PSO-World Site History
| PSO-World Site History |
| To
celebrate
PSO-World's
5th Anniversary, this site history has been created. It is not intended
to be an exhaustive site history. Instead, it will cover the highlights
of the site's history. Since the site's history is tied to Phantasy
Star Online's history, this guide will also cover major events from
PSO. The guide is broken down by year. Within each year, there will be
a monthly summary of events. You can jump to the section you wish to
read by clicking on the
appropriate link. Also, you can look over selected memorable threads and PSO-World trivia by clicking on the appropriate link: |
| 2001 |
| In
late 2000, two brothers decided to import the Japanese version of
Phantasy Star Online (PSO). They were blown away by the game and became
instantly addicted to it. When they went online to see if there were
any
PSO fansites, they were surprised to learn there were none. Knowing
that PSO would be released in the United States soon and that it would
probably be a big hit, the two brothers knew they had an
opportunity. After a lot of work, PSO-World opened in early 2001 at http://tomeeboy.com/kageki/. It was created by Gideon and Tomeeboy. When it first opened, PSO-World was relatively small (when compared with today's version of the website). It featured a front page news section, forums, and item database. The first news post was made on January 7th. On January 11th, users could register accounts to post on the forums. The first person to register an account was Genius. Tomeeboy and Gideon followed after that. Users were able to post in the following forums: General, Trade, Tech Support, Cheaters, Player Matchup, Site Related, Quests, Mags, and Off Topic - Mags and Quests were separate forums back in those days. January 2001 was an important formative period for the site. Several major news stories were run on the front page. These stories included: announcement of a PSO Soundtrack, release of codes to unlock additional costumes, the uncertainty of whether PSO would be compatible with the broadband adapter, a delay in the EU release date, and rumors of an Append Disc . Also, a large number of new features were added to the site, including: MAG FAQ, Section ID Calculator, and Community Center. During the middle of the month, the site was moved to http://www.tomeeboy.com/pso/. Phantasy Star Online was finally released in the United States on January 31st, the same day that Sega announced it would soon be stopping development work on the Dreamcast. When Phantasy Star Online was released, it received several excellent reviews and proved to be an instant hit. In February, people were able to enjoy discovering the loading sparkle, hidden Ruins area, and online Valentine Event for the first time. Puck 9 was soon designated to be the official ship for PSO-World users. It was also during this time that the first cheat codes for the game were released. Other less serious tricks, such as the walk-through-door trick, were discovered as well. Version 2 was officially announced. The EU version of the game was released on the 23rd. PSO-World.com proved to be so popular, that it was easily exceeding its bandwidth allotment. To help offset the additional expenses, the first advertisements were added. Additionally, Yue joined the PSO-World team and provided some of the first articles for the Articles Section. The first Fan Art Contest also started up during this time period. As March rolled around, the site was ready to celebrate its first full month anniversary. Since the creation of the site, 1,428 members had registered, 10,256 posts were made, and there were over 1.2 million page views. Encouraged by these numbers, the site added a Java IRC client, Who Is Online Box, and support for printer friendly articles. The voting gallery for the first Fan Art Contest went up as well. Unable to raise enough revenue through ads to support the site, PSO-World was forced to being employing Paypal and Amazon referral links. While this was going on, Sega started implementing anti-cheating measures, V2 was announced, confirmed for the United States, and the first confirmed case of player killing happened. Early in April, PSO-World moved to the Gamespy network. Gamspy's servers were unable to handle the load though and the site had to remain on tomeeboy.com for a few more weeks. After that, things quieted down as Gideon became temporarily addicted to the PC game Black & White and Tomeeboy was kept busy by his job. However, the online scene marched on with the first Easter Event and a new online quest. Also, US players were shocked to learn about the announcement of the GC version of PSO and that Version 2 would be pay-to-play. At the end of June, the winners of the first Fan Art contest were announced. Version 2 was released in Japan on July 6th. At the beginning of August, Tomeeboy and Gideon were interviewed by Gamespy. About a week after that, the site added a search function, user banning feature, and fixed a few bugs. It was during this time period that Sega decided to give cheaters a second chance by unbanning all banned players. This was shortly followed by a new permanent banning policy. Version 2's release date was also delayed until September 25th. September proved to be a month for unfortunate endings. On September 1st, Seganet closed down. This was followed shortly by the announcement that the Gamecube and Dreamcast servers would not be linked. That decision was made because of the rampant hacking happening on Version 1. However, this bad news paled in comparison to the horrific September 11th bombings. The only positive PSO events that happened during this month was a review of PC PSO, release of Version 2 in the United States, and the release of three new quests: Maximum Attack, Today's Rate, and Sunset by the Secret Base. As the year started to wind down, the XBox version of PSO was announced, March 18, 2002 was set to be the release date for GC PSO, and the PC PSO Demo was released. Also, online cheating became more problematic with the introduction of "NOLing" and the Fake Town Cheat. Sonic Team temporarily stopped these activities, but the cheaters found a way around it by the end of December. Even in spite of all of that, several new quests were released including Towards the Future and the Ultimate versions of Endless Nightmare and the item retrieval quests. During 2001, Ambrai, Mistkerl_Zwo, and ragnarok became the site's first staff members. Ambrai later went on sabbatical and was replaced by Watashiwa. Castelak, Yue, Lynx, Godfree, and many others helped provide the site with content. IceBlink and Castelak became moderators in the early Fall. They were joined later by jazzyfox and Ayame. Due to the loss of forum messages from 2001, it is impossible to determine the starting dates for the first year's staff and what their exact contributions were. Monthly Summary November, 2000: 21 - Version 1 is Released in Japan - V1 January: 7 - First News Post and the Community Center is Opened - Site - Link 8 - Submit News Feature & Section ID Calculator are Added - Site - Link 11 - User-Selectable Header Images are Added - Site - Link 14 - Rumor that US PSO may not be BBA Ready Spread - V1 - Link 15 - New MAG FAQ section is Added - Site - Link 15 - PSO-World Moves to www.tomeeboy.com/pso/ sometimes around this date 16 - Site Relocated to http://www.tomeeboy.com/pso/ - Site - Link 18 - V1 US Release Date is Set - V1 - Link 20 - Extra Costume Codes are Revealed - V1 - Link 20 - New Quests are Added - V1 - Link 23 - PSO Soundtrack is Announced - Site - Link 25 - EU Release Delayed - V1 - Link 25 - US BBA Controversy is Resolved - V1 - Link 29 - Version 1 is Released in the US - V1 29 - Rumors of a New Version of PSO - V2 - Link 30 - US Release Delayed for a Day - V1 - Link 31 - Sega Announces the End of the Dreamcast - Site - Link February: 5 - First PSO Valentine Event - V1 - Link 5 - Discovery of the Loading Sparkle - V1 - Link 8 - PSO Player Auctions Appear - V1 - Link 10 - First DC Codes - Infinite HP/TP/Items - V1 - Link 10 - First PSOW Fan Art Contest - Site - Link 11 - Mr. Okawa Gives Up His Stock Options - Site - Link 12 - Door Walkthrough Trick Appears - V1 - Link 12 - Puck 9 chosen as the Official PSOW ship - Site - Link 13 - News Submission Guidelines - Site - Link 14 - Lobby Animations are Discovered - V1 - Link 15 - Perfect Guide is Released - Site - Link 16 - Official Dreamcast Magazine Stops Printing - Site - Link 16 - Tekker Specialties are Discovered - V1 - Link 16 - Version 2 is Announced - V2 - Link 18 - Perfect Guide is Not So Perfect - Site - Link 18 - Sega's Anti-Cheating Crusade - V1 - Link 19 - Hidden Ruins Area is Discovered - V1 - Link 20 - PSO-World Advertisements Appear - Site - Link 20 - Yue Joins the PSO-World Team - Site - Link 22 - PSO Gamespy Article - Site - Link 23 - Version 1 is Released in EU - V1 24 - Endless Nightmare #3 is Added - V1 - Link 26 - Articles Section Opens Up - Site - Link 28 - Anti-Direct Linking Mode is Implemented - Site - Link March: 1 - PSOW's First Month Anniversary - Site - Link 2 - Chat System is Implemented - Site - Link 2 - Start Menu Trick is Discovered - V1 - Link 2 - Java IRC Client is Added - Site - Link 3 - End of Cheating is Near - V1 - Link 3 - Printer Friendly Articles and Items are Added - Site - Link 4 - Essential Links and WhoIsOnline Box are Added - Site - Link 8 – Cheaters are Stopped - V1 - Link 9 - There are 200,000 Users on PSO - V1 - Link 14 - Detailed Rumors of an Append Disc - V2 - Link 15 - V2 Official Announcement is Made - V2 - Link 16 - Isao Okawa Dies - Site - Link 18 - Paypal and Amazon links are Added to PSOW - Site - Link 19 - PSOW Fan Art Contest Voting Gallery Opens - Site - Link 20 - Version 2 is Confirmed for US - V2 - Link 23 - Sega Takes Another Anti-Duping Step - V1 - Link 23 - Version 2 EU Petition is Announced - V2 - Link 25 - Camera Trick is Discovered - V1 - Link 25 - Player Killing is Confirmed - V1 - Link 26 - PSO Cup is Restarted - V1 - Link April: 1 - Black & White Obsession - Site - Link 9 - First PSO Easter Event - V1 - Link 13 - JP Easter Quests are Announced - V1 - Link 14 - Version 2 is Delayed Until May 31 for JP - V2 - Link 28 - New Online Quest is Announced - V1 - Link May: 4 - Version 2 Site Update - V2 - Link 4 - V2 to Have Guild System for Battle Mode - V2 - Link 8 - V2 Set for July 10, 2001 Release - V2 - Link 8 - Fan Artist Contest Voting Ends and the Gamespy Server Move - Site - Link 17 - Episode 1&2 is Announced - GC - Link 30 - Will Version 2 be Pay- to-Play? - V2 - Link June: 30 - Winners of First PSOW Fan Artist Contest are Announced - Site - Link July: 6 - Version 2 is Released in Japan - V2 August: 2 - PSOW in Gamespy Spotlight - Site - Link 10 - Banned Players are Unbanned - V1 - Link 10 - Site Updates: Banning System, Search Function, Bug Fixes - Site - Link 14 - Two New Classes for GC PSO - GC - Link 23 - V1/V2 Permanent Bans - V1/V2 - Link 25 - V2 Delayed Until Sept 25th - V2 - Link September: 1 - Seganet is Closed - Site - Link 8 - GC/DC Compatibility is Ruined - V2/GC - Link 11 - Terrorist Attacks - Site - Link 24 - Version 2 is Released in the US - V2 25 - PC PSO Review - PC - Link 25 - 3 New Quests are Released: Maximum Attack, Today's Rate, Sunset by the Secret Base - V2 - Link 28 - New Rares are Unbanned - V2 - Link IceBlink and Castelak Become Moderators Sometime During this Period October: 12 - Episode 1&2 is Announced for XBox - XBox - Link 16 - NOLing is Confirmed - V1/V2 - Link 19 - New Sunset by the Base Quest is Announced - V2 - Link 23 - First Halloween Event is Announced - V1/V2 - Link 29 - Sunset By the Base Quest is Updated Again - V2 - Link November: 5 - Fake Town Cheat Appears - V1/V2 - Link 8 - Towards the Future and New Ult Versions of Endless Nightmare/Item Retrieval Quests are Announced - V2 - Link 13 - Sunbset by the Base Quest Updated Yet Again - V2 - Link 14 - Passworded Games are at Risk Again - V1/V2 - Link 16 - Towards the Future is Unleashed - V2 - Link December: 5 - Online Cheating No Longer Works! - V1/V2 - Link 13 - PSOW Newsletter is Released - Site - Link 21 - PC PSO Demo is Released - PC - Link 27 - Episode 1&2 is Set to be Released on March 18, 2002 - GC - Link 27 - Online Cheating is Possible Again - V1/V2 - Link |
| 2002 |
| 2002
opened on a fairly quiet note. The only major events were the
release of the second Valentine Day's event
and Soul of Steel. However, that all
changed in March when eRUPT was made an assistant site
administrator along-side Watashiwa. This event occurred shortly after
the site experienced some forum and DNS problems. Other noteworthy
news events for March include the opening of the #psow channel, the release of Version 2
in Europe on March 1st, and announcement of the Phantasy Star Collection. As Spring approached though, the PSO scene entered a brief lull. The last two quests, Gallon's Ambition and Rappy Holiday, were released for Version 2 and Episode 1&2 Gamecube Trial was released in Japan. In spite of this, new PSO merchandise was released that included Rappy Plushes and Character Statues. Several Episode 3 Card Battle models were shown at E3, but they were stolen. XBox Live was unveiled in mid-June. While this was going on, Gideon left to pursue other matters in life. Ayame, ragnarok, and jazzyfox also stepped down during this period. In early July, Ambrai returned to help the existing site administrators, Watashiwa and eRUPT. Unfortunately, friction started to build up among the site's staff because of differences of opinion. After a failed take-over attempt, Ambrai's administrative powers were removed. The day before that happened, RBF2000 was appointed as a new moderator. While all of this was happening, "scenic" lobbies for the Gamecube version of PSO were announced, along with the Episode 1 & 2 soundtrack. Compared to July, August proved to be a calm month. The biggest news story that appeared was new information about Episode 2 enemies and non-playable characters. Also, there was a brief experiment with adding HP and TP bars to the forum. September proved to be a pivotal month for the site. On the 20th, the removal of Watashiwa was announced and a new administration team was installed. This new team consisted of eRUPT, LollipopLolita, and Saladwood. Also, it was decided to appoint several new moderators including: Hikosaka (Fan Works Manager), Pixelate, ABDUR101, and RuneLateralus. After that, the new website team decided to do recruiting. The new content team was put in place by the end of the month. Beyond that, several new areas were added and existing areas updated. Some of these additions included new AIM avatars, wallpapers, Screenshots Section, and a Mag Gallery. Additionally, Episode 1&2 was released in Japan on the 12th. Unfortunately, an item copying bug was discovered and Sonic Team decided to release a "fixed" version of the game. October started off with an announcement of the "anticipated" release date and fees for the Episode 1&2 for the XBox in the United States. Besides that, much of the news was related to the impending release of Episode 1&2 for the Gamecube which included a press party. Gamers wondered whether a domestic keyboard was going to be released in time. Unfortunately, a keyboard was not available. The Gamecube version was finally released on the 29th. A couple of days before that happened, rumors started to surface about a new Phantasy Star game. While PSO-World.com was covering these events, the site added two new forums, The Lounge (for new posters) and Fresh Kills Landfill (spam). Also, the site encouraged visitors to register so they could discuss the new game. Activity on PSO-World picked up dramatically after the release of Episode 1&2 for the Gamecube. During November, the site added several new features including ten themes, Gamecube Mag and Character Stats guide, and Quiz section. Meanwhile, the site sponsored two game-related contests. The first contest entitled "Come Find Me" happened on November 16. The winners were announced on the front page. At the end of the month, the "Symbol Chat" contest started. As this was happening, several members from the site started weekly Soccer and Challenge Mode meetings. On the news front, Episode 1&2 for the XBox release date slipped to 2003, Reach for the Dream and Challenge 5/6 were released for the Gamecube, and Version 1.1 of Episode 1&2 was released in Japan. Throughout December, the PSO-World staff worked hard to open up several new sections. These sections included Item Findings, the first PSOW showdown, Member Spotlight, and a Damage Calculator. In the first PSOW showdown, the Rag Rappy won a convincing victory over ABDUR101. The Symbol Chat Content ended on the 15, but the "Rappy Hunt" one started a couple of days later. Also, weekly Battle Mode meetings started. The online scene proved to be eventful too with the Christmas event, release of the "Nights" quest, linking of the JP/US ships, and start of the New Years event. Finally, the release date for the EU version of Episode 1&2 for the Gamecube was announced and Castelak retired from the website staff. Monthly Summary February: 11 - Valentines Day Event is Announced - V1/V2 - Link 11 - Female Only Quest and Soul of Steel are Announced - V2 - Link March: 3 - Version 2 is Released in EU - V2 - Link 5 - Forum Problems - Site - Link 14 - DNS Problems - Site - Link 15 - eRUPT Joins the Administrator Team. New Forum Features are Announced - Site - Link 22 - The #psow IRC Channel is Opened - Site - Link 29 - Phantasy Star Collection is Announced for the GBA - Site - Link April: 3 - Rappy Plushes are Unveiled - Site - Link 13 - Gamecube Gameshark is Announced - Site - Link 18 - Episode 1&2 EU Release is Set for October 2002 - GC - Link 28 - PSO Character Statues are Unveiled - Site - Link May: 9 - Gallon's Ambition and Rappy Holiday are Announced - V2 - Link 21 - Episode 1&2 Release Date Set for Fall 2002 - Xbox - Link 30 - Card Battle Models are Stolen from E3 - Ep3 - Link Episode 1&2 Trial Starts - GC June: 11 - XBox Live Press Conference is Held - Xbox - Link 20 - Ayame and Ragnarok Retire from the Site Staff - Site 27 - jazzyfox Retires from the Site Staff - Site July: 24 - RBF2000 Becomes a Moderator - Site 25 - Ambrai Launches a Failed Take-Over Bid - Site - Link 28 - Scenic Lobbies are Announced - GC - Link 29 - Episode 1 & 2 Soundtrack is Announces - Site - Link August: 11 - Episode1&2 NPC and Monster Information is Unveiled - GC - Link 21 - HP and TP Bars are Temporarily Added to the Site - Site - Link September: 12 - Episode 1&2 is Released in Japan - GC 19 - "Fixed" Version of Episode 1&2 is Announced - GC - Link 20 - Watashiwa Steps Down as Admin and eRUPT, Saladwood, and LollipopLolita Become the New Admin Team - Site - Link 22 - Additional AIM Avatars are Added - Site - Link 23 - PSO-World Begins a Recruiting Effort - Site - Link 23 - Additional PSO-World Wallpapers are Added - Site - Link 27 - Hikosaka, Pixelate, ABDUR101, and RuneLaterualus Become Moderators - Site - Link 28 - Screenshots Section Opens - Site - Link 30 - New PSOW Content Teams Announced - Site - Link 30 - Mag Gallery is Opened - Site - Link October: 9 - US Release Date and Fee Details - XBox - Link 13 - The Lounge and Fresh Kills Landfill are Created - Site 23 - PSO Press Party - Site - Link 27 - Rumors of a New Phantasy Star Game - Site - Link 28 - Confirmation There Will be no Domestic Keyboard for Episode 1&2 - GC - Link 29 - Episode 1&2 is Released in the US - GC 30 - PSO-World Encourages Guests to Create an Account - Site - Link November: 10 - Ten New Themes are Added - Site - Link 14 - Episode 1&2 is Listed as a 2003 Release - XBox - Link 15 - Reach for the Dream and C5/C6 are Released - GC - Link 16 - PSOW "Find Me" Contest Results are Posted - Site - Link 18 - Mag Guide, Mag Gallery, Character Stats, and Classes are Added - Site - Link 24 - PSOW Weekly Soccer and Challenge Mode Games Start - Site - Link 27 - Quiz Section Opens - Site - Link 30 - PSO-World's "Symbol Chat" Contest Starts - Site - Link Version 1.1 of Episode 1&2 is Released in Japan - GC December: 1 - The Item Findings Section is Opened - Site - Link 3 - Christmas Decorations are Added - GC - Link 8 - Episode 1&2 EU Release Date is Set - GC - Link 10 - Weekly PSOW Battle Mode Meetings are Announced - Site - Link 12 - PSOW Showdown, Interviews, Quizzes, and Damage Calculator Sections are Added - Site - Link 14 - Reach for the Dream is Released - GC - Link 15 - PSO-World's "Symbol Chat" Contest Ends 15 - JP and US Ships are Linked - GC - Link 18 - Rappy Hunt Contest Starts - Site - Link 25 - Merry Christmas from PSO-World - Site - Link 29 - New Years Decorations are Released - GC - Link |
| 2003 |
| January proved to be a busy month for the site. The
Rappy Hunt contest came to an end and the Beastiary was remade. Later in the
month, the Mag Farmer event started and ended. Meanwhile,
Episode 1&2 was released in Europe on January
7th, just in time for the the Famtisu Cup. The Famitsu Cup was a
Maximum Attack 1-themed quest with numerous mini-events. Also, Sonic
Team "fixed" an online duping bug by
implementing a double-save feature. Unfortunately, this lead to many character corruptions. Early in February, the rest of Episode 1 Challenge Mode was released for Episode 1&2 on the Gamecube. However, Sonic Team forgot to remove the restriction on S-Ranks being banned weapons on US ships. This minor oversight was fixed a couple of days later. Additionally, a Valentines Day quest was released. To celebrate the mood of the season, PSO-World held a Valentines Event. At the end of the month, a new contest called "PSOW Face Off" started. Due to the increase in forum traffic, PSO-World brought DJ_Dan on as a moderator on March 6th. The PSOW Face Off Contest came to an end on the 24th. Sonic Team released several quests for Episode 1&2 on Gamecube including: Principal's Present, Mop Up 1&2, Endless Nightmare 1&2, and White Day. On April 15th, Episode 1&2 was released in the United States for the XBox and an official site block was chosen. Shortly after that, Central Dome Fire Swirl was released on the XBox. Also, several Battle Mode quests, Seat of the Heart, and the Easter Event were put up for the Game Cube version. As the month started to wind down, PSO-World's completed its Item Findings section and started the "Strike a Pose" contest. May started off with the announcement of Episode 3.This was followed by the release of Episode 1&2 in Europe for the XBox and the unveiling of the English version of Minhiro. While this was happening, East Tower was released on the Gamecube while the Japanese XBox version of Episode 1&2 and PC version of the game received content updates. During this time period, the 500,000th post was made on PSO-World. In early June, PSO-World was able to complete its Finding List and brought Prof_Frink on to help moderate the forums. On the contest front, the "Strike a Post" event ended and the "Fan Fiction Challenge" started. In the meantime, Sonic Team announced a beta for Episode 3 and the shutdown of Dreamcast servers for all games besides PSO. Also, West Tower and the Wedding Lobby Theme were released. To combat cheating on the XBox versions of PSO, a mandatory patch was released in early July. Additionally, it was announced that Gamecube Episode 1&2 Hunter Licences would carry over to Episode 3. The Episode 3 Trial started shortly after that. Lost Soul Blade was released for Episode 1&2 on the Gamecue. PSO-World added a camera during this time period. Guntz348 was brought on as a moderator when Pixelate retired. At the start of August, PSOW's "Fan Fiction Challenge" event finally concluded. It was followed by two Episode 3 Trial Raffles. When IceBlink retired, Bit joined the staff. Also, an Episode 3 forum was opened and a new quiz was added. Electronic Gaming Montly listed PSO-World as a "Must Hit" website. While this was happening, the mandatory XBox patch was released in the Europe, the Sega Cup was being held on the Episode 3 Trial, and it was announced that the US PSO Dreamcast servers would be shutdown. Finally, Resting at the Beach was released for Episode1&2 on the Gamecube. Sonic Team kicked off September by announcing PSO Plus (the expansion to Episode 1&2) and Japanese release date for Episode 3. PSO-World opened its Team Center and was mentioned in NGC Magazine. A petition was organized to try to save the US Dreamcast servers. Meanwhile, Labryinthine Trial and Today's Rate were announced for Episode 1&2 on Gamecube. At the end of the month, Sonic Team announced Episode 2 Challenge Mode, the shutdown of the PC servers, and mentioned a new PC version of Episode 1&2. Over the next two months, the US PSO Dreamcast servers were formally shutdown and several Episode 3-related items were shown. Towards the Future, Gallon's Treachery, and Rappy's Holiday were released for Episode 1&2 on the Gamecube. On November 18th, Episode 3, Episode 1&2 Plus, and the PSO Trilogy pack went on sale in Japan. December started off with the announcement of new Episode 3 content for PSO-World. With RBF2000's retirement, it was decided to bring Dhylec, Link00Seven, and Rena-ko on to the site's staff. The site also decided to hold a new contest named "Stickman Assault." Also, Episode 3 and PSO Plus were announced for the United States. Finally, Episode 2 Challenge 1 was released for the Gamecube and the Episode 1&2 Version 1.0 servers were taken down. Monthly Summary January: 2 - "Rappy Hunt" Contest Ends 6 - GC Snapshot Download Tool - Site - Link 8 - Famitsu Cup 2nd Stage Event - GC - Link 8 - PAL Episode 1&2 Release Date is Announced - 3/7/2003 - GC - Link 11 - Mag Farmer Contest - Site - Link 16 - Famitsu Marriage Mini-Event - GC - Link 23 - Online Duping "Fixed" - GC - Link 24 - Mag Farmer Tool is Released - Site - Link 25 - PSOW's Beastiary is Remade - Site - Link 25 - Famitsu Cup hits 100 million - GC - Link 26 - Character Corruptions from Double Save - GC - Link 31 - Sega Works on a Fix for FSOD Corruption Problems - GC - Link 31 - Mag Farmer Contest Ends - Site Episode 1&2 is Released in Japan in Q1 - XBox February: 4 - Valentines Day Quest & C7/8/9 are Released - GC - Link 4 - New Rappy Plushes - Site - Link 9 - "Illegal" S-Ranks lead to Bannings - GC - Link 10 - PSOW Valentine Event Starts - Site - Link 11 - PSOW Database Problems - Site - Link 11 - Gashapon Figures Released - Site - Link 12 - No More S-Rank Bannings - GC - Link 12 - Ice Spinner, BA2/3, and C2/3/4 are Announced - Xbox - Link 13 - Stat Bugs Found in Challenge Mode - GC - Link 14 - SEGA & Sammy Merger - Site - Link 14 - PSOW Valentine Event Ends - Site 23 - PSOW Face Off Contest Starts - Site - Link 24 - Keyboard Adapter Sells Out in 9 minutes - GC - Link March: 5 - Emergency PSO Server Issue - GC - Link 6 - DJ_Dan Becomes a Moderator - Site 7 - Principal's Present, Mop Up 1&2, Endless Nightmare 1&2, White Day are Announced - GC - Link 8 - Episode 1&2 Delayed Again - XBox - Link 13 - PowerBoard Keyboard Announcement - GC - Link 16 - Forum Corruption - Site - Link 24 - PSOW Face Off Contest Ends - Site April: 1 - Spring Lobbies are Up - GC - Link 5 - April 22 Release Date - XBox - Link 5 - #PSOW Rules are Announced - Site - Link 11 - Microsoft on Pay to Play - XBox - Link 11 - BA 4, 5, & 6 are Announced - GC - Link 15 - Episode 1&2 is Released in the US - XBox 16 - Ship Names and Official Site Block - XBox/Site - Link 16 - Central Dome Fire Quest is Announced - XBox - Link 23 - PSOW Strike a Pose Contest Starts - Site - Link 29 - Seat of the Heart is Announced - GC - Link 30 - Item Findings are Completed - Site - Link May: 8 - Episode III is Announced - Ep3 - Link 8 - English Minhiro is Unveiled - GC - Link 22 - Challenge Mode Friday Nights are Restarted - Site - Link 23 - Episode 1&2 is Released in the EU - XBox 24 - The 500,000th Post is Made on PSO-World.com - Site 24 - Mop Up #4 and Endless Nightmare #4 Are Released - PC - Link 26 - Episode 1&2 Maps Completed - Site - Link 27 - East Tower Released - GC - Link 29 - BA4/5/6 and C7/8/9 are Released, update to Gallon's - JP PSOX - Link June: 4 - Findings List Completed - Site - Link 5 - Prof_Frink becomes a Moderator - Site - Link 5 - PSOW Strike A Post Contest Ends - Site 5 - Episode 3 Beta Announced - Ep3 - Link 12 - All Online Games Except for PSO are Disconnected - DC - Link 13 - Wedding Lobby is Released - GC/XBox - Link 23 - Towards the Future is Released - PC - Link 24 - West Tower is Released - GC - Link 24 - Episode 3 will not be the last PSO game - Site - Link 24 - Episode 3 Beta Starts - Ep3 26 - Endless Nightmare #1&2 and Mop Up #1&2 are Released - JP PSOX - Link 30 - PSOW Fan Fiction Challenge Contest Starts - Site - Link July: 3 - Mandatory Patch Released - XBox - Link 5 - PSOW Camera is Announced - Site - Link 9 - Hunter Licenses Will Carry Over to Episode 3 - Ep3 - Link 17 - Lost Soul Blade is Announced - GC - Link 24 - Episode 3 Trial Starts - Ep3 - Link 28 - Guntz348 Becomes a Moderator, Pixelate Retires - Site August: 1 - EU Patch Released - XBox - Link 7 - PSOW Fan Fiction Challenge Contest Ends - Site 10 - First PSOW Episode 3 Raffle Starts - Site - Link 15 - First Episode 3 Raffle Ends. Second Raffle Starts - Site 15 - Which Boss Are You? Quiz is Put Up - Site - Link 19 - Bit becomes a moderator, IceBlink retires - Site - Link 19 - Episode 3 Forum Opened - Site - Link 20 - Second Episode 3 Raffle Ends - Site 22 - Sega Cup for Episode 3 - Ep3 - Link 26 - Resting at the Beach is Released - GC - Link 28 - US Server Shutdown Announcement - DC - Link PSO-World is Listed as a "Must Hit" Website in Electronic Gaming Monthly - Site - Link September: 2 - PSO Plus Announced - Plus - Link 2 - Episode 3 JP Release Date Announced - Ep3 - Link 2 - Team Center Opens - Site - Link 8 - Save DC PSO Petition - DC - Link 16 - Episode 3 Trial Ends - Ep3 - Link 16 - Labyrinthine Trial and Today's Rate are Announced - GC - Link 28 - PSO-World is mentioned in NGC Magazine - Site - Link 28 - Episode 2 Quests/Cmode, PC V2 Ending, and New PC Version are Announced - GC/PC/BB - Link October: 2 - US PSO Servers Shutdown - DC - Link 5 - Episode 3 News - Ep3 - Link 14 - Towards the Future & Gallon's Treachery are Released - GC PSO - Link 23 - Episode 3 Memory Card, Keyboard, and Jukebox are Announced - Ep3 - Link November: 14 - Rappy's Holiday is Announced - GC - Link 18 - New Episode 3 Goodies - Ep3 - Link 18 - No More Double Save! - GC - Link 18 - Episode 3, Episode 1&2 Plus, and PSO Trilogy Go on Sale in Japan - Ep3/Plus/GC - Link December: 5 - New Episode 3 Content for PSOW - Site - Link 12 - Ep2C1 is Released - GC - Link 12 - Episode 1&2 JP V1.0 Servers Go Down - GC - Link 13 - link00seven, Rena-ko, and Dhylec Become Moderators, RBF2000 Retires - Site - Link 24 - Episode 3 and PSO Plus are Announced for the the US - Ep3/Plus - Link 26 - PSOW Stickman Assault Starts - Site - Link |
| 2004 |
| The early portion of 2004 proved to be a quiet time for
PSO-World. Content continued to be added to the site, but websites
activities slowed down as the administrators had to tend to real-life
affairs. Nevertheless, the PSO news scene marched on with the
announcements of Episode 1&2 for the PC, shutdown of the Version 2 PC
servers, and US Episode 3 release date.
Additionally, the Famitsu and Dengeki Cups were held on Episode 3, along with
the first Card Revolution. As Spring approached, M_Blackhawk was made PSOW's new Fan Community Manager when Hikosaka and DJ_Dan decided to retire. While this was happening, several new quests were released for Episode 1&2 on the Gamecube including Blue Star Memories, Anticipation of the future, Bullet of Future Assassin, and Episode 2 Challenge 4. Episode 3 was released in the US on March 3rd. This was followed by the release of two Dengeki Cup quests and Kid's Soul for Japanese version of Episode 3. Finally, a closed beta was held for the PC version of Episode 1&2. April proved to be a big month for Episode 3. Two download quests, Seaside Preacher and Beautiful Ino'lis, were made available to Japanese players. The Game Informer and Dorimaga quests online were playable by everyone. In response to the popularity of Episode 3, it was decided to bring Arislan on as a moderator. Beyond this, Blue Burst was formally announced, along with the shutdown of the 50hz European Gamecube servers. At the end of the month, the final Episode 2 challenge stage was released for the Gamecube version of Episode 1&2. On May 18th, Sonic Team shocked the world by announcing Phantasy Star Universe at E3. This was followed shortly by the creation of Sega Sammy Holdings. The Japanese Beta for the PC version of Blue Burst began on the 21st. As May came to a close, the final Battle stages were released on Gamecube for Episode 1&2, along with the details of the upcoming Gather Cup. June opened up with the Gather Cup for Episode 3. Besides being the last formal tournament ever held, the unique thing about this tournament was it was open to non-Japanese players. Once the tournament concluded, several previously Japanese-only quests were made temporarily available again. Fortunately, Europeans were able to take advantage of this when the game was released there in early June. Along with the Gather Cup, the Blue Burst beta continued. At its height, it drew 100,000 players. The beta closed on the 16th. As the month came to a close, Respective Tomorrow was released on the Gamecube version of Episode 1&2. July and August com proved to be quiet months. The US release date for PSO Plus was announced and the Blue Burst Japanese servers went live. On August 21st, the 1 millionth post was made by Sef. At the start of September, a Card Revolution happened on Episode 3 and the Edy Cup started on the Japanese version of Blue Burst. Phantasmal World 1, 2, and 3 were announced for the Gamecube version of Episode 1&2. Beyond that, PSO Plus was released in the United States on the 14 and Episode 4 was revealed. While this was happening, PSO-World started to experience some serious technical problems. Eventually, the entire site went down around October 10th. During the site's downtime in October, new Episode 4 content was revealed and Phantasmal World 4 was announced. Additionally, PSO-World was spotlighted as a "Prime Example of a Fansite Done Right" in October's issue of Electronic Gaming Monthly. PSO-World was brought back online on November 12th. Also, Sonic Team decided to celebrate Episode 3's first year anniversary by holding a low-cost/high-cost festival. During the low-cost portion of the festival, the stats and abilities of Rappy-themed cards were enhanced. When the high-cost festival began, high-cost cards had their stats changed. Also, it became possible to easily find several extremely-rare cards. As the year started to wind down, the beta for Episode 4 was announced. The "NeverEverSoSanity" worm caused a few problems, but the site quickly shrugged it off. Monthly Summary January: 8 - Episode 1&2 is Announced - BB - Link 8 - Version 2 Servers Go Down - PC - Link 16 - Famitsu Cup Begins - Ep3 - Link 17 - E2C2 is Released - GC - Link 25 - US Episode 3 Release Date - Ep3 - Link February: 3 - Cheating Already? - Ep3 - Link 6 - Card Referendum - Ep3 - Link 17 - Card Revolution - Ep3 - Link 17 - Dengeki Cup Begins - Ep3 - Link 29 - Dengeki Cup Results - Ep3 - Link March: 2 - Blue Star Memories, Anticipation of the Future, and Bullet of Future Assassin are Released - GC - Link 3 - Episode 3 is Released in US - Ep3 - Link 5 - 2 Dengeki Quests are Announced - Ep3 - Link 12 - E2C4 is Announced - GC - Link 12 - Kid's Soul Quest is Announced - Ep3 - Link 16 - PC Ep1&2 Closed Beta Starts - BB - Link 26 - M_Blackhawk Becomes Fan Community Manager, Hikosaka and DJ_Dan retires - Site - Link April: 4 - Blue Burst is Announced - BB - Link 7 - Seaside Preacher is Announced - Ep3 - Link 9 - Staff Appreciation Week - Site - Link 10 - EU Episode 3 Release Date - Ep3 - Link 11 - Arislan Becomes a Moderator - Site - Link 13 - Two New Maps Added Are Added - Ep3 - Link 14 - Beautiful Ino'lis Quest is Announced - Ep3 - Link 20 - EU 50hz Servers Close Down - GC - Link 20 - Game Informer Quest is Announced - Ep3 - Link 22 - JP Blue Burst Beta Announced - BB - Link 24 - Dorimaga Quest is Announced - Ep3 - Link 24 - E2C5 is Announced - GC - Link May: 3 - F1 Gran Prix is Announced - Ep3 - Link 18 - Phantasy Star Universe is Announced - PSU - Link 18 - Sega Sammy Holdings is Created - Site - Link 21 - JP Beta Opens - BB 25 - BA7&8 Are Announced - GC - Link 25 - Ripples is Announced - Ep3 - Link 29 - Gather Cup Details are Announced - Ep3 - Link June: 11 - Episode 3 is Released in the EU - Ep3 12 - Gather Cup Results are Announced - Ep3 - Link 12 - Former Quests are Made Available - Ep3 - Link 12 - Site Announcement - Site - Link 13 - JP Beta draws 100k Players - BB - Link 16 - JP Beta Closes - BB - Link 29 - Respective Tomorrow is Announced - GC - Link 30 - Sonic Team to Stick Around - Site - Link July: 13 - PSO Plus US Release Date - Plus - Link 15 - JP Servers Go Live (Post Beta) - BB 21 - PSO DS Release Rumor - Site - Link 22 - Confirmation of Multiple Players - PSU - Link August: 21 - 1,000,000th Post is Made on PSO-World.com - Site September: 4 - Site Problems - Site - Link 7 - Card Revolution - Ep3 - Link 7 - JP BB Edy Cup Starts - BB - Link 8 - Phantasmal World 1&2 are Released - GC - Link 10 - 100 Million Monsters Killed in Eddy Cup! Ultimate Opens! - BB - Link 14 - US PSO Plus is Released - Plus - Link 17 - Episode 4 is Revealed - BB - Link 24 - Phantasmal World 3 and Jukebox Changes for Episode 3 are Announced - GC/Ep3 - Link 26 - Edy Cup Ends - BB - Link October: 7 - Episode 4 Content is Revealed - BB - Link 11 - PSO-World Goes Down - Site PSO-World is Spotlighted as a "Prime Example of a Fansite Done Right" in Electronic Gaming Monthly - Site - Link November: 11 - PSO-World Comes Back Online, Phantasmal World 4 is Released - Site/GC - Link 12 - Phantasy Star Trilogy Delayed - Site - Link 12 - Anniversary Event - Ep3 - Link December: 2 - Episode 4 Beta Begins - BB - Link 23 - PSOW Catches the "NeverEverSoSanity" Virus - Site - Link 28 - The Site's Images Are Fixed - Site - Link |
| 2005 |
| At the start of 2005, Tomeeboy worked hard to fully restore the site and fix
some lingering problems. At the same
time, the Chinese and US/EU versions of Blue Burst were
announced, along with the purchasing information for the Japanese
version. Meanwhile, Maximum Attack 1 Version 2 was
released on the Gamecube. Over the next three months, the Japanese version of Episode 4 went live and all of the government quests were released. Also, details of the Login Cup were announced. The last new quest, Maximum Attack 2 Version was released for the Gamecube. A quest named "Retirement of the Greats" was to be released after that, but had to be scrapped do to coding problems. As a result, Gamecube players had to keep themselves content with trying to earn the Black Ring and five Photon Spheres. Episode 3 players were given the opportunity to complete their card collections when the final Card Revolution happened and several SS-Rank cards were released. As April drew to a close, the release date for Phantasy Star Universe was set and an US/EU Blue Burst Beta was announced. The US/EU Beta for Blue Burst went live on May 9th and quickly drew a large number of people. As the Beta progressed, a Maximum Attack 1-themed event named the AOL Cup happened, along with the temporary release of Sunset Base. On the Japanese version of Blue Burst, Center of Disaster was released. Meanwhile, a new E3 trailer and screenshots were released for Phantasy Star Universe. During the month of June, the US/EU Beta for Blue Burst came to an end and the servers became pay-to-play. Additionally, several new Episode 4 quests were released in Japan. On PSO-World, activity started to pick up as content updates started happening again. July and August proved to be an important time for PSO-World. Mixfortune, Ryna, and Getintothegame were added to the staff. A new Phantasy Star Universe forum was opened and the Episode 4 Item Findings were completed. While that was happening, the US/EU version of Blue Burst received new content updates and the Yahoo! Cup started. The Japanese version celebrated its first year anniversary and "A Dangerous Deal with Black Paper" was released. During the Fall, Episode 1 Challenge Mode, Labryinthine Trial, Seat of the Heart, Battle Mode, and Center of Disaster were released for the US/EU version of Blue Burst. Maximum Attack 3 was announced for the Japanese version. On the Phantasy Star Universe news front, a Sonic Team and developer interview happened. Also, a formal release date was announced along with online fee information. In the meantime, HUnewearl_Meira became the new Fan Community Manager around the time that M_Blackhawk, Bit, Prof_Frink, and ABDUR101 retired from the site staff. In early December, the site moved from PlanetDreamcast to its new Gamespy servers. It took a couple of days to fix the links on the site, but the move greatly improved the speed/stability of PSO-World. Shortly after that, Ketchup345 joined the staff. Also, Phantasmal World 3&4, Episode 2 Challenge Mode, and Towards the Future were released for the US/EU version of Blue Burst. In a special holiday treat, Sonic Team also doubled the amount of experience points that enemies gave. Finally, new bosses and PS2/PC compatibility were announced for Phantasy Star Universe. Monthly Summary January: 6 - Chinese BB is Announced - BB - Link 7 - Maxmimum Attack 1V2 Announced - GC - Link 7 - US/EU BB is Announced - BB - Link 10 - PSOW Site Fixes - Site - Link 12 - Site is Fully Restored - Site - Link 18 - JP BB Episode 4 Purchase Information - BB - Link 21 - Two New Maps - Ep3 - Link 28 - Want to be a Game Master? - Site - Link February: 3 - JP BB Episode 4 Goes Live - BB - Link 4 - Maximum Attack 2V2 is Announced - GC - Link March: 9 - Last GC Quest is Canceled - GC - Link 22 - Yuji Naka Discusses PSU - PSU - Link 24 - JP Login Cup is Announced - BB - Link 30 - All Episode 4 Government Quests Released in Japan - BB - Link April: 8 - Final Card Revolution Happens and Final SS Rank Cards Are Released - Ep3 - Link 8 - PSU EU/US Date set for February 2006 - PSU - Link 23 - JP Login Cup Details are Announced - BB - Link 26 - US/EU Beta is Announced - BB - Link May: 9 - US/EU Beta Goes Live - BB - Link 12 - New Screenshots & Movies - PSU - Link 19 - E3 Trailer is Released - PSU - Link 21 - AOL Cup, Max Attack, and Sunset Base are Announced for US/EU - BB - Link 24 - Big JP Update and Center of Disaster is Released - BB - Link June: 8 - US/EU Beta Extended - BB - Link 15 - PSOW Content Updates Start Again - Site - Link 23 - US/EU Servers Go Live (Post Beta) - BB 25 - New Episode 4 Quests for JP - BB - Link 30 - JP Quest Release Schedule - BB - Link July: 8 - US/EU July Updates - BB - Link 14 - Ryna and Mixfortune Become Moderators - Site - Link 15 - Getintothegame Becomes a Moderator - Site - Link 16 - US Site Goes Online - PSU - Link 20 - New PSU Forum Opened - Site - Link 26 - More US/EU Updates - BB - Link August: 3 - JP One Year Anniversary - BB - Link 5 - The Site Undergoes Some Repairs - Site - Link 5 - Episode 4 Item Findings are Added - Site - Link 9 - Yahoo! Cup Announced for US/EU - BB - Link 24 - Villain Info is Released - PSU - Link 30 - Dangerous Deal with Black Paper is Announced for JP - BB - Link September: 1 - ABDUR101, Prof_Frink, M_Blackhawk, and Bit Retire - Site 12 - Sonic Team Interview - PSU - Link 13 - Developer Interview - PSU - Link 22 - Phantasy Star the Movie? - Site - Link 23 - HUnewearl_Meira Becomes Community Manager - Site - Link 25 - Yahoo! Cup 30 Million Reached in US/EU - BB - Link October: 11 - A PSO Retrospective and Max Attack 3 is Announced for JP - BB - Link 12 - Challenge Mode and Labyrinthine Trial is Announced for the US/EU - BB - Link 21 - Seat of the Heart and BA5/6/7/8 are Announced for US/EU - BB - Link November: 22 - JP Release Date is Announced - PSU - Link 22 - Center of Disaster is Released in US/EU - BB - Link 30 - PSU Online Fee Information is Announced - PSU - Link December: 7 - PC & PS2 Cross Compatibility is Announced - PSU - Link 7 - The Site Moves to a New Gamespy Server - Site - Link 8 - Phantasmal World 3&4, Episode 2 Challenge Mode, and Double Experience Points Are Announced for US/EU- BB - Link 13 - Ketchup345 Becomes a Moderator - Site - Link 22 - Towards the Future is Released for US/EU - BB - Link 25 - Merry Christmas! - Site - Link 30 - New Bosses Are Announced - PSU - Link |
| Memorable Threads |
| For this portion of the site history, PSO-World
regulars were asked to create a list of
threads they found noteworthy. This list covers a number of topics from
2002 to 2006. For each thread listed, a brief explanation as to why it
is memorable is given. This
section is broken down by the year in which the thread was
made. 2002:
2003:
2004:
2005:
2006:
|
| Trivia |
| This section of the Site History will provide "Top 10"
lists
and miscellanious trivia related to PSO-World's history. The
"Top 10" lists were compiled on March 26, 2006. Since the site was
missing a large number of 2001/2002 posts at this time, the first few
lists are based on what was in the forum archive at the time. Top 10 PSO-World Posters (including FKL)
Top 10 Threads with the Most Replies
Top 10 Threads with the Most Views
Historic Posts
Top 5 Items with the Most Views 1. Agito (AUW 1975) - 177701 views
Top 10 Guides with the Most Views
Top 10 Stories with the Most Views
Top 10 Stories with the Most Comments
Top 10 Polls with the Most Votes
Miscellanious Trivia
|
Site History compiled by Ryna with help from the following people: Tomeeboy, Castelak, KodiaX987, Dangerous55, geewj, and numerous other people. |
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