The Free Realms trading card game arrives this week
by James Egan 
May 4th 2009 at 8:00PM
Filed under: Trading card games, Casual, Free Realms, Kids
We've known for a while now that the Sony Online Entertainment studio in Denver has been hard at work developing a collectible card game to coincide with the launch of Free Realms. SOE and Topps have partnered to create and distribute the Free Realms Trading Card Game which will hit store shelves this week. The Free Realms Trading Card Game bridges the gap between a physical card game and the MMO with virtual rewards like pets, clothing, and 'special character effects'. There will be over 180 game cards, with 50 virtual reward cards that can be redeemed for in-game items. In fact, each pack sold will have a virtual reward card. In addition, there will be 16 cards with codes that unlock their corresponding card in the game.
Free Realms players interested in checking out the trading card game can pick up the 'Passport to Free Realms Starter Pack', at $10, which includes a 40 card deck with virtual benefits in the MMO: a card that unlocks a Black Lab, a t-shirt for your character, three jumbo health potions, a virtual 'Cardie Racer', and one month of full (subscriber) access to Free Realms. Booster packs will also be available at $4 each. Booster packs will include 10 game cards, one virtual reward card, and 50 Station Cash.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
bebinn said on 8:19PM 5-04-2009
I'll believe it when I see it. I've been to 5 comic/card shops in the Baltimore MD area and they've never even heard of it and don't plan on buying the cards at all.
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PeterD said on 8:42PM 5-04-2009
That's because they will probably be sold in Gamestops and Walmarts, not comic book stores.
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Pingles said on 8:55PM 5-04-2009
I tried playing the online version in the game.
Stars, what?
Count the gems, huh?
I went back to mining...
I'm such an old geezer...
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Eebahgum said on 6:18AM 5-05-2009
Yep, for a game aimed primarily for kids, the card game is way too complicated , even for me at 42.
Pingles said on 8:50AM 5-05-2009
44 here and I get the feeling that it's too complicated for US, not them. My nephew showed me a card game at Christmas and about halfway through his explanation I was weeping with confusion.
Somehow at 12 I could memorize the instructions to the Tobruk bookshelf game but somewhere along the line I lost the patience for that stuff.
Meanwhile said on 5:12PM 5-05-2009
Ha, trust me, the card game is not that complicated for anyone who's ever heard the word "Pikachu." And if you've played Magic, this is a walk in the park. Then again, if you can play Magic, you can play damn near anything.
So the card game isn't totally easy. But that's the great thing about Free Realms -- it's got something for everyone. I'm just lucky enough that I'm the kind of person who likes it all!
Iokthemonkey said on 4:12AM 5-06-2009
There's a lot of stuff here that - sadly - isn't as well-presented/explained as the basics. Stars, for example, are used to level-up abilities (so you can improve your brawler's Leg Sweep by investing your stars in it) and coins are used to buy items. But there's also your Station Wallet that's used for RMTs... /boggle.
The worst part though is the card tutorial. It introduces about five concepts at once, makes no effort to explain the why/how of things (aside from "click here to do this") and just batters you over the head with a bunch of meaningless terms. It's a shame, as it looks interesting but the tutorial was obviously written by its designer. It would have made more sense to get a new player to play it and write from their experiences first, THEN get the designer to polish it.
As it stands, the card game is definitely the most obscure part of the game and it's a shame, as it looks pretty neat.
Ironraptor said on 3:06AM 5-05-2009
There was a time long ago when I used to play TCG (Magic, Yugi, Star trek,etc)
I learn one lesson its a big waste of money. Want the good cards have to pay $$$ then over time the cards are retired from official games or the game dies. Then its back to the same cycle of buying more again in a few months.
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Venekor said on 6:12AM 5-05-2009
They only sell because of Loot cards and people want the kool items. If Blizzard did it with WoW and started putting all the best items in TCG then I bet they'd sell like the expansions.
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Thraay said on 9:03AM 5-05-2009
Last I checked WoW did have some fairly cool loot items in there TCG. Rare pets and such.
Venekor said on 12:19PM 5-06-2009
Yeh but noone gives a shit about pets and they hardly advertise the thing. If they milked it like SOE and put the best in game items in there like say one of them saw robot mount thingys and then let you purchase them in game then it would sell like mad.
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