no new PC/PS2 subscriptions will be available for purchase, however any players who are subscribed as of that time will be able to continue playing for free for the remaining two months until service is ended. Keep in mind that this applies only to the PC/PS2 version of Phantasy Star Universe. The Xbox 360 version will continue to be supported with future content updates.

PSOW user Artea has created a thread detailing this news. Feel free to join the discussion to share your memories of the game's past or vent your frustrations (responsibly, of course).

RIP English PC/PS2 PSU

October 24, 2006 - March 31, 2010

SonicTeam just posted details on an upcoming update for Phantasy Star Portable 2 which will correct a few bugs which have been affecting players who play online. A date has not been set for when this fix will be distributed, but once it has been decided, it will be reported on the official site. The following issues will be addressed with this update:

• Disappearing/changing room decorations
• Compensation for losing one-time-only decorations
• Incorrectly imported trial save data
• Online damage indication caused by lag
• Excessive trap damage

One important detail given to all players is to not use the Mimic Doll decoration in your room, as it seems to have been to blame for the disappearing decorations. The developers urge all players to remove that particular decoration from your room until the fix has been put in place. Furthermore, concerning decorations given as rewards through earning titles and using one-time-only passwords, you will be able to recollect these items through your vision phone following this update. (Passwords will have to be re-entered, but title rewards will be received as they normally would.) Remember, this will apply only to decorations, so you will not be able to get duplicate weapons or other items earned from titles. Finally, as an overall compensation for the trouble caused by these bugs, a password will be distributed with this update granting all players five Photon Boosters.

Stay tuned for details on when to expect this update to be rolled out. Thanks goes to Amherst_Wind for bringing us this information! Check out the ongoing discussion at the forum.

Update: Just in time for Christmas, the above-detailed update is ready to be downloaded! To download this update, press the triangle button after highlighting the PSP2 game icon on your PSP. This will bring up a menu with the option "Update" (??????). Select that (and make sure you are connected to the internet) to begin the installation. This file will require 19MB on your memory stick. Once installation is complete, the game's title screen will display "Ver.1.01" in the upper-right corner. Finally, for the five Photon Boosters, enter the password "ITEM GIFT" at your vision phone. But take note that you must first update your software before this password can be used.

An intriguing post was made on the official Japanese Phantasy Star Universe site a few days ago. It seems that another large update is in the works for the Japanese PC/PS2 servers, similar to what was seen earlier this spring. Of note, over 200 completely new items as well as weapons and clothes from previous entries in the Phantasy Star series are planned for release over a period of time. Among other things, some changes are planned for "community course," a way for previous PSU subscribers to continue to play the game (under limited terms) even if their GUARDIANS License has expired.

The initial implementation of this update (as with the supplemental update, it won't all be released at once, but spread out over a series of updates) is slated to begin in the last few weeks of December, all kicking off with a brand new event: Gurhal's Greatest Battle: GRM vs. Yohmei vs. TENORA! This event is said to take a different approach compared to previous events, but we'll have to wait just a bit longer to see exactly what SonicTeam have up their collective sleeve.

As with the previous supplemental update, the target platform will be PC, though PS2 users will not be entirely left out. Of course, they will not be able to see the new unique weapons and clothing models added to the game, but PS2 players can still use them. Other new features which do not depend on new graphics will likely be able to be utilized by PS2 players, as well. We'll be keeping an eye on this news as it continues to develop in the coming weeks. In the meantime, join in the ongoing discussion of this update at the forum!

Details recently have come to light concerning a bug which affects players' rooms while playing Phantasy Star Portable 2 online. This bug occasionally makes the decorations displayed in your room disappear permanently. While it does not seem to occur all the time, SonicTeam recommends players to remove all room decorations and keep them stored away until further notice. A fix to this bug is being investigated, and more information will be posted as it becomes available. To players who lost decorations to this glitch, in particular, unique items awarded by achieving certain titles or through password downloads, compensation is being decided, but full details are still under wraps.