Perhaps one of the greatest strengths of Sega's successful online RPG, Phantasy Star Online was the fact that a player could buy the game and play for as long as he or she wished without having to worry about extra fees. The updated version of the game, however, will work in a slightly different manner. Sega of America recently confirmed that Phantasy Star Online Ver. 2 will incorporate a payment structure, probably in order to cover server costs and other expenses.

Though this news will upset many of the fans of the original game, Sega has assured players that the original game will still remain free and that the second version will still support offline play. In addition, GameCube owners should be able to use the split-screen mode at no additional cost for multiplayer role-playing. Finally, it is expected that the cost will be low, for Sega has always been a major proponent of online gaming, and would rather not risk ruining the popularity of one of its major titles by charging an exorbitant fee to play it. RPGamer will deliver more details, including the online cost of Phantasy Star Online Ver. 2, as they arrive.