Sonic Team: The Phantasy Star Interview

Get the latest Sega happenings and PSU details direct from Sonic Team, as we offer this detailed interview with Takao Miyoshi. Plus: Phantasy Star, Next-Gen?

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There's no doubt that Phantasy Star is one of the most admired framchises in the proverbial Aladdin's cave of Sega software. In our latest exclusive interview with Sega of Japan, we met with the director of the modern-day Phantasy Star series and key Sonic Team producer, Takao Miyoshi, to go in-depth on Phantasy Star Universe and, predictably, a range of other juicy Sega-related matters.

Stay tuned to Kikizo for another huge Sega interview next week, as we bring you the latest from vital (and downright cool) Sega development leader, Toshihiro Nagoshi.

Kikizo: Thank you very much for your time today. Let's talk about Phantasy Star Universe. This isn't your first Phantasy Star project - maybe you could start by telling us how you got started with Phantasy Star originally?

Miyoshi: Well, I was working on the first Phantasy Star Online for the Dreamcast, as the main programmer, designer and director of the game.

Takao Miyoshi, Manager, Global Entertainment R&D#3, SEGA

Kikizo: Were you a fan of Phantasy Star before you started to work on it?

Miyoshi: Yeah! [laughs]. I am a Sega maniac.

Kikizo: What Sega titles have you been involved with prior to Phantasy Star Universe?

Miyoshi: I have developed many games here at Sega. As a member of the Sonic Team, I started with Burning Rangers, Christmas NiGHTS, then Sonic Adventure, Sonic Heroes, then PSO and now PSU.

Kikizo: So, is this the first game you are acting as director on?

Miyoshi: My first directing was for PSO.

Kikizo: This is the very first new, traditional Phantasy Star game in more than a decade. Where, in the original story line, does this game take place?

Miyoshi: This is the same kind of game world, so place names, item names, and some enemy names, come from the Phantasy Star series. However, the storyline and characters are totally new. You are going to see elements from older Phantasy Star games, but used in new ways. So, it's often similar, but has a totally different story.

Kikizo: It looks to be more of an action RPG than previous offline-only Phantasy Star games. What made you decide to go with real-time action, as opposed to a turn-based system?

Miyoshi: The first steps why I considered it should be this way is because of the online mode, which enables many people get to play against each other. An action-based RPG is better for the mass player type of online game, that's why I decided to have things more action-based.

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