Sonic Team of Japan have redone their Phantasy Star Universe website once again! The website takes on a new, non-flash theme and contains a bit more detailed information regarding every area of the game there is, including new images which we've gone to the trouble of producing here for you:
The above 4 images here show off the various lobbies within planets of the Gurhal system. Here you can travel to other lobbies within the Phantasy Star Universe online servers, or travel to different planets altogether. Staying right where you are? Then why not try a spot of shopping, or various other activities which can also be undertaken here!
These two above images represent the 'Relay Lobby' - I.e. The Lobby all players can gather within once a Mission has begun. Here they can recollect mission information, aswell as use this spot to chat with others in your party and exchange weapons, etc.
The two images above represent the end of a mission! When a mission is complete, you are aparently taken to a place of peace and tranquility to rest a while and take in the great scenery of the various planets in the Gurhal system.
These four above placed images show off the 'My Room' feature of the game. Think of it as a bit of an Animal Crossing add-on! Add cool new accessories to your room through purchasing items in the shopping centres to really personalise PSU just the way you like it! Here you can also just relax and chill out, should the busy lobbies get too much for you! But that's not all, your room allows you to change clothes/character appearance, trade through your Partner Machinery (MAG) with other players and more! Someone you want to trade with not online? No problem! Visit their room when they aren't there, and leave it there for them!
The two images above are taken from the online 'Network' mode of which Symbol Chat has been improved greatly.
"It has been hugely popular up until this point, where the feature known as Symbol Chat has evolved greatly for Phantasy Star Universe users"
Aswell as being able to 'Cut-in' (I.e. To smack your face widely on the screen of everyones game to say something important - See above), you can also shape the speech bubbles to fit the emotion of what you wish to say to add to your voice, maybe in the tone as something along the lines of Episode III?
Chatting with your friends could also not be any easier with Universe, as Sonic Team introduce the new 'Party Chat' feature, which simply lets you chat within a certain group of your friends, as Sonic Team realise being in a crowded lobby can mean your conversation getting easily lost amongst everyone elses! Carrying on from PSO also come the 'Simple Mail' & 'Guild Card' features, so you can never lose touch with your bestest buddies!
Sonic Team have also announced on the website that the soundtrack to Phantasy Star Universe will be produced in two different CD Album editions. One entitled 'Save This World', to be made available through all good retailers, is the original score of the game, being sold at 2,500Yen (£11.60) on the 2 week anniversary of the game's day of Japanese release (13th September 2006).
The second edition is to be made available only through SEGA Link (And SEGA subsidaries) and is a 3 CD Album set containing every bit of musical greatness there is in the game, to be sold at 3,800Yen (£17.60) as the original soundtrack to the title. Entitled 'For Brighter Day', this version will be released about a month after 'Save This World'.
As the website now uses image and text instead of flash, you can read most of the official website in English (Or close too anyways) by clicking here, or visit the website the way it was meant to be seen at http://phantasystaruniverse.com. Otherwise if you don't want to leave the comforting smell that Ragol.co.uk delivers to you, why not check out or super long article on PSU by clicking here!
Phantasy Star Universe is confirmed as being released in the land of the rising sun on August 31st 2006, with both European & American dates still TBC Autumn/Winter 2006.
When you've finished the quest, and had a word with Gallon, speak with this chap (Right) who should seem fairly familiar, and he'll hand you that all important 'Photon Ticket'! When Server Maintenance has finished on 1st August 2006, use the ticket to claim one of 2 prizes, one of which is ALL NEW!
Of course, those of you who are quite hardcore in news, will remember the quest first made it's appearance as a 'SEGA Net Cafe' PSO: BB quest back in April of this year, when only the treasure was available as a prize, but now, as this image shows, you can either pick up the treasure, or the oversized novelty lollipop! Wooooooooo!
TBA Annihilation Quest
Sonic Team will be updating the English version of Phantasy Star Online: Blue Burst this thursday during Server Maintenance.
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SEGA of Europe are asking for your opinions on their website & mini-sites and have setup a customer research survey online for everyone to use!
