20-11-2007, 09:11 PM
<strong>Phantasy Star Online: Blue Burst to close 1 year after the console originals...</strong> <img src="/images/BlueBurst.jpg" alt="BlueBurst" width="8" height="8">
<font size="1">[ Lee_yoshi - November 20 2007 - 3:11 PM ]</font>
<P><FONT face="arial, helvetica, sans-serif">Ragol.co.uk Forumer </FONT><A href="http://www.ragol.co.uk/forums/member.php?u=1560"><FONT face="arial, helvetica, sans-serif">FireFox276</FONT></A><FONT face="arial, helvetica, sans-serif"> has sent in news that the last official version of <EM>Phantasy Star Online</EM> that's still going from SEGA - <EM>Phantasy Star Online: Blue Burst</EM> - is to closedown at the end of March 2008.</FONT></P><P><FONT face="arial, helvetica, sans-serif">Posting on the official <EM>PSO: BB</EM> forums come the following as the reason for closure:</FONT></P><P align=center><FONT face="arial, helvetica, sans-serif">"</FONT><FONT face="arial, helvetica, sans-serif"><EM>To give players some insight into the goings on of PSOBB, I've drafted up a brief explanation that covers the why concerns for the game closure. The reason for closing ultimately falls on two core reasons: <BR><BR>1. PSOBB is not making any money, in fact Phantasy Star Universe is the only reason it has been going as long as it has. Even with the lack of updates (no development, localization, or management costs), the server and bandwidth costs exceed the amount of money generated by paying subscribers. <BR><BR>2. Persistent billing issues and server timeouts (error 906, etc) cannot be resolved by our billing server team. We've been working on them for months and they simply cannot be resolved, I would go into more detail, but the end result will always be the same. <BR><BR>As a company offering a subscription-based service, we cannot charge people for a broken service, and we can't offer a free service without offsetting the cost. The sad result is a closure of the game.</EM>"</FONT></P><P align=right><FONT face="arial, helvetica, sans-serif">- </FONT><A href="http://boards2.sega.com/psobb_board/viewtopic.php?t=77148"><FONT face="arial, helvetica, sans-serif">From the official <EM>PSO: BB</EM> Forums</FONT></A></P><P align=left><FONT face="arial, helvetica, sans-serif">Hunters' Licenses will no longer be able to be bought from 6th December 2007, while all subscriptions will end on January 9th 2008, making online play on <EM>Phantasy Star Online: Blue Burst</EM> free to all users who have had at active account with the game at some point in it's lifetime from January 9th until March 31st 2008 when the game will closedown for good.</FONT></P><P align=left><FONT face="arial, helvetica, sans-serif">During this final period of <EM>Phantasy Star Online: BB</EM>'s play, XP & Drop Rates are to be increased should you finally wish to get your hands on the goods and levels you always wished for!</FONT></P><P align=left><FONT face="arial, helvetica, sans-serif">For those also wondering, yes March 31st 2008 also marks the 1 year anniversary of us losing SEGA Dreamcast & Nintendo Gamecube <EM>Phantasy Star Online</EM>.</FONT></P><P align=left><FONT face="arial, helvetica, sans-serif">The discussion on this topic has already started on the forums - </FONT><A href="http://www.ragol.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=11673"><FONT face="arial, helvetica, sans-serif">click here to be a part of it</FONT></A><FONT face="arial, helvetica, sans-serif">.</FONT></P>
<font size="1">[ Lee_yoshi - November 20 2007 - 3:11 PM ]</font>
<P><FONT face="arial, helvetica, sans-serif">Ragol.co.uk Forumer </FONT><A href="http://www.ragol.co.uk/forums/member.php?u=1560"><FONT face="arial, helvetica, sans-serif">FireFox276</FONT></A><FONT face="arial, helvetica, sans-serif"> has sent in news that the last official version of <EM>Phantasy Star Online</EM> that's still going from SEGA - <EM>Phantasy Star Online: Blue Burst</EM> - is to closedown at the end of March 2008.</FONT></P><P><FONT face="arial, helvetica, sans-serif">Posting on the official <EM>PSO: BB</EM> forums come the following as the reason for closure:</FONT></P><P align=center><FONT face="arial, helvetica, sans-serif">"</FONT><FONT face="arial, helvetica, sans-serif"><EM>To give players some insight into the goings on of PSOBB, I've drafted up a brief explanation that covers the why concerns for the game closure. The reason for closing ultimately falls on two core reasons: <BR><BR>1. PSOBB is not making any money, in fact Phantasy Star Universe is the only reason it has been going as long as it has. Even with the lack of updates (no development, localization, or management costs), the server and bandwidth costs exceed the amount of money generated by paying subscribers. <BR><BR>2. Persistent billing issues and server timeouts (error 906, etc) cannot be resolved by our billing server team. We've been working on them for months and they simply cannot be resolved, I would go into more detail, but the end result will always be the same. <BR><BR>As a company offering a subscription-based service, we cannot charge people for a broken service, and we can't offer a free service without offsetting the cost. The sad result is a closure of the game.</EM>"</FONT></P><P align=right><FONT face="arial, helvetica, sans-serif">- </FONT><A href="http://boards2.sega.com/psobb_board/viewtopic.php?t=77148"><FONT face="arial, helvetica, sans-serif">From the official <EM>PSO: BB</EM> Forums</FONT></A></P><P align=left><FONT face="arial, helvetica, sans-serif">Hunters' Licenses will no longer be able to be bought from 6th December 2007, while all subscriptions will end on January 9th 2008, making online play on <EM>Phantasy Star Online: Blue Burst</EM> free to all users who have had at active account with the game at some point in it's lifetime from January 9th until March 31st 2008 when the game will closedown for good.</FONT></P><P align=left><FONT face="arial, helvetica, sans-serif">During this final period of <EM>Phantasy Star Online: BB</EM>'s play, XP & Drop Rates are to be increased should you finally wish to get your hands on the goods and levels you always wished for!</FONT></P><P align=left><FONT face="arial, helvetica, sans-serif">For those also wondering, yes March 31st 2008 also marks the 1 year anniversary of us losing SEGA Dreamcast & Nintendo Gamecube <EM>Phantasy Star Online</EM>.</FONT></P><P align=left><FONT face="arial, helvetica, sans-serif">The discussion on this topic has already started on the forums - </FONT><A href="http://www.ragol.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=11673"><FONT face="arial, helvetica, sans-serif">click here to be a part of it</FONT></A><FONT face="arial, helvetica, sans-serif">.</FONT></P>