12 Dead Online Video Games That Should Never Have Ended
4. Phantasy Star Online
Phantasy Star Online met its demise not because of low subscription numbers or a lack of positive reception, but instead because of the failure of the Dreamcast. With its demise came the closing of the servers for a game that still had over half a million people regularly playing it; obviously fourteen years on it is highly unlikely it would still be around but its life was cut tragically short, and it really didnt deserve it. The game was unique, bringing a totally new experience to console owners when it released in 2000. MMOs have for the most part been exclusive to the realm of the PC, but Sega paved the way for online games coming to home consoles. But it wasnt just a trend setter that made it deserving of more life, it was actually an incredibly fun game. An in-depth character creation tool let you design your own adventurer to maraud through dungeons in search of quests and treasure. With the ability to team up with others, working co-operatively to complete tasks or overcome enemies, or fight them in deathmatches using fast paced real-time combat. It offered everything from great gameplay to stunning visuals, showing the world exactly what was possible in a console-based MMO. In light of the large number of subscribers and the effect it had on the industry, Phantasy Star Online should have been allowed to last past 2003, especially when you consider how few other MMOs have been able to be successful on future devices like the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3.
