Those worried about the mounting cost of online gaming--with every game possibly charging some type of monthly fee--can rest a little easier with the announcement. Sega's pricing structure has now been set at a flat-rate $9.95 per month. This will cover all of Sega's upcoming online games, instant messaging, and any organized online events, making per-game fees a thing of the past.

While Sega stated that previous versions of Phantasy Star Online would not be covered by this plan, it is likely that it will cover the upcoming Gamecube and Xbox releases of PSO.

• Gamespot