From the Free Realms website, under the "Parents" link at the bottom, answering the question, "Who is the game for?":

Free Realms is designed for everyone young at heart: tweens, teens, and families alike. It's a rich and magical world where even parents are welcome. In fact, you'll want to jump right in and play with your kids!

It's a kiddie game. Let it go already. (Edit: Apparently it's not even all that great a kiddie game-- my kids tried it and went back to playing Wizard101.)

Originally posted by ObliviousX

I agree with you but free realm is a bad example, because freerealms is designed for kids, 8-14 i beleive.

Yeah it was made for ages 10-14 and to be totally kiddy safe or as kiddy safe as possible in this medium . Its got stiff stiff naming conventions and its very rigid.  Plus minors cannot interact with adults as they have the entire thing filtered that way.    Yes many adults are enjoying it but they are enjoying it because its exactly what a classic MMORPG is not and that is why they play it.   Its kinda like taking a holiday in a tranguil serene safe setting .   Its relaxing and not taxing in any way with like zero danger (except in the dungeon instances that you choose to go into).   There are "referrees" all over the place to slap you on the wrist if your conversations are kiddy safe even though there is no way for the kids to read your chat they have added another layer.  

I'm sure an adult version is around the corner but its not meant to be "hard' or "dangerous" or anything its purposely meant to be the total opposite.    Its very good at what it does, but its not your standard regular mmorpg and it never will be so dont expect it to play like one cause well quite frankly your gonna be in for a shock lol.

Lol! I don't care if this game is for kids or not! I'm 30 years old and I had more fun in 2 weeks FR than in 3 years WoW!

If you don't like it, don't play it. EQ1 and L2 are still running....

I thought leveling my hunter in WoW was easier then leveling my ninja in free realms.

I died as a ninja in free realms, i never died leveling in WoW.
Hunters are probely the easiest pve class in that game though.

I prefer wizard101, but I admit the art style is great in free realms.

Originally posted by neschria

 From the Free Realms website, under the "Parents" link at the bottom, answering the question, "Who is the game for?":

Free Realms is designed for everyone young at heart: tweens, teens, and families alike. It's a rich and magical world where even parents are welcome. In fact, you'll want to jump right in and play with your kids!

 

It's a kiddie game. Let it go already. (Edit: Apparently it's not even all that great a kiddie game-- my kids tried it and went back to playing Wizard101.)

in other worde soe missed the target audience yet again

Originally posted by Dameonk

This is my favorite post besides the Darkfall forum.

What gets me is people keep saying things like "appears to be for children", or "I think it's for kids". 

Hahah!

I don't know how it can be so obvious to me (and a lot of others here) that Free Realms is a kids game and so completely abstract to others.

I just found this game.  It's the de-evolution of adventure games in my opinion.  Way too easy. 

I signed in just to reply to this. I followed that link. I just want to ask who the FUCK thought putting a Latina girl in the damn snow was in any way logical? I mean what the hell, seriously. Riding a damn unicorn? Whats next? Unicorns riding latina girls in the jungle?

Originally posted by Fibsdk

Originally posted by zachdude

Originally posted by Fibsdk

Originally posted by Ilvaldyr

Originally posted by pencilrick  

Then a 2nd generation of MMO came out and was somewhat more user friendly:  DAOC, Shadowbane, SWG.

The famous 3rd generation held players by the hand with tutorials and quest NPC's:  WOW, EQ2

I don't really get the whole "quest snobbery" thing.

From what I remember from my SWG years, questing there was a case of:

Run to Quest Terminal.
Get quest to kill a hive of <insert mob name here>
Run to hive.
Kill mobs, kill hive.
Run back to Quest Terminal and repeat.

You can't really get much more simple than that when compared to some of the quests in newer games, and I find baffling the argument that modern MMOs are "dumbed down" due to the big floating:

! and ? symbols over quest givers/returners heads.

Wandering around clicking every NPC to try and find quests is neither fun nor challenging .. it's just a timesink.

 

Free Realms take it one step further and gives you a green line to follow to your destination. Then a big brite light fron the sky to light over the npc you are suppose to talk to. I have no problems with question or exclamation marks as long as they let you think for yourself once you accept the quest. Sadly that's not where the games are headed these days

 

Why does everyone rant that this game is too easy. It is for kids.... Kids around 12 or younger aren't going to be vet MMO players and know what to do, maybe some young enough can't read that well, so the guide shows them where to go...

 

It's for families not just for kids. Give me a SoE link where they expressly say the game is geared towards kids ONLY. Lots of adults play it with or without kids. SoE aimed at that which is why they have or will have a family account option. As far as i know kids don't have credit cards and i don't know too many parents willing to have a monthly draw on their cards for their kids if they themselvs aren't involved in some way or another

Since when has "family" not meant kids? Just about everything Disney makes for example is geared towards "family" but I seriously doubt that very few grown men are complaining about Toontown not fully appreciating their audience. Did you really go stand in line to watch the Miley Cyrus movie and then question the lack of a deep, involving plotline?

Originally posted by pencilrick

First, there were the hardcore days:   EQ, UO, Anarchy Online

Then a 2nd generation of MMO came out and was somewhat more user friendly:  DAOC, Shadowbane, SWG.

The famous 3rd generation held players by the hand with tutorials and quest NPC's:  WOW, EQ2

And now MMO's have morphed into their final endstate, making gameplay as easy as possible, not only holding the players' hands, but metaphorically changing their diapers too:  FREE REALMS

I say there is no evolution (or is it de-evolution?) beyond Free Realms.  MMO's have reached their pinnacle.

 

No. It's called a different target market. This one is kids.

Is that really so hard to understand? Or must we sensationalise everything?

To all the off-topic nonsense in here...

== begin rant ==

For gawd's sake.  How many posts of drek will there be? There's no way I'm reading all that crap.

It is so obviously a child's game it's ridiculous.  Rated "11+ Everyone" DOES NOT mean that adults should be playing it.

 
You want a harder core children's game go play ESO for the open PvP.

And what's the  RPG nonsense? Free Realms does not claim to be an RPG. So it doesn't HAVE to make you think like as you would in a RPG. Why should it be an RPG? Why? There is NO good reason why every game HAS to be an RPG.

You want a super RPG so bad, go to school, learn how to code one, produce it, and play in your own fantasy world.

Jaysus Kristo I can't believe some people.

== end rant ==

It's possible that FR can become part of the evolution only because of who they are targetting. 8-13 it looks like and if these kids are the next generation of game developers, then there may be a change 15+ years down the road.

I, for one, like the idea of games within games. I like puzzles and wish this had more of a variety, with the addition of some word and math puzzles.

Potentially it is also a large chat environment with good games and some fighting instances. I say potentially because the community just isn't jelling and I have no idea how they can get people to chat with one another unless they figure out some reward system for it.

hmmm... maybe line dancing contests?

And no, forced grouping would be a bad idea. I've always hated forced grouping and personally think that it's used as a cheap attempt to create community. Not that it ever really works, eh?

All in all I hope we see more of the same, appropriate content for children with more word, math and object oriented puzzle games rather than constant fight-fight-fight.

Originally posted by Fibsdk

Originally posted by zachdude

Originally posted by Fibsdk

Originally posted by Ilvaldyr

Originally posted by pencilrick  

Then a 2nd generation of MMO came out and was somewhat more user friendly:  DAOC, Shadowbane, SWG.

The famous 3rd generation held players by the hand with tutorials and quest NPC's:  WOW, EQ2

I don't really get the whole "quest snobbery" thing.

From what I remember from my SWG years, questing there was a case of:

Run to Quest Terminal.
Get quest to kill a hive of <insert mob name here>
Run to hive.
Kill mobs, kill hive.
Run back to Quest Terminal and repeat.

You can't really get much more simple than that when compared to some of the quests in newer games, and I find baffling the argument that modern MMOs are "dumbed down" due to the big floating:

! and ? symbols over quest givers/returners heads.

Wandering around clicking every NPC to try and find quests is neither fun nor challenging .. it's just a timesink.

 

Free Realms take it one step further and gives you a green line to follow to your destination. Then a big brite light fron the sky to light over the npc you are suppose to talk to. I have no problems with question or exclamation marks as long as they let you think for yourself once you accept the quest. Sadly that's not where the games are headed these days

 

Why does everyone rant that this game is too easy. It is for kids.... Kids around 12 or younger aren't going to be vet MMO players and know what to do, maybe some young enough can't read that well, so the guide shows them where to go...

 

It's for families not just for kids. Give me a SoE link where they expressly say the game is geared towards kids ONLY. Lots of adults play it with or without kids. SoE aimed at that which is why they have or will have a family account option. As far as i know kids don't have credit cards and i don't know too many parents willing to have a monthly draw on their cards for their kids if they themselvs aren't involved in some way or another

I don't see how it would keep an adult's attention for less than 2 seconds. The game is great for my 5 year old to run around in for free but for me it lacks any challenge. I would rather watch a movie. This game is nothing more than a grab at the subscribers of the failing old Runescape. When SOE has decided they can't compete with WoW they have decide to go after the free players. Who would actually pay  to play Free Realms? 

It is fun to boast large numbers of sub'd players when they are all playing free. Let's see them list the number of players that are actually signed up to pay the monthly fee for the extras. They won't do that.

---

Originally posted by Fibsdk
I don't see how it would keep an adult's attention for less than 2 seconds.

---

Different kind of player that also frequents AND enjoys yahoo, pogo, shockwave, popcap, etc., gaming sites with all of the 5-20 minute puzzle, word, and "action" games.

Not everyone has hours they want to devote to gaming on ANY given day.

---

This game is nothing more than a grab at the subscribers of the failing old Runescape. When SOE has decided they can't compete with WoW they have decide to go after the free players.

---

Maybe. So?

---

Who would actually pay to play Free Realms? It is fun to boast large numbers of sub'd players when they are all playing free. Let's see them list the number of players that are actually signed up to pay the monthly fee for the extras. They won't do that.

---

Finally a few points to discuss. I won't pay to play FreeRealms. I'm happy doing the freebie stuff for now. I don't think it's worth $4.99 a month +pay for items. Maybe $2, but certainly not $5.

Apparently you can buy Station Cash, their cash shop money name, without a membership.

It looks like they are doing what you would EXPECT a business to do, try out a different business model to see if/how it works. It's a hybrid between paying monthly and paying in the Cash Shop. Either way they make money, and only time will tell which one will make them more.

I expect that they are planning more content in the hopes of making conversions from the free accounts to paid ones.

If they don't stock the Cash Shop with more properties it will probably be the subscriptions that they will rely on. The Cash Shop is VERY lean on offerings to the point of being disappointing.

And I REALLY hate Cash Shops that retire items trying to spark buying frenzies "before they are all gone".

However, the game and it's puzzles are entertaining, and don't require a massive time commitment of the type that traditional MMOs do.

 wait.... you LIKE being held by the hand and told where to go? the reason the big games are so damn big (Ex: WoW) is because most people don't want to be heled by the hand. we want to do whatever. it's annoying. I would not grade the evoloution of mmo's by how much the devs baby you through the game and tell you what to do.  I would rate more by the ENTIRE game in itself. graphics (not a huge factor) accessibility (better accessibility=more players= more PvP & economy) UI (okay, now this relates somewhat to your post) combat ( combat and UI corrolate somewhat, but combat is relitively simple and well-laid out in most mmo's anywoay.)  and the other things, sounds, size, quests, leveling/ranking, ect , ect. How well they lay it out and put more and more bars on your sandbox is a fraction of the matter. 

"Granted thinking for yourself could be considered a timesink of shorter or longer duration depending on how smart..or how dumb you are."

LOL, this is my new favorite quote...

Originally posted by hellshanks

 wait.... you LIKE being held by the hand and told where to go? the reason the big games are so damn big (Ex: WoW) is because most people don't want to be heled by the hand.

Uhhh... LOL, as been stated several times by many, and even the OP that WoW IS one of those games that holds your hand and guides you around like a little kid. While it is true that many adults play WoW, the target audience is 12-15 yrs. Granted there are lots of things in the game for adults, and they can enjoy their slice, WoW is, by definition... easy mode.

I actually enjoy the demolition derby minigames.  I would play it more often if there was actually people to play against, instead of the same 'ole npc's.  Oh yea...and some sort of advancement or ladder or something. 

 Of course Free Realms will hold your hand a hell of a lot more than other MMO's as it's a MMO developed purely for pre teens and their parents to sit along side with them. It just not normal for an adult to pick up this game and play for their own entertainment when the content is made to be very childish for the kids intended to play it. Free realms can't be used as a benchmark for MMO's aimed at older gamers.
 

Originally posted by Fibsdk

Originally posted by Manestream

Originally posted by John.A.Zoid

It's for kids.

 

I have to 100% agree with you there. If teenagers and 20+ yr olds are playing this, then what the hell do you expect to get from it?

 

I expect to get A/S/L

 

Where does it say it's for kids? What gives the hint it's for kids?. Is it the virtual pets? Or the Pixies?. It's the ninjas isn't it.

 

Is it because you come from a superhardcorewftbbq rading guild that kicks ass and take names and this is nothing like that game. I wonder.

 

This is as cutesy as the sims series are and just as much for kids. You could argue that all of the sims games are kiddy games but thats an opinion not a fact.

yep one advantage about family game is the fact that mom  or dad will probably play ,with some haunt or nice etc

ton of petential

Originally posted by sn0wblind00

I actually enjoy the demolition derby minigames.  I would play it more often if there was actually people to play against, instead of the same 'ole npc's.  Oh yea...and some sort of advancement or ladder or something. 

a big racing update is planned for this month July

www.massively.com/2009/06/08/e3-2009-racing-updates-zoom-into-free-realms/

Even though it doesn't say it, ye got to be really slow not to be able to figure out that this game is geared toward kids.  It's really funny when WoW people come here and rip on it (mostly because it is SOE), calling it easy, and whatever else.  WoW is on the easy side too.  But enough of you play it.

Lets just leave people alone that want to play it.  If they are kids, then fine.  If adults, then great.

The way I see it, there are two kids games now over 5 million subs, one where we know it is, and the other you pretend is not.

I might go and try it.  Perhaps it's something to hold me over until I can afford EQ2 again.