Phantasy Star Online 2 will be Free to Play!

[TrekkiesUnite118]

And it will also be on SmartPhones. This just sold me on the game. I don't think I'll be putting much time into any other games after this comes out.

http://kotaku.com/5896343/phantasy-s...on-smartphones

[The Jackal]

This is great news, and I might just buy it, but I really wish Sega would do a proper sequel to PSIV...

[TrekkiesUnite118]

The client will also be free on PC and PS Vita. They plan to make money from an in game cash shop. There's pretty much no excuse to not give the game a try if you have the platforms it's on.

[Melf]

Wait, so this is on the Vita and smartphones but NOT the Xbox 360 or PS3? WTF?

I don't own a Vita and don't want to play this on my friggen' phone. I'd have to go PC if I want to play it at all.

Sometimes I think Sega just doesn't want my money.

[TrekkiesUnite118]

Well, they have a very good reason for not putting it on the the 360. Microsoft's polices on updates has pretty much ruined the 360 version of Phantasy Star Universe. Pretty much every new update on the 360 servers is a disappointment because something get's left out due to Microsoft's policies. The 360 PSU servers are now 3+ years behind the Japanese PC servers. The gap was originally 1 month.

I don't really know why they haven't done a PS3 version. Though they have mentioned that the Smartphone version will be a single player experience only and simplified. So you can play with your character and chat with friends, but you are playing the game by yourself. The Vita version may also be toned down a bit. So a lack of PS3 version may be due to limitations on updates as well.

[The Jackal]

What's the specs for the PC version? Has that been revealed yet?

[TrekkiesUnite118]

These were the minimum requirements for the Alpha test version:

Minimum Requirements
Windows XP 32bit Japanese Language
Windows Vista / 7 32bit or 64bit Japanese Language
Intel Core 2 Duo E6300 or higher
RAM: Windows XP - 1.5GB or higher
RAM: Windows Vista / 7 - 2GB or higher
HDD 8GB or higher
NVIDIA GeForce 7800GT or similar graphics card or higher
DirectX 9.0c or higher
Broadband connection

[The Jackal]

These were the minimum requirements for the Alpha test version:

Minimum Requirements
Windows XP 32bit Japanese Language
Windows Vista / 7 32bit or 64bit Japanese Language
Intel Core 2 Duo E6300 or higher
RAM: Windows XP - 1.5GB or higher
RAM: Windows Vista / 7 - 2GB or higher
HDD 8GB or higher
NVIDIA GeForce 7800GT or similar graphics card or higher
DirectX 9.0c or higher
Broadband connection

Cheers, my PC needs to be updated a little, it seems, to run it.

[jerry coeurl]

Meh. I got sick of PSO back when I had it on Gamecube. I know some people really like that whole "hack, slash, loot, repeat" formula that these type of games offer, but it just isn't for me. I'd prefer a proper Phantasy Star but that's probably never gonna happen at this point... and it might be just as well, considering how the other revivals of classic Sega games turned out.

[TrekkiesUnite118]

Have you seen the gameplay for it though? It looks amazing.

I really don't get the fanbase who get's annoyed that Phantasy Star didn't remain a typical JRPG. There's no story elements to build off of the classic series with. There's nothing to make a Phantasy Star V with.

[jerry coeurl]

The could easily make a prequel, or an in-between title. There is lots of room, time-wise, between the games. When they announced Phantasy Star Zero I was really excited that they were going to be going back to the series roots with a prequel to the first game. And then of course it turned out to be more of the same (to me, very boring) thing they've been releasing since 1999.

Yeah, I would definitely have preferred PS to stay a typical JRPG, as opposed to the 3D Diablo clone it is today.

[TrekkiesUnite118]

Phantasy Star Zero is a prequel, it's a prequel to PSO.

And WoW is a 3D Diablo Clone, the gameplay in PSU and PSO2 is far more advanced than Diablo. I honestly do not see Phantasy Star doing well as a typical JRPG. It would have probably failed miserably against Final Fantasy VII+ and would be another dead and ignored Sega Franchise. Most people I've encountered who have the idea that Online Phantasy Star Sucks haven't seriously tried the online games, or they have only tried them offline, or they think they are all like PSO on the Dreamcast and Gamecube.

[jerry coeurl]

Phantasy Star Zero is a prequel, it's a prequel to PSO.

Uhh, yeah. I know. That's what I just said. I thought it was gonna be a prequel to Phantasy Star (as in, the Master System game) but it ended up being a part of the Phantasy Star Online games, which was a big disappointment for me.

And WoW is a 3D Diablo Clone, the gameplay in PSU and PSO2 is far more advanced than Diablo. I honestly do not see Phantasy Star doing well as a typical JRPG. It would have probably failed miserably against Final Fantasy VII+ and would be another dead and ignored Sega Franchise. Most people I've encountered who have the idea that Online Phantasy Star Sucks haven't seriously tried the online games, or they have only tried them offline, or they think they are all like PSO on the Dreamcast and Gamecube.

Phantasy Star Online v. 1 & 2 (the only version of the game I played) is exactly like Diablo; it's an online, limited-multiplayer based game that revolves around hack and slash combat with the primary incentive being getting new loot, so you can grind even further for newer, better loot. WoW is different, it's a proper MMO. I'm not a fan of either style of gameplay, to be honest.

I don't really care if Phantasy Star would have done well in a post-FFVII world or not. Panzer Dragoon Saga obviously didn't do as well as FFVII but it's still leagues better than it. What I care about is how good games are, not how well they're received critically, or whether or not they receive an annual sequel.

[TrekkiesUnite118]

A typical JRPG Phantasy Star would have been average at best. Look at the new Shining Force games Sega puts out, are those anywhere near as good as the Genesis and Saturn titles?

And notice that I said Phantasy Star Universe and Phantasy Star Online 2. Those are entirely different games. And I was talking about gameplay, WoW's gameplay is pretty much Diablo set to 3D. It feels clunky and broken as a result. At least in Phantasy Star I can dodge an enemies attack by simply moving out of the way.

[jerry coeurl]

A typical JRPG Phantasy Star would have been average at best. Look at the new Shining Force games Sega puts out, are those anywhere near as good as the Genesis and Saturn titles?

Skies of Arcadia was one of the best RPGs of its generation. You're telling me that the team that made that game couldn't have come up with a good Phantasy Star?

The issue I take with the new Shining Force games is exactly the issue I take with the new Phantasy Star games; they're using a classic franchise name to sell games that obviously have nothing to do with their source material. Plus they're just bad. That doesn't mean that if they tried to make a proper Shining Force as it was meant to be (a grid-based tactical RPG) it would turn out bad. They would just have to put some effort in to it (although Sega seems pretty loathe to do that these days).