Filed under: Free Realms

Free Realms to introduce new job, pets, player housing and more

by Shawn Schuster Nov 3rd 2009 at 5:00PM

Filed under: Galleries, Screenshots, MMO industry, Player Housing, Free-to-play, Casual, Free Realms, Massively Interviews, Kids

The world of Free Realms is about to get a bit bigger this holiday season as even more content is being added and improved for the game. According to Sony Online Entertainment's Creative Director for Free Realms, Laralyn McWilliams, the game is about to see a new job, new job structure, new pets, player housing and more added by mid-December.

We caught up with Laralyn to get a few more details on the upcoming improvements before the first stage of these updates goes live this week. Follow along after the jump for the complete interview, and in our gallery below for some exclusive screenshots of the new content.

Gallery: Free Realms

Massively wishes you a happy Halloween

by Alex Ziebart Oct 31st 2009 at 12:00PM

Filed under: Age of Conan, Aion, City of Heroes, EverQuest, EverQuest II, Fallen Earth, Final Fantasy XI, Guild Wars, Lineage, Lineage 2, Warhammer Online, Star Wars Galaxies, Exteel, Free Realms, Champions Online, Runes of Magic, Legends of Norrath

Halloween is probably second only to Christmas in terms of holiday popularity. Ask just about anybody what their favorite holiday is, and they'll probably list one of those two (if it fits the culture). Naturally, as MMO players, we have fun celebrating it in our virtual worlds just like we do in the real world. And boy, this year, do we ever celebrate. Just about every active MMO out there had (or has) something going on. The 2009 lineup included:

Most of these events last a few days into November, so if there's any one in particular you're dying to experience, you might still have a chance if you have a subscription laying around. If you're not able to visit any of these in person, we have screenshots from many of these events in the gallery below. Enjoy!

Gallery: Halloween 2009

Free Realms video answers player questions about Halloween update

by James Egan Oct 22nd 2009 at 7:30PM

Filed under: Fantasy, Video, Events, in-game, Interviews, Casual, Free Realms, Kids

We're noting that there's a slew of Halloween events happening in the MMO world this month, and it comes as no surprise that Free Realms is getting in on the fun as well with a "Super Spooktacular" Halloween update. This is the topic of the latest "Ask a Dev" video with Associate Game Designer Julie Burness and Lead Character Artist Matt Case. The Q&A is done in costume, with questions from the players themselves on the Free Realms forums.

The Free Realms devs discuss the new content which includes Halloween themed quests, werewolf and dinosaur costumes, and all kinds of holiday items -- like candy that turns players into... something else. There's going to be trick-or-treating in Free Realms as well, where players will have to scare others to get treats.

We've got the video for you, so stick with us after the jump for the Free Realms "Ask a Dev" devoted to the Super Spooktacular Halloween update.

Thrice the Halloween update hath patch'd

by Rubi Bayer Oct 20th 2009 at 5:00PM

Filed under: Age of Conan, EverQuest, EverQuest II, Guild Wars, Lineage, Lineage 2, Culture, Events, in-game, Star Wars Galaxies, Free Realms, Runes of Magic, Legends of Norrath

We are well into that time of year - Halloween is almost here and a quick look into nearly any MMO out there will show it. We've been talking about quite a few games out there and how they're celebrating, but they're certainly not the only ones putting jack-o-lanterns in their windows. Follow after the jump for a look at how some of our other favorite MMOs are celebrating.

Goal Time brings soccer to Free Realms

by Rubi Bayer Oct 5th 2009 at 3:00PM

Filed under: Expansions, Professions, News items, PvE, Free Realms, Kids

Soccer fans in Free Realms have a brand new update to enjoy. The Goal Time update brings fans a new Soccer Star job and a 3D soccer minigame.

The soccer minigame offers players the chance to round up some friends and play 3 on 3 matches at the Snowhill soccer fields, or play against the AI in one of 15 scenarios. Goal Time offers a choice of three themed fields for variety, and six full sets of soccer clothing and gear so players can pass, shoot, and defend in style. Players can also buff their speed and toughness on the field during play, and give their skills a boost with a selection of accessories and shards.

As always, Free Realms makes it easy for all players to check out the new content and participate. The Soccer Star job offers a free trial up to level five before it becomes members only. Level progression climbs all the way to level 20, and there is a soccer tutorial that will remain available to everyone. The Goal Time update is now available in game, so enjoy!

Free Realms hosts Pirate Party and doubles the dubloons, mateys

by Krystalle Voecks Sep 18th 2009 at 1:30PM

Filed under: Events, in-game, Free-to-play, Casual, Free Realms, Kids

Yarr, mateys! If ye be not knowin' what tomorrow is, then ye obviously must be a bunch o' scalawags. Fer, ye see, tomorrow is Talk Like a Pirate Day, don'chaknow? In order to celebrate th' day o' piracy properly in Free Realms, ye need to be haulin' yer keel to the Pirate Invasion Party this evenin' in the cove just south of th' Seaside warpstone. Th' pirate booty-shakin' fun will begin today (Friday, Sept. 18) at 4PM Pacific, with th' timber-shiverin' goin' on until 6pm Pacific. There be dancin', trivia, an' other merriment planned at th' party, too, for those brave souls willing to wander near Davey Jones' locker!

As if that weren`t enough for ye, this weekend be also th' time when Sony Online Entertainment be offerin' double th' value fer any Station Cash cards ye redeem. So that means if ye pop by an' pick up one o' th' 1000 Station Cash cards fer $10 (which will also net ye a pretty nifty red buccanneer dog hat in th' mix) ye`ll land $20 worth o' Station Cash fer use in Free Realms, EverQuest, or EverQuest II. Pirate fun and double yer dubloons in the Station store? Now that's enough to make any freebootin' privateer dance a jig - without a noose 'round their necks, even.

Free Realms officially hits 5m users

by Shawn Schuster Sep 16th 2009 at 1:00PM

Filed under: Events, real-world, Events, in-game, MMO industry, News items, Free-to-play, Free Realms, Massively Event Coverage

Even though Free Realms had been rumored to hit 5 millions users last month, it was made official today at the Austin Game Developer's Conference. During John Smedley's keynote, the SOE President discussed the history of the game's development, as well as some demographic numbers. As you might imagine, it's difficult to create an MMO for kids, with an average MMO player age at 33.

There was also some interesting data released about the top five marketplace items and jobs in the game. Not surprisingly, all of these top five jobs are available to free players, with Brawler taking that number one spot. Look for our complete write-up of Smed's keynote, which involves much more than just Free Realms, coming soon.

Gallery: AGDC09: John Smedley keynote

SOE announces a new way for Free Realms players to get in the game

by Krystalle Voecks Aug 23rd 2009 at 10:00AM

Filed under: New titles, News items, Trading card games, Free Realms, Kids

Like the Free Realms Card Duelist job? Ever thought how cool it would be to have a card of your duelist? Well, it seems like Sony Online Entertainment thinks that would be pretty cool too, as they've just added a new service allowing players to do just that. The Duelist on Demand service allows Free Realms players to create physical Topps cards of their very own duelists. As an added bonus, each physical card has a code on the bottom of it that you can redeem in-game for a virtual copy of your unique duelist card!

The cards are currently only available in the US (except Maine for some strange reason) and are $12 US for 10 cards. "This print-on-demand option gives Free Realms players an entirely new way to immerse themselves into the game, with a unique, physical Topps trading card," said Scott Martins, Director of Development at SOE Denver. "Imagine creating a trading card based on your in-game character and then trading it with your friends for their personalized card. It's as if you are passing out your very own Free Realms business cards." With school back in, this could also be a pretty nifty way to reward excellent grades, or as a unique gift idea for friends and family who enjoy Free Realms.

Gen Con 2009: MMOs in the E-gaming area

by Mike Schramm Aug 16th 2009 at 8:00PM

Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Galleries, Events, real-world, MMO industry, Star Trek Online, Free-to-play, Trading card games, Roleplaying, Free Realms, Champions Online, Legends of Norrath, Star Wars: The Old Republic

Massively was at Gen Con 2009 yesterday in Indianapolis, Indiana, and while most of the (gigantic) convention was involved with more traditional types of gaming, from dice and board games to collectible card games and RPGs, MMOs made their own splash in the "e-gaming" area. Sony Online Entertainment probably had the biggest presence -- in among huge posters of Free Realms and Star Wars Galaxies, they had demos running of all of their current games (though we didn't see any previews of DCUO or The Agency running). A costumed model posed for pictures in front of a large Legends of Norrath poster, while over in the CCG area, SOE held tournaments of the game for players.

Gallery: MMOs at Gen Con 2009

GDC Austin keynote speaker announced as SOE's John Smedley

by Lesley Smith Aug 7th 2009 at 2:30PM

Filed under: World of Warcraft, Fantasy, Business models, Game mechanics, News items, Browser, Free Realms

GDC Austin has announced that SOE president John Smedley will be providing the keynote for the event, which takes place next month. Entitled: "From Daggers and Dragons to Kart Racing, Cooking and Concerts ... It's a Whole New World", the keynote -- which takes place on Wednesday 16 September -- is an obvious allusion to SOE's very own Free Realms, which has been one of the most hyped freemium PC MMOs of the year and will eventually see a PS3 release.

The keynote page goes a little more in-depth, informing attendees that they "will learn about the challenges and lessons learned when creating a full-blown MMO for kids together with a ground-breaking new business model; and how developers can re-educate their teams to move from stagnant and dated MMO design toward mass market success."

GDC Austin, which is taking place between 15th and 18th September in Austin, Texas, will also see a keynote, taking place the following day from Blizzard devs Frank Pearce and J. Allen Brack entitled "The Universe of the World of Warcraft".

[Via GameSetWatch]

"Where Am I?" contest results from week two

by Shawn Schuster Jul 31st 2009 at 5:00PM

Filed under: Screenshots, Contests, Free-to-play, Massively meta, Free Realms, Where Am I

Yesterday's "Where Am I?" screenshot contest ended in another win for a lucky (and skilled) Massively reader. This time we improved the rules a bit by having participants email their answers and the winner was chosen randomly from those correct submissions.

So congratulations goes out to Derella for the correct answer this week. The screenshot was taken in Free Realms, right at the gate to the Croaking Vale instance. Only a handful of you got that right, while dozens copied the wrong answer from the comments. The prize this time was a Sony Station Cash card, so we hope Derella spends it wisely! Join us next Thursday for another challenging edition of "Where Am I?".

Patch notes for Free Realms' Speedway Thunder update

by William Dobson Jul 30th 2009 at 6:30PM

Filed under: Fantasy, Galleries, Screenshots, Classes, Patches, Free-to-play, Free Realms

We were expecting this patch to come out a little sooner than it did, but the Speedway Thunder update has now hit Free Realms. The Kart Driver and Demolition Derby Driver classes have gotten some much-needed love; both of these jobs now have full progression to level 20, with over 40 new quests for each job. Two new racetracks (Sandstone Speedway and Thunder Falls Speedway) are available as well as two car models that are unlike the vehicles seen in the game prior to this update. Eighteen additional karts of varying quality and price made it on the Station marketplace too.

The other major part of the update is the Garage interface. All speedways should have a mechanic on-site that can take you to the Garage screen, where tune-ups to a vehicle's steering, turbo and other stats can be made. We've got a new gallery full of Speedway Thunder pictures below and the full patch notes are just past the break.

Gallery: Free Realms Speedway Thunder update

Free Realms comic to be released on July 29th

by William Dobson Jul 22nd 2009 at 1:00PM

Filed under: Fantasy, News items, Free-to-play, Comics, Free Realms

The first issue of a brand new comic based on Free Realms will be released next week, on the 29th of July. The series comes from a collaboration between WildStorm and SOE, with J.S. Lewis (best known for his Grey Griffins series of children's books) writing the story. MMORPG is also reporting that those who pick up the first issue will be eligible to receive an in-game item, the "Spider Bite Sword". Each comic in the series should continue in this manner, offering a new in-game item for the 12 issues that are planned.

A handful of pages from the first issue can be previewed right now, along with a short snippet of the plot:

The story begins when a young boy is abducted and dragged into a darkened forest teeming with twisted monsters. It's up to a relic hunter and a pixie to save him, but their mission is cut short when a horde of troll-like creatures captures them!

Maybe we're just wusses, but that sounds kind of scary.

[Via MMORPG]

"Speedway Thunder" update coming to Free Realms next week

by William Dobson Jul 18th 2009 at 4:00PM

Filed under: Fantasy, Classes, Patches, Free-to-play, Free Realms

At E3 we found out a little about some future improvements to the racing side of things in Free Realms. Now IGN has learned that a racing-centric update with the title "Speedway Thunder" should go live next week if all goes to plan. Kart Drivers and Demolition Derby Drivers will be able to progress to level 20 through new quests, two new racetracks are going to be added and two new cars will be purchasable. The Garage interface that was previously discussed will be implemented for players to make use of different parts to tune up and customize their rides.

While some upgrade parts will be purely aesthetic, others will be performance-enhancing. The upgrades themselves will be obtained through questing, in-game merchants and from the Station marketplace. Other notable tidbits from the IGN interview include a mention of an "Expert" difficulty level for minigames that is in development, as well as this quote regarding the possibility of player housing: "It's something that we've been discussing internally, and... we'll just leave it at that."

One Shots: Noisy ninja

by Krystalle Voecks Jun 30th 2009 at 2:00PM

Filed under: Screenshots, One Shots, Casual, Free Realms, Kids

When we heard the infectious Free Realms theme song by The Dares, we knew we were headed for some silliness. After all, if a game is truly about "your world" as the song declared - meaning player choice - well, that's the stuff today's bubble-gum pink One Shots is made of. It comes to us courtesy of Brian H, who tells us a bit more about this image: Just a fun little screen shot I captured of my level 20 ninja being a real ninja, you know, in pink...

One Shots relies on you, dear readers, to send in your images of adventure, silliness, or battle! It's easy to participate. Just email an interesting, cool, etc. screenshot to us at oneshots AT massively DOT com along with your name, the name of the game, and a brief description. We'll put it up here for everyone to check out and give you the credit. So send in those screenshots!

Gallery: One Shots