Phantasy Star Online Sequel is a... PC Exclusive?

By Kevin Parrish
published

The true sequel to Phantasy Star Online will apparently be a PC exclusive.

Go Sega! Believe it or not, the co-op action/rpg Phantasy Star Online (PSO) turns 10-years-old this year, originally appearing on Sega's monster (but seemingly unloved) gaming console, the Dreamcast, back in Q4 2000 / Q1 2001. The game was updated and re-released as Version 2 for the Dreamcast later in 2001, and then re-appeared as PSO Episodes I & II on the Nintendo GameCube and Microsoft's original Xbox console in 2002. PSO Episode III C.A.R.D. Revolution arrived on the GameCube in 2003.

But the consoles weren't alone. Sega shipped a PC version of PSO Version 2 in 2001, however it was only released in Asia. Sega followed up with an international release of Phantasy Star Online: Blue Burst in 2004, a port of the Xbox version that included Episode I, Episode II, and a new Episode IV which offered a server-side saving system, a team system and more.

Surprisingly, Sega revealed this week at TGS 2010 that a true sequel to Phantasy Star Online is in the works--none of that Episode stuff we saw all those years ago. More importantly, the game is (so far) only slated for the PC--a shocking surprise given the franchise's console-laden history. According to Phantasy Star series producer Satoshi Sakai, Phantasy Star Online 2 won't be a rehash of its predecessor, but rather a "completely new work" and a "true successor."

Currently there's no other information available, however Phantasy Star Online 2 is slated for a 2011 release.

PSO fans on the go can now pick up Phantasy Star Portable 2 for Sony's PSP, released back on September 14. The game finally brings the "online" portion to the portable franchise as experienced with Phantasy Star Online and the "Episode" versions. Fortunately, Phantasy Star Portable 2's online component will not require a monthly subscription. A demo is also available to download and play for free which also provides online multiplayer support.

Phantasy Star Universe was released for the PC, PlayStation 2 and Xbox 360 in October 2006. Unlike the PSO franchise, Universe's main focus was on the single-player campaign, however the game also offered an online component--both of which featured the same hack-n-slash action/RPG gameplay. The story was thus continued in an expansion pack called Ambition of the Illuminus, released in September 2007.

Kevin Parrish
16 Comments Comment from the forums
  • the_krasno
    Yeah! Show some love to us PC gamers :D
    Reply
  • a tired smile
    I'm really looking forward to this. I loved PSO back on the Dreamcast as well as PSO: Blue Burst. Sadly, I think that every game since Phantasy Star Universe has been pretty bad, so hopefully this is a return to form.
    Reply
  • jhansonxi
    PSO brought Linux to the GameCube (not that it was planned).
    Reply
  • eklipz330
    well blizzard is pretty much cannibalizing the MMO department right now... i hope they don't make a clone = /
    Reply
  • Stifle
    One of my Favorite Dreamcast games comes to my favorite platform. Always loved the challenge of producing the most helpful pet for your class type over time by feeding it items.
    Reply
  • maigo
    SWEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEET!
    Reply
  • TheWhiteRose000
    If Sega makes this P2P I will be pissed.
    D:

    BUT OMG!
    PSO!!!!!!

    Reply
  • alextheblue
    I love my Dreamcast. One of my favorite consoles, way ahead of its day especially in terms of online gaming. PSO was a part of that, and I had PSO, v2, and then got Ep I and II on Xbox. The character customization was pretty advanced. PSO-World has a bit more info on PSO 2:
    http://www.pso-world.com/news/02318-more-pso2-details-translated-sega-teaser-video
    and a better quality video:
    http://phantasystar.sega.jp/psportal/pso2/
    stifleOne of my Favorite Dreamcast games comes to my favorite platform. Always loved the challenge of producing the most helpful pet for your class type over time by feeding it items.I'm not sure I'd consider Mags "pets" in the same sense as pets in most games. They are more like a part of you, giving you an extra ability and boosting your stats. They are cool though - I especially loved how they evolved into interesting looking machines. My favorite Mags were the ones that looked like Genesis units (I can't remember but I think they were model 1 units), Dreamcasts, and the one that looked like a hovering "spoiler" for your character. :P

    Honestly the successor to Mags in PSU, Partner Machinery (or PMs for short) were better in some ways and worse in others. They provided a lot of great functions, including crafting while you're out fighting. Plus you could level them up into a humanoid and they would assist you in combat a bit - that part was a bit flawed as most of them weren't very smart. But it was a neat idea.

    Reply
  • alextheblue
    Of course that video doesn't do anything for those who can't read japanese except confirm that it is a true sequel called PSO 2, and that it is PC exclusive (near the end of the video). But the first link has some info on it.
    Reply
  • JOSHSKORN
    They need to have more PC Exclusives. PC Hardware is just far superior to consoles, now.
    Reply