View Thread : PSO X-Box news... I told ya so


OB1
I knew it. (http://gaming-age.com/cgi-bin/news/news.pl?y=2003&m=1&nid=31-81.db)

This morning it was announced that Sega's Xbox version of Phantasy Star Online Episode I & II will be distributed by Microsoft Games Studios. PSO Xbox will launch in March, and will be the first online RPG to feature voice chat with the Xbox Communicator headset
Users will unfortunately also have to pay an additional fee of $8.95 per month (first 2 months are free) on top of the Xbox Live fee to purchase a "hunter's license", to play the game online. It will provides access to a plethora of online exclusive content such as seasonal quests, downloads and rare in-game items.

Both episodes can be played online or offline with up to four gamers. Additional game modes include Challenge and Battle. Dolby Digital 5.1 surround sound is also supported in Phantasy Star Online Episode I & II. Oddly enough though, an Xbox Live account is required to play Phantasy Star Online Episode I & II both offline and online.




-- Paul Bryant


Who in their right mind would pay an extra $9 a month for PSO on top of the X-Box Live fee? Is it really worth more than Mech Assault or Ghost Recon? I don't think so!

Dark Jaguar
XBox Live fee? So far it's a one time thing each year, but yes indeed having to pay for something plus this is stupid. This isn't a massivly multiplayer online RPG, just an online RPG! Unless I miss my guess, the cost of running these servers shouldn't be any more than normal.

However, I KNEW that Sega would realize that Nintendo's online support was pretty much dead and they weren't making money off it. They would have had to eventually splinter off. Next will be the PS2 version.

Again though, unless it's massivly multiplayer, I don't see how this costs more to run than Mech Assault.

Private Hudson
Well PSO is running off of Sega's own servers, I do believe.

So they have an excuse, but it's not as if the game world is constantly being updated and changed ala any MMORPG, so why the extra costs?

No surprises, though.

A Black Falcon
Yeah, all the versions of PSO since the second version have required paying so it sure doesn't surprise me that this one does... I'd be surprised if it didn't, but not that it does.

Not all I wonder is how the X-Box one will sell compared to the NGC one...

Private Hudson
Taking into account the fact that they discontinued the NGC one.... ;)

javapimp
Well... I loved PSO on DC... when it was free. I liked PSO on GCN when my friend had it and HE paid for it. Will I pay $8.95 a month? Maybe... well, until Star Wars Galaxies drops for the PC... I don't have time for more than one MMORPG.

Regardless it is annoying that Sega wants you to pay for a game that supports four players online... I mean, is a heavens punisher worth $8.95 a month... bleh...

The only thing that will really warrant the purchase of this game for me is if a bunch of my friends from 2 other forums all purchase and play it online. Otherwise there is no chance. If it was free though... or maybe even $4.95/mo like Version 2 was on DC... it would be a no brainer.

Dark Jaguar
But Phantasy Star ISN'T a MMORPG! It's just an ORPG! All you do is hook up with a couple friends and go against each other. MM means that EVERYONE is in the SAME game at ONCE, in a HUGE world. In other words, ANYONE who logged in is right there next to you battling a monster.

javapimp
Well, reading through threads of my most visited forum, I found one single reason that may warrant $8.95/mo

"The downloadable content for the Xbox Live version will be identical to the content that is offered GameCube owners, with the exception of patches to correct any of the “NOLing,” item duplicating or online cheating problems that have affected previous versions of Phantasy Star Online. Microsoft is taking the threat of cheating in the game very seriously and has stated that the decision to patch a game will not be made lightly."

Use of the hard drive would force gamers to have the most updated patches that will hopefuly prevent cheating. That was one of the worst things about the DC version. The economy was worthless because items were no longer rare. Now if this were true, it may be the game that gets me addicted to XBL. I hated dupers and cheaters, and I'm ashamed to admit that after all else failed I joined the ranks of Gamesharkers... but I almost felt forced into it. Oh well.

One BAD ITEM... US players will not be able to access the Japan or Europe servers as a security precaution. No big deal to me, but I'm sure some people would dislike it.

Dark Jaguar
That's certainly a bad item indeed! I mean, that cuts down the total people roaming around by half, maybe more if Europe still has people living there :D. However, I too HATE the whole cheating thing in online games. Now, I've said before that I've never been a fan of Gamesharks or any kind of altering of game code to cheat. However, I also stated that it's fine if they decide to do it themselves since it only affects them, so long as they didn't brag about anything they beat while cheating. However, this time it steps way out of line. Cheating online is not for fun at all. It's just harmful to anyone who isn't doing the cheating. Walking into rooms, killing anyone there just for being there, is not fun at all. Cheats don't make online games fun, they just create an army of horribly evil jerks you have to avoid. I'm sure the jerks just LOVE the fear and the disruption of the order the makers were going for, but that doesn't matter. (Let me say this, I hate anyone who enjoys making people mad. Ugh, what's the point? Stop using people as your entertaintment and just live you coward who sabotauges relationships with others out of fear that if they tried to be nice they wouldn't be liked. Sorry...) The point is that it just ruins the fun for everyone else you "I learned to only care about ME, I just want bang bang bang, shut up before I hurt you, whatever I don't care about you, ..., hahahhahha I like it when you get angry" killjoys. Sheesh... In other words, I have no tears to shed for anyone who complains because the latest patch ruined all their hard work setting up that kill bot they just made. Hard work alone doesn't make something good. There's lots of evil things that take dedication and hard work. Hard work and dedication are not qualities of goodness, they are simply qualities one wants to put towards goodness. I mean, running an orginization that steals a nuclear warhead and holds the world hostage for 100 billion dollars takes a LOT of hard work, but it's not good in the least.

A Black Falcon
I don't understand why people cheat so much in online games... yet in some games (with poor protection), almost everyone seems to cheat. Why? Its just a GAME... you play for FUN... unless its a tournament, and most of the time these are not that. And even there people should have the ability to either learn to play better or accept that they aren't that good... but stupid people who must win ruin it for everyone. I've never cheated in a online game and certainly don't plan to start anytime soon... even in games that ARE full of cheaters, like Netstorm (at least, before it died off level and disc hacking was common), SC and WC3 (where LOTS of people maphack... and a bunch of other disc hack...). I just won't... its not fun for you or anyone else... and there isn't a whole lot companies can do in many cases. Blizz, for example, has pretty much given up on stopping maphackers because its pretty much impossible... :(

OB1
PSO for the 'cube hasn't been discontinued. That's just a myth. One of my friends just bought a copy the other day as a matter of fact.

Private Hudson
Originally posted by OB1
PSO for the 'cube hasn't been discontinued. That's just a myth. One of my friends just bought a copy the other day as a matter of fact.

Have Nintendo (or any third parties) actually released a keyboard yet? PSO must still suck.. :(

My friend tried to splice his old DC keyboard and put it into a GCN connection....

Didn't work (in fact, made his GCN pop)

A Black Falcon
You still have to import that Japan-only keyboard if you want one... :(