Software:Free Realms

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Short description: 2009 video game
Free Realms
Logo of Free Realms.
Developer(s)Sony Online Entertainment
Publisher(s)Sony Online Entertainment
EngineForgeLight
Platform(s)Windows, Mac OS X, PlayStation 3
ReleaseWindows
April 28, 2009
Mac OS X
November 2, 2010[1]
PlayStation 3
March 29, 2011[2][3]
Genre(s)Massively multiplayer online, adventure
Mode(s)Multiplayer

Free Realms was a massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) developed by Sony Online Entertainment (SOE) for Microsoft Windows, Mac OS X and PlayStation 3 set in a fantasy-themed world called Sacred Grove. The game was released on April 28, 2009 for Windows. The game was free-to-play up to level 4, with access to additional content available through a membership fee. The game allowed the player to fight, interact with other players, take up jobs, and more. The game's servers were shut down on March 31, 2014 in a closure of three other SOE MMOs that year; with the company stating a necessity to devote resources to other games.[4][5][6]

Gameplay

Free Realms contained many of the staples of MMORPG's at the time, such as an open 3D environment to explore and quests to complete for usable rewards. Unlike most games of its kind, Free Realms set out to appeal to children as well as adults with a family-friendly design and muted combat visuals, such as a lack of blood or death.[5][7] The player could choose between two races, pixie or human,[8] and take up any number of the fifteen available jobs on a single character. Jobs could involve combat or trade, though not all jobs did, and were leveled individually through questlines unique to each job.[9]

Business model

The base game was available to download and play free of charge. The PC version was accessed via the Free Realms website[10] or through game arcade sites Candy Stand[11] or Miniclip.[12] During character creation a 3D client downloaded in the background and then streamed as the user played; the same method was used to download new content or updates, which reduced file size and download times.

Versions of Free Realms for Mac and PlayStation 3 were announced at SOE Fan Faire 2010.[13] The Mac version was released on November 2, 2010.[1] The PlayStation 3 version was released on March 31, 2011 on the US PlayStation Store and on September 11 of that year in the EU, and was accessible via the PlayStation Network.[2][14][15][16]

Free Realms offered an optional membership for a single player, which allowed for 3 characters to be created per account (plus other benefits such as member-only quests, jobs and items).[17] Only one character could be played at a time; the game would kick extra active characters.[18] Before Free Realms was shut down, SOE planned to offer a "family" membership that would allow multiple logins at the same time.[19] Separate to memberships was the Station Cash currency which could be used for premium features across Sony Online Entertainment games (including Free Realms).[20]

Reception

Reception
Review scores
PublicationScore
Eurogamer7/10[8]
IGN8.8[9]
USA Today4/5[21]

In The New York Times , Free Realms was well received. Reviewer Seth Shiesel noted, "For Sony Online, Free Realms is a triumph of the company's own reinvention."[22] USA Today reviewer Marc Saltzman gave Free Realms a 4/5 score, noting "Sony Online Entertainment's Free Realms is an extraordinary online adventure that is sure to please tweens and teens looking for a fun and free fantasy world."[21] Eurogamer gave the game a largely positive review, with MMO editor Oli Welsh describing the game as "an effortlessly light and addictive indulgence".[8] MMOHuts gave the game a 4/5 and noted that "Free Realms is one of the most feature-rich free MMORPGs currently available and it's all delivered in a beautiful package".[23] In a review of Free Realms at USA Network's Character Arcade, David Chapman stated that the game "is a surprisingly deep game experience for a free to play model. There's never a shortage of things to do ... even if you never pay a dime to Sony."[24]

John Smedley, president of Sony Online Entertainment, revealed that one million users had signed up to Free Realms 18 days after its launch.[25] A month after release, Free Realms reached two million users,[26] and registrations had continued growing at a steady rate from then on. As of July 24, 2009, the game had nearly five million registered users.[27] Sony Online Entertainment announced in February 2010 that the game had eight million registered users,[28] and the following April announced a player count of ten million, less than a year after the game's launch.[29]

Comic

A Free Realms tie-in comic series was published by DC subsidiary WildStorm, beginning in 2009 for $4.99 per issue. The series held twelve issues, each of which contained a unique one-time code redeemable for an in-game virtual reward. The comic was written by J. S. Lewis, writer of the Grey Griffins series of young-adult fantasy books, with art by Allen Martinez and Jon Buran.[30][31]

The comic featured Dane Kensington, an aspiring Brawler who set out on his adventure in hopes of becoming stronger.

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 "Maintenance for November 2, 2010". Forums.station.sony.com. http://forums.station.sony.com/freerealms/posts/list.m?topic_id=23469. 
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 "Free Realms Available on PSN March 29 – PlayStation Blog". Blog.us.playstation.com. March 11, 2011. http://blog.us.playstation.com/2011/03/11/free-realms-available-on-psn-march-29/. 
  3. ↑ Eric Caoili (March 11, 2011). "SOE's Free Realms Releasing For PS3 On March 29". Gamasutra. http://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/33483/SOEs_Free_Realms_Releasing_For_PS3_On_March_29.php. 
  4. ↑ Birnbaum, Ian (24 January 2014). "SOE announces closure of four MMOs including Free Realms and Vanguard: Saga of Heroes". PC Gamer. https://www.pcgamer.com/soe-announces-closure-of-4-mmos-including-free-realms-vanguard-saga-of-heroes/. 
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 Olivetti, Justin (January 9, 2021). "The Game Archaeologist: Free Realms". https://massivelyop.com/2021/01/09/the-game-archaeologist-free-realms/. 
  6. ↑ "Sony Shuts Down Vanguard: Saga of Heroes and Three Other MMOs – Black Gate". January 26, 2014. https://www.blackgate.com/2014/01/26/sony-shuts-down-vanguard-saga-of-heroes-and-three-other-mmos/. 
  7. ↑ Free Realms Gameplay - First Look HD (video). MMOHuts. February 10, 2011. Retrieved January 9, 2024 – via YouTube.
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 Welsh, Oli (May 27, 2009). "Free Realms Review". Eurogamer. http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/free-realms-review. 
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 Krause, Staci (May 6, 2009). "Free Realms Review". IGN.com. http://pc.ign.com/articles/980/980202p3.html. 
  10. ↑ "Welcome To Free Realms". http://www.freerealms.com/index.vm. 
  11. ↑ "Free Realms – Candystand.com". http://www.candystand.com/play/free-realms. 
  12. ↑ "Free Realms – Miniclip.com". http://www.miniclip.com/games/free-realms/en/. 
  13. ↑ "Breaking: Free Realms Headed To PS3 And Mac In The Next 3 Months!". Freerealmsinsider.com. http://www.freerealmsinsider.com/content/2625-breaking-free-realms-headed-ps3-and-mac-next-3-months. 
  14. ↑ Welsh, Oli (February 12, 2009). "Free Realms to launch in early April News". Eurogamer. http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/free-realms-to-launch-in-early-april. 
  15. ↑ "Free Realms hits PSN today with Voice Chat, Trophies". Playstation Blog US. March 29, 2011. http://blog.us.playstation.com/2011/03/29/free-realms-hits-psn-today-with-voice-chat-trophies//. 
  16. ↑ "Free Realms News". SOE. http://www.freerealms.com/article/detail.action?articleId=2282. 
  17. ↑ "Free Realms Member Benefits". http://www.freerealms.com/memberBenefits.vm. 
  18. ↑ "Free Realms – Support". Help.freerealms.com. May 30, 2013. http://help.freerealms.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/21128/kw/log%20in%20two%20computers/sort/null,null/r_id/158. 
  19. ↑ "Free Realms – Support". Help.freerealms.com. http://help.freerealms.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/20772/c/1732/page/5/r_id/158. [|permanent dead link|dead link}}]
  20. ↑ "Station Cash FAQ". SOE.COM. September 16, 2013. https://www.soe.com/stationcash/faq.vm#01. 
  21. ↑ 21.0 21.1 Saltzman, Marc (May 21, 2009). "'Free Realms' offers world of family-friendly fun". USA Today. https://www.usatoday.com/tech/columnist/marcsaltzman/2009-05-21-free-realms_N.htm. 
  22. ↑ Shiesel, Seth (May 20, 2009). "Pick a Role, Any Role, Then Live Nine Lives". New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/21/arts/television/21free.html?_r=1. 
  23. ↑ Altay, Erhan (May 24, 2009). "Free Realms Game Review". MMOHuts. http://mmohuts.com/review/free-realms. 
  24. ↑ Chapman, David (May 19, 2010). "'Review: Free Realms (PC)". USA Network. http://theclik.characterarcade.com/game-types/mmo/review-free-realms-pc.php. 
  25. ↑ MacManus, Christopher (May 24, 2009). "SOE's Free Realms Has A Million Unique Registered Users". Sony Insider. http://www.sonyinsider.com/2009/05/24/soes-free-realms-has-a-million-unique-registered-users/. 
  26. ↑ Martin, Matt (May 27, 2009). "Free Realms hits over 2 million users". Games Industry. http://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/free-realms-hits-over-2-million-users. 
  27. ↑ "Free Realms hits close to the 5 million registered mark". VG247. July 24, 2009. http://www.vg247.com/2009/07/24/free-realms-hits-close-to-the-5-million-registered-mark/. 
  28. ↑ Clarke, Robert (February 8, 2010). "Free Realms Boasts 8 Million Registered Users". Aperture Games. http://aperturegames.com/listnews.php?story=free-realms-boasts-8-million-registered-users. 
  29. ↑ Mitchell, Richard (May 25, 2012). "Joystiq". Gamedaily.com. http://www.gamedaily.com/games/free-realms/playstation-3/game-features/free-realms-reaches-10-million-registered-players-plans-birthday-festivities/. 
  30. ↑ McElroy, Griffin (July 23, 2009). "Free Realms comic coming July 29, includes in-game bonuses". Joystiq. http://www.joystiq.com/2009/07/23/free-realms-comic-coming-july-29-includes-in-game-bonuses/. 
  31. ↑ "FREE REALMS #1". https://www.dc.com/comics/free-realms-2009/free-realms-1. 

External links



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