<s>
Phantasy	B-Application
Star	I-Application
Online	I-Application
is	O
an	O
online	B-Application
role-playing	O
game	O
(	O
RPG	O
)	O
developed	O
by	O
Sonic	B-Application
Team	O
and	O
published	O
by	O
Sega	O
in	O
2000	O
for	O
the	B-Operating_System
Dreamcast	I-Operating_System
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
was	O
the	O
first	O
online	B-Application
RPG	O
for	O
game	B-Device
consoles	I-Device
;	O
players	O
adventure	O
with	O
up	O
to	O
three	O
others	O
over	O
the	O
internet	O
to	O
complete	O
quests	O
,	O
collect	O
items	O
and	O
fight	O
enemies	O
in	O
real-time	O
action	B-Application
RPG	I-Application
combat	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
story	O
is	O
unrelated	O
to	O
previous	O
games	O
in	O
the	O
Phantasy	B-Application
Star	I-Application
series	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Before	O
Phantasy	B-Application
Star	I-Application
Online	I-Application
,	O
online	B-Application
gaming	I-Application
was	O
limited	O
to	O
western	O
PC	O
games	O
,	O
particularly	O
RPGs	O
such	O
as	O
Diablo	B-Application
,	O
Ultima	B-Protocol
Online	I-Protocol
,	O
and	O
EverQuest	B-Protocol
.	O
</s>
<s>
Believing	O
online	B-Application
play	I-Application
was	O
the	O
future	O
,	O
Sega	O
chairman	O
Isao	O
Okawa	O
instructed	O
Sonic	B-Application
Team	O
to	O
develop	O
an	O
online	B-Application
game	I-Application
for	O
the	B-Operating_System
Dreamcast	I-Operating_System
,	O
produced	O
by	O
Yuji	O
Naka	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Sonic	B-Application
Team	O
's	O
experiments	O
led	O
to	O
the	O
development	O
of	O
ChuChu	O
Rocket	O
!,	O
the	O
first	O
online	B-Application
Dreamcast	B-Operating_System
game	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Using	O
what	O
they	O
learned	O
from	O
the	O
project	O
,	O
and	O
taking	O
significant	O
inspiration	O
from	O
Diablo	B-Application
,	O
Sonic	B-Application
Team	O
built	O
Phantasy	B-Application
Star	I-Application
Online	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
As	O
Japanese	O
internet	O
service	O
providers	O
charged	O
for	O
dial-up	O
access	O
per	O
minute	O
,	O
and	O
high-speed	O
connections	O
were	O
not	O
yet	O
widely	O
available	O
,	O
Okawa	O
personally	O
paid	O
for	O
free	O
internet	O
access	O
bundled	O
with	O
Japanese	O
Dreamcasts	B-Operating_System
.	O
</s>
<s>
Phantasy	B-Application
Star	I-Application
Online	I-Application
was	O
highly	O
anticipated	O
and	O
launched	O
to	O
positive	O
reviews	O
and	O
commercial	O
success	O
;	O
critics	O
praised	O
the	O
online	B-Application
gameplay	O
as	O
addictive	O
but	O
criticized	O
the	O
single-player	O
mode	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
received	O
the	O
Japan	O
Game	O
Award	O
for	O
"	O
Game	O
of	O
the	O
Year	O
"	O
and	O
is	O
recognized	O
as	O
a	O
landmark	O
console	B-Application
game	I-Application
,	O
influencing	O
multiplayer	O
dungeon	O
crawlers	O
such	O
as	O
the	O
Monster	B-Application
Hunter	I-Application
series	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Phantasy	B-Application
Star	I-Application
Online	I-Application
was	O
ported	O
to	O
Windows	O
and	O
rereleased	O
on	O
the	B-Operating_System
Dreamcast	I-Operating_System
as	O
Ver	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Following	O
Sega	O
's	O
exit	O
from	O
the	O
console	O
business	O
in	O
2001	O
,	O
the	O
game	O
was	O
ported	O
to	O
GameCube	B-Application
and	O
Xbox	B-Application
as	O
Episode	O
I	O
&	O
II	O
,	O
featuring	O
new	O
characters	O
,	O
environments	O
and	O
other	O
features	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Revolution	O
,	O
released	O
for	O
GameCube	B-Application
in	O
2003	O
,	O
was	O
a	O
turn-based	O
card	O
game	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
online	B-Application
series	O
continued	O
with	O
Phantasy	B-Application
Star	I-Application
Universe	I-Application
(	O
2006	O
)	O
and	O
Phantasy	B-Protocol
Star	I-Protocol
Online	I-Protocol
2	I-Protocol
(	O
2012	O
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Sega	O
decommissioned	O
the	O
last	O
official	O
servers	O
in	O
2010	O
;	O
Phantasy	B-Application
Star	I-Application
Online	I-Application
is	O
still	O
played	O
on	O
private	B-Application
servers	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Phantasy	B-Application
Star	I-Application
Online	I-Application
is	O
an	O
action	B-Application
role-playing	I-Application
game	I-Application
primarily	O
played	O
with	O
other	O
players	O
cooperatively	O
over	O
the	O
internet	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
To	O
create	O
their	O
character	O
,	O
they	O
choose	O
between	O
a	O
handful	O
of	O
races	O
and	O
classes	O
,	O
which	O
define	O
their	O
abilities	O
and	O
statistics	O
;	O
for	O
example	O
,	O
some	O
types	O
are	O
better	O
with	O
"	O
techniques	O
"	O
(	O
magic	B-Application
spells	I-Application
)	O
while	O
others	O
are	O
more	O
skilled	O
with	O
ranged	O
or	O
melee	O
weapons	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Players	O
can	O
play	O
either	O
online	B-Application
or	O
offline	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Online	B-Application
,	O
players	O
are	O
brought	O
to	O
a	O
lobby	O
where	O
they	O
can	O
chat	O
and	O
organize	O
teams	O
of	O
up	O
to	O
four	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Preset	O
phrases	O
are	O
automatically	O
translated	O
between	O
languages	O
,	O
and	O
custom	O
emoticons	B-Protocol
are	O
also	O
supported	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Players	O
can	O
also	O
exchange	O
"	O
guild	O
cards	O
"	O
to	O
exchange	O
private	O
messages	O
and	O
see	O
when	O
the	O
other	O
is	O
online	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Attacks	O
can	O
be	O
chained	O
for	O
more	O
accuracy	O
and	O
speed.xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx1	O
Typically	O
,	O
all	O
the	O
monsters	O
in	O
a	O
room	O
must	O
be	O
defeated	O
to	O
advance	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
story	O
of	O
Phantasy	B-Application
Star	I-Application
Online	I-Application
is	O
unrelated	O
to	O
the	O
original	O
Phantasy	B-Application
Star	I-Application
series	O
,	O
and	O
is	O
less	O
substantial	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
By	O
the	O
late	O
1990s	O
,	O
the	O
popularity	O
of	O
online	B-Application
gaming	I-Application
on	O
personal	O
computers	O
had	O
grown	O
substantially	O
in	O
the	O
west	O
,	O
but	O
was	O
almost	O
nonexistent	O
in	O
Japan	O
,	O
where	O
consoles	B-Device
were	O
more	O
popular	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Sega	O
chairman	O
Isao	O
Okawa	O
believed	O
the	O
internet	O
was	O
the	O
future	O
of	O
gaming	O
and	O
wanted	O
a	O
flagship	O
online	B-Application
game	I-Application
for	O
Sega	O
's	O
Dreamcast	B-Operating_System
console	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
None	O
of	O
Sega	O
's	O
development	O
studios	O
wanted	O
the	O
project	O
,	O
as	O
they	O
were	O
occupied	O
with	O
their	O
own	O
ventures	O
,	O
such	O
as	O
Jet	B-Application
Set	I-Application
Radio	I-Application
(	O
2000	O
)	O
and	O
the	O
Sakura	B-Application
Wars	I-Application
series	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Okawa	O
gave	O
the	O
responsibility	O
to	O
Sonic	B-Application
Team	O
,	O
led	O
by	O
Yuji	O
Naka	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Sonic	B-Application
Team	O
was	O
not	O
particularly	O
receptive	O
to	O
the	O
decision	O
,	O
but	O
continued	O
with	O
development	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
alt	O
=	O
A	O
photograph	O
of	O
the	O
game	O
's	O
producer	O
,	O
Yuki	O
Naka	O
,	O
in	O
2015|thumb|Producer	O
Yuji	O
Naka	O
in	O
2015Sonic	O
Team	O
began	O
experimenting	O
with	O
the	B-Operating_System
Dreamcast	I-Operating_System
's	O
network	O
capabilities	O
after	O
completing	O
Sonic	B-Application
Adventure	I-Application
in	O
1998	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
They	O
saw	O
the	O
creation	O
of	O
an	O
online	B-Application
game	I-Application
for	O
Japan	O
,	O
a	O
nation	O
of	O
console	O
gamers	O
,	O
as	O
a	O
serious	O
challenge	O
,	O
akin	O
to	O
creating	O
a	O
new	O
genre	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Much	O
of	O
their	O
time	O
was	O
spent	O
learning	O
the	O
basic	O
elements	O
of	O
online	B-Application
gaming	I-Application
;	O
they	O
wanted	O
to	O
make	O
sure	O
the	O
network	O
functionality	O
worked	O
before	O
developing	O
the	O
gameplay	O
,	O
setting	O
,	O
and	O
story	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Their	O
network	O
experiments	O
became	O
ChuChu	O
Rocket	O
!,	O
released	O
in	O
1999	O
as	O
the	O
first	O
online	B-Application
game	I-Application
for	O
the	B-Operating_System
Dreamcast	I-Operating_System
.	O
</s>
<s>
Sonic	B-Application
Team	O
used	O
the	O
lessons	O
learned	O
from	O
ChuChu	B-Application
Rocket	I-Application
!	I-Application
</s>
<s>
Because	O
of	O
the	O
lack	O
of	O
Japanese	O
online	B-Application
games	I-Application
,	O
and	O
the	O
developers	O
 '	O
experience	O
with	O
the	O
genre	O
,	O
Naka	O
looked	O
to	O
western	O
games	O
for	O
inspiration	O
,	O
and	O
studied	O
three	O
online	B-Application
RPGs	O
popular	O
at	O
the	O
time	O
:	O
Diablo	B-Application
(	O
1996	O
)	O
,	O
Ultima	B-Protocol
Online	I-Protocol
(	O
1997	O
)	O
,	O
and	O
EverQuest	B-Protocol
(	O
1999	O
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Diablo	B-Application
in	O
particular	O
impressed	O
him	O
on	O
a	O
gameplay	O
and	O
technical	O
level	O
;	O
he	O
enjoyed	O
how	O
smooth	O
the	O
graphics	O
and	O
action	O
were	O
despite	O
requiring	O
significant	O
system	O
memory	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Diablo	B-Application
was	O
a	O
2D	O
game	O
,	O
however	O
,	O
and	O
Sonic	B-Application
Team	O
wanted	O
to	O
develop	O
a	O
3D	O
game	O
with	O
the	O
same	O
degree	O
of	O
smoothness	O
and	O
gameplay	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
This	O
concerned	O
Naka	O
,	O
as	O
he	O
did	O
not	O
want	O
his	O
game	O
to	O
use	O
the	O
cheap	O
and	O
bland	O
graphics	O
associated	O
with	O
online	B-Application
games	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Naka	O
decided	O
against	O
creating	O
a	O
massively	B-Application
multiplayer	I-Application
game	O
similar	O
to	O
Ultima	B-Protocol
Online	I-Protocol
and	O
EverQuest	B-Protocol
,	O
which	O
would	O
handle	O
many	O
players	O
simultaneously	O
in	O
a	O
persistent	O
world	O
;	O
the	O
necessary	O
servers	O
would	O
have	O
required	O
two	O
years	O
of	O
programming	O
,	O
and	O
the	B-Operating_System
Dreamcast	I-Operating_System
did	O
not	O
have	O
a	O
hard	B-Device
disk	I-Device
drive	I-Device
to	O
support	O
continuous	O
online	B-Application
patches	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Naka	O
was	O
also	O
more	O
interested	O
in	O
working	O
on	O
new	O
projects	O
instead	O
of	O
continuously	O
updating	O
the	O
same	O
game	O
for	O
years	O
,	O
and	O
doubted	O
Sonic	B-Application
Team	O
would	O
be	O
able	O
to	O
keep	O
the	O
game	O
interesting	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
team	O
therefore	O
adopted	O
Diablo	B-Application
as	O
their	O
main	O
inspiration	O
,	O
determined	O
to	O
outclass	O
it	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Sonic	B-Application
Team	O
built	O
a	O
science	O
fiction-fantasy	O
game	O
under	O
the	O
working	O
title	O
Third	O
World	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
One	O
of	O
artist	O
Satoshi	O
Sakai	O
's	O
early	O
concept	O
drawings	O
of	O
a	O
dragon	O
reminded	O
Naka	O
of	O
Sega	O
's	O
Phantasy	B-Application
Star	I-Application
series	O
;	O
which	O
had	O
been	O
dormant	O
since	O
Phantasy	B-Device
Star	I-Device
IV	I-Device
(	O
1993	O
)	O
for	O
the	O
Genesis	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Naka	O
had	O
served	O
as	O
main	O
programmer	O
on	O
Phantasy	B-Application
Star	I-Application
(	O
1987	O
)	O
and	O
Phantasy	B-Application
Star	I-Application
II	I-Application
(	O
1989	O
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
He	O
had	O
always	O
wanted	O
to	O
develop	O
a	O
multiplayer	O
Phantasy	B-Application
Star	I-Application
game	O
,	O
but	O
previous	O
hardware	O
did	O
not	O
allow	O
for	O
it	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
With	O
the	O
Phantasy	B-Application
Star	I-Application
series	O
chosen	O
as	O
the	O
setting	O
,	O
Sonic	B-Application
Team	O
continued	O
developing	O
the	O
gameplay	O
and	O
story	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
team	O
was	O
given	O
freedom	O
not	O
to	O
adhere	O
strictly	O
to	O
elements	O
from	O
earlier	O
Phantasy	B-Application
Star	I-Application
games	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
would	O
not	O
continue	O
the	O
story	O
from	O
the	O
previous	O
Phantasy	B-Application
Star	I-Application
games	O
,	O
something	O
that	O
made	O
Naka	O
feel	O
liberated	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Since	O
few	O
of	O
the	O
Phantasy	B-Device
Star	I-Device
IV	I-Device
staff	O
still	O
worked	O
at	O
Sega	O
,	O
the	O
art	O
team	O
felt	O
little	O
obligation	O
to	O
adhere	O
to	O
the	O
previous	O
games	O
 '	O
style	O
,	O
retaining	O
only	O
the	O
science	O
fiction	O
look	O
and	O
some	O
enemy	O
and	O
item	O
names	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Naka	O
and	O
Sakai	O
believed	O
factors	O
such	O
as	O
the	O
change	O
in	O
graphical	O
fidelity	O
and	O
genre	O
were	O
enough	O
to	O
differentiate	O
it	O
from	O
previous	O
Phantasy	B-Application
Star	I-Application
games	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
process	O
was	O
a	O
drain	O
on	O
the	B-Operating_System
Dreamcast	I-Operating_System
hardware	O
,	O
and	O
gained	O
the	O
nickname	O
"	O
the	O
crasher	O
"	O
among	O
staff	O
for	O
how	O
often	O
it	O
would	O
crash	B-General_Concept
the	O
game	O
during	O
development	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Sonic	B-Application
Team	O
had	O
conceived	O
their	O
1998	O
Saturn	B-Device
game	O
Burning	B-Application
Rangers	I-Application
as	O
an	O
online	B-Application
game	I-Application
for	O
four	O
players	O
,	O
but	O
abandoned	O
the	O
idea	O
due	O
to	O
insurmountable	O
network	O
problems	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
They	O
used	O
the	O
ChuChu	B-Application
Rocket	I-Application
!	I-Application
</s>
<s>
networking	O
system	O
as	O
a	O
template	O
for	O
the	O
online	B-Application
functions	O
for	O
Phantasy	B-Application
Star	I-Application
Online	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Sonic	B-Application
Team	O
ran	O
experiments	O
with	O
different	O
internet	O
service	O
providers	O
,	O
dial-up	B-Application
modems	I-Application
,	O
cable	B-Device
modems	I-Device
,	O
and	O
other	O
networking	O
configurations	O
to	O
ensure	O
the	O
game	O
would	O
work	O
for	O
all	O
players	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
Japan	O
,	O
Sonic	B-Application
Team	O
gave	O
beta	O
versions	O
to	O
10,000	O
users	O
who	O
pre-ordered	O
the	O
game	O
,	O
so	O
they	O
could	O
work	O
with	O
a	O
variety	O
of	O
equipment	O
and	O
internet	O
services	O
to	O
eliminate	O
problems	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
90%	O
of	O
the	O
testers	O
were	O
able	O
to	O
play	O
online	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Japanese	O
internet	O
service	O
providers	O
charged	O
per-minute	O
fees	O
for	O
dial-up	O
access	O
,	O
and	O
high-speed	O
options	O
such	O
as	O
broadband	B-General_Concept
were	O
not	O
yet	O
widely	O
available	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
To	O
combat	O
this	O
,	O
chairman	O
Okawa	O
personally	O
paid	O
for	O
free	O
internet	O
access	O
for	O
one	O
year	O
to	O
be	O
bundled	O
with	O
each	O
Dreamcast	B-Operating_System
.	O
</s>
<s>
Sonic	B-Application
Team	O
felt	O
that	O
developing	O
a	O
universal	O
language	O
system	O
would	O
be	O
the	O
largest	O
barrier	O
to	O
a	O
global	O
gaming	O
network	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Sonic	B-Application
Team	O
built	O
support	O
for	O
five	O
languages	O
:	O
Japanese	O
,	O
English	O
,	O
Spanish	O
,	O
German	O
,	O
and	O
French	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Sega	O
initially	O
prepared	O
20	O
network	O
servers	O
to	O
accommodate	O
20,000	O
online	B-Application
users	O
for	O
game	O
's	O
launch	O
,	O
with	O
room	O
to	O
add	O
more	O
servers	O
as	O
necessary	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Sonic	B-Application
Team	O
partnered	O
with	O
Swatch	O
to	O
use	O
Swatch	O
Internet	O
time	O
(	O
or	O
"	O
beat	O
time	O
"	O
)	O
as	O
a	O
universal	O
clock	O
for	O
the	O
game	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
clock	O
was	O
implemented	O
so	O
players	O
could	O
coordinate	O
with	O
those	O
in	O
other	O
countries	O
on	O
when	O
to	O
play	O
online	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Sonic	B-Application
Team	O
decided	O
not	O
to	O
add	O
jumping	O
to	O
keep	O
the	O
levels	O
simple	O
and	O
simplify	O
the	O
network	O
code	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Naka	O
joked	O
that	O
future	O
gamers	O
would	O
laugh	O
at	O
the	O
word	O
"	O
Online	B-Application
"	O
in	O
the	O
title	O
,	O
as	O
he	O
believed	O
that	O
online	B-Application
gaming	I-Application
would	O
become	O
standard	O
;	O
it	O
was	O
included	O
as	O
the	O
concept	O
was	O
new	O
and	O
so	O
important	O
to	O
communicate	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
End	O
of	O
production	O
Phantasy	B-Application
Star	I-Application
Online	I-Application
was	O
planned	O
for	O
release	O
in	O
March	O
2000	O
,	O
but	O
was	O
delayed	O
so	O
more	O
features	O
could	O
be	O
added	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Phantasy	B-Application
Star	I-Application
Online	I-Application
took	O
two	O
years	O
to	O
develop	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Naka	O
found	O
it	O
difficult	O
to	O
make	O
a	O
networked	O
game	O
for	O
consoles	B-Device
,	O
and	O
developed	O
an	O
appreciation	O
for	O
Microsoft	O
for	O
supporting	O
online	B-Application
games	I-Application
so	O
well	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Sega	O
unveiled	O
Phantasy	B-Application
Star	I-Application
Online	I-Application
at	O
the	O
1999	O
Tokyo	O
Game	O
Show	O
with	O
a	O
gameplay	O
demonstration	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Naka	O
called	O
it	O
the	O
"	O
killer	O
app	O
"	O
for	O
the	B-Operating_System
Dreamcast	I-Operating_System
as	O
it	O
used	O
all	O
aspects	O
of	O
the	O
system	O
,	O
most	O
importantly	O
the	O
modem	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
As	O
the	O
first	O
online	B-Application
RPG	O
for	O
consoles	B-Device
,	O
Phantasy	B-Application
Star	I-Application
Online	I-Application
was	O
highly	O
anticipated	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Francesca	O
Reyes	O
of	O
Official	O
Dreamcast	B-Operating_System
Magazine	O
proposed	O
that	O
it	O
would	O
be	O
an	O
"	O
industry-changing	O
title	O
"	O
,	O
a	O
landmark	O
in	O
the	O
history	O
of	O
console	O
gaming	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Computer	O
and	O
Video	O
Games	O
wrote	O
that	O
the	B-Operating_System
Dreamcast	I-Operating_System
was	O
quickly	O
becoming	O
the	O
platform	O
for	O
innovative	O
games	O
,	O
and	O
wrote	O
that	O
Phantasy	B-Application
Star	I-Application
Online	I-Application
was	O
"	O
arguably	O
the	O
most	O
revolutionary	O
-	O
not	O
the	O
mention	O
most	O
ambitious	O
-	O
console	B-Application
game	I-Application
ever	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Video	O
Gamer	O
called	O
it	O
the	O
"	O
Dreamcast	B-Operating_System
's	O
most	O
ambitious	O
project	O
yet	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Some	O
journalists	O
had	O
concerns	O
about	O
the	O
viability	O
of	O
the	O
online	B-Application
modes	O
,	O
and	O
saw	O
the	O
single-player	O
option	O
as	O
a	O
fail-safe	O
should	O
it	O
not	O
function	O
correctly	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
first	O
100,000	O
people	O
to	O
pre-order	O
the	O
game	O
in	O
Japan	O
received	O
Phantasy	B-Application
Star	I-Application
Online	I-Application
branded	O
dog	O
tags	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Early	O
copies	O
of	O
the	O
game	O
included	O
a	O
demo	O
for	O
Sonic	B-Application
Adventure	I-Application
2	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Immediately	O
after	O
the	O
Japanese	O
release	O
,	O
Sonic	B-Application
Team	O
began	O
maintaining	O
the	O
overworked	O
servers	O
and	O
investigated	O
network	O
problems	O
in	O
Hiroshima	O
and	O
Okayama	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Sonic	B-Application
Team	O
hoped	O
that	O
Phantasy	B-Application
Star	I-Application
Online	I-Application
would	O
be	O
successful	O
in	O
Japan	O
;	O
international	O
sales	O
were	O
seen	O
as	O
a	O
bonus	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
North	O
America	O
,	O
which	O
Naka	O
believed	O
would	O
be	O
the	O
biggest	O
market	O
,	O
Phantasy	B-Application
Star	I-Application
Online	I-Application
was	O
released	O
on	O
January	O
30	O
,	O
2001	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Sega	O
's	O
North	O
American	O
online	B-Application
gaming	I-Application
service	O
SegaNet	O
was	O
not	O
required	O
for	O
online	B-Application
play	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
While	O
the	O
Japanese	O
version	O
supported	O
the	O
modem	B-Application
and	O
broadband	B-General_Concept
adapters	O
,	O
the	O
North	O
American	O
release	O
did	O
not	O
support	O
the	O
broadband	B-General_Concept
adapter	O
,	O
but	O
IGN	O
explained	O
how	O
to	O
use	O
it	O
by	O
swapping	O
discs	O
with	O
an	O
import	O
copy.Phantasy	O
Star	O
Online	O
sold	O
500,000	O
copies	O
in	O
Japan	O
and	O
one	O
million	O
worldwide	O
,	O
meeting	O
Sega	O
's	O
expectations	O
almost	O
exactly	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
peak	O
number	O
of	O
users	O
connected	O
simultaneously	O
was	O
26,000	O
.Phantasy	O
Star	O
Online	B-Application
suffered	O
problems	O
common	O
with	O
other	O
online	B-Application
games	I-Application
,	O
with	O
players	O
cheating	O
and	O
selling	O
rare	O
items	O
online	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Sonic	B-Application
Team	O
announced	O
they	O
would	O
ban	O
players	O
found	O
cheating	O
or	O
disrupting	O
other	O
players	O
,	O
starting	O
in	O
May	O
2001	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
According	O
to	O
IGN	O
,	O
cheating	O
was	O
prevalent	O
because	O
Phantasy	B-Application
Star	I-Application
Online	I-Application
used	O
a	O
peer-to-peer	O
communication	O
system	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Blizzard	O
Entertainment	O
had	O
similar	O
problems	O
with	O
Diablo	B-Application
,	O
but	O
after	O
moving	O
to	O
a	O
client-server	B-Operating_System
system	I-Operating_System
for	O
Diablo	B-Application
II	I-Application
,	O
cheating	O
became	O
more	O
difficult	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Sonic	B-Application
Team	O
added	O
more	O
quests	O
for	O
players	O
to	O
download	O
,	O
translated	O
into	O
the	O
five	O
languages	O
used	O
in	O
the	O
game	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
As	O
he	O
had	O
with	O
ChuChu	O
Rocket	O
!,	O
Naka	O
played	O
online	B-Application
and	O
was	O
happy	O
to	O
see	O
American	O
and	O
Japanese	O
players	O
playing	O
together	O
using	O
the	O
communication	O
system	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
April	O
2001	O
,	O
Sega	O
announced	O
Phantasy	B-Application
Star	I-Application
Online	I-Application
Ver	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
2	O
,	O
an	O
updated	O
version	O
of	O
the	O
original	O
game	O
with	O
new	O
content	O
and	O
improved	O
features	O
,	O
including	O
an	O
increased	O
level	O
cap	O
(	O
to	O
200	O
)	O
,	O
a	O
new	O
difficulty	O
mode	O
for	O
players	O
over	O
level	O
80	O
,	O
a	O
battle	O
mode	O
that	O
pits	O
players	O
in	O
one-on-one	O
or	O
team	O
battles	O
,	O
a	O
soccer	O
minigame	O
with	O
balls	O
shaped	O
like	O
characters	O
from	O
ChuChu	O
Rocket	O
!,	O
new	O
weapons	O
and	O
monsters	O
,	O
gameplay	O
balance	O
alterations	O
,	O
day	O
and	O
night	O
effects	O
,	O
an	O
improved	O
user	O
interface	O
,	O
and	O
two	O
new	O
areas	O
exclusive	O
to	O
online	B-Application
quests	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Sonic	B-Application
Team	O
worked	O
a	O
tough	O
schedule	O
to	O
develop	O
Ver	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
thumb|right|ASCII	O
Corporation	O
produced	O
a	O
unique	O
GameCube	B-Application
controller	O
with	O
a	O
keyboard	O
to	O
help	O
players	O
communicate	O
in	O
Phantasy	O
Star	O
Online.On	O
January	O
31	O
,	O
2001	O
,	O
following	O
years	O
of	O
losses	O
,	O
Sega	O
announced	O
it	O
would	O
discontinue	O
the	B-Operating_System
Dreamcast	I-Operating_System
and	O
restructure	O
as	O
a	O
third-party	O
developer	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
May	O
,	O
Sega	O
announced	O
an	O
expanded	O
GameCube	B-Application
port	O
of	O
Phantasy	B-Application
Star	I-Application
Online	I-Application
,	O
which	O
became	O
Phantasy	B-Application
Star	I-Application
Online	I-Application
:	I-Application
Episode	I-Application
I	I-Application
&	I-Application
II	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Sega	O
chose	O
the	O
GameCube	B-Application
because	O
it	O
had	O
similar	O
architecture	O
to	O
the	B-Operating_System
Dreamcast	I-Operating_System
and	O
supported	O
dial-up	O
,	O
which	O
Sega	O
believed	O
was	O
important	O
despite	O
the	O
approach	O
of	O
broadband	B-General_Concept
internet	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Sonic	B-Application
Team	O
created	O
a	O
GameCube	B-Application
demo	O
of	O
Phantasy	B-Application
Star	I-Application
Online	I-Application
within	O
a	O
month	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
To	O
make	O
the	O
game	O
more	O
viable	O
for	O
Nintendo	O
's	O
family-oriented	O
consumers	O
,	O
Sonic	B-Application
Team	O
added	O
a	O
split-screen	O
multiplayer	O
mode	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Since	O
the	O
GameCube	B-Application
had	O
no	O
out-of-the-box	B-General_Concept
network	O
capabilities	O
,	O
Nintendo	O
developed	O
a	O
modem	B-Application
and	O
broadband	B-General_Concept
adapter	O
and	O
sold	O
them	O
separately	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
GameCube	B-Application
players	O
could	O
not	O
play	O
with	O
Dreamcast	B-Operating_System
players.Phantasy	O
Star	O
Online	O
:	O
Episode	O
I	O
&	O
II	O
comprises	O
two	O
"	O
episodes	O
"	O
:	O
Episode	O
I	O
is	O
a	O
port	O
of	O
Ver	O
2	O
with	O
improved	O
graphics	O
,	O
whereas	O
Episode	O
II	O
comprises	O
entirely	O
new	O
content	O
,	O
which	O
Naka	O
described	O
as	O
a	O
true	O
sequel	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Some	O
quests	O
reward	O
players	O
with	O
minigames	O
based	O
on	O
Sonic	B-Application
Team	O
games	O
Puyo	B-Device
Pop	I-Device
and	O
Nights	B-Application
into	I-Application
Dreams	I-Application
,	O
which	O
can	O
be	O
played	O
on	O
a	O
Game	B-Device
Boy	I-Device
Advance	I-Device
connected	O
to	O
the	O
GameCube	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
Chao	O
resembling	O
Tails	O
,	O
a	O
character	O
from	O
the	O
Sonic	B-Application
games	O
,	O
can	O
be	O
imported	O
into	O
Sonic	B-Application
Advance	I-Application
and	O
Sonic	B-Application
Adventure	I-Application
2	I-Application
:	I-Application
Battle	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Sonic	B-Application
Team	O
ran	O
a	O
beta	O
trial	O
for	O
some	O
players	O
who	O
had	O
pre-ordered	O
Episode	O
I	O
&	O
II	O
,	O
starting	O
on	O
May	O
31	O
,	O
2002	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
An	O
enhanced	O
version	O
of	O
the	O
game	O
,	O
Episode	O
I	O
&	O
II	O
Plus	O
,	O
was	O
released	O
for	O
the	O
GameCube	B-Application
later	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
This	O
version	O
included	O
many	O
quests	O
originally	O
distributed	O
exclusively	O
online	B-Application
,	O
a	O
new	O
challenge	O
mode	O
,	O
and	O
new	O
items.Episode	O
I	O
&	O
II	O
was	O
ported	O
to	O
Xbox	B-Application
on	O
April	O
15	O
,	O
2003	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Servers	O
were	O
hosted	O
through	O
Xbox	B-Application
Live	I-Application
and	O
did	O
not	O
interface	O
with	O
the	O
GameCube	B-Application
or	O
Dreamcast	B-Operating_System
servers	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Because	O
of	O
its	O
Xbox	B-Application
Live	I-Application
foundation	O
,	O
the	O
Xbox	B-Application
version	O
supports	O
voice	O
chat	O
but	O
did	O
not	O
connect	O
players	O
across	O
regions	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
required	O
an	O
Xbox	B-Application
Live	I-Application
account	O
to	O
play	O
online	B-Application
or	O
offline	O
;	O
as	O
the	O
game	O
was	O
packaged	O
with	O
Xbox	B-Application
Live	I-Application
in	O
Japan	O
,	O
to	O
localize	O
the	O
game	O
quickly	O
,	O
Microsoft	O
did	O
not	O
remove	O
the	O
limitation	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
addition	O
to	O
Xbox	B-Application
Live	I-Application
fees	O
,	O
Sega	O
charged	O
players	O
an	O
extra	O
subscription	O
fee	O
to	O
play	O
online	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
is	O
a	O
sequel	O
to	O
the	O
story	O
presented	O
in	O
Episode	O
I	O
&	O
II	O
,	O
but	O
replaces	O
the	O
action	B-Application
RPG	I-Application
gameplay	O
with	O
a	O
turn-based	O
strategy	O
card	O
game	O
;	O
after	O
developing	O
Episode	O
I	O
&	O
II	O
,	O
Sonic	B-Application
Team	O
thought	O
that	O
players	O
may	O
want	O
a	O
new	O
experience	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
online	B-Application
servers	O
for	O
the	O
game	O
shut	O
down	O
at	O
the	O
same	O
time	O
as	O
the	O
GameCube	B-Application
Servers	O
for	O
Episode	O
I	O
&	O
II	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
new	O
version	O
for	O
Windows	O
,	O
Phantasy	B-Application
Star	I-Application
Online	I-Application
:	I-Application
Blue	I-Application
Burst	I-Application
,	O
was	O
released	O
in	O
Japan	O
on	O
July	O
15	O
,	O
2004	O
,	O
following	O
an	O
open	O
beta	O
that	O
began	O
on	O
May	O
22	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
features	O
enhancements	O
including	O
a	O
system	O
allowing	O
players	O
to	O
communicate	O
across	O
different	O
servers	O
;	O
the	O
most	O
significant	O
change	O
is	O
that	O
the	O
game	O
is	O
online-only	O
,	O
with	O
user	O
data	O
stored	O
on	O
the	O
servers	O
,	O
reducing	O
cheating	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
January	O
2005	O
,	O
Blue	O
Burst	O
was	O
released	O
in	O
China	O
,	O
Sega	O
's	O
first	O
online	B-Application
game	I-Application
there	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
North	O
American	O
Dreamcast	B-Operating_System
servers	O
operated	O
until	O
September	O
30	O
,	O
2003	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
North	O
American	O
and	O
Japanese	O
GameCube	B-Application
servers	O
as	O
well	O
as	O
the	O
Japanese	O
Dreamcast	B-Operating_System
servers	O
were	O
shut	O
down	O
on	O
March	O
30	O
,	O
2007	O
,	O
following	O
a	O
month	O
of	O
free	O
service	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
Japanese	O
Xbox	B-Application
servers	O
were	O
shut	O
down	O
on	O
January	O
31	O
,	O
2007	O
,	O
and	O
the	O
North	O
American	O
servers	O
followed	O
on	O
April	O
22	O
,	O
a	O
week	O
earlier	O
than	O
the	O
announced	O
date	O
of	O
April	O
30	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Hobbyists	O
have	O
developed	O
private	B-Application
servers	I-Application
,	O
and	O
so	O
the	O
game	O
retains	O
a	O
cult	O
following	O
and	O
can	O
still	O
be	O
played	O
online	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
ReceptionPhantasy	O
Star	O
Online	B-Application
received	O
"	O
generally	O
favorable	O
"	O
reviews	O
per	O
ratings	O
aggregator	O
Metacritic	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Dreamcast	B-Operating_System
Magazine	O
(	O
Japan	O
)	O
wrote	O
that	O
the	O
cooperative	O
play	O
was	O
an	O
interesting	O
shift	O
from	O
a	O
trend	O
in	O
multiplayer	O
games	O
being	O
mostly	O
competitive	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Critics	O
agreed	O
that	O
the	O
single-player	O
mode	O
was	O
boring	O
compared	O
to	O
the	O
addictive	O
online	B-Application
multiplayer	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
GameSpot	O
and	O
GameSpy	O
wrote	O
that	O
it	O
lacked	O
life	O
and	O
became	O
tedious	O
and	O
repetitive	O
when	O
played	O
alone	O
,	O
and	O
GameSpot	O
advised	O
players	O
not	O
to	O
try	O
the	O
game	O
unless	O
they	O
were	O
planning	O
to	O
play	O
online	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Despite	O
the	O
concerns	O
,	O
critics	O
agreed	O
that	O
the	O
fun	O
had	O
in	O
online	B-Application
multiplayer	O
overshadowed	O
these	O
problems	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
2	O
,	O
Dreamcast	B-Operating_System
Magazine	O
(	O
UK	O
)	O
felt	O
that	O
it	O
would	O
renew	O
interest	O
in	O
the	O
game	O
for	O
those	O
that	O
enjoyed	O
it	O
,	O
but	O
would	O
not	O
convert	O
new	O
players	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Reviewing	O
Episode	O
I	O
&	O
II	O
,	O
critics	O
praised	O
the	O
split-screen	O
mode	O
,	O
Game	B-Device
Boy	I-Device
Advance	I-Device
downloads	O
,	O
graphics	O
improvements	O
,	O
and	O
gameplay	O
tweaks	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Several	O
critics	O
complained	O
about	O
the	O
lack	O
of	O
a	O
keyboard	O
available	O
in	O
the	O
Americas.GameSpot	O
named	O
Phantasy	B-Application
Star	I-Application
Online	I-Application
the	O
best	O
Dreamcast	B-Operating_System
game	O
and	O
eighth-best	O
console	B-Application
game	I-Application
of	O
2001	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
was	O
a	O
nominee	O
for	O
the	O
publication	O
's	O
"	O
Best	O
Role-Playing	O
Game	O
"	O
prize	O
among	O
console	B-Application
games	I-Application
,	O
but	O
lost	O
to	O
Final	O
Fantasy	O
X	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Episode	O
I	O
&	O
II	O
was	O
a	O
runner-up	O
for	O
GameSpots	O
2002	O
"	O
Best	O
Role-Playing	O
Game	O
Game	O
on	O
GameCube	B-Application
"	O
award	O
,	O
which	O
went	O
to	O
Animal	B-Application
Crossing	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
As	O
the	O
first	O
online	B-Application
role-playing	O
game	O
for	O
home	O
consoles	B-Device
,	O
Phantasy	B-Application
Star	I-Application
Online	I-Application
is	O
considered	O
a	O
landmark	O
game	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
won	O
several	O
awards	O
,	O
including	O
Japan	O
Game	O
Award	O
for	O
"	O
Game	O
of	O
the	O
Year	O
"	O
,	O
awarded	O
three	O
days	O
after	O
the	O
death	O
of	O
Sega	O
chairman	O
Okawa	O
,	O
over	O
the	O
likes	O
of	O
The	B-Application
Legend	I-Application
of	I-Application
Zelda	I-Application
:	I-Application
Majora	I-Application
's	I-Application
Mask	I-Application
,	O
Dragon	B-Device
Quest	I-Device
VII	I-Device
,	O
and	O
Kōkidō	O
Gensō	O
Gunparade	O
March	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
IGN	O
named	O
it	O
one	O
of	O
the	O
best	O
RPGs	O
of	O
all	O
time	O
for	O
being	O
the	O
first	O
online	B-Application
experience	O
for	O
many	O
gamers.1UP.com	O
called	O
Phantasy	B-Application
Star	I-Application
Online	I-Application
one	O
of	O
the	O
most	O
revolutionary	O
games	O
of	O
the	O
2000s	O
,	O
crediting	O
it	O
for	O
creating	O
"	O
an	O
entire	O
pantheon	O
of	O
multiplayer	O
dungeon	O
crawlers	O
that	O
continue	O
to	O
dominate	O
the	O
Japanese	O
sales	O
charts	O
"	O
and	O
making	O
"	O
both	O
online	B-Application
gaming	I-Application
and	O
the	O
concept	O
of	O
fee-based	O
services	O
a	O
reality	O
for	O
consoles	B-Device
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Hiroshi	O
Matsuyama	O
,	O
president	O
of	O
CyberConnect2	O
and	O
developer	O
of	O
the	O
.hack	B-Protocol
series	O
,	O
cited	O
the	O
game	O
as	O
an	O
influence	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
is	O
also	O
believed	O
to	O
be	O
a	O
major	O
influence	O
on	O
Capcom	O
's	O
Monster	B-Application
Hunter	I-Application
series	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
According	O
to	O
GamesTM	O
,	O
the	O
Phantasy	B-Application
Star	I-Application
series	O
has	O
struggled	O
to	O
live	O
up	O
to	O
the	O
legacy	O
of	O
Phantasy	B-Application
Star	I-Application
Online	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Sega	O
has	O
been	O
slow	O
to	O
localize	O
Phantasy	B-Application
Star	I-Application
games	O
,	O
and	O
the	O
PSP	O
entries	O
in	O
the	O
series	O
did	O
not	O
capture	O
the	O
attention	O
of	O
the	O
west	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Concurrently	O
,	O
Monster	B-Application
Hunter	I-Application
had	O
a	O
similar	O
formula	O
to	O
Phantasy	B-Application
Star	I-Application
Online	I-Application
and	O
became	O
successful	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Later	O
Phantasy	B-Application
Star	I-Application
games	O
,	O
such	O
as	O
Phantasy	B-Application
Star	I-Application
Universe	I-Application
(	O
2006	O
)	O
,	O
share	O
similar	O
gameplay	O
with	O
Phantasy	B-Application
Star	I-Application
Online	I-Application
but	O
failed	O
to	O
reach	O
the	O
same	O
critical	O
and	O
commercial	O
success	O
in	O
the	O
West	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
Japan	O
,	O
Phantasy	B-Application
Star	I-Application
Universe	I-Application
became	O
the	O
best	O
selling	O
game	O
in	O
the	O
franchise	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Phantasy	B-Protocol
Star	I-Protocol
Online	I-Protocol
2	I-Protocol
was	O
released	O
in	O
Japan	O
in	O
2012	O
,	O
and	O
localized	O
for	O
the	O
west	O
in	O
2020	O
.	O
</s>
