April 23^rd, 2002 (12:00am) - Expected to be released in Japan this upcoming summer , PSO will be the first online compatible Nintendo GameCube title to ever be released. In order to get opinions of GameCube owners in Japan on the title, Sonic Team will be releasing a trial version of the game sometime in June. Naka-san had been recently interviewed by Degenki in order to reveal some dirt about the trial version.

To kick off the Q&A Naka was asked about the delays of the GameCube version and if it could perhaps have an affect on sales.

Naka-san :I think fans of the series are willing to wait for the GameCube version, especially since it will have network compatibility. If we didn’t care about the players and their desires we could have released the game awhile ago.

He was then asked about what content from the actual game would the trial version include

Naka: The GameCube trial version will feature both offline and online play modes. Episode 1 will be available for online players, and players can also test the multiplayer mode offline. However, there’s no single player offline mode available. We’ve also determined a 14" television is the smallest you can realistically use for the multiplayer mode.

Finally, he was asked about the broadband situation with the GameCube version and whether or not the trial version would support it.

Naka: Naturally we plan to include a bulletin board system for the GameCube trail version. Even though players can be harsh critics, their feedback is what helps mold the finished version. As for the broadband adapter and its release date, that’s entirely up to Nintendo. We’re confident players will enjoy the ease, speed and reliability of the dialup play in the GameCube version.

My thoughts: Nintendo keeps on saying they are not ready to reveal any plans about their online status ... but Sonic Team and Yuji Naka keep on confirming that Nintendo has delivered to them the tools and that the game will be playable online... I guess I should be happy that the GameCube will go online but all the fees that lie in the future for online gamers put a frown on my face.