Free Realms Hits Three Million Users

Keane Ng

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Sep 11, 2008
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Free Realms Hits Three Million Users



Kid-friendly free MMOG Free Realms continues to scoop up users by the millions, having recently passed the three million mark less than two months after launch.

Oh wait, now I get it. It's Free Realms not just because the realms are free in the abstract sense, but because the game is literally free to install and play. In any case, free certainly is a popular word these days (as it's always been), because Sony's family-friendly MMOG just announced that it's gotten even more popular in recent times by hitting the three million player mark, a scant seven weeks after its launch.

Sony Online Entertainment's John Smedley estimated that about 500,000 people join up every week. So, among the dozens of free MMOG offerings out there, why does Free Realms have such appeal? "SOE worked diligently over the past four years to ensure that Free Realms would take the online space by storm," Smedley said.

Maybe it's because Sony keeps offering free (there's that word again) stuff every time the game hits another million. This time around, Sony's giving out the "3M Pet Party Pack," which will let you outfit your in-game pet in ridiculous things like an argyle sweater.

Or it could be that Free Realms is actually good. When we last reported on the game hitting the one million [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/91779-Family-Friendly-MMO-Free-Realms-Tops-1-Million-Players] player mark less than a month ago, Earnest Cavalli wrote that Free Realms "surprisingly offers enough quality content to please both discerning parents and wide-eyed youngsters."

Release a pack with a keyboard [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qAepgZ5iM5k] to go with that sweater and you'll have another user to add to your millions, SOE.

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Eri

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Feb 21, 2009
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It's not hard to garner members when your mmo is free. (Read: Runescape)
 

Jumplion

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I still havn't gotten around to joining up Free Realms, but it does look interesting and I am in need of some MMO lovin', preferably free MMO lovin'.
 

Yoshi_egg80

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Apr 1, 2009
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A free mmo! I never heard of such a thing being so popular with the kids *cough* Runescape *hack*. Other than that I blame the commercials on cartoon network?(I think so not entirely sure)
 

D_987

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Is it a genuine MMO or is it a chatroom for children? The way Keane describes it the game could be either...
 

Keane Ng

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D_987 said:
Is it a genuine MMO or is it a chatroom for children? The way Keane describes it the game could be either...
I haven't played it, but Earnest said it's actually pretty substantial for this kind of thing.
 

HeartAttackBob

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Sep 11, 2008
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Ok, call me crazy, but I just checked out the Free Realms webpage... and it actually looks half decent. And... I think I'm going to try it out this weekend (don't hit me!)

Maybe I'm just a sucker for shiney sparkles and winged avatars.

I fully expect to run into a bunch of idiotic 8 year olds who's inane banter and incompetent play ruins my fun, but I will restrain my compulsion to immolate children until that actually happens.
 

Lyri

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When I read this title for the first time I thought it said.
"Free Realms hits three Muslim users"
 

TheBluesader

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Isn't the true test of popularity whether even a small handful of those 3 million users stick around for more than a week and a half? Otherwise you can just chalk it up to a kid-focused advertising blitz that lost its steam after a couple of months.

But it is free and doesn't look like it has anything to do with one of those gawd-awful live-action Disney properties or the music they barf out. So no harm, no foul.

(I of course will try it out. Cats in sweaters? XD)
 

microhive

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Mar 27, 2009
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That's all bullshit. The media will think that the game has a total number of 3 Million players when in fact it's nowhere near that many. It's presumable that the game ads around 500.000 accounts a week. Notice that accounts do not equal to players.

World of WarCraft has 11.6 Million active accounts and have sold around 30 Million accounts but that doesn't mean they had 30 million players.
 

D_987

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Keane Ng said:
D_987 said:
Is it a genuine MMO or is it a chatroom for children? The way Keane describes it the game could be either...
I haven't played it, but Earnest said it's actually pretty substantial for this kind of thing.
I'll be the judge of that!

EDIT : Curses - my laptop does not meet the minimum requirements...

=(
 

Jumplion

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Mar 10, 2008
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What the hell?!?

My computer doesn't even have the right specs for Free Realms?

Fuck this, I hate my damn PC!

*goes to cry in a corner, knowing fully well that he will never play even the basics of PC gaming...*
 

Mackinator

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Apr 21, 2009
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Jumplion said:
I still havn't gotten around to joining up Free Realms, but it does look interesting and I am in need of some MMO lovin', preferably free MMO lovin'.
Yeah does look interesting.
Anything thats free should be taken. (Except flyers from strangers on the street)>