.hack//Fragment

Japanese Release date: November 23rd, 2005
*No U.S. version will be produced.

One thing the majority of .hack fans have agreed on was the production of a real .hack game with online abilities. Be aware that fragment is an ORPG, not a MMO and that the online abilities are limited, thus the full title: .hack//ONLINE X OFFLINE. Fragment is not a full-fledged MMORPG like "The World."


Enter the frag
"With .hack//fragment, Bandai and co-developers CyberConnect 2 and Artdink are taking the series into the realm of true Online gameplay for the first time. Using a standard network adapter (no need for a hard disk) you'll have the option of adventuring alongside players throughout Japan.



"When playing Online, you first create your own character. You can give your character a name, profession and gender, and even modify its physical appearance. Once you have a character, you enter a lobby and search for two other players to join you on an adventure. Gameplay in .hack//fragment takes place in groups of three. Using Artdink's expertise in Online game's development, Bandai is promising a full-fledged Online experience. The game includes an Online interface that lets players chat, send e-mail and read news. You can even create guilds, which seem to be chat rooms exclusively for your friends."


"Bandai will not be charging a monthly fee for playing, but there's a catch. While Bandai is setting up a matching server, actual gameplay takes place on an "area server," which runs on your own PC. Specific details on how the PC and PS2 will connect should follow in a future update. Bandai is actually making this strange Online system into part of the game. Your PC represents a section of the .hack world, and using dungeon creation tools, you can create your own dungeons and areas. This is, of course, in addition to adventuring through the worlds that Bandai has created."