NEW 2 page interview!! at the core!! whoa!!!!!!

[Saner2]

wow!!! this really rules!!!! ^_^<p>http://ps2.ign.com/articles/650/650101p1.html<p>Phantasy Star Universe will appear in its latest form at the Tokyo Game Show later this week, but prior to that, IGN was given access to Sega's Tokyo headquarters for a one-on-one interview with Takao Miyoshi, Creative Manager at Global Entertainment R&D Dept #3, aka Sonic Team. Here's what transpired. We've also included some pics from around Sega's HQ at the end of the interview, so be sure and read all the way through.<p>The interview took place at Sega's headquarters near Haneda Airport <p>IGN: Phantasy Star Online came out on GameCube, Xbox and PC. Why have you decided to bring Universe to the PS2 instead of the GameCube or Xbox?<p>Miyoshi: At the time of PSO, when considering whether to develop for the PS2 or GameCube, we felt that we could release something of higher quality on the GameCube, and so we made GameCube the main platform. And then, we ported the GameCube version to the Xbox. However, for PSU, we felt that we could reach a wider audience by moving over to the PS2 and the PC.<p>IGN: PS2 doesn't have a network program in place like Xbox Live. Has this caused any problems?<p>Miyoshi: Xbox has stronger online capabilities for sure -- there's no question about that. It might be okay to launch PSU on Xbox for the US market, but not for the Japanese market. Knowing what Final Fantasy XI has done in Japan with Online gameplay, I feel that the user base is there, so I feel strongly that PSU will appeal to the PS2 audience. In addition, PSU offers a tremendous amount of Offline content. Even with PSO, a lot of people played mostly Offline mode. I would say something like 20% or so played Online. However, for PSU we put a lot of emphasis on Offline to make this a standalone Offline RPG -- that's the core of the game. In addition to that, we added the Online features.<p>IGN: So is there an Xbox version under consideration?<p>Miyoshi: There's no plan yet. Although if we did it, it would be on Xbox 360 and not Xbox.<p>IGN: [rubs hands together in anticipation...]<p>Miyoshi: There are a tremendous number of Xbox users in America, so we would definitely like to do it, although nothing is decided yet.<p>IGN: Will the PS2 and PC versions of the game be released at the same time?<p>Miyoshi: If we can.<p>IGN: Specifically regarding the PS2 version, when can we expect to play it?<p>Miyoshi: No dates have been set yet, but in general we will launch the Japanese version first and the US version second.<p>IGN: So no chance for a Christmas release? Pretty please?<p>Miyoshi: It hasn't been decided yet.<p>IGN: What advantages will the PC version have over the PS2 version?<p>Miyoshi: Phantasy Star is, of course, a console brand, and it's known as a game that you play with the game controller. PSU was created with the controller in mind, so it feels natural when you play using the game controller. As for the PC, you can also plug in a game controller so you get the same experience. In addition, you will get better graphics and higher resolution.<p>IGN: Will the content be the same between the two?<p>Miyoshi: Yes, the content will be the same.<p>IGN: In terms of downloads and updates, will you take advantage of the PC's hard drive, or maybe even the PS2's hard drive?<p>Miyoshi: In general, we'd like to keep the content same as the PC. There will be downloadable quests, but as far as new maps or patches or things like that, we're not planning that.<p>IGN: Will the quests, then, be saved to your Memory Card?<p>Miyoshi: They will be downloaded directly to your PS2's memory before play.<p>IGN: Can PC players play against PS2 players?<p>Miyoshi: This is often asked, but I can't say for certain yet. Technically, it's possible, and if we can, we'd like to do it.<p>IGN: The PS2 has one advantage over the PC -- the PSP. Will it be possible to connect to the PSP? Or maybe even Phantasy Star Online for the PSP?<p>[ Miyoshi laughs ]<p>IGN: If you tell us off the record, we won't tell anyone...<p>[ Miyoshi exchanges lots of talk in Japanese with the Sega of America representatives making IGN wonder what in the world they're chatting about. ]<p>Miyoshi: No plans as of now.<p>Mr. Miyoshi outside the securely locked Sonic Team development lab. <p>IGN: Moving on to gameplay, what is the most important change you made to Phantasy Star Online when creating Phantasy Star Universe?<p>Miyoshi: The biggest difference that we made for PSU concerns the lobby structure. The structure in PSO was just a lobby where you would go to chat with other members, but in PSU we've created an entire city whose sole purpose is to meet up with other people and to communicate. In a way it feels like a MMO (massively multiplayer Online game) where you have a city with tons of people roaming around, exchanging items, chatting and hooking up with parties to go on quests or head out to dungeons.<p>IGN: How many people can exist in this world at the same time?<p>Miyoshi: Somewhere around 100.<p>

[Saner2]

IGN: And then you'll have separate servers, of course...<p>Miyoshi: There will actually likely be more than 100 because the city itself will be divided into divisions or sections -- you know, different floors.<p>IGN: Floors? So can you take an escalator or an elevator or something to go between these floors?<p>Miyoshi: There are both escalators and elevators.<p>IGN: Are the floors different servers and the escalators and elevators jump between them?<p>Miyoshi: The floors, escalators and elevators stay on the same server. There's another terminal that allows you to jump to a separate server.<p>Each floor has its own function. The first floor will have people hanging out, like a park area. The second floor is structured more like an airport, with transportation. Third floor will have shops. The fourth floor will be the guardian headquarters. Guardians, by the way, are the main group that your character joins.<br>From: fzero | Posted: 9/12/2005 10:06:01 AM | Message Detail <br>IGN: Can you go into depth about the duel wielding system and the combat system in general?<p>Miyoshi: The biggest difference between PSO and PSU in combat style is the duel wielding system. You can now carry a gun in one hand and a sword in the other. This adds another layer to the strategy element. For PSO we used an Action Palette. In PSU, we have taken the Action Palette into each individual weapon so that each weapon has its own palette system through which you can improve the weapon as you play.<p>IGN: We assume combos feature heavily in the game...<p>Miyoshi: In PSO, you could have up to a three hit combo. In PSU, you can build your character to master up to six hits.<p>IGN: Can you use different weapons in mid combo?<p>Miyoshi: You can't change weapons during combos.<p>IGN: What's the deal with SUV weapons and Nanoblasts?<p>Miyoshi: I can't talk too much in detail about that at this point, but SUV weapons are a type of race that exists in the PSU world. Nanoblast is a part of the beast race, within the four races that exist in PSU. Nanoblast allows beasts to transform.<p>PSU brings the focus back to Offline play. <p>IGN: What kind of structure does the Offline mode have? Does it play out like a real RPG or is it mission based?<p>Miyoshi: The structure of the Offline mode is story based. We placed an emphasis on the story element of the Offline RPG. For a good RPG, story is an essential element. We basically went back to the roots of what makes a good RPG and wanted to create a solid, strong Offline RPG as a foundation and add the Online mode after that. To be honest, that was lacking in PSO. It had a great, fun multiplayer Online mode, but the story element was lacking for it to be considered a classic RPG.<p>IGN: Do you travel around from town to town and go through dungeons and what not, just like in the old Phantasy Star games?<p>Miyoshi: Not just towns, but the scale takes place in the universe, so you get to travel between planets -- it's really big.<p>IGN: And, of course, you've revealed that the planetary system is new.<p>Miyoshi: It's brand new, although we've taken the concept from the original Phantasy Star of having three planets. The idea of the number of planets came from the original Phantasy Star, although for PSU, we've also added Guardian's Colony, which is like a planet of its own. In reality, there are four worlds that you can travel to.<p>IGN: Does the Offline mode have a level-like structure? Can you go back to older dungeons once you've cleared them?<p>Miyoshi: The basic story mode doesn't have that kind of style, but we are making it so that the player has a lot of freedom without getting side tracked from the main story, as we really want the users to experience the story. We have yet to decide the details of the game modes yet, but it's not the case that you definitely won't be able to do that [replay older dungeons].<p>IGN: Are the dungeons and stages in Online mode based off the Offline mode stages?<p>Miyoshi: The world itself is the same as Offline, but the level of the enemies will vary.<p>IGN: In Online mode, can you chose to go to any part of the world with your friends as a part of missions or quests?<p>Miyoshi: Yes, you can select which planet or world you want to go to based on the quest that you pick.<p>Phantasy Star products on display at Sonic Team. <p>IGN: Can you describe the team system in Online mode. Will players be able to form guilds and teams?<p>Miyoshi: There won't be a team system or guild system like in PSOBB (Blue Burst -- a recent PC update in the series). Just like PSO, you can save a guild card and send out party invites to your friend.<p>IGN: As a last question, what are Sonic Team's plans for the next generation of Phantasy Star after Universe?<p>Miyoshi: We're planning something, but we haven't determined what system or anything like that at this point.

[Lord Khyron]

<blockquote><br>In addition, you will get better graphics and higher resolution. <br></blockquote> <p>Haha.. PS2 users get a worse product.. Ahaha. <p>Substandard graphics indeed.. Oh I can imagine all the Ps2 fanboys bitching.<p>Haha.. for once, PS2 proves it can't compete. <p>A MMORPG without patches? Please.. Do they really think they can make a FULL MMORPG without needing patches to add content they forgot? What idiocy. <br>

[Parn]

PSU isn't a MMORPG.

[Lord Khyron]

It has a MMORPG aspect to it with online play. THAT is a fact.<p>You can't dispute that.<p>So you're willing to argue that the online isn't a MMORPG? You don't make and raise your own char, and choose what happens to it?<p>Far stretch my friend.<p>MMORPG's can't exist without patches or upgrades. You can't make a COMPLETE MMORPG.. There will be patches and updates. <p>PSU is a OFFLINE RPG, and a online MMORPG.<p>What, you missed that too?<p>P.S. DC needed ver 2 to add ultimate, and Gamecube had to have PLUS to add the tower areas. Further proof that you can't update massively or with new areas, unless you can patch the actual game. You have to release a upgraded version like Ver 2 and Plus. <br><p>[size=small][Edit by Lord Khyron on [TIME]1126579458[/TIME]][/size]

[Saner2]

Khyron you are terrible. The graphics on PS2 will still be good enough to enjoy. <p>so what that the PC can produce better visuals, but side by side, it IS NOT such a big difference to be worth shelling out $300-1000 for such a small difference. <br>besides PCs are all different, many players are forced to play with graphics on PC even lower than the console version!!! so you can't generalize PCs as superior visually since everyone's hardware is different and not everyone would pay so much to upgrade. with console, it'll still look great for everyone with a console. and you just paied 50 for the game, you dont need to shell out extra for a video card just for a slight improvement<p>and whining about patches. <br>PSU will be LARGER and deeper and better than all the previous PSOs combined. PSO, besides downloadable quests, never had new area downloads, and look how long and fun PSO lasted for countless people, especially for the Dreamcast!!!!<p>you sound like a spoiled brat who depends on patches to provide new things to satisfy your SHORT ATTENTION SPAN a little while longer<p>other players could go for over 2 years without patches/newitem/maps, they'll have friends and fun. new characters to create, etc. etc. <p>this is a huge leap compared to any PSO version after a previous PSO version. but you are so ungrateful as to treat it like a toy you can criticize and flame with unjustifiable disappointment!! <br><b> laughing in the face of Phantasy Star's good name is like bickering in front of a mirror you cant see but it's certainly laughing back at you, because you will be the one missing out, no one else!!!!!</b>

[Lord Khyron]

Please Saner, Most PS fans bitch about PS 3 because of the graphics and battle system being different. Those PS 3 Graphics are inferior to PS 2/4.<p>I've heard you quote that many times. <p>When the developer himself quotes that the PC version will be better graphically than the PS2, it means the PS2 is subpar. That is a simple fact. I can quote other examples of Ps 2 games being inferior to even Xbox or PC counterparts.<p>Please 2 years without patches? Those people had to have downloadable quests/online quests or else they would get bored of PSO.<p>Hell, How many migrated to PSO 1/2 PLUS just because they were bored with the original 1/2 and wanted new areas?<p>Those new areas, for offliners took new CD's! 29.99 to shell out for new areas, of which you got online to begin with. <p>PSO players have always used quests online to relieve boredom. You can only do Very hard ruins, Ultimate Forest/Caves so many times. <p>Hell, People bitched and Blue Burst has Episode IV! And what did it take? A new platform! Episode IV has to be PATCHED, stuff added. OMG!<p>You're missing the point in your fanaticism Saner. Your insults are pointless. I'm facing facts, you are not. <p>This is my last word on it, so feel free to insult and go off the deep end some more. I will just be sad when you're so dissapointed with the PS2 version, and start complaining about it like you the others do about PS 3.

[Saner2]

Please 2 years without patches? Those people had to have downloadable quests/online quests or else they would get bored of PSO. <p><b> PSU will have downloadable quests! that has nothing to do with patches</b><p>Hell, How many migrated to PSO 1/2 PLUS just because they were bored with the original 1/2 and wanted new areas? <p><b>the PSO games were very small in area content to begin with! even the Diablo games had more areas than PSO! And those games are ancient!</b><p>Those new areas, for offliners took new CD's! 29.99 to shell out for new areas, of which you got online to begin with. <p><b>well consider PSO's size. PSU has 3 planets, a space station, even VEHICLES!!! that goes to show much much bigger the worlds will be! PSO wasnt even a world! it was just a few dungeons divided into a few parts. PSU is closer to MMORPG worlds than PSO's 100% dungeon hack</b><p>PSO players have always used quests online to relieve boredom. You can only do Very hard ruins, Ultimate Forest/Caves so many times. <p><b>and PSU will provide new quests. he said there will be new quests! besides if your characters is maxed out and you get bored, just make a new character. people in MMORPGs do it all the time. </b><p>Hell, People *****ed and Blue Burst has Episode IV! And what did it take? A new platform! Episode IV has to be PATCHED, stuff added. OMG! <p><b>Blue Burst isn't that much of a big leap from past PSOs.</b><p>You're missing the point in your fanaticism Saner. Your insults are pointless. I'm facing facts, you are not. <p>This is my last word on it, so feel free to insult and go off the deep end some more. I will just be sad when you're so dissapointed with the PS2 version, and start complaining about it like you the others do about PS 3. <p><b> no way I'm not like that. there are many things to have fun with the game that doesnt require patches. besides with good friends online and a much much much bigger 'universe' in PSU, things will be a whoel lot better.<p>and as for the graphics comparison thing, look at FFXI. the lesser graphics In PS2 didnt stop thousands of people from enjoying it on PS2. [/b]

[Parn]

Pssst... PSU is still not a MMORPG Khyron, just like PSO is not a MMORPG. You can keep trying to be a smartass, but Sega is not advertising the game as a MMORPG simply because it is not a MMORPG. These are words straight from Takao Miyoshi, lead director of PSU's development:<p>Miyoshi: The biggest difference that we made for PSU concerns the lobby structure. The structure in PSO was just a lobby where you would go to chat with other members, but in PSU we've created an entire city whose sole purpose is to meet up with other people and to communicate. In a way it feels like a MMO (massively multiplayer Online game) where you have a city with tons of people roaming around, exchanging items, chatting and hooking up with parties to go on quests or head out to dungeons.<p>That sentence is key... the idea was to make it FEEL like a MMORPG when you're in town, simply by the large number of people you can interact with when you're not in a team in your instanced game. Guild Wars uses this same method, and it too, is not a MMORPG, and ArenaNet also does not claim Guild Wars to be a MMORPG.<p>PSU is not a MMORPG. Just because it may share a few aspects doesn't mean shit. Sonic Adventure let you talk to a few townspeople like an RPG when you're running around Station Square. Does that qualify Sonic Adventure to be called an RPG? Nope.<p>PSU is going to be cheater heaven if they're serious about not patching the game. At the very least, they better patch the servers themselves, or the game is doomed from the start.

[Lord Khyron]

Please.. The online aspect of PSU has the same damn things ROSE online does. THANG online as well.. I could go on and on.<p>Those are all MMORPG's.<p>MMORPG's are where you make a character, raise it's stats and choose what to do and who to kill in the world and adventure. Did we forget the base definition of it? PSU is a MMORPG Online plain and simple. MMORPG's have customization and PSU has alot of customization. You think there will be other things to do besides hunt, kill monsters and raise levels? Please. They won't even have Lobby soccer. <p>PSU online is a MMORPG plain and simple. It fits the definition and the gameplay will be the same. It's just like Sega's big hit MMORPG, RF online which is going international soon. <p>There is no other way around it.. The features make it a online MMORPG. You can try to make it seem like anything else, But in the end, it is a MMORPG. It will suffer the same repetetiveness of PSO. <p>If it wasn't a MMORPG, you wouldn't have a unique character to build, control and determine it's actions. Role playing games have that. PSU has you making a char, controlling it's actions, raising it's levels and doing what you want. AND! OMG! We have hundreds of other people playing! It's a MASSIVELY MULTIPLAYER ROLE PLAYING GAME!<p>Holy cow o.o I'm serious too!<p>P.S. Look at Maple Story, Biosfear, Risk your Life, and the other MMORPG clones. They all have the same aspect. <p>[size=small][Edit by Lord Khyron on [TIME]1126749305[/TIME]][/size]

[Parn]

The world isn't static in a game like PSO, or PSU. You cannot meet another group of adventurers in the middle of the same dungeon, overworld, whatever. The only static element of PSO and potentially PSU, is the lobby. Just like Diablo. Just like Guild Wars.<p>"You have thousands of people playing so its massive, see it fits!" doesn't fly with me, because I can use that same logic with the acronym RPG. In Sonic Adventure, you are "playing the role of Sonic" and "it's a game" so that means Sonic Adventure is an RPG! In Streets of Rage 2, you can play the role of Axel, Blaze, Skate, or Max, so it's an RPG!<p>See how this works? No matter how many reasons you try to come up with, you're still wrong. You can talk customization, you can talk online, you can talk about raising stats all you want. PSU is not marketed as a MMORPG because it doesn't fit the current bill.

[Lord Khyron]

You fail to see that other MMORPG's that follow PSU's suit, are considered MMORPG with the exact same online style.<p>Don't play many Korean MMORPG's eh?

[Parn]

Played Ragnarok Online. It's just like every other MMORPG; you click on a target, and the game fights for you. Occasionally you'll press a function key to perform a skill, but you don't dodge enemies like you do in PSO. RO is just a faster paced version of every other shitty MMORPG ever made.<p>Fuck MMORPGs.

[Lord Khyron]

Not really.. You should try Rose Online, or Priston tale, or Biosfear, or Thang Online..<p>And to your other point, people can join your game anytime on PSO. Unless you password protect it.<p>You've played it for years, you should know this. <p>It even is that way on BB, people coming and going.<p>Don't give me that BS...<p>Priston Tale is real time fighting and dodging too. You've never experience those types of MMORPG. <br><p>[size=small][Edit by Lord Khyron on [TIME]1126762624[/TIME]][/size]

[Parn]

Try paying attention. I said meeting another group of adventurers. I can't take my team of 4 on Ragol and meet another team of 4 in the same forest. That's because Ragol isn't a static world, it's instanced for each player.