Tag Archives: Phantasy Star Online 2

Phantasy Star Online 2 Stage Play Coming to Japan

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Sega is running a stage play for Phantasy Star Online 2, titled “Phantasy Star Online 2 -ON STAGE-“. It will run from December 4th to the 7th. The play is a project meant to commemorate the 15th anniversary of the first Phantasy Star Online game’s release. More anniversary projects besides the play are reportedly on the way and yet to be announced. The official website for -ON STAGE- can be seen here. Sega staffers involved with the Phantasy Star franchise will have supervisory roles in the play, including Satoshi Sakai (producer) and Yuya Kimura (director.)

The play involves a young high school student who logs into Phantasy Star Online 2 on an otherwise normal day, but quickly finds his online adventures going awry. Tickets for the play come with a PSO2 download code for a costume themed after the fictional high school in the play (apparently also including a special sword unique to the costume) and a one-time use item called the Color Change Pass, the purpose of which hasn’t been thoroughly specified yet.

Continue reading the article to check out a promotional video, showcasing the cast members and the special attendance bonuses!

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Sega and Atlus’s Tokyo Game Show 2014 Lineup Announced

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We now have confirmation about Sega and Atlus’s lineup at Tokyo Game Show 2014, and which titles will be playable. This article will cover games that are not under the banner of Segalization’s localization requests and will simply present the entirety of Sega and Atlus’s offerings.

Please be aware that Sega and Atlus will also be holding stage events and broadcast streams throughout the weekend of Tokyo Game Show, which you can find near the end of the article! Italicized games are titles that currently have localizations planned for them, for reader convenience, but keep in mind that localization status is still a tentative thing. Here is a list of what can be expected:

Playable from Sega:

  • Phantasy Star Nova (Vita)
  • Puyo Puyo Tetris (PS4, One)
  • Dengeki Bunko Fighting Climax (Vita, PS3)
  • Hero Bank 2 (3DS)
  • Sonic Toon: Rise of Lyric (Wii U, known as Sonic Boom in the West instead of Sonic Toon)
  • Sonic Toon: Shattered Crystal (3DS, known as Sonic Boom in the West instead of Sonic Toon)

Promotional Trailers from Sega:

  • Phantasy Star Online 2 (PC, Vita)
  • Phantasy Star Nova (Vita)
  • Yakuza Zero (PS3, PS4)
  • Shining Resonance (PS3)
  • Puyo Puyo Tetris (PS3, Wii U, 3DS, Vita, PS4, One)
  • Dengeki Bunko Fighting Climax (Vita, PS3)
  • Hero Bank 2 (3DS)
  • Sonic Toon: Rise of Lyric (Wii U, known as Sonic Boom in the West instead of Sonic Toon)
  • Sonic Toon: Shattered Crystal (3DS, known as Sonic Boom in the West instead of Sonic Toon)
  • The World End Eclipse (PC, Vita, iOS, Android)

Promotional Trailers from Atlus:

  • Etrian Odyssey II Untold: The Knight of Fafnir

Stage Events from Sega and Atlus, scheduled according to Japan Standard Time:

  • Phantasy Star Nova presentation (9/18, 12pm)
  • Yakuza Zero presentation (9/18, 1pm)
  • Hatsune Miku Project new title presentation (9/18, 3pm) (update: this was Hatsune Miku: Project Mirai Deluxe, an expansion of Hatsune Miku: Project Mirai 2)
  • Phantasy Star Online 2 presentation (9/19, 3:30pm)
  • Phantasy Star Nova live demo playthrough (9/20, 2pm, different from recently released Battle Demo)
  • Atlus presentation (9/20, 2:30pm)
  • Shining Resonance live gameplay presentation (9/21, 3pm)

To speak for myself, the lineup that Sega is presenting is especially strong this year. A sizable portion of their prominent active franchises in Japan are being represented with Phantasy Star, Yakuza, Shining, and Hatsune Miku. We are also seeing a push for Sonic Boom in Japan too. Besides the representation for major IP’s, newer franchises such as Hero Bank and The World End Eclipse are being promoted. In addition, Puyo Puyo Tetris and Dengeki Bunko Fighting Climax should have broad appeal: the former for its accessibility and crossover novelty and the latter for being a crossover fighter featuring popular characters. The real wildcard here is Atlus and their presentation on the 20th. Hopefully they will have more to offer regarding Persona 5 and Shin Megami Tensei X Fire Emblem! I am also excited to finally see what Shining Resonance looks like in action.

Kudos to this Gematsu article and this NeoGAF thread, and additional thanks to the topic creator of the NeoGAF thread for translated descriptions and scheduling of stage events. Kudos also to the PSUBlog for the entry linked in the description on the Phantasy Star Nova live demo presentation.

Update, 9/18/2014: Edited to reflect that there is very likely no additional Hatsune Miku game announcement besides Hatsune Miku: Project Mirai Deluxe.

Phantasy Star Online 2: Episode 3 New Content Recap Video

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Sega uploaded a Youtube video showcasing the new content for Phantasy Star Online 2: Episode 3. It shows off the Bouncer class, the new planet Harukotan, some new bosses, the new Casino and some of its games, new Arks Lobby look and features, new customization abilities, gameplay features, and balance changes. This update will also introduce several new voiced characters. It’s a content-packed video – hit the break to check it out! And be sure to check out the PSUBlog for an extensive breakdown of the new content being offered, including a preview of the “Chapter 1” quest which sets into motion your involvement in the conflict between the Shirokotans and the Kurokotans.

And if you have a Japanese PSO2 account, enjoy the launch of this new content tomorrow, August 27th!

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Phantasy Star Nova Early Copy Bonuses, Vita Pouch, PSO2 Character Appearance Announced!

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Pictured above is a special Phantasy Star Nova-themed companion pouch for Vita systems. Siliconera writes that this item will be available when Phantasy Star Nova releases in Japan (November 27) and priced at ¥2,280. It’s sold separately, and sure to be in extremely limited availability, so this will surely be a collector’s item in the future. Have to love the satin-y, royal blue interior.

Besides that, first print copies of Phantasy Star Nova will feature three special bonuses attached. The bonuses are all codes. There is one code contains a recipe set enabling the player to make costumes for male and female characters of either race, in addition to ten 200% experience point multipliers for items. Another code contains a variety of fun miscellany, including a music CD with the Phantasy Star Nova main theme for your character’s room, an assortment of costumes, and a couple of tickets whose full purpose has not been outlined yet.

One code in particular is especially noteworthy – if you share this code with friends, it will allow them to purchase the digital version of Phantasy Star Nova, with all of the first print bonuses in tow. The discount itself is quite generous (Japan recently enacted a VAT hike, in addition) but the inclusion of the first print bonuses makes this a pretty compelling and provocative bargain.

Perhaps if Sega were to localize this game in Western territories, a move such as this would entice a sizable amount of buyers, especially those looking for something to add to their Vita library and open to the suggestions of friends. In its own right, this third bonus code is a pretty aggressive yet generous move. It’s hard not to notice, speaking both for myself and as someone who loves buying only physical copies of games.

In any case, the PSUBlog contains great images previewing the costume content contained in the bonus first-print codes, so be sure to stop by. Also there will be some Phantasy Star Nova and Phantasy Star Online 2 cross promotion going on, with PSO2 characters Zeno, Afin, and Echo available as accompanying party characters if you have PSO2 data from the Vita version on your memory card! A look at the characters below:

PSNova-E.A.Z.

Phantasy Star Online 2: Episode 3 Details

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Phantasy Star Online 2: Episode 3 is coming out on August 27 in Japan. Sega recently broadcasted one of their regular livestreams for Phantasy Star Online 2. Some of Episode 3’s more notable introductions include a fourth accessory slot, a new character class and a new planet, but Sega is also planning a slew of balance adjustments, gameplay experience changes, and new content in conjunction with Episode 3.The PSUBlog detailed many of the incoming changes for this next episode: here is a sample of some of them.

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Phantasy Star Online 2’s Hatsune Miku and Megurine Luka Concert

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You are all invited to Hatsune Miku and Megurine Luka’s next concert! No price of admission – all you need is one Phantasy Star Online 2 account with access to the Japanese version of the game. It’s going to be a short performance, featuring just one song: Living Universe, better known as the opening song for Phantasy Star Portable 2.

Where: ARKS Lobby

When: July 23

Free goodies promised for attendees, including two hour rare drop, money, and experience boosts. The concert is meant to commemorate the 5th anniversary of the Project DIVA series, as the first Project DIVA game was released in July of 2009.

Credit to Siliconera , the PSUBlog for the image

note: by the way, according to the PSUBlog, Phantasy Star Online 2 is now fully operational and is working as it was prior to the recent server attack. Apparently compensation of sorts was doled out for those who were unable to play due to the DDoS attack, available to characters made prior to a certain date.

Phantasy Star Nova Demo Soon to be Released, Early Play Opportunities at PSO Special Celebrations

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Sega and tri-Ace’s Phantasy Star Nova will soon have a gameplay demo made available to the public. Titled “Battle Demo”, it will allow users to take on one of the game’s signature Gigantes creatures, and explore planet Machia. It will also feature some character cutscenes. The demo will arrive sometime in August on Japan’s Playstation Store.

…however! There will be other, earlier opportunities to play the game if you’re in Japan, such as the Phantasy Star Online Kanshasai. There are two separately scheduled events: one at the Sapporo Convention Center in Sapporo and another in Port Messe in Nagoya where the above mentioned demo will be available for public playing. The Sapporo event takes place on July 26 and the Nagoya event takes place on August 3 – it seems these will be opportunities to play the demo before its wide release. This year’s Jump Victory Carnival, though an invitation-only event, will also feature the game demo on July 19 and July 26.

Sega Announces Phantasy Star Online 2: Episode 3

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Phantasy Star Online 2: Episode 3 will be available for Japanese players late in August. There is quite a lot of content to be toyed with in this new iteration: a new character class, new weapons, a new addition to the ARKS Lobby, and the new planet pictured above.

The new character class is called the Bouncer. The Bouncer has an affinity for strike weapons and the new equipment being introduced in Episode 3, the Jet Boots and the Dual Blades, are made for Bouncers. Jet Boots allow you to double jump and perform special Techniques, and will enable support effects under certain conditions in battle. I wonder if double jumping will allow access to a special subset of abilities? Anyway, the Dual Blades are strike weapons, and those with Photon Blades attached can absorb PP. Apparently the Dual Blade fighting style is loosely inspired degree by the Kendo art of Nito-ryu, which is fitting considering the new planet Harukotan has aesthetic references to traditional Japanese culture and folklore. Titans abound in this new planet, inhabitated by two warring nations, one “White” and one “Black.”

There are a variety of other additions promised with Episode 3. The ARKS Lobby will see a huge renovation that introduces a Casino, where players can game for Coins, a currency usable only within the Casino. It’s a social experience and players will be able to congregate with their friends and other players. There will also be all sorts of other adjustments, including but not limited to balance adjustments (Classes, Photon Tree), interface retooling, and even a fourth accessory slot.

Check out some trailers below! The first one is a general trailer encompassing everything Episode 3 is about. The second trailer is an in-depth look at the stylistic shenanigans of the Bouncer.

【PSO2】Mission:EPISODE3 【HQ】

【PSO2】新クラス バウンサーPV 【HQ】

Concerning the western release of the game, Sega recently responded to fan requests on Twitter with the following answer:

The game is still delayed. SEGA is currently working on bringing PSO2 to the West and will update as soon as we know more.

Unfortunately this isn’t anything new, but at least it appears they still intend to localize the game.

Special thanks to the PSUBlog’s entry on this new Episode!

Sega & Atlus Games Lineup at E3

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E3 is about to begin, so we thought it would be worth taking a look at what games Sega and Atlus will be showing there. First off, here’s Sega’s lineup:

  • Alien Isolation (PC, PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, Xbox One)
  • Sonic Boom (Wii U, 3DS)
  • Hatsune Miku Project Diva 2nd (PS3, PS Vita)

Although it’s a small lineup, the games featured there aren’t exactly small titles. Alien Isolation and Sonic Boom are both big-budget AAA games, which we hope will turn out to be a success for Sega. After the disappointing reviews for Aliens: Colonial Marines and Sonic Lost World, the fans of both franchises will be looking closely to see if The Creative Assembly, Sanzaru and Big Red Button Entertainment can do better than the studios that worked on the previous games. Continue reading »