PHANTASY STAR ONLINE BLUE BURST

Since its debut on Dreamcast in 2000, the revolutionary PHANTASY STAR ONLINE series has received 17 awards worldwide and now the PSO journey continues on PC! Each player takes on the role of a Hunter on the Planet Ragol and ventures deep into lush worlds filled with mystery, intrigue, and powerful enemies. You'll battle in real-time and draw off the magic of more than 1,000 powerful rare items as you continue to search the planet for survivors of the Central Dome explosion, as requested by Governor-General Tyrell.

Features: * New Quests! Thirty three quests have been created from the offline portion of the PSO story. Visit the Governor-General and receive up to 15 quests, or get to the Laboratory to accept 18 quests that await you there. * Customize 12 characters. A new character named Momoka is introduced through one of the Governor-General's quests. Also, new morphing technology allows you to customize your character's face, hairstyle, clothing, and body size. * Play from any PC. Your character data is held on a server allowing you to play anytime from any PC that has Internet access and PSO Blue Burst installed. * Team Features. Join a team and chat with other members at any time via "Team Chat". The "Team Point Ranking System" allows you to compete and it converts undesired rare items into team points. * 3D Battle Action. Outstanding sense of realism where results of battles are determined by player's ability and the parameters of the player's character. Customize your command palette for simple, straightforward operations.

Source:

Sega of America Website

Ways of BB!

Phantasy Star Online Blue Burst (PSO BB) is an online game, which tells the Phantasy Star Online story.

We've listened to the voices of our long-time players, and have created this new installment, having added our new Server Save System, three new character types, new Windows-only quests, graphics upgrades and better controls. We hope that you continue to enjoy the series with PSO BB.

Let there be a phantastic saga to all who are united on Planet Ragol

Ways of PSO BB

Your journey through PSO BB is likely to be a long and challenging one. To assist you with this, Ken and May will introduce you to the world KenMay.

Ken

Type: HUmar

Class: Hunter

Race: Human (male)

Ken is a newbie hunter playing his first online game. He claims, "I dunno, I just felt like I should try it out," and since then, he's been following May around in her travels. One day, he hopes to have enough resolve to take to the forefront and lead parties of his own. He thinks of May as his mentor.

May

Type: RAmarl

Class: Ranger

Race: Human (female)

Her luck ran out when she came across Ken, who tended to play alone. Having played PSO for a long time, she couldn't bear to see a newbie hanging around friendless, and so she decided to hammer her wisdom and experience into Ken. She is the Master of a Team, where she is strict but helpful, and she is a good-hearted veteran Ranger.

Source:

Game Manual (online)

SEGA Announces Free Download Of Phantasy Star Online Blue Burst

**Open Beta Test of New Phantasy Star Begins Today

SAN FRANCISCO (May 10, 2005)** – SEGA® of America, Inc. today announced the availability of Phantasy Star Online Blue Burst® for the PC as a free download. Players are encouraged to download the full game, presently running as an open beta, from the following website: http://www.psobb.com. Effective today, users can experience more than six weeks of free online gameplay, after which a monthly fee of $8.99 will be required to continue. Player data from the beta test will be carried over to the full game's release on June 9.

Phantasy Star Online Blue Burst's story takes place seven years after Pioneer 1 touched down on planet Ragol. As Pioneer 2 arrives to continue the settlement of this new world, contact is lost following a massive explosion on the surface. Players take on the role of a Hunter, Ranger, or Force user, commissioned by the Governor-General to resolve the mystery unfolding on Ragol. And that is just the beginning; starting June 23, SEGA will unveil Episode IV – an original storyline featuring all-new content.

Phantasy Star Online Blue Burst is a network-based RPG featuring real-time action and communication between players over the internet. Since the introduction of the first episode in December 2000, the series has won numerous international awards including a BAFTA Interactive Entertainment Award, the Edge magazine Game Award, and multiple "Gold" awards in Electronic Gaming Monthly.

"We've saved the best for last; the PC version of Phantasy Star Online is the most graphically detailed, content rich version of our popular action-RPG," said Yosuke Moriya, spokesperson for SEGA of America. "And now, there's no price barrier for those interested in trying it – downloading the game is free, and everybody can explore the vast world of PSO at no charge for more than six weeks."

Unlike its predecessors, Phantasy Star Online Blue Burst introduces server-based storage of player data, thereby freeing players from being confined to playing from any single PC/location. A new team system, enhanced character graphics, and better game controls are some of the other improvements introduced in the continuing evolution of the PSO world.

Key Features:* Episode IV story arc begins. All-new content continues the exciting PSO storyline. * Character customization. Choose from 12 different characters and customize them from their faces, clothing and hairstyle to detailed body customization via morphing technology! * 33 New Quests! Visit the Governor-General to complete 15 quests or the Laboratory to complete 18 more! * More than 1,000 items available. Find these items to further improve your character. * Network Game Save. Save your game on the network server in order to play on any computer. * Team Feature – Keep in touch with other players for the first time! Keep in contact via 'Team Chat'. Compete against other teams in the 'Team point ranking system'. * Different modes keep the play experience fresh. These include 'Battle Mode', 'Challenge Mode' and 'Go Go Ball Lobby'.

Source:

Press release (11th May 2005)