Free Realms

Last year, SOE threw a new ingredient into its convention mix -- player panels. The result was such a hit that the studio is not only bringing them back this year, but extending their availability; Sunday has been added to the player panels schedule, and that means there are plenty of openings!

Do you have a subject involving any SOE game that you think would be of interest and benefit others? Maybe you are a whiz at livesteaming or you have primo tips and tricks on cosplay to dispense. What about sharing your fan site or holding a raid clinic? Whatever your idea, submit your proposal by 3:00 a.m EDT June 1st for consideration. If selected, you and up to three other panel members will receive All Access passes to SOE Live 2013 (no other expenses are covered, including food, travel, or add-ons). Panel selection -- which is not on a first-come, first-served basis -- will be completed mid-June.

How many times have you found yourself asking, "Why won't the devs just listen?!" For any loyal MMO fan, it can be extremely frustrating to see feedback seemingly get ignored, and sometimes it feels as if there's a huge wall separating the fans from the developers.

Linda Carlson, SOE's Director of Global Community Relations, spoke with Massively at this year's PAX East to talk about SOE's efforts to break down that wall and improve the relationship between players and developers into something that's more collaborative, rather than contentious. Whether you're the most loyal SOE fan or someone who's vowed never to play another SOE game, you might be surprised at what she has to say.

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While we've known that SOE Live was moving location and dates this year to Planet Hollywood in Las Vegas from August 1st through the 4th, we now have official confirmation from the studio itself.

SOE Head of Global Relations Linda Carlson drafted up an accompanying post about the upcoming convention that includes several pictures from previous years. "We're all gamers too," she writes, "and can hardly wait to hang out with you again! Everyone at the company LOVES going to SOE Live, the one event each that focuses solely on our players. We have everything in common!"

Carlson explained that the change in venue was made for several reasons, primarily to keep costs down, have more flexible meeting space, and experience better air quality. She confirmed that, as in previous years, kids will get in free to the event.

Would you believe that 70% of DC Universe Online's revenue comes from the PlayStation 3 version of the game? According to the UK version of the official PlayStation magazine, the superhero title and Sony Online Entertainment's Free Realms could possibly be joined on the PS3 by PlanetSide 2 in the future.

When asked directly about the possibility of the new sci-fi MMOFPS showing up on a console, SOE president John Smedley offered an artful deflection. "What I'd say is -- SOE has proven that we can bring our games to the PS3, and it's fair to say that we've got some other stuff out there cooking. I can't tell you what platforms it's for, but we're really excited about it."

[Update: We have corrected the 70% figure quoted directly from PlayStation magazine. According to SOE, Smedley intended to say that the percentage refers to DCUO's revenue, not SOE's revenue as a whole.]

Just a few days ago, SOE launched the first wave of items submitted by players through Player Studio. EverQuest, EverQuest II, and Free Realms all have player-made items for sale in the Marketplace; the players who created the items receive 40% of the revenue. EverQuest launched its first player-made weapon, the Stormlord's Bludgeon; EverQuest II featured the Heroic Salesman's Chest and Cloak of the North Star; and Free Realms revealed the Swirly Railed Gazebo and Happy Heart T-Shirt.

We had a chance to talk to Rick Reynolds, Senior Manager of SOE's E-Commerce team, and Joe Shoopack, Director of Artistic Development, both of whom have played key roles in the successful launch of Player Studio. They shared insight into what goes on behind the scenes after a player submits an item, and they hinted at future plans for the system. Read on!

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During SOE Live, we got a more in-depth look at Sony Online Entertainment's Player Studio, a new feature where players can design items to be sold to others in game via the marketplace. Today, EverQuest, EverQuest II, and Free Realms will see some of those player-created items go live!

When checking the in-game store today, EverQuest II players will find the cloak of the North Star and the heroic salesman's crate. Free Realms fans will get to choose a swirly-railed gazebo or a happy heart T-shirt. In EverQuest, hammer users will have a new skin they can slap on their weapon.

Although this first wave of Player Studio items is not very extensive for any of the games, SOE has over 60 other trinkets spread across the three games ready to go, and more stuff will be introduced each week. Be sure to check the Tattered Notebook this Saturday for even more details and an interview with Rick Reynolds, SOE's Senior Manager of E-Commerce and Joe Shoopack, Director of Artistic Development!

Winter is always my favorite time of year for family-friendly MMOs. Holiday events tend to be the norm now in most MMOs, but they're tailor-made for games with a younger audience. Winter also seems to usher in lots of new changes and updates as well, so it's time again to revisit some popular titles to play catch up.

Over the past year, we've looked at several new titles and visited veteran MMOs titles to see what's changed. From Club Penguin to Pirate101, we'll look at recent updates and upcoming news in MMO Family's winter roundup!

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By now, everyone has made it home from SOE Live... yes, even that one fellow who kept disappearing, seduced by the one-armed bandit. As my first foray into the annual self-described "family reunion," I wasn't sure what to expect. I'd hoped there would be some news to pass along. If nothing else, a tidbit or two about any title -- be it EverQuest II, PlanetSide 2, or DC universe Online -- would justify my trip out there to me. But what I got wasn't just some news; it was great news!

Although the lights of Vegas are fading from memory, the hope for player-generated content burns brighter than before. From keynote addresses to panels to interviews, Sony Online Entertainment's focus on emergent game play and various sandbox features showed a dedication to gaming beyond just the hack-and-slash treadmill grind. Can we hear a hallelujah?

With so much news coming out of the convention, there wasn't time or space to do much more than just report on the facts. Here, I have the opportunity to sum things up and even add my own impressions of the event! I might even toss in an anecdote or two to illustrate what made this such an incredible experience that I am hooked and will return each year.

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There was a lot of news at last week's SOE Live, and both Clone Wars Adventures and Free Realms had big announcements as well. The two games have seen a burst of new content and game updates over the past few months, and from what we learned last week, that rapid pace is going to continue.

Over the past year or so, we've seen an increase in the cross-over of ideas among the various SOE titles, and the announcement of Player Studio in several MMOs is just the latest example of a shift towards centralizing things. With all of the news about upcoming titles and new approaches to future design, there's plenty that could work well in Free Realms and Clone Wars Adventures (and in kid-friendly MMOs in general!)

In this week's MMO Family, let's look at what Free Realms and CWA could borrow from other SOE MMOs.

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SOE Live might be over and done, but it wouldn't be complete without news from one of SOE's kid-friendly titles, Free Realms! The game's been around for three years, but it hasn't showed any signs of slowing down. In fact, over the past year, the game has seen new areas, new minigames, and even a special world event in Shrouded Glade.

The dust is still settling in Sunstone Valley, yet the team announced even more new additions coming to the game in the near future. Along with it is a new philosophy aimed at making Free Realms more social and designed around what the players wish to see in game. Free Realms Producer Clint Worley sat down with Massively to give us all the details. Grab a slice of vampire cake and check out the highlights below!

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We've all had that moment. In your mind's eye, you see the perfect item; whether you are a decorator or adventurer, you've imagined that one item that would look perfect in your EverQuest II house or on your EverQuest character. But alas, since you aren't on the development team, your awesome idea could not be realized. That was then; this is now. With the new Player Studio announced last month, that idea can not only come to fruition but net you some cold hard cash as well.

So how does one transition from imaginer to bustling entrepreneur? Devs hosted a panel at SOE Live 2012 that discussed the steps of getting an item from your mind's eye out into the Marketplace for others to buy and enjoy. But what if instead of imagining new items, you take existing items and create incredible displays that are the envy of others? Devs announced a feature that will allow decorators to fully furnish a home, bundle it up, and offer it for sale via the Marketplace as well.

After the informative panel, I caught up with Producer Holly Longdale and director of of the EQ franchise Dave Georgeson to uncover even more details about the opportunities available with Player Studio.

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There's just a couple of weeks left until this year's SOE Live, and players are all preparing for what should be a very busy convention with lots of game news. But for some of us, it's hard to get used to not calling it Fan Faire. The gathering has had a long past spanning more than a decade and more than a few memorable moments (some of them not fit to print!).

What happens in Vegas doesn't always stay in Vegas, and as fans get ready to once again descend upon Bally's, it's worth looking back at highlights from past Fan Faires. In this week's Tattered Notebook, we'll revisit a few of those memorable moments.

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Let's face it: It hasn't been a banner year for MMOs. We've witnessed disappointing launches, studio layoffs, and even studio meltdowns. There have been reports questioning whether MMOs are a good investment, and some studios have even signaled that they're shying away from traditional MMO development in the future.

With all of these dark clouds looming overhead, it's sometimes hard to stay cheerful about MMOs. But ironically, the kid-friendly genre might actually buck the trend. KingsIsle's launch of Pirate101 and SOE's recent updates to Clone Wars Adventures and Free Realms might help curb the malaise with a blend of old and new styles of gameplay. In this week's MMO Family we'll look at what's new with these titles and why kids both young and old have reason to celebrate.

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I have two big announcements today. The first is that Jukebox Heroes is switching from a bi-weekly to a weekly schedule, which should delight my 30 readers and cause an epidemic of indifference elsewhere. The second is that we're going to take a week off examining specific soundtracks to have a little fun with how silly MMO studios can get.

If you haven't figured it out already, this column is kind of a not-so-subtle outlet for sharing my MMO music collection with you. I don't have any firm method of collection other than I just acquire tracks that my ear tells me I'd like to hear again. So along the way, I've acquired a few oddball pieces that you probably won't find on any OST but that are notable enough to share.

In some cases, these tracks represent studios' attempts (successful or otherwise) to let down their hair and be humorous. In others, these songs are parodies or one-time special events. So let's take a sidebar to look at the whimsical and odd songs of gaming.

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