In this interview with PSO2 New Genesis series director Yuya Kimura, we’ll be looking back at 2023 and looking ahead to what’s in store for 2024.

※この記事は，2024年1月24日に掲載したインタビューを英訳したものです
※This article is an English translation of an interview published on January 24, 2024

　The online RPG PSO2 New Genesis (NGS) (PC / PS4 / Switch) , developed and operated by SEGA and available on the PC, PlayStation, Xbox, and Switch platforms, celebrates it’s 2.5-year anniversary in December 2023 with the “Super Genesis Festival,” which is currently in progress.
　This event, the first to celebrate a “half” anniversary, features several bonuses such as extravagant items and free usage of the Salon, as well as improvements, all aimed at attracting new and returning players.

Yuya Kimura, series producer

　In 2023, NGS saw the major update NGS ver.2, which introduced features such as the Creative Space and cel shading, giving players more ways to enjoy the game. Also, the addition of difficult quests and equipment helped to fully realize the game content.
　However, in regards to the quests, many players complained of the difficulty, the balance of join conditions, and the item Drop Rate, making for an impression that wasn’t all good on the surface.

　In December 2023 series producer Yuya Kimura appeared on the game’s official streaming program NGS Headline, looking back at 2023 and outlining the roadmap for 2024. Based on that video, we’d like to interview Mr. Kimura to get more details about that info.

Creative Space and Leciel Exploration

Looking back at the 2023 Update Content

4Gamer:
　Thank you for joining us today.
　First, in looking back at 2023, let’s talk about the major update NGS ver.2 which was released in June 2023. The Creative Space was the centerpiece of that update, so how have the players responded to it?


Yuya Kimura:
　The Creative Space is content based on crafting and creating houses, and with its high degree of customization it has been very well received. It’s not just placing preset parts in positions, but players can rotate the parts, shrink or expand them, change the color, and things like that, making it easy for them to create what they imagine.

4Gamer:
　Visiting other players’ Creative Spaces, I was surprised at what people have been able to create.

Kimura:
　There are a lot of players who show off their creations on social media. We developed this with a high degree of freedom in mind, but even we have been surprised at what the players have been able to come up with, or rather, they’ve made some wonderful things that have exceeded our imaginations. I’m very happy that the players are able to enjoy this in various ways.

4Gamer:
　I believe that there are players who will play the new content when it’s released but drop off after a while. Currently, how many players are continuing to engage with the Creative Space?

Kimura:
　The last I checked was user activity for one week, as players who entered the Creative Space at least once was about 50%, and those who made some edits to the space were generally 20-30%.


4Gamer:
　Have you heard any complaints or requests for improvements?

Kimura:
　We’ve heard that as it offers a high degree of customization, that also makes the controls a bit clumsy, and that the controls themselves were difficult to understand. We did make some adjustments in December, and we’re planning to make further adjustments.

4Gamer:
　Personally, I’d love to be able to see the Creative Spaces of players in other ships.

Kimura:
　We’ve also received that feedback, however that would be quite difficult to realize due to the server volume as well as how it’s set up. I can’t quite say this is in exchange for that, but spaces that won the Creative Space Contest will be published for a limited time on the official site, so there you can see the works of those skilled creators.

4Gamer:
　For the Creative Spaces, currently the Aelio Theme, lush with greenery, and the desert-like Retem Theme are available. Right now, changing the theme will result in resetting things to default, so in the future will we be able to do something like save the design for the whole island?


Kimura:
　Currently, the only way to save a space is to use the Premium C Space that comes with purchase of the Premium Course, or the Rental C Space that can be purchased with a special ticket.
　While it is possible in theory to be able to save an entire room, it’s quite difficult as it takes up the same server space as creating new ones.

4Gamer:
　I see. I just feel like having a max of 4 rooms, even using the Premium C Space and the Rental C Space, is not a lot. I believe that other region-based themes will be released, and with people who’d like to create spaces with various designs, there currently isn’t enough space for them.

Kimura:
　The Kvaris Theme will be released on January 31, and accordingly we plan to increase the number of Rental C Spaces. We are also looking into increasing the number of available spaces as we add new themes.

4Gamer:
　Next I’d like to ask about the battle contents.
　The Dark Falz Solus and Leciel Exploration quests, which are geared towards the hardcore players, have quite a high bar just to participate, which I believe has caused some friction between the players.

Kimura:
　This is an issue we’ve had since the days of PSO2. Players come to expect a high level of equipment functionality and skills from the other players who participate in the quest. There are even those who would say that it’s essential, which causes friction between those who say those things, and those who these things are being said to.

4Gamer:
　Then there are players who want them to make local rooms, and those who are opposed to that.

Kimura:
　In NGS we’ve got the Battle Power, which shows the character’s strength. For us devs, if the character’s Battle Power exceeds that of the quest’s setting, then they’re sufficiently prepared to participate in the quest.
　I think it’s unavoidable that players would feel dissatisfied at other players who aren’t able to contribute as much as they do. However, it’s clearly wrong to complain directly to these players, or to call them out on social media.
　As the players participating in the quest are at the Battle Power we developers have set, I can understand other players expressing their frustrations to us, but I would like for them to stop their verbal attacks towards other players. We’re all ARKS here, so I’d like for everyone to get along as fellow ARKS.


4Gamer:
　Are you thinking about adjusting the participation conditions for the high-level difficulty quests?

Kimura:
　If we raise the conditions too much then the casual players won’t be able to participate, and if we lower them too much then the hardcore players will be unhappy, so there’s no 100% correct answer. It really is quite difficult.
　And, for the high-level difficulty quests we implemented in the summer of 2023, there are players who didn’t participate, and even quit playing NGS all together because the conditions were too high. As such, from October we have been working to raise the standard in order to create an environment in which it’s easier to raise your Battle Power.

4Gamer:
　There are a lot of players who will look at the other player’s equipment and class, and then just quietly leave the quest. Before you realize it, there’s only like 3 players in the quest... Is there nothing that can be done about that?

Kimura:
　In order to completely eliminate that, we could introduce participation limits, or penalties for dropping, but that would create other problems, so it’s difficult. It’s a question of which is best for the most amount of people.

4Gamer:
　Lately, there are players who feel that the weapon limit break and enhancement requirements are too strict, making it difficult for them to reach the Battle Power level needed to participate in the quest. In particular, while they may have the equipment for one class, it’s quite difficult for two classes or more.

Kimura:
　At the end of 2023 we implemented a feature where players who are level 65 or greater in each class will be given the appropriate equipment. The equipment has already been enhanced to +80 and has preset augments. As we have already implemented content with plenty of functionality that allows players to participate, I hope that the players will make good use of it.


4Gamer:
　There are a number of quests where the quest will be failed if a certain number of players are incapacitated. I believe this also becomes a source of conflict as well, as other players will lash out as those who lose.

Kimura:
　That’s some of the end content. These quests are labeled as “high-level difficulty,” and are intentionally set to have very high Battle Power and clear conditions.
　This is content where part of the fun is trying to figure out how to clear it without losing, so by relaxing the rules we’d be cutting into that enjoyment, and the reason for the existence of this content would vanish as well. This isn’t true for all of the quests, but just certain content where the tension is part of the fun.


4Gamer:
　Some players have also said that the Drop Rate for the equipment that was for the purpose of the battle quests that were implemented in August and September is far too low.

Kimura:
　I also believe that the Drop Rate is way too low. The Drop Rate doesn’t really reflect the difficulty of the quest and the time put into playing it, so I am extremely regretful over that. In the December update we adjusted the Drop Rate along with the existing content, so hopefully that alleviates the frustrations.

4Gamer:
　The Relik series, a rare weapon that was added in the past, also had a very low Drop Rate at the time it was implemented. But I don’t remember players being that dissatisfied over it, so could it be that the Tisah series had an even lower rate?

Kimura:
　The Drop Rates were about the same, but players reacted differently for the Relik series. I believe that the problem is that, compared to the Relik, the content for getting the Tisah was a lot harder.

4Gamer:
　I heard that the Drop Rate for the highest 10-star rarity, the Flugelgard series, was increased.

Kimura:
　Yes, we raised the acquisition rate by quite a bit. We are looking at players equipment rates every day, and this seems to be increasing as well. About half of the items dropped have been equipped, and the other half have been used for enhancing or placed in the Personal Shop.

4Gamer:
　Immediately after Tisah was released, I never even saw it, to the point where I questioned whether it really existed at all. I never saw it in the Personal Shop either.

Kimura:
　Yes, at the time there was an error in the Drop Rate settings. I believe things were addressed in August.

The 2.5 Year Anniversary Event “Super Genesis Festival”

4Gamer:
　In December 2023 the Super Genesis Festival was held to celebrate the game’s 2.5 year anniversary. This is the first time to celebrate a “half year” anniversary, so could you tell us about what your goals are for this event?

Kimura:
　As I said before, there were a lot of things we regretted in the August updates. While we did make corrections and adjustments in October and November, we felt that that alone wasn’t enough, so we decided to have a half-year anniversary event in order to supplement things.

4Gamer:
　So it’s a campaign to bring back players who may have quit out of frustration since the summer of 2023.

Kimura:
　Even if we take measures to address complaints, it will be meaningless if people don’t play the game. We are distributing items and providing various boosts, so we hope that people will first come back to the game, and then experience the changes for themselves.

4Gamer:
　The Super Genesis Festival is currently scheduled to end at the end of January. Are there no plans to keep it going beyond then?

Kimura:
　Certain item presents and boosts will end when the event concludes, but we don’t have any set plans to end our efforts to bring back players, as well as draw in new players. We are still planning to distribute equipment to players with a class level of 65 or above, and gift 2,500,000 meseta to players who clear Chapter 5 beyond the end of January, so rest assured that you can still enjoy these benefits even if you’re not able to play during the Super Genesis Festival.

Adding Battle Elements and New Fields

Updates to NGS in 2024

4Gamer:
　The roadmap for the first half of 2024 was released to the public in NGS Headline, released in December.
　I believe many people are curious about the addition of new fields and action systems, but first I’d like to talk about the story. Are there going to be any major developments, such as new characters making an appearance?


Kimura:
　Well, I can’t say much due to spoilers lol. But as there was no such story quest in Chapter 6, we will have a story quest in the January 31st update.

4Gamer:
　Personally, I’m really into the NGS world. The appearance of Zephetto in Chapter 5 really shook things up, but Chapter 6 centered mostly on drama between the characters.


Kimura:
　Chapter 6 felt like going back to the basics, didn’t it. Of course we can’t leave you hanging from the world-related story we set up in Chapter 5, so we are going to let that story unfold in the future.

4Gamer:
　I’m curious as to what happened with Zephetto after he flew away.
　Moving on, I’d like to ask about classes. There are some classes and weapons that aren’t used very often, that is to say they’re not very popular. Are there any plans for major changes to how the classes feel, like what happened with the renewal of the Bouncer class in the December update?

Kimura:
　We heard a lot of player opinions for the Bouncer’s Soaring Blades, so we were able to make major adjustments based on that feedback. Although not quite to the scale of the Bouncer class, we will be making one or two class adjustments every couple of months.


4Gamer:
　Bouncer sure did change a lot, from the control feel to even the attack effects.

Kimura:
　We worried about how much we should change things, as it was very possible that the players who were used to the original action would be dissatisfied with the changes. I’m relieved that the response has generally been positive.

4Gamer:
　There are plans to expand the Ranger, Gunner, and Fighter classes in the future, could you talk about what that will entail?

Kimura:
　The effects will be redesigned, there will be balance adjustments, and there will be new class skills added. The rifle and launcher will also have more charge stages for some of their Photon Arts.

4Gamer:
　It seems that the Tech Arts Customization, which was just implemented in December, is also scheduled for expansion.

Kimura:
　We’re planning on increasing the number of target PAs.

4Gamer:
　Any plans for new classes...?

Kimura:
　At present, there’s nothing I can talk about in regards to new classes.
　However, one problem with adding new classes is that the number of players who will be able to switch from existing classes will be limited. For post-implementation adjustments and updates, as there are the existing classes, and then there will be more classes, our ability to support will be spread thin...
　That’s why, at the moment, I’d like to prioritize adjusting existing classes and adding actions that will create new play for all players.

4Gamer:
　The new action system is planned to be added in the summer, right? Will this be like the Warp Saucer that was added to Retem?


Kimura:
　While we are planning to add map gimmicks like the Warp Saucer as we expand upon the field in the future, this is something different. The new action system can be summoned, like the SUV weapon in past series, and will move about like the A.I.S. in PSO2. You can see a little of it in December’s NGS Headline.

4Gamer:
　Is it something like a stronger version of the Mobile Cannon from the Urgent Quests?

Kimura:
　The Mobile Cannon feels like an extension of a weapon, but this is more like something armored rather than a weapon. Also, different from the A.I.S., the weapons can be changed slightly depending on the player.

4Gamer:
　Are there any plans to implement a new type of quest?

Kimura:
　We do have plans to implement a party quest that’s different from the ones before it after the spring. We have both regular and ultra-difficult versions available, so I hope that a wide range of players will be able to enjoy them.

4Gamer:
　Duel Quests will also be newly added, but will we need to prepare highly functional equipment in order to clear it, like we have been doing up to now?

Kimura:
　We are planning to make some adjustments to the upcoming Phase.4. Our policy of distributing capsules with special effects for the quests at the same time will not change, but we will not design the quest so that it’ll be difficult if you don’t have them, and if you already have high-spec equipment, you should be more than able to clear the quest.
　If you don’t have general-purpose, high-spec equipment, then instead of trying to work that out from scratch, you can get the special effect capsules and get enhanced equipment easily. So we’re thinking of distributing special effect capsules in a follow-up position for clearing Duel Quests.
　Also, there are those who want separate quests, so we’re changing our policy to reduce the distribution frequency and increase difficult content.

4Gamer:
　A new field will be added around June or July, but will it be of the same scale and feel as that of Retem or Kvaris?

Kimura:
　It is an expansive field, but not like a region. For example, there are no non-combat areas, such as the ARKS bases. However, it’s not as small-scale as Leciel. It’s an urban-type field that’s part of the overall world.

4Gamer:
　Will it be included in some region?

Kimura:
　No. We showed a bit of this in NGS Headline, but it is linked to the story, so you may be able to guess that it has something to do with the game’s overall story.

4Gamer:
　The Kvaris Theme will be added to the Creative Spaces, but are there any other elements that will be added?

Kimura:
　The Kvaris Theme will be added together with the Kvaris Rank Selection on January 31st. We will also continue to distribute build parts periodically.
　We are planning to add the highly-requested Japanese-themed parts in the summer, but players have been using their imagination to create a lot of Japanese-looking things already, which lead us to wonder if we needed to make them at all... But we are proceeding with development. lol


4Gamer:
　We do often see Japanese-style buildings, such as shrines and rural towns.

Kimura:
　Right. On our staff we do have someone who specialized in Japanese architectural rules and wood framing methods when they were a student, and when looking at posts on social media they were quite surprised, saying “this is built in the same way as actual Japanese architecture.”

4Gamer:
　Those who are particular about design find that they don’t have enough parts that they can use.

Kimura:
　Right, but it all comes back to server capacity issues making expansion a bit difficult.

4Gamer:
　The VTuber Popona was streaming Creative Spaces on the NGS official channel. Speaking of, her position has changed quite a bit, hasn’t it?

Kimura:
　She became SEGA’s official VTuber in the summer of 2023. She’s working hard, playing other SEGA titles and participating in various other events.
　As she’s a VTuber who came from Phantasy Star Online, I hope she can be active in a lot of ways. I hope you all support her.

4Gamer:
　Popona held an event for the Fuji-Q collaboration, which seemed to cause quite a stir.


Kimura:
　I wasn’t quite sure about the timing, as it is pretty cold, but it was more well-received than I thought it would be. The venue and bus tour for the Popona events were almost full, and it seems like a lot of people really enjoyed themselves.
　However, the collaboration tickets were not prepared well, and they sold far more than expected, so our supply wasn’t able to meet the demand. We are sorry for the inconvenience caused there.

4Gamer:
　Are there any new developments in store for PSO2es?

Kimura:
　There are still a lot of passionate PSO2es players, and many people who use it as a sub-tool for Scratch.
　It’ll celebrate it’s 10th anniversary in April of this year, so there are talks of releasing commemorative chips, and doing something future-related on the NGS side.

Summary of Dev Policy for 2024, and

A Message from Producer Kimura to the ARKS

4Gamer:
　Could you give us a general overview for the dev policy for 2024?

Kimura:
　As I mentioned before, we will be expanding and renewing each class in turn as appropriate. As for the battle elements, we will be adding new actions, so I hope players will enjoy the new ways to play.
　From the spring of 2023 we held one new Limited-Time Quest every week or two, and we’d like to keep that going in the future, so internally we are creating structure needed to do so.
　I would like to keep updating the game with new types of quests, mixing in past revival versions, and delivering some kind of quest every week, so that players do not get bored of the game.

4Gamer:
　Are there any major changes for the game content or update policies?

Kimura:
　While we aren’t going to make any major changes fundamentally, our goal for 2024 is to make NGS even easier to play for all players.
　Distributing class level 65 equipment at the end of 2023 is a part of that plan. I believe that before the implementation, there were people who were dissatisfied as they had worked hard to enhance their equipment, only to have highly-functional equipment distributed without any hassle. However, I believe that increasing the retention rate of players who stopped playing due to not being able to keep up is ultimately best for the whole, including the hardcore users, so I made the decision accepting a certain degree of risk.

4Gamer:
　It’s really helpful for things such as playing in a class that’s not my main one. I’m working on getting all classes up to level 80 right now before the level cap opens up.

Kimura:
　After distributing I was bracing myself for a lot of negative reactions, but I ended up being surprised at how many people accepted it. I heard that it made trying out other classes easier, and there are those who took the opportunity to create a new character. So in the end I’m glad we did it.

4Gamer:
　Regarding equipment, will the method for obtaining the highest rarity weapons continue to be through rare drops?

Kimura:
　I am considering weapons that you create through gathering materials, just like the Kaizaar series. It may take some time, but you’ll be certain to get it.


4Gamer:
　Defeating Retem Alnothe over and over has become the method for accumulating meseta, which is necessary for enhancing equipment. Do you have any plans to address this?

Kimura:
　Not at present, no.

4Gamer:
　So you don’t see this as a problem.

Kimura:
　It’s not that I don’t see it as a problem, but rather I’m considering increasing the efficiency of the other battle sections as a response. I think there are a lot of people who go to Retem Alnothe because they’ve gotten used to it, and if there are people who enjoy it, I’d rather not mess around with that. At the very least we aren’t going to nerf Alnothe’s efficiency.

4Gamer:
　Looking at the roadmap, there’s a high frequency of collaboration AC scratch. Are there any plans to bring back collaboration AC scratches from the past, not just new ones?

Kimura:
　We do have some gaps, so it would be nice to bring back some past collabs. However, there’s also the intentions of the original content’s publisher, so it’s not a given that we can implement it. We are in the consideration phase.

4Gamer:
　There’s quite a bit of collab content, does that have any effect on the development of other content?

Kimura:
　It does not. Even if we didn’t have collab content the AC scratch would still be released on a regular basis, so it doesn’t have any effect on the development pace for other content.
　In PSO2, when we did collab quests and had collab enemies that did have a little bit of an influence I believe, but currently in NGS we primarily do our collabs with the AC Scratch.

4Gamer:
　Speaking of the AC Scratch, personally I’d like to see more casual fashions. Like with the EDWIN collab, more natural outerwear, such as jackets.


Kimura:
　I thought we added quite a bit of casual fashions, you want even more? Lol With t-shirt like outfits for the summer, I thought we’d added too many casual outfits. We’ve also received feedback that there should be more things that fit with the world view, more sci-fi-like stuff.

4Gamer:
　Everyone’s got their own preferences when it comes to fashion.

Kimura:
　The ratio of casual clothing in AC Scratch increased in 2023 I believe. However, we are considering putting out a good balance of casual clothes, Japanese styles, and sci-fi styles.

4Gamer:
　In closing, do you have a message for all the ARKS members?

Kimura:
　Thank you for playing NGS in 2023. The major events that happened this past year was Dark Falz Aegis in February, and the new Slayer class in April. Implementing Slayer meant that players could use all the weapons types that were in PSO2, and Chapter 5, which included Dark Falz Aegis, helped to deepen the lore.

　Also, battles were at the core of NGS gameplay, but with the implementation of the Creative Space in June’s NGS ver.2 we were able to add non-battle content. It seems there are also a lot of players using the cel shading, so I’m glad we were able to implement that.

　However, regarding the content added from August, such as Leciel Exploration and Dark Falz Solus, while being challenging in their own right, had problems in terms of balance. We devs will reflect on this and put these lessons to use in future development and operation.

　In the future, we are aiming to deliver a NGS experience that not only current players, but new and returning players can also enjoy. The Super Genesis festival will continue beyond the end of January, so please invite your friends, and I hope you enjoy. I hope you will enjoy for 2024 has in store.

4Gamer:
　Thank you for your time today.

※The responsibility for the contents of the Japanese article lies with 4Gamer.
The responsibility for the translation lies with SEGA.

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