SOE Free Realms

[schild]

“I want to see the console space provide 50 percent of our revenue over the next few years,” said Smedley. The Agency and the DC Comics game will have simultaneous PS3 and PC releases and maybe Free Realms will as well, we’ll see how that goes. Our goal is to be multi-platform for all of our new stuff.”

What in the hell is Free Realms?

[Oban]

I was really expecting this thread to be about something completely different.  Please reword the subject line, it caused me to have too much hope.

[Trippy]

It's their game for girls. Duh!

http://forums.f13.net/index.php?topic=10219.0

[Oban]

http://www.gametrailers.com/player/23176.html?r=1&type=wmv

[Yegolev]

Nine-headed Casual Beast.  Maple Hotel Horsiemon.

[schild]

One area SOE is focusing on is the family market. Its new game, Free Realms, which as the name implies, will be free, is clearly aimed at the family of gamers. The game is set in a whimsical world and the gameplay will offer diverse options.

“You might see a guy sitting at a table and you can play chess and there might be a racetrack in the middle of a forest and you jump into a car and race Mario Kart style,” said Smedley. “There might be a soccer ball in the middle of a field and you can play a game with your friends. We don’t want to make it all about kill, rinse, repeat.”

While the core gameplay is free, players can pay to become members and get access to special areas and items if they want. In addition, SOE will offer microtransactions for people to buy clothing and other personalized items in the game. Smedley said SOE is trying to bring business models that it has seen work elsewhere around the world here to the U.S.

My bad.

[Venkman]

Yea, this is the one where everything's comedy (probably Star Trek "comedy" so, like, mostly painful), free, for kids, and sorta open virtual worldy from the company that thinks those don't sell :)

Or, said another way: their Club Penguin.

Not much tech details from what I've heard/read. Browser based or thin client seems implied, so not some crazy multi-gig patch thing like that damnable Play the Fae trial *kicks brick again*

[CharlieMopps]

While the core gameplay is free, players can pay to become members and get access to special areas and items if they want. In addition, SOE will offer microtransactions for people to buy clothing and other personalized items in the game. Smedley said SOE is trying to bring business models that it has seen work elsewhere around the world here to the U.S.

Lol, why did I know this paragraph was coming before I even finished reading the first line in that quote? Smeadly really has to be the greadiest person alive.

[Trippy]

Yea, this is the one where everything's comedy (probably Star Trek "comedy" so, like, mostly painful), free, for kids, and sorta open virtual worldy from the company that thinks those don't sell :)

Or, said another way: their Club Penguin.

No.

Not much tech details from what I've heard/read. Browser based or thin client seems implied

No.

Watch the video.

[Trippy]

While the core gameplay is free, players can pay to become members and get access to special areas and items if they want. In addition, SOE will offer microtransactions for people to buy clothing and other personalized items in the game. Smedley said SOE is trying to bring business models that it has seen work elsewhere around the world here to the U.S.

Lol, why did I know this paragraph was coming before I even finished reading the first line in that quote? Smeadly really has to be the greadiest person alive.

Not really. This is the model the more casual MMOs are moving to.

[Venkman]

Yea, this is the one where everything's comedy (probably Star Trek "comedy" so, like, mostly painful), free, for kids, and sorta open virtual worldy from the company that thinks those don't sell :)

Or, said another way: their Club Penguin.

No.

No? As in, no it's not a similar demographic target with microtrans business model added? Please don't tell me you think FreeRealms is different from Club Penguin just because of the Dungeon Runner-esque graphics.

Not much tech details from what I've heard/read. Browser based or thin client seems implied

No.

Watch the video.

No? Similar question as above. Runescape is 3D too. The video is fullscreen, but the people at the show where this was announced did not get substantial answer on whether it is thin client or browser based. Until SOE says it is one or the other (or traditional), it's an open question with only a guessable answer.

[Nonentity]

Man, what the hell - I am so mad at people using the word 'whimsical' in a press release.

HEY, MOTHERFUCKERS. DO NOT USE THE WORD WHIMSICAL IN YOUR PRESS RELEASES. IT MAKES ME WANT TO FASHION A SHIV OUT OF A LAMP AND CUT YOU.

[Sky]

“You might see a guy sitting at a table and you can play chess and there might be a racetrack in the middle of a forest and you jump into a car and race Mario Kart style,” said Smedley. “There might be a soccer ball in the middle of a field and you can play a game with your friends. We don’t want to make it all about kill, rinse, repeat.”

You know, that's the kind of shit I've wanted in mmo since I first got accepted into the UO beta. Talk about an unrealized potential.

I want to drive out to the golf course in my car (maybe drag a couple blocks against a couple other cars), then hop out and play a couple rounds of golf, all in the same game engine. People playing flight sims are flying overhead.

Problem is that people are douchebags and would try running people over with their cars, go afk for an hour while golfing, and crashland the plane on the 18th green.

[Trippy]

Yea, this is the one where everything's comedy (probably Star Trek "comedy" so, like, mostly painful), free, for kids, and sorta open virtual worldy from the company that thinks those don't sell :)

Or, said another way: their Club Penguin.

No.

No? As in, no it's not a similar demographic target with microtrans business model added? Please don't tell me you think FreeRealms is different from Club Penguin just because of the Dungeon Runner-esque graphics.

No because CP is not a microtrans game -- it's subscription-based.

Not much tech details from what I've heard/read. Browser based or thin client seems implied

No.

Watch the video.

No? Similar question as above. Runescape is 3D too. The video is fullscreen, but the people at the show where this was announced did not get substantial answer on whether it is thin client or browser based. Until SOE says it is one or the other (or traditional), it's an open question with only a guessable answer.

The Java graphics engine of the Runescape ActiveX plug-in is nowhere near close to being able to do what was shown in the Free Realms engine. Also Runescape has a separate stand-alone client which is a must given how many people don't use IE in Europe. It also makes no sense to develop for a Web browser on the PC when there's also a PS3 version as well.

[Venkman]

I said "their Club Penguin" because they're billing this as a "casual" MMO, and because they were in discussions to buy CP. Microtrans/sub and graphics are nuances. And I mentioned Runescape because it is 3D. It's many years old though. A more recent reference might be some of the folks utilizing Shockwave 3D (like the Sherwood Dungeon guy). I don't know if that could push what looks like light-WoW/WAR graphics of FreeRealms though.

To your point, I don't know if developing for a browser prevent them from pushing this to PS3 or releasing in EU. What I don't know about developing for browsers and appropriate plug-ins would fill volumes. But remember, it said "browser or thin client", because that's the read people had from the show.

[Lantyssa]

http://www.gametrailers.com/player/23176.html?r=1&type=wmv

The video actually made me interested in this.

[Nonentity]

“You might see a guy sitting at a table and you can play chess and there might be a racetrack in the middle of a forest and you jump into a car and race Mario Kart style,” said Smedley. “There might be a soccer ball in the middle of a field and you can play a game with your friends. We don’t want to make it all about kill, rinse, repeat.”

You know, that's the kind of shit I've wanted in mmo since I first got accepted into the UO beta. Talk about an unrealized potential.

I want to drive out to the golf course in my car (maybe drag a couple blocks against a couple other cars), then hop out and play a couple rounds of golf, all in the same game engine. People playing flight sims are flying overhead.

Problem is that people are douchebags and would try running people over with their cars, go afk for an hour while golfing, and crashland the plane on the 18th green.

I've brought up this point before, but that sounds exactly like what Three Rings (Puzzle Pirates, Bang! Howdy) is doing with Whirled.

[CharlieMopps]

While the core gameplay is free, players can pay to become members and get access to special areas and items if they want. In addition, SOE will offer microtransactions for people to buy clothing and other personalized items in the game. Smedley said SOE is trying to bring business models that it has seen work elsewhere around the world here to the U.S.

Lol, why did I know this paragraph was coming before I even finished reading the first line in that quote? Smeadly really has to be the greadiest person alive.

Not really. This is the model the more casual MMOs are moving to.

I'd like to see google come out with an MMO like this.

[Tale]

Seen some talk in two other threads about Free Realms and it's due for launch soon, so I'm necro-ing this.

All I want to say is that in every video I've seen, the ubiquitous pixie wing animation burns my eyes.

Edit - but I'm sort of looking forward to it.

[schild]

“You might see a guy sitting at a table and you can play chess and there might be a racetrack in the middle of a forest and you jump into a car and race Mario Kart style,” said Smedley. “There might be a soccer ball in the middle of a field and you can play a game with your friends. We don’t want to make it all about kill, rinse, repeat.”

You know, that's the kind of shit I've wanted in mmo since I first got accepted into the UO beta. Talk about an unrealized potential.

I want to drive out to the golf course in my car (maybe drag a couple blocks against a couple other cars), then hop out and play a couple rounds of golf, all in the same game engine. People playing flight sims are flying overhead.

Problem is that people are douchebags and would try running people over with their cars, go afk for an hour while golfing, and crashland the plane on the 18th green.

I've brought up this point before, but that sounds exactly like what Three Rings (Puzzle Pirates, Bang! Howdy) is doing with Whirled.

You mean "trying" to do. Whirled is sort of like, let's throw shit at the wall and see what sticks. That sort of development tends to go exactly nowhere.

[sam, an eggplant]

People are betting big on free play MMOs, and several have earned surprisingly positive reviews recently, like wizards101 and runes of magic. Free realms is looking to take their lunch money.

It's a real pity about mythos.

[Mrbloodworth]

Wow, huge Necro. 07? Didn't we have another thread about this game where we went over all this?

[Ard]

People are betting big on free play MMOs, and several have earned surprisingly positive reviews recently, like wizards101 and runes of magic. Free realms is looking to take their lunch money.

It's a real pity about mythos.

Wizard101 isn't a free to play MMO.  It has a very short trial period containing a really small area you can be in if you don't have a subscription (or unlocked areas with credits), after which you need to give them money to continue further.  On the other hand, for a subscription game, it's really reasonably priced.

Um... not that I'd know or anything.

[Merusk]

No need to be embarassed, it's pretty damn fun.  My daughter played the intro and I watched her then got interested enough to give it a shot as well.  It's a fun little rpg.

[Lantyssa]

Um... not that I'd know or anything.

We have people who admit to playing Hello Kitty and Darkfall, amongst others.  It's okay.

[Mrbloodworth]

People are betting big on free play MMOs, and several have earned surprisingly positive reviews recently, like wizards101 and runes of magic. Free realms is looking to take their lunch money.

It's a real pity about mythos.

Wizard101 isn't a free to play MMO.  It has a very short trial period containing a really small area you can be in if you don't have a subscription (or unlocked areas with credits), after which you need to give them money to continue further.  On the other hand, for a subscription game, it's really reasonably priced.

Um... not that I'd know or anything.

I play it, i even gave them money.

[Ard]

I play it, i even gave them money.

I have a black cat from Halloween.  What does that really say about me?

That said, other MMO's really need to steal their family pricing subscription model. 

[Tale]

Wow, huge Necro. 07? Didn't we have another thread about this game where we went over all this?

My bad, the two search results around this one said 08 and my eyes went to the wrong line. But this one had the most accurate subject line :)

The other thread was http://forums.f13.net/index.php?topic=15265.0 which is about the Free Realms beta.

[Mrbloodworth]

I play it, i even gave them money.

I have a black cat from Halloween.  What does that really say about me?

That said, other MMO's really need to steal their family pricing subscription model. 

I have a flying pig.

I use my crowns to open up areas as i complete the content of each one.

[sam, an eggplant]

Don't know why you'd be ashamed, like I said, they're both supposed to be pretty good in their own little ways. Wizards101 is a kinda MtG ripoff and ROM is an unashamed WoW ripoff. I guess the kiddy graphics in w101 could be offputting but I mean, nintendo does OK.

I thought w101 was freeplay. Don't you pay for individual adventure areas or something? Never seriously looked into it.

[schild]

Guys, I like, really really want to play this now. >_> Jeeeeeeeeeeeeeeesus.

Wizards101 is a kinda MtG

No, it's not. Not even kinda sorta a little.

[schild]

guys

the blacksmith is the only black guy


lol

[Sky]

[Sky]

That said, other MMO's really need to steal their family pricing subscription model. 

Family pricing in other mmo = buffbots and multiboxers imo.

[Tale]

Re the pricing: http://www.freerealms.com/memberBenefits.vm

* If you don't pay, you can't be a wizard (or 4 other classes), i.e. you can't be Harry Potter.
* If you don't pay, you don't go on the leaderboard with the rich kids.
* If you don't pay, you can't have the same shiny as the rich kids.
* If you don't pay, you can only have one character (no big deal).
* If you don't pay, you are excluded from some parts of the world.

I dub thee Fee Realms.