Free Realms and the Young Audience of Today

Free RealmsWhat is Free Realms?

Free Realms is a free-to-play 3D virtual web-based MMORPG.

Designed for ages 10-15(Tweens or Teens)

When could people play it?Released on April 28th, 2009 for PCReleased on November 2nd, 2010 for MACESRB Rating is E 10+ for Crude Humor and

Fantasy Violence

Why was the game a success?

Why was the game a success?Everything in the game was designed and

promoted to be optional. In other words, there is nothing in the game that you are required to do if you don’t want to.

Everything is optional to both genders (clothing, pets, items, jobs, classes and races).

The overall feeling of the game is not restricted to one specific genre. There are elements of Adventure, mini-games, Simulation and Socializing in the MMO that appeals to all players.

What does it look like?

The Appearance of Free RealmsThe appearance and art style of Free Realms

is one of a cartoonish and cell shading style.There is a mixture of realistic elements as

well as fantasy elements throughout the game world.

90% of people who play Free Realms create a avatar of themselves.

The PlayerIn Free Realms there are 4 main player

categories in which the player will be classified as.ExplorerKillerSocializerAchiever

The Explorer

The ExplorerThe Explorer is a player that will take part in

some of the other aspects of the game but is mostly focused on exploring the Virtual world.

As well as exploring the virtual world and seeing the design elements that the game was created with, they receive a profound sense of accomplishment with every new discovery.

The Killer

The KillerIn Free Realms it is impossible to die.

However it is possible to be beaten by a enemy, knocked out and teleported back to the nearest town.

Weather dueling another player or defeating numerous enemies, the player will always feel like they are the winner and you are the loser.

This is even present in Free Realms due to the high level of competition between teenagers and tweens.

The Socializer

The SocializerFree Realms is a MMO, therefore there are

thousands of people throughout the Virtual world. Some players get the biggest accomplishment and enjoyment out of talking and socializing with other players.

In Free Realms it is possible not only to socialize with your fellow players but also it is possible to add NPC’s (Non Playable Characters) to your Friends List and talk to them.

This adds a whole new layer to the player’s Social Experience.

The Achiever

The AchieverThese players pursue any means in which

they can have recognition throughout the world for something they have done.

Weather that is getting to the max level, getting one of the most expensive or rarest pets, or possible defeating a powerful puppy dragon.

By accomplishing these difficult tasks, they achieve the delightful feeling of accomplishment that many teenagers love.

The Jobs of Free Realms

Types of Jobs in Free Realms•16 different jobs that the player can choose from.•All of the jobs are available from the first time you start the game.•You can level each and every one of the jobs independently.

Mini-Games

The Races and Genders of FreeRealmsThere is currently only 2 races to choose

from.HumansPixies.

Both have male and female available to the player.

Both have all items available to both classes and genders.

Both are available to the player from the very beginning of the game.

The creation of Identity or Individualization in Free Realms

The creation of Identity or Individualization in Free RealmsIn the character creation screen there are

hundreds of options to choose from in terms of clothing, facial expressions, skin tone, facial features, hair style, hair color…etc.

This is available to both males and femalesIn addition to the customization of a player

from the beginning of the game, there are thousands of items such as clothing, pets, mounts and items that add to the customization and identity of the player as they are leveling up.

Anonymity in Free RealmsFor starters, no one has real names.My name in the game is called Nathaniel PowersagaAlong with the make-believe name, the user accounts

only accepts e-mails and a unique username/password in which to sign in with.

Community in Free Realms

Guilds and Friend’s ListFree Realms consist of a large amount of

players who have a need to communicate with other players.

They accomplish this using guilds, friends list’s or just talking to each other.

Guilds can be created after level 16(Which requires payment and a membership.)

Friend Lists have an unlimited space and NPC’s can be added as well.

Role-playing in Free RealmsThe main aspect of role playing in Free

Realms all starts with what the player wants to do.

There are 16 jobs to choose from in game and each of these has it’s own unique way of being played.

Some people may choose to be a cook, others a Demolition Derby Driver, or maybe just your typical Adventurer.

It all comes down to what the player wants to be and how they want to do that.

Free Realms Virtual World

Free Realms Virtual WorldFree Realms Virtual World is unending, non-

circular and resource recycling.

Free Realms GeographyWithout Geography in a Virtual World then

there will the world will be a barren wasteland with nothing to look at but an endless desert.

By adding Geography you give the players the ability to explore new areas, new heights and new depths to your game.

It is a requirement if you want to make a MMO that the player can go anywhere.

Population in Virtual WorldPopulation is one of the key factors in making

a Virtual World.Game Designers take into account the

amount of people that will be playing their game in order to set the scale and atmosphere of the MMO.

In Free Realms, they constantly added more content and more additions to the world in order to accommodate the 15 million players.

Physics in Free Realms

Physics in Free RealmsReal-world physics is used in Free Realms.Jumping, Running, Walking, Swimming and

Flying(Pixie) are all based on realistic physics in the game world.

The reason for this is because of the targeted age group. 10-15 year olds are used to seeing what is around them and comparing this to what they see in the game world, because of this the players feel comfortable and more at ease in the game world.

Player Advancement

Player AdvancementBy using this diverse system, the designers

have been able to develop a unique experience when leveling up and progressing through the world.

Players have the choice of doing any of those things at their own pace and in their own time.

This is an important element that designers have to take into account when dealing with teenagers and tweens who have very short attention spans.

Combat Systems in Free RealmsCombat in Free Realms is 100% optional.Players who choose to battle with each other

and monsters have a set 3 abilities per job (16 jobs remember) that they use when in battle.

The battles are also in real-time, which teenagers and tweens of this generation tend to enjoy more than turn-based games.

Narrative in Free Realms

Narrative in Free RealmsIn addition to what is seen through the HUD,

there is a ton of more information displayed through quest-givers, in-game NPCs as well as events that take place in the game.

Every time you go near a NPC, character or a person of interest in the game, there is a pop-up text bubble that appears over their head explaining something or giving some kind of direction for the player to follow.

Censorship in Free RealmsDue to the E 10+ rating that the game has,

Sony Online Entertainment had to be very strict with the censorship in the game.

Use of profanity, real-world names, addresses, and any derogatory term in-game is omitted out as a series of “######”.

Also in the account options online, parents are able to limit the amount of time that children and teenagers are able to play online.

Conclusion

ConclusionIn Conclusion, Free Realms is a perfectly fun

game for the target audience. The fact that it is Free to play for the first 5 levels(per job) enables kids, teenagers and tweens to enjoy a wonderfully well made MMORPG.

Sony Online Entertainment has done it again with a new and fun MMORPG that will continue to entertain, captivate and amuse kids for years to come.

Thanks!Presentation done by Morley Elliott

Thanks goes to Janice Hertel, College of the North Atlantic and Video Game Design Class of 2011.

E-mail: Morley.Elliott@ed.cna.nl.ca orMorleyElliott15@Hotmail.com