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Massively Exclusive: Free Realms' Referee Ruby goes collecting
Last week, we heard from Free Realms' Referee Ruby as she walked us through the serene joy of farming in Free Realms. This week, we're moving away from Farmer Ruby to something a bit more Rubyana Jones, so don your best explorin' clothes and let's go collect some stuff. Yes, the focus this week is on collections. The idea behind collections is fairly simple: As you'd expect, you gather things up and hoard them like a packrat. In the case of Free Realms, you're gathering keys that can be found scattered across the world in Robgoblin junk piles. There are eight keys in every collection. And what's your reward for gathering all of them, you ask? Another key! But this one is different. It's probably magic or something, because it unlocks one of many chests scattered around the world, chests which contains a plethora of stylish clothing rewards. To see the system in action, jump past the cut and spend some time with Referee Ruby as she takes you through it.
SOE rewards players for aiding Japan's relief effort
In case you haven't been paying attention to the world, Japan was hit with a devastating tsunami a couple of weeks ago. Since then, multiple MMO companies have donated to the restoration. According to a post on the EverQuest II site, the Sony Corporation has donated 300 million yen (3.6 million U.S. dollars) to the Central Community Chest of Japan and hopes to donate more as needed. Sony Online Entertainment is encouraging its players to donate to the cause as well. The game development team has designed special in-game gifts for those who would like to donate through Station Cash. EverQuest, Free Realms, and Clone Wars Adventures players can purchase a cherry blossom tree (the national tree of Japan) for 500 Station Cash. EQII players can purchase a Memory of Spring statue, also for 500 Station Cash. Lastly, Star Wars Galaxies players can buy a $5 stuffed Tauntaun toy TCG loot card. With each of these purchases, SOE will donate $10 to the American Red Cross relief efforts. Monday will mark the last day you'll be able to make these purchases, so if you play any of these games or would just like to make a donation, the sooner the better!
Free Realms now available for Mac, Civ V gets a date
Sony's Free Realms MMO is now available on the Mac. It was promised that it would be earlier this year, and sure enough, you can now download and play the free-to-play online game for yourself on Apple's platform. The port is courtesy of Transgaming, but the game's not all that tasking, so you should be good to go. And while the aesthetic of the game is pretty kid-friendly, it's actually a lot of fun -- besides the usual combat and leveling, you can do things like kart racing and crafting throughout the world as well. And speaking of games on the Mac, Civ V has gotten a ship date for the Mac. It will be coming to our favorite platform on November 23rd, according to Inside Mac Games. So you can pretty much tell your family and friends to leave you alone for Thanksgiving -- there will be no time for turkey or cranberry sauce when China and the Germans need conquering. Good luck with that one!
Free for All: Five favorite game systems
This week I decided to talk a bit about some of my favorite game systems. Systems are essentially the building blocks of all quality MMORPG matter, allowing for an experience that is unique and worth returning to. Developers have been very creative in designing these systems that, like good technology, are not often noticed by gamers. Good systems blend into your experience but enhance it, and often make the overall game play seem like something more than it would be without them. Here are some of my favorites, and I would recommend downloading these games and checking them out. Or, if you are already playing these games, take a moment to notice how much thought went into these systems, and also of how much time you spend using them. Their simplicity can sometimes be deceiving, hiding the complicated processes that help your game play be a detailed and varied experience.
Free for All: Are kids' games valid?
I had the dream again, but this time with a twist. I walked through the store, admiring the shelves and shelves of tiny robots, toy trains and action figures. Cool toys lined every shelf, articulated robots and little army men with swappable guns. Tanks, space marines, huge dragons and all sort of wind-ups tempted me. This time, though, I talked to the store owner about how I frequently have this dream, and that normally I find a section of really cheap toys that I pile up in my arms to buy. He proceeded to show me a stack of those type of toys, clearance toys, and offered me entire armies and model kits for just a few dollars. As usual, I woke up before I can buy them and take them home to adorn my office with. It's a slightly frustrating dream, but always a lot of fun. In the meanwhile, I stopped long ago with collecting toys. They take up too much space, gather too much dust and generally get no use at all. I have replaced these toys, though, and now have a new collection of bright and shinies: kids' free-to-play MMORPGs. I have played every one of them I can get my hands on, sometimes getting pretty high up in the game, and sometimes just exploring or talking with other players. They give me that same feeling that a toy gives you. Yes, adult reader, you know the one I am talking about and surely you too have at least a few toys adorning your office as well?
Free for All: How free is freemium?
Welcome to Free for All, a weekly column highlighting the world of Free to Play/Freemium games! The new generation of free-to-play games are not only of the same quality as many "standard" MMOs, but they give players a chance to try them out before they ever spend a dime (if they choose to). I am going to try to make sense out of the masses with this column, so wish me luck and thanks for reading! Freemium is one of those rare hybrid terms that is used to describe some games in the MMO market. Yet, what does it mean? I prefer to use the term "velvet rope", because it places a good picture in your head as to how the game might work. I decided to examine what the term means, and what it might say to a potential player. The best way for me to do this is to look at some "freemium" games that not only do it well, but are some of the most successful games out there, regardless of subscription model.
Goal Time brings soccer to Free Realms
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!
An Identity of Imagination...
Being anonymous is par for the course when it comes to the Internet. When approaching any kind of online community for the first time, the very first given task is usually to pick a whole new name, and even without thoughts of deliberate anonymity, it can be very difficult to actually be yourself. Common real names, such as James or Mary or John or Linda, are likely to have already been chosen as login names a long time ago and the nature of the database means duplicates are rarely allowed. A more unique name is needed when signing up, and so almost everyone begins to create for themselves an online persona.In the world of MMOs, the idea of not being oneself becomes even more integral. The player is more than merely a user name attached to forum posts or comments, and is a mighty adventurer too! This presents even more choices; physical attributes, choice of class and profession, even an invented racial background, and with each choice, the opportunity to precisely recreate the real world self diminishes. A game might only provide two different 'light brown' hair styles for male humans, none of which resemble the player's real hair in the slightest. The player has to pick something however, in order to get on and play, and with each choice a made-up version of ourselves is increasingly realised.This other self, comfortably detached from the consequences of a real life existence, can be a liberating thing, but can also be a source of troubles and difficulties all of its own. Just how much anonymity is good for us, and what makes us hide ourselves online?
A Repletion of Rats...
In all but the most staunch sandbox-style MMOs, the Quest has become the cornerstone of directed player content. Gone are the days when they'd just give us a graveyard full of skeletons, and experience bar and tell us get on with it, and the modern MMO, such as World of Warcraft or Lord of the Rings Online, is very much a task-driven experience. Very little occurs without an accompanying quest journal entry these days, and thanks to generous cash, experience and item rewards, working through the quest chains can often be the most efficient way to make progress and headway in the average MMO.The quest can also provide a little narrative to the otherwise formless adventuring of the typical MMO character; a set task and sometimes even a reason for the ensuing mayhem. That many of us simply skip the text is hardly the games fault. In any case, even without caring what the specifics or backstory to the job actually are, the mechanics of gameplay can be greatly improved by taking an endless and unbroken monster killing spree starting at level one and ending at level fifty, and breaking it into a large number of smaller distinct tasks, suitable for planning a gaming session around.There is very little not to like about the currently widespread quest system; while individual implementations may vary and have their own quirks and peculiarities, the general principle of having something specific to be doing in a gaming session is a good one, and if it isn't, well, they are generally optional anyway and the graveyard of skeletons is always out there. But ask anyone with more than thirty completed journal entries to their name about questing in general, and two specific gripes are likely to come to light very quickly, the 'Kill Ten Rats' quest, and the 'Fed Ex' quest, two types of task that seem to resurface over and over, from back to EverQuest and beyond, in almost any MMO where there are quests at all.What else can we be given to do, or are these two templates doomed to underlie everything we do in all our MMOs?
Video reveals Free Realm's environments
Is PlayStation Home's real-life familiarity a drag? Well, PS3 owners will be able to escape the online shopping malls of Home and run away to SOE's upcoming MMO, Free Realms. Currently in beta for PC, Free Realms promises family-friendly gaming for the masses. Best of all, it'll be free, paid for via microtransactions a la Home. Based on the video alone, we're digging the lush, colorful environments of Free Realms over the dull and realistic worlds of Home.
MMO FreeRealms slightly delayed on PS3
There currently are not too many MMOs on the PS3, but that's going to change rather soon. Well, not that soon, at least in the case of FreeRealms. The casual MMO from Sony Online Entertainment is slated for both PC and PS3 with the PC release out by Q2 2009; however, there still isn't any word on when the PS3 version would be out. SOE confirmed to IGN that while there isn't any date yet scheduled it's very likely that the PS3 version won't meet the current timeframe set for the PC version -- which was recently rated by the ESRB without mention of the PS3. Perhaps the wait won't be long, but there's no denying that there will be one.
A big list of MMOs to watch in 2009
Over at The Vault, they've put up an exhaustive list of all the MMO titles you should have your eye on throughout the new year. While they sort of term it as thought it's a big list of games coming out this year, we think they know it's unlikely all of those games are going to be released in the next twelve months. With that in mind, if you aren't sure what games you should have on your radar (and you haven't clicked our handy "upcoming MMOs" widget above), this massive list will bring you up to date.Here at Massively, of course, we've been doing our own level best to keep you updated on a lot of these titles, be they AAA superhero games like Champions Online or DC Universe Online. We've talked fervently about Star Wars: The Old Republic, and given you the skinny on under-the-radar titles like Aion, FreeRealms, and Jumpgate Evolution. We've even walked away from our precious fantasy to talk about games like APB or The Agency. The Vault's list is a great one to run down - check it out to see what game you should be obsessing over today!
PS3 Fanboy impressions: FreeRealms
Sony Online Entertainment has promised a number of MMO games that will appear on PC and PS3. However, none of them have come to fruition quite yet. The most likely candidate for release appears to be FreeRealms, SOE's innovative MMO game. The game is almost reaching beta on the PC, and from what we've seen so far, it's shaping up to be a fun way for casual gamers to jump online into a safe online world. Best of all, FreeRealms' big gimmick: it's free.This isn't meant to be a World of Warcraft-killer, and we think that's a good thing. By aiming for younger players (and their families), FreeRealms has crafted an intuitive, easy-to-read and use interface that looks charming. The UI takes advantage of easily identifiable icons, and the screen real estate is wisely used. This is great for the console player too: the large icons can be easily selected with a PS3 controller.For better or for worse, FreeRealms tries to appeal to many by featuring a variety of mini-games. Unlike other MMO games, your character isn't tied to one class. You can be a Ninja, Explorer, Wizard -- whatever you want. In fact, you can change your class at any time, so that you're able to tackle each situation appropriately. The freedom to change classes gave the development team at SOE the opportunity to create a wide variety of gameplay modes, from racing to combat, to card battling and cooking. A universal experience points system makes it so that doing anything in the game will let you level up any aspect of your character, in any class mode.%Gallery-34885%
Will Free Realms be bigger than World of Warcraft?
When Brent speaks, people listen. As the host of one of the largest MMO podcasts and communities out there, Brent Lassi of Virginworlds said something in his most recent podcast that may ruffle some feathers. "After what we saw today...if any of you were here, listeners, and you saw what they're doing with Free Realms, you would agree... that this is going to be the biggest MMO in the World." He then goes to say that there will never be any numbers, with WoW, Habbo Hotel and Lineage included, that will ever touch the numbers we'll see in Free Realms.
CES 2008: SOE wants to pay you for 'Sharing the Wealth'
CES provided us with an interesting look at the future of Sony Online Entertainment. We finally found out what The Agency was all about and got a good look at the wacky, kid-oriented MMO FreeRealms. And, in an exclusive interview with Massively, CEO John Smedley unveiled a new program that will launch alongside FreeRealms. Dubbed "Share the Wealth," SOE's unique buy-in program will offer site owners monetary incentives for driving customers to the game:"Let's say you have your own website. You come out our site, fill out a form pretty much the same as the one for our Station Exchange service with a Social Security number, and give us your PayPal account information. You cut and paste some JavaScript to your site, and now you have a banner ad for FreeRealms on your site. We are tracking every customer you give us, and once a month we'll give you somewhere between 5-10% of all the revenue from every customer you send us. That's as long as they are playing the game."The full interview gets into specifics behind the program, while the follow-up touches on big plans for the future of the company's Station Access pass.
