Official Site:Â Free Realms (Wikipedia)
Studio:Â SOE, now Daybreak Game Company
Launch Date:Â April 28, 2009
Sunset Date:Â March 31, 2014
Genre: Kid-Friendly Fantasy Themepark
Business Model:Â Hybrid F2P (Optional Sub, Cash Shop)
Platform: PC, PS3, Mac
free realms
Obituary: Former Free Realms creative director Laralyn McWilliams has passed away
I'm sorry to report this morning that game developer Laralyn McWilliams has passed away at the age of 58. MMO fans will remember her...
The Game Archaeologist’s ultimate MMO archives v7.0
Once again we put a wrap on another year of MMORPG news, opinions, and -- most pertinent to this column -- history. In a...
Battle Bards Episode 228: Cheery MMO dungeons
Not every dungeon has to be a drab and dour affair — a fact that sent the Battle Bards searching for the cheeriest tunes...
Singularity 6 interview: Palia is the cozy cottagecore sandbox to beat as it begins closed beta
The label "cozy" is in increasing danger of becoming a watered-down label thanks to how much it's being used in culture these days. Yet...
The Perfect Ten: 10 MMOs and online worlds with super cozy vibes
In this age of increased anxiety and friction, there's a natural desire to retreat into safe spaces. And yet not all of us have...
Perfect Ten: 10 dead MMOs that should be revived for a second chance
I have always felt that it's such an enormous waste of everything when a live MMORPG is sunsetted and access to it is gone...
The Game Archaeologist’s ultimate MMO archives v6.0
And that's a wrap on this year in history! While everyone says farewell to 2022, here at TGA we're always looking way back at...
Perfect Ten: Abrupt MMO sunsets that shocked us
Not all MMO sunsets are equal, when you look at them. Sure, all impact players who made those games a home, but some titles...
Free Realms would’ve turned 13 years old this week if it were still alive
If you were around the MMO genre back in 2009, you might remember when SOE launched Free Realms, a cutesy kid-centric MMORPG that was...
Perfect Ten: Genuinely fun MMO minigames
Few people are without opinions on minigames in MMOs. Some love 'em, some hate 'em, and some just ignore 'em. Some even despise that...
The Game Archaeologist’s ultimate MMO archives v5.0
It has been another thrilling year of exploring the relatively unknown or forgotten lands of MMORPG history here in The Game Archaeologist. From projects...
The Game Archaeologist: SOE’s many MMO spin-off digital card games
One thing that I deeply admired about old Sony Online Entertainment was that it strove to experiment, innovate, and take risks. Sometimes those special...
Four Winds: Everything you need to know about Amazon’s Lost Ark
Raise your hands if you've been eagerly waiting for Lost Ark. Now give me a high five because as announced earlier today, it's finally...
The Daily Grind: What cancelled MMOs deserve a rogue server?
As a historian, game preservationist, and general MMORPG geek, it does my heart good to see players do their best to restore and operate...
The Game Archaeologist: Free Realms
Its very name was a declaration of rebellion against the status quo. In an era that had yet to shift from a subscription-only model...
Free Realms rogue server Sunrise begins taking beta sign-ups
With this past December's sale of Daybreak to a new owner, it brings to mind all of the MMOs that didn't make it to...
The Game Archaeologist: Seven ways EverQuest reshaped MMO history
To many veteran MMO players, the opening horns of EverQuest's score are enough to trigger vivid memories, violent hallucinations, and an unstoppable desire to...
Global Chat: Would it be easier than assumed for World of Warcraft to do housing?
Piggy-backing on our column on World of Warcraft's lack of housing, MMO blog GamingSF argued that the game actually has a lot of the...
The Game Archaeologist: Clone Wars Adventures, the Star Wars MMO everyone kinda forgot
Whenever the topic -- the argument -- of Star Wars MMOs arises, the debate is usually between the merits of the sandboxy Star Wars...
Battle Bards Episode 173: Down on the farm
Seeking a simpler and more quaint life? Then come on down to the farm with the Battle Bards, as the video game music crew...
