Ah, the console MMO. This elusive beast is often rumored, but rarely spotted in the wild -- lots of developers want the widespread crowd (and subscription fees) that a successful MMO brings, but have trouble adapting PC-centric gameplay to the stick-and-buttons console audience. Sony Online Entertainment is the next contender, apparently, as it has announced plans to show off a console version of the popular free-to-play MMO Free Realms at E3 this year.
The game just hit its first birthday, and has boasted over 10 million players already doing everything from the standard fantasy combat to an in-game trading card game to ... kart racing. As its title suggest, it's free-to-play on PC, with extra features available for a subscription price. SOE says the title is "very much in development," and we'll have to see at E3 if it can hunt down one of the gaming industry's rarest catches.
[Via Massively]
Reader Comments (28)
Posted: Apr 30th 2010 11:33PM Ezio Auditore da Firenze said
Oh snap!
That Unicorn will be mine!
Shame it's not a Robot Unicorn, though...
Always, I want to be with you, and make believe with you.....
That Unicorn will be mine!
Shame it's not a Robot Unicorn, though...
Always, I want to be with you, and make believe with you.....
Posted: Apr 30th 2010 11:36PM Ezio Auditore da Firenze said
Goddamnit. I just realized that's not even a Unicorn.
I'm going to bed.
Reply
I'm going to bed.
Posted: Apr 30th 2010 11:37PM blueskyv201 said
That's a Pegasus, dude. Way cooler than Unicorns.
Reply
Posted: May 1st 2010 9:18AM (Unverified) said
Can't we live in harmony, harmony, oh oh yeaaah?
Reply
Posted: May 1st 2010 5:00PM dannydesugmailcom said
It's not a unicorn, it's a horse with a sword on its head.
Reply
Posted: Apr 30th 2010 11:36PM blueskyv201 said
I just learned everything I needed to know about Free Realms from that screenshot.
Posted: Apr 30th 2010 11:46PM Jacksons said
I just downloaded it, played it and uninstalled the add-on in record time.
Posted: Apr 30th 2010 11:59PM Marzz said
Free Realms is surprisingly decent, and competent. It's got well-designed quests and actually pulls off the 'casual mmo' better than some casual MMO's do. There's seriously something to do for EVERYONE. Combat is entirely optional, there's little grinding, there are actually rewards for going off the beaten path and finding scenic places.
It's no WoW, but it's something fun to do if you're bored.
It's no WoW, but it's something fun to do if you're bored.
Posted: May 1st 2010 8:18AM Dustin F said
If Home had simply been some kind of enhancement to something simple like that, I bet it would have been a massive success.
Free Realms, but also with some kind of commercial center, with some game oriented locations, would work better. Home as it is looks like it was tough to code and is relentlessly boring.
Reply
Free Realms, but also with some kind of commercial center, with some game oriented locations, would work better. Home as it is looks like it was tough to code and is relentlessly boring.
Posted: May 1st 2010 12:17AM (Unverified) said
looks like charlie with wings.
to candy mountain my steed.
to candy mountain my steed.
Posted: May 1st 2010 12:32AM Liquidfingers said
Sweet! Is this going to be compatible with Move?! I'm soooo getting this!
...Or something...
...Or something...
Posted: May 1st 2010 2:04AM logicmeme said
Fantasy MMO's are so boring. I really wish someone would make a futuristic console MMO, but seeing as how there are so few options on the console as it is, I doubt that will happen anytime soon. Fallout MMO on the console would be a dream :)
Posted: May 1st 2010 2:39AM KingBroly said
If it's disc based, wouldn't it have to be called "$60 Realms"?
Posted: May 1st 2010 6:13AM (Unverified) said
Charlie Charlie you got to come and see this Charlie
There is a girl om my back Charlie she want to go to candy moutain.
There is a girl om my back Charlie she want to go to candy moutain.
Posted: May 1st 2010 9:27AM Machismo said
I... I want to ride a pink pegasus.
Posted: May 1st 2010 10:20AM Jesta said
Thank god im not the only one who wouldnt mind playing this, i was worried there for a minute
Posted: May 1st 2010 1:27PM Cru said
I want a playstation move MMO with real time attacks.
Posted: May 1st 2010 4:23PM Mabui said
I recall trying Freerealms, and then I reached a point of which I could not continue to advance without paying out real money. Then I uninstalled it, satisfied that I had beat it.
Posted: May 2nd 2010 12:39PM (Unverified) said
Why care about Free Realms? Where's DC Universe Online? I'm waiting SOE...!
Posted: May 4th 2010 8:53AM Rylan said
Someone has to explain to me why this is called Freerealms. We downloaded it about two months ago for my son who is 6 years old and was showing some interest in Warcraft.
You can log in and walk around and talk but once you've got all professions to level 5 ( which took us about 20 hours of play ) we couldn't enter any of the instances or participate in any of the events having never seen more then about 4 dungeons.
Each time it threw up a message to state that we would have to subscribe to progress any further. Combine this with the fact that the vast majority of items in the game require microtransactions and you soon find that just about any MMO is actually cheaper to play. I'd have been tempted to pay if they'd offered a family subscription but no such luck.
It's not Freerealms. It's just the same old subscription based MMO with a free demo and if they bring this to Playstation 3 with the same price modelling then we won't even download it.
Before anyone starts, I'm not complaining about the game itself, or in fact the pricing. I just argue with the statement that it is a free to play MMO because it really isnt.
You can log in and walk around and talk but once you've got all professions to level 5 ( which took us about 20 hours of play ) we couldn't enter any of the instances or participate in any of the events having never seen more then about 4 dungeons.
Each time it threw up a message to state that we would have to subscribe to progress any further. Combine this with the fact that the vast majority of items in the game require microtransactions and you soon find that just about any MMO is actually cheaper to play. I'd have been tempted to pay if they'd offered a family subscription but no such luck.
It's not Freerealms. It's just the same old subscription based MMO with a free demo and if they bring this to Playstation 3 with the same price modelling then we won't even download it.
Before anyone starts, I'm not complaining about the game itself, or in fact the pricing. I just argue with the statement that it is a free to play MMO because it really isnt.
Featured Stories
Super Joystiq Podcast 004: 38 Studios meltdown, Gravity Rush, Civilization 5: Gods & Kings, Dragon's Dogma
Posted on May 25th 2012 3:30PM





