Editing Phantasy Star Online (section)

{{Short description|2000 video game}}
{{Good article}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2018}}
{{Infobox video game
| title = Phantasy Star Online
| image = Phantasy_Star_Online_cover_art_jp.png
| developer = [[Sonic Team]]
| publisher = [[Sega]]
| director = [[Takao Miyoshi]]
| producer = [[Yuji Naka]]
| series = ''[[Phantasy Star]]''
| artist = Satoshi Sakai
| programmer = Akio Setsumasa
| writer = Akinori Nishiyama
| composer = Hideaki Kobayashi<br />Fumie Kumatani
| released = {{collapsible list|title={{nobold|December 21, 2000}}|'''Dreamcast'''{{vgrelease|JP|December 21, 2000|NA|January 30, 2001|EU|February 15, 2001<ref>{{cite web |title=Phantasy Star Online sur Dreamcast |url=http://www.jeuxvideo.com/jeux/dreamcast-dcast/00004010-phantasy-star-online.htm |website=Jeuxvideo.com |language=fr |access-date=July 14, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180714164907/http://www.jeuxvideo.com/jeux/dreamcast-dcast/00004010-phantasy-star-online.htm |archive-date=July 14, 2018 |url-status=live |df=mdy-all }}</ref>}}''Ver.2''{{vgrelease|JP|June 7, 2001|NA|September 25, 2001|EU|March 1, 2002<ref>{{cite web |title=Phantasy Star Online Ver.2 sur Dreamcast |url=http://www.jeuxvideo.com/jeux/dreamcast-dcast/00005565-phantasy-star-online-ver-2.htm |website=Jeuxvideo.com |language=fr |access-date=July 14, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180714164758/http://www.jeuxvideo.com/jeux/dreamcast-dcast/00005565-phantasy-star-online-ver-2.htm |archive-date=July 14, 2018 |url-status=live |df=mdy-all }}</ref>}}'''Windows'''{{vgrelease|JP|December 20, 2001}}'''GameCube'''{{vgrelease|JP|September 12, 2002<ref>{{cite web |script-title=ja:１．『ファンタシースターオンライン』とは |url=https://www.nintendo.co.jp/nom/0209/01_01/index.html |website=Nintendo |language=ja |access-date=July 14, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140818115830/http://www.nintendo.co.jp//nom/0209/01_01/index.html |archive-date=August 18, 2014 |url-status=live |df=mdy-all }}</ref>|NA|October 30, 2002<ref name=gxrel>{{cite web|title=Phantasy Star Online Episode I & II|url=http://www.ign.com/games/phantasy-star-online-episode-i-and-ii|website=IGN|publisher=Ziff Davis|language=en|access-date=July 14, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180714165017/http://www.ign.com/games/phantasy-star-online-episode-i-and-ii|archive-date=July 14, 2018|url-status=live|df=mdy-all}}</ref>|EU|March 7, 2003}}'''Xbox'''{{vgrelease|JP|January 16, 2003<ref>{{cite web |title=Xbox版『PSOエピソード1&2』に新たなオンラインクエスト2種類が追加！ - 電撃オンライン |url=http://dengekionline.com/data/news/2003/12/15/1c57d7a1b5b2dada01b33c6f5c7b12fd.html |website=Dengeki Online |date=December 15, 2003 |language=ja |access-date=July 14, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180714164601/http://dengekionline.com/data/news/2003/12/15/1c57d7a1b5b2dada01b33c6f5c7b12fd.html |archive-date=July 14, 2018 |url-status=live |df=mdy-all }}</ref>|NA|April 15, 2003<ref>{{cite web |title=Phantasy Star Online Episode I & II - Xbox - GameSpy |url=http://xbox.gamespy.com/xbox/phantasy-star-online-episode-i-ii/ |website=GameSpy |access-date=July 14, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160616214611/http://xbox.gamespy.com/xbox/phantasy-star-online-episode-i-ii/ |archive-date=June 16, 2016 |url-status=live |df=mdy-all }}</ref>|EU|May 23, 2003<ref>{{cite web |title=Phantasy Star Online Episode I&II sur Xbox |url=http://www.jeuxvideo.com/jeux/xbox/00010713-phantasy-star-online-episode-i-ii.htm |website=Jeuxvideo.com |language=fr |access-date=July 14, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180714164904/http://www.jeuxvideo.com/jeux/xbox/00010713-phantasy-star-online-episode-i-ii.htm |archive-date=July 14, 2018 |url-status=live |df=mdy-all }}</ref>}}}}
| genre = [[Action role-playing game|Action role-playing]]
| modes = [[Single-player]], [[multiplayer]]
| platforms = [[Dreamcast]]<br>[[Windows]]<br>[[GameCube]]<br>[[Xbox (console)|Xbox]]
| caption = Japanese Dreamcast cover art
}}
'''''Phantasy Star Online''''' is an online [[role-playing video game|role-playing game]] (RPG) developed by [[Sonic Team]] and published by [[Sega]] in 2000 for the [[Dreamcast]]. It was the first successful [[Online game|online]] RPG for [[Video game console|game consoles]]; players adventure with up to three others over the internet to complete quests, collect items and fight enemies in real-time [[Action role-playing game|action RPG]] combat. The story is unrelated to previous games in the [[Phantasy Star|''Phantasy Star'' series]].

Before ''Phantasy Star Online'', online gaming was limited to western PC games, particularly RPGs such as [[Diablo (video game)|''Diablo'']], ''[[Ultima Online]]'', and ''[[EverQuest]]''. Believing online play was the future, Sega chairman [[Isao Okawa]] instructed [[Sonic Team]] to develop an online game for the Dreamcast, produced by [[Yuji Naka]]. Sonic Team's experiments led to the development of ''[[ChuChu Rocket!]]'', the first online Dreamcast game. Using what they learned from the project, and taking significant inspiration from ''Diablo'', Sonic Team built ''Phantasy Star Online''. As Japanese [[internet service provider]]s charged for [[Dial-up Internet access|dial-up access]] per minute, and high-speed connections were not yet widely available, Okawa personally paid for free internet access bundled with Japanese Dreamcasts.

''Phantasy Star Online'' was highly anticipated and launched to positive reviews and commercial success; critics praised the online gameplay as addictive but criticized the single-player mode. It received the [[Japan Game Awards|Japan Game Award]] for "Game of the Year" and is recognized as a landmark console game, influencing multiplayer [[dungeon crawl]]ers, as well as the ''[[Monster Hunter]]'' series.

''Phantasy Star Online'' was ported to [[Windows]] and rereleased on the Dreamcast as ''Ver. 2'' with expanded content. Following Sega's exit from the console business in 2001, the game was ported to [[GameCube]] and [[Xbox (console)|Xbox]] as ''Episode I & II'', featuring new characters, environments and other features. ''[[Phantasy Star Online Episode III: C.A.R.D. Revolution|Episode III: C.A.R.D. Revolution]]'', released for GameCube in 2003, was a turn-based card game. The online series continued with ''[[Phantasy Star Universe]]'' (2006) and ''[[Phantasy Star Online 2]]'' (2012). Sega decommissioned the last official servers in 2010; ''Phantasy Star Online'' is still played on [[Server emulator|private servers]].