|  Issue #35 - This is it.
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As the Hunters Gazette draws to the end of it's fortnightly spot on Ragol.co.uk's Outbox, let's look back on the last 34 issues that's spanned over a year and a half in blood, sweat and tears! The Hunters Gazette began on 24th July 2004. A lovely summers day (Probabily raining), with nothing better to do then to come up with some way of getting the more unknown parts of Phantasy Star Online across to you, those loyal readers out there in browser land!  The first issue hit it big, as i went all out to bring you absolutely everything there was to know as SEGA teased us all with the possibilities of the future of Phantasy Star when they teased us with a movie-esque trailer, and the name, Phantasy Star Universe at E3 2004 earlier that year in May.
Nintendo also showed off a brand new piece of hardware no-one had thought possible entitled the Nintendo DS. Of course now we all use them, and their innovative ways to entertain ourselves with when it all goes quiet. Maybe there was some link between SEGA's unvieling, and Nintendo's? But one year later, and nothing yet sadly! Since then, the Hunters Gazette continued throughout the Summer and the beginning of Autumn before stopping. Over that time, i rambled on about the Festivities At The Beach Quest, Phantasy Star, and a wonderful (Japanese!) event entitled the Phantasy Star Online Olympics, where those artistic Japanese drew their way into the lobbies of Phantasy Star Online, Episode III: C.A.R.D. Revolution and Sonic Teams Episode III Hunters License website! I'm a huge lover of all Phantasy Star Online related artwork, and this was probabily my favourite Hunters Gazette to write, since i was just able to go through pratically every single entry (Of which there were hundreds!) in awe. You'd never get something like that over here unfortunately... *Cries*    
If you didn't know it already, this Christmas we hosted a FanArt competition in my bid to see more of it straight from our own Forumers, and we had a few entries of which you should definately check out! If you click this link before January 10th, please vote for your favourite masterpiece so the overall favourite wins a prize! Especially for all to see, here they are (Click to Enlarge):  
 
 
 
After that, the Hunters Gazette was never seen again, until Christmas where a one-off Christmas Special was heralded. During this edition, i went over pretty much everything Phantasy Star Online and Christmas related! A great read for anyone sitting home in the dark evenings with nothing to do! 
The story of Pioneer Christmas, a few pictures of the Christmas lobbies (Including this picture of me going pretty mad for Xmas!), and everything else festive! The Hunters Gazette, 2005 |
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After the Christmas Special, the New Year saw the release of an all new bigger, and better version of the Hunters Gazette. After a quick review of 2004, came shiny new headers with easier contents links, a more notable credits area, links, a forum discussion area per issue, and a very cool feature entitled 'On This Day...' which brought you the headlines from Ragol.co.uk & PSO on/around that day that particular issue of the Hunters Gazette was released. Later after that came another new feature which saw the employment of our eBay Chao too! During 2005, from the very first issue of the year, every fortnight came with a Hunters Gazette, with no break whatsoever thoughout the year. I'd like to say that's quite a feat! During this time i ranted on about more rumblings that can be heard standing behind the internet rumour mill, such as the origins of Phantasy Star Online, the Nintendo DS Online play (Which is now available) being a breeding ground for PSO DS (Which still isn't available... aww.), the origin of Valentines Day, White Day, and it's impact on PSO, considering how long PSO will continue with the arrival of PSU & Next-Gen, the wonderful world of PSO CosPlay (Mmmmm), SEGA at E3 2005, E3 2005 Next Generation previews, aswell as printing out important information with the arrival and release of Phantasy Star Online: Blue Burst, Sonic's 14th Birthday and Ragol.co.uk's Birthday! 
The most interesting edition by far though during this time was my comparison of Phantasy Star Online to the mammothly huge MMORPG World of Warcraft, after seeing the game steal a large chunk of our forumers souls aswell as many of our staff members including the main man of Ragol.co.uk himself, Sol! He even went to make another website following the success of Ragol.co.uk especially for World of Warcraft (WarcraftTavern.com)... the cheek of it eh? Well to see how great and amazing this game was compared to the legend of Phantasy Star Online, i got it myself after much hassle from just about everyone around me, here, on MSN, and even at work... a bad move since i work in a games store! The result of the edition? Well it sparked a fair bit of interest in the forums that's for sure, and suffice to say it didn't take my soul alike many of it's other drones... my soul stays with SEGA & PSO! ^_^ The Hunters Gazette... Version 3?! |
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The Hunters Gazette advanced once more later on in the year around September. As you can see now in this edition, the contents and opening aswell as the layout have been made even more accessible then older versions of this fortnightly editorial. Over this time, with Sonic Team delivering so much more on the Phantasy Star Universe front news-wise, the Hunters Gazette started becoming a method of delivering large amounts of news to you all, but inbetween those times, there are still the other editorials. These editions included rants about the Tokyo Games Show 2005, Phantasy Star Online Comics & Books, Phantasy Star Online Merchandise & Figurines, and the difference between the economy and games market in Japan & China compared to Europe & America! I'd have to say here the most interesting, but yet also disgusting edition of the Hunters Gazette is when i went over the second Japanese Maximum Attack competition which took place on the Nintendo Gamecube. Warning: Reading this issue will make you wish you got great and amazing while yet expensive prizes like the Japanese are given by Sonic Team of Japan! 
In this issue you'll find lots of interesting facts to waste your time over, aswell as generally lots of interesting information that'll make you consider moving abroad for the release of Phantasy Star Universe and waiting for the next few impending competitions they'll no doubt be holding over there in the land of the rising sun! Thank you, and Goodnight. |
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So, then we come upto the present day... the day where the Hunters Gazette ends it's fortnightly trip out of my computer and onto your screens. I think i'll take this time just to thank everyone who's read from one to all the editions of the Hunters Gazette, and i hope you enjoyed them as they were supposed to be enjoyed! The Hunters Gazette is not dead though. It will return in the future in special one-off's, and i hope to see you at one of those times. Cheers! Lee-yoshi If you'd like to comment on this editions main article, then do it in our forums, in this particular Ragol.co.uk Forum Thread! Share your point of view with the world! Do you agree, dont you agree, DO post on our forums!  Our very special Chao went out working overtime after learning that this may be his last time to send you all over to his second home at eBay, so... lets see what he's got for us.  If you're interested, then click on the item! All prices were correct as of January 3rd 2006 (Night GMT).
So, as the Hunters Gazette ends, what will become of our beloved Chao? Well, i'm sure he'll be back in some form sooner or later. So... in his infamous words: Chao, for now!  | | The Ragol.co.uk Hunters Gazette |
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Credits December 30th 2005 Hunters Gazette Edition by: Lee-yoshi
Images: Lee-yoshi
© Ragol .co.uk |
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