If you play EverQuest, EverQuest II or Free Realms and happen upon a Station Cash card this week, you may want to considering picking one or two up. Sony Online Entertainment will be giving players with accounts in good standing a 25% boost to any Station Cash card they redeem between Monday, November 23 (after 10:00am PST) and Sunday, November 29th (before 10:00pm PST).

A pretty good offer if we do say so ourselves. In fact, we kind of wish we knew that for our second episode ReSubbed this week, as we could've mentioned it during our jaunty exploration of EverQuest's trial zone. Oh well, at least you know now!

Worlds in Motion reports that a recent poll from market research specialists TNS and Gamesindustry.com talked to over 13,000 gamers in North America and Europe about their favorite subject: gaming, what kind they do, and how much time they spend on it.

The survey addressed players as young as 8, and found that the largest group of players in the U.S. is comprised of 8-12 year olds. That may come as a surprise to many players whose idea of a console or PC game isn't really geared toward children, but makes sense when you consider games and virtual worlds such as Virtual Family Kingdom, Free Realms, and any console game with Mario in the title.

Delving further into the MMO side turned up some interesting information. Of the US players surveyed, 21% said that they play MMOs, and 45% of those players define themselves as paying customers -- presumably that includes both subscription models and gamers that take advantage of cash shops. In spite of the large percentage of paying players, a free-to-play model is one of the biggest factors for those considering a new game. The rising success of many games in the past year that use a free-to-play model seems to support this.

Worlds In Motion offers further number crunching, and if you're interested in seeing the full survey report, gamesindustry.com offers it for a fee.

Last week we spoke to Laralyn McWilliams, the creative director for Free Realms, and she had a lot to say about upcoming changes and additions to the game. The most important change she mentioned was to the job system: "...as of early November, free player characters that are newly created will be able to play any job (Ninja, Chef, Postman, Kart Driver, Demo Derby Driver, Brawler, Miner, Soccer Star, Archer, Wizard, Medic, Blacksmith, Warrior) in Free Realms up to level five for free."

The Free Realms team will usher in the new availability of these jobs by holding a community job sampling event this week, running Monday through Friday. Twice each day, they'll be hanging out by a specific job trainer to spend some time with the players and answer questions to familiarize you with the newly available jobs. The full list of jobs they'll be covering, as well as locations and times, can be found on the site.

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.

It's that time of year again - the MMO Calendar for 2010 is on sale. MMO Calendar is a yearly project created as a non-profit fundraiser for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee. The calendar features original art from 12 different current and upcoming MMOs, and 100% of the purchase price of every calendar is donated to St. Jude.

This year's calendar includes artwork from:

• Age of Conan
• Dungeons & Dragons Online
• Eve Online
• EverQuest II
• Free Realms
• Guild Wars 2
• Lord of the Rings Online
• Runes of Magic
• RuneScape
• The Secret World
• Warhammer Online
• World of Warcraft

It promises to be a gorgeous calendar, but just in case the art alone isn't enough to convince you, purchasing the calendar will get you entered in a drawing for one of ten prizes including closed beta access, subscriptions, and boxed game sets. Calendars will be shipped by December 5th and the prize drawing is December 7th, so visit MMO Calendar to order yours!

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.

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.

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!

Erling Ellingsen, Director of Communications, Funcom:

"A bit surprising to me is that in terms of number of players, it hasn't changed a bit. Ultima Online, EverQuest and Age of Conan has roughly the same number of players per server -- which is quite interesting actually. These worlds have remained quite the same in size, so apart from EVE Online -- which is in a slightly different category because of their game world -- these games haven't become any more massive in terms of population and size of the game world. I'm still waiting for that super-MMO with 500,000 players, one billion square miles of fantasy world and a complex, virtual society filled with political intrigues and personal and social challenges.

"The truth is, however, that the size and scope of MMOs has remained relatively the same except for development in graphical technology. It's the same number of people playing, roughly the same size of the world, and we're doing the same things -- building houses, killing critters, leveling up and looking for loot. In many ways, the MMO genre is still in its infancy, and I am looking forward to more advanced MMOs in the future that really challenge the genre standards.

"We don't need [a new term for 'MMO'] yet, I think. We're still quite early in the MMO era, and I think some of the big changes are yet to come."

Min Kim, Vice President of Marketing, Nexon America:

"By definition, MMO means that a game is massive, multiplayer and online. MMOs therefore provide an environment where one player is able to interact with many other players through a setting facilitated through an internet connection. ..

"Today, the term MMO is taking on a broader definition where character persistence combined with the ability to play with multiple people suffice (i.e. session-based MMOs like Combat Arms, and KartRider). MMOs have evolved to adopt multiple genres, and the gaming genre should now be attached like a suffix to "MMO" to fully describe the type of MMO a game is (e.g. MMORPG, MMORTS, MMOFPS). However, this starts to get confusing for many when one considers online versions of games like Texas Hold'em or Chess, where there are massive player bases that have high levels of engagement and some level of persistence. ...

"I believe the definition of MMOs has elevated to a point where it is bleeding to define games that simply have players that play with each other online. At Nexon, we have tossed the idea of calling our games 'connected games,' 'live games,' 'social games,' etc. However, at the end of the day, our goal is to grow truly massive player bases. The reality is that the majority of these massive player bases probably won't care about whatever we call our games, as long as they are fun and keep them enjoying the experience. Rather than thinking of new terms, I want us to focus our energies on creating great playing experiences with massive player bases to justify the existence of the terms that currently exist.

"When people outside the industry ask me what kind of games we work on, I simply say 'online games.' The frustrating result is that sometimes people respond with, 'I heard those poker games make a lot of money.' ... I would like people to call our games FFOs -- Fun Free Online games."

Laralyn McWilliams, Free Realms Creative Director, Sony Online Entertainment:

"It's interesting, because I think there is a shift in terminology. 'MMO' has come to mean a specific kind of massively multiplayer game, as the short version of MMORPG rather as a general term for all massively multiplayer games (where MMORPG is a subset of MMO). You see the term 'virtual world' used now to describe massively multiplayer games that don't feature strong character progression or RPG elements. We classify Free Realms as a 'virtual world,' despite the game's light stats and character progression, because Free Realms emphasizes moment-to-moment fun over the grind to level 80.

"I think we'll see new terms evolve as the genres deepen and clarify. I would bet, for example, we start to see more sports MMOs, and then we start to see more specific kinds of sports MMOs. There will probably be an 'MMO' sports game, where you level up as a baseball player by playing baseball in the game, and there will probably be a 'virtual world' sports game, where you hang out, talk about your favorite teams, and have fantasy football in a virtual setting. It's such a new area in game development (which is itself a new field) that I think we have only just started to scratch the surface."

Fernando Paiz, Dungeons & Dragons: Eberron Unlimited Executive Producer, Turbine:

"To me, 'MMO' means a game where thousands of players can simultaneously connect together in a persistent world where they can play and socialize together. When the term was first used, it was narrowly defined to be a fantasy RPG game in the mold of Asheron's Call or EverQuest. Today MMOs are quite diverse and can be in a variety of genres and for a variety of audiences.

"[We] probably [need a new term for 'MMO']. But no one has come up with a term for it that is both appropriate and catchy enough. I think 'persistent online game' is the closest phrase that captures the essence of what MMOs are. To me a 'virtual world' specifically describes a shared online environment. You can have a virtual world that is not necessarily a game."

Bill Roper, Design Director, Cryptic Studios:

"I don't think 'MMO' means anything differently now than it did when it was first used, except that now MMO almost always has an implied RPG (role-playing game) attached.

"I think the [term] we have right now is simple and explanatory. If someone is going to make something outside of the understood definition, they should come up with an acronym or terminology that makes sense. For example, an MMOFPS (first-person shooter), or MMORTS (real-time strategy) would be examples of this.

"'Virtual worlds' tend to denote a lack (or limited amount) of directed game play. These are more sandboxes that thrive or die purely on player-generated content. Second Life is obviously the best example of this concept. MMOs do best when the developer continues to create new content and give players new systems to explore with existent characters."

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.

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.

We're chalking this one up as a rumor for now, but word has it that Sony Online Entertainment is developing another Star Wars MMO property, a casual browser game specifically based on the Clone Wars IP. The info comes from Ten Ton Hammer's Cody Bye, who writes:

"Ten Ton Hammer has learned from an inside source that Sony Online Entertainment has once again partnered with LucasArts to do another Star Wars MMO. While we have not yet learned the title of the upcoming game, it sounds like SOE is planning to use the browser-based Free Realms engine to power the game, and the game's setting will be the Clone Wars."

Massively has not heard anything yet to corroborate this as fact, but let's face it -- this was just too juicy to ignore. If we hear more on this while we're at PAX and Dragon*Con, we'll be sure to let you know.

[Via Shacknews]

Ahhh, the stock market: The yo-yo that makes people jump for joy or jump off twenty-story buildings. Playing it can be just as exhilarating, frightening, and expensive as a high-octane weekend bender in Free Realms. Well, almost... With the quote-unquote Global Economic Crisis we've been going through, almost all stocks are down from a year ago. Does that mean that now is a good time to invest? It probably depends on whether or not you believe the market has hit the bottom yet.

Word on the street is that the video game industry is recession-proof (or not). When you're pinching pennies, MMOs in particular are one of the cheapest forms of entertainment and escapism money can buy. We're not here to offer advice one way or the other, but we are curious -- do you play the MMO stock market? We did a bit of digging and found a number of stocks from companies producing MMOs:

• Activision Blizzard (ATVI) - World of Warcraft, new secret project
• Atari (FR:ATA) - Champions Online, Star Trek Online, etc.
• Electronic Arts (ERTS) - Warhammer Online, Star Wars: The Old Republic, etc.
  
• Funcom (NO:FUNCOM) - Age of Conan, The Secret World, etc.
• NCsoft (OTC:NCSCF) - Guild Wars, Aion, etc.
  
• Sony Corporation (SNE) - Free Realms, DC Universe Online, etc.
• THQ Inc. (THQI) - Dragonica Online, Warhammer 40k, etc.
  

Based on that list, who do you think is the best investment and why?

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.