This special series of The GamesIndustry.biz Podcast talks to developers about the titles that influenced their careers.

This time, we have Fred Horgan, senior ideation designer at Bossa Studios, here to discuss how Sega's 2000 online console RPG shaped his understanding of social and cooperative gameplay.

Horgan talks about his experiences playing with friends, and how unique design elements of Phantasy Star Online inspired him to think differently about how players encounter one another in virtual spaces, and what kinds of challenges will encourage teamwork rather than competition.

Game Developer's Playlist is an extension of a series we run on the site called Why I Love, in which developers explore their favorite games. You can find these articles here.

Title music by Julian Villareal.

The weekly news show will be back on Monday, and you can get more news, insight and analysis into the world behind video games at www.gamesindustry.biz.

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