Open beta session closes today; boxed version of free-to-play MMO game will be released in September.
Sega has announced that the PC version of Phantasy Star Online 2 is now ready for public consumption: the official servers for the free-to-play title will open on July 4 in Japan at 2 p.m. JST. The current open beta servers were closed today.
Gamers who wish to acquire arcs cash, the official currency for in-game purchases, using real money, will need to wait until 3 p.m. JST for the option to be available. Sega also announced a Phantasy Star Online 2 Premium Package set that will be available on September 13. For 6,279 yen ($79), gamers will get a game install disc, codes for a set of five original weapons, and a device that will evolve a player's in-game Mag companion faster than usual.
Sega also announced that the number of participants for the June 21 open beta had crossed the 500,000 mark and that the game had reached a maximum connection of 80,000 players, simultaneously. For more information on the free-to-play title, check out GameSpot's recent coverage on the game.
Born and raised from a jungle-laden village in Sarawak, Malaysia, Jonathan Toyad has been playing games since the early 90s. He favors fighting games, RPGs, and rhythm titles above every other genre, and occasionally spaces out like Pavlov's dog to video game music on his iPod.
Want to play PSO2 now? Do a google search for "Phantasy Star Online 2 English Translation Installation Guide" and you can start playing on your PC RIGHT NOW! I just lvl'd up to lvl 2 - plays great. Some fan made a translation patch which translates a lot of the important info into english! Ok now I'm of to play til I pass out. PSO2 playable in english right now - ftw. The English speaking players are in ships 2 and 10. Have fun!
1 Like I just hope they release this in english, or at least semi-english. I downloaded the character creator last night thanks to a friend and now I've downloaded this game and I've NEVER played it before... But I want to, soooo bad.
1 Like I don't even need english voices for the characters, I just want to be able to play it without randomly clicking :C Pleeaaase SEGA. You already kept Project Diva in Japan, but please don't keep this within the japanese borders only :C
So, let me understand, you can pay 80$ for 5 dlc weapons and an experience multiplier ? Man, In my days you could get a whole lot of games stuff for that. What you say ? It was just 2 , maybe 3 years ago ? Oh yea, right.
1 Like @Crossel777 Honestly, all they would have to do is make an english site, it baffles me why they haven't yet. Even on Japanese servers I never ran into any snags connection wise. But I'm sure Sega will do an official release soon after, I mean, It's PSO!!!
@chibi-acer Actually, the closed beta had an (albeit unofficial) english patch, the voices were still in Japanese of course, but it was definitely playable. I'm sure in a month we'll see another for the full version.
1 Like I hope this makes its way to consoles at some point, though I hope they do away with the free to play idea as in order to get the things you want you have to constantly throw real money into the guradians cash scheme.
The whole concept of having to "rent" a virtual player room out to store your items is insane. Yes it works for the Japanese market as its almost the same thing that PSU has but for a western audience I cant see it working.Fingers crossed for it being sub based with all the content avaliable from go, with obviously events and updates added monthly or some thing...
3 Like The game is awesome, even if it's japanese, i highly recomend you guys to try.
I hope that they either bring it to the West, or at least launch an oficial english patch for the game and make it somehow international.
still think about going back to PSU but then id have to have both an xboxlive monthly sub and the sub for that -.- it just isnt worth it
@MamaLukuBuku Indeed, 7th of september the Xbox PSU severs will be shut down, unlike previous Phantasy stars the last few months are not for free. As such almost everyone has quit the game as there is not point paying to play up to that point. DO NOT BUY A SUBSCRIPTION FOR PSU! is all I can say :]
1 Like For all the people saying "I wish I could play this", you can. Go to PSO-World.com and find the guides on how to create a JP Sega account, and how to install the game. It's in Japanese, but they have a lot of translations on that forum for US players that want to play.
1 Like The crappy thing for me is that I just got around to DLing and installing the beta yesterday, not realizing that it's over today lol. Oh well, here's hoping this comes over to the US quick. Even just the 10mins I played got me super amped.
2 Like god I want this sooo badly! Being there from day 1 with the original PSO online for Dreamcast and having recently upgraded my desktop to a beast machine that will run this in its sleep I just hope and pray they release it to the rest of the world
3 Like @DCUltrapro seriously they need to spread the love. Dreamcast pso was amazing. It was so full of wonder and amazement. It's kind of like going to disney world for the first time.
2 Like @dtrosaly yeah totally, PSO on the DC was like the final frontier or something lol, it was just unparalleled in its time, I played it for years and still play it online now... just hope pso2 comes out to the west soon
For the first time since I've come here, it's paid off to be a gamer in Japan. The people here are obsessed with monster hunter and portable systems and it's actually cheaper for me to import American games than buy the Japanese version, but I at least can play this for a bit before they hopefully export it to the west.
I'll try to give it a shot, but F2P is a big turn off when its pay2win instead. I hope Sega keeps it very cosmetic instead of players buying sets of pwnage gear.
1 Like C'mon Sega, be a leader and bring this F2P MMO stateside. Our console options stink, save us! Remind us of how Sega games used to crush, or are you destined for mediocrity along with so many other fallen developers.
1 Like Arg! ...Darn you Sega! Announce it for the states already! This is only reminding me how much I want to play it!
1 Like Too bad this game isn't coming to relevant consoles and still seems to be running on a dated engine. Sega needs to quit being lazy and update the game engine to something that doesn't have visuals that look straight out of dreamcast. Each time a new PSO comes out of Sega it looks like a slightly modified engine tweak, but the visuals stay so close to the original that it just looks dated. No matter how nostalgic the game might be, I was always let down by the fact that the game engine didn't seem to progress at all, and I have played the DC PSO, GC both versions, Xbox version, 360 PSU, PSP PSU1 &2. All I see is the same layout, teleport to familiar looking stages with usual fan fare and pummel everything in sight whilst reading little tid bits of story if you really care about the story at all. Sega at least update the overall visuals, then make the stages at least look cohesive and not with weird invisible barriers that stop you well before you get to an edge, it looks so basic and elementary. I had high hopes about PSU until I saw it in action, what a let down but the game was fun but just seemed like they took a shortcut to get there and the so so visuals weren't doing much for the game.
2 Like your right! graphics is what sells games cause nobody ever bought a pokemon game that used 2d sprites as its main graphical component.....Oh wait! they all do. i also think no shooter out there has ever toped UT 2004
1 Like so many good memorys with phantasy star if it wasnt a monthly fee i would be playing it right now.
1 Like lol did you seriously just say if it wasnt a monthly fee game!? like mabe if it was a free-to-play game? go read the words in the artical and then come back to me
@justinka777 i acualy ment the current phantasy star on xboxlive well maybe about a year back i stoped playing it.
Your forum writing style is so fantastic, I like it so much because you can convey your message easily with nice words.
1 Like I want this game so much, hopefully it has that same nostalgia that the first one had. As well as much needed improvements and something new MMO's don't do.
Sega bringing free-to-play continuation of online action role-playing series to North America and Europe sometime in 2013.
Users who looked at this article also looked at these content items.
Microsoft confirms that it won't charge any fees for any titles eligible for resale. Full Story
Playing Xbox One games on somebody else's console will also require a check-in every hour. Full Story
Sony confirms a $399/€399/£349 price for the PlayStation 4 hardware, $100 cheaper than Microsoft's Xbox One. Full Story
Will be coming in 2014. Full Story
Pan's Labyrinth director praises Ken Levine and Irrational Games for latest BioShock, says he would consider large-scale Pacific Rim game "God willing." Full Story
Xbox boss Don Mattrick believes concerns over connectivity are overblown, recommends Xbox 360 for those without an Internet connection. Full Story
EA Labels boss Frank Gibeau describes new project as "open-world action adventure game." Full Story
Sony on why it won't hinder PS4 used games--flexibility creates value
PlayStation boss Jack Tretton says ability to freely resell games creates value in the initial purchase; PS4 won't require online check-in because many...
