Kid-friendly MMO Free Realms coming to PS3

Written by on Mar 15, 2011

The interesting news isn’t so much that Free Realms, Sony Online Entertainment’s free-to-play, kid-friendly MMO, is coming to the PS3, it’s that its surprising that it took this long. When the title launched in 2009 for the PC and MAC (with over 17 million subscribers since), it seemed only natural that the game would make its way to the PS3. When Sony’s DC Universe Online was in the works, it seemed that bringing Free Realms first would be a good way to open the door to MMO gaming on the PlayStation.

Yet, that didn’t happen, and instead the pay-to-play DC Universe Online hit first, to less than spectacular results, and no real test of whether an MMO could work on a current generation console (Sorry, Final Fantasy Online really doesn’t count). And now finally, on March 29, Free Realms arrives on the PS3. Can it do any better? Maybe.

Free Realms, as its name suggests, is free to play, though upgrading to member status unlocks additional content and items can be purchased. Gameplay is accessible to all, but definitely geared towards a younger audience, which is a good thing for a system that doesn’t have a lot besides movie tie-ins to distinguish it for child gamers.

What does the game offer?

  • Fun Now, No Waiting: Free Realms is easy to access! Get in the game quickly and easily from the PlayStation®Store, create a character, and adventure in a fully immersive social game world within minutes!  Click on the Game Guide to access the Activity Finder, Events Calendar, 3D and 2D minigames, quests, Match Making and more!
  • Be Whoever You Want: With 15 jobs to get into and more than 30,000 wearable combinations, players can find the perfect profession, or try them all! Jobs include: wizard, blacksmith, medic, archer, warrior, ninja, brawler, chef, miner, demolition derby driver, kart driver, adventurer, postman, soccer star, and fisherman.
  • Fun for Everyone: With so much to do and see it’s easy for players to find something fun for you! Start by playing minigames like cooking, mining, soccer, Demolition Derby, or Pirate’s Plunder. Players can decorate their player house with a party dance floor, rocket ship or talking tiki head, or create a maze with any number of items and invite friends over to race through it. The action doesn’t stop there; players can participate with the entire community at live event Boss Battles or in holiday quests, attend in-game concerts and learn boom box dance moves.
  • Vibrant, Deep Environment: There are eight distinct, unique and breathtaking environments for players to explore. Areas include the snowcapped mountain villages of Snowhill, the dark and mysterious swamps of Blackspore, and the sunny shores of Seaside.
  • Connect with Friends: Whether one’s meeting up with old friends or finding new ones, Free Realms players can connect, play, quest and adventure together. For group quests and multiplayer battles, players just log in to see what their friends have been up to, select them from your friends list and join them in game.
  • Play Free or Upgrade: At its heart, Free Realms is free-to-play, with more than 800 quests and the ability to take each job through level four. But players who want to break through to the next level can become Members with access to an additional 400 quests and the ability to level all jobs up to 20. Memberships are offered in terms of one month, three months, six months and lifetime, which is valid for the life of the game. Members and free players can also purchase a variety of items and wearables through micro-transactions.
  • Family-Friendly: Recently recognized by Creative Child Magazine with the 2010 Creative Toy Award Seal of Excellence, Free Realms is a fun online experience to share with the entire family. Parental controls on the PC allow for the customization of safety options, include pre-canned and white-list chat, reporting and filters for younger players. For kids who enjoy playing on the PlayStation®3, robust parental controls are innate to the PlayStation®3 Computer Entertainment System.

“Free Realms continues to break new ground in the gaming industry– it will be the first free-to-play MMO to hit any console, the first family-friendly MMO to hit any console, and the second MMO, after our recent release of DC Universe™ Online, to hit the PlayStation 3 to date,” said John Smedley, president of Sony Online Entertainment. “As the only online games publisher that creates accessible and diverse gameplay experiences for the full spectrum of gamers, we are committed to burgeoning innovation and growing the MMO genre by leaps and bounds, bringing in players of all ages.”

PS3 owning parents can take Free Realms for a spin when it arrives on the PlayStation Network on March 29.