Thanks to Grimwell, I read an article on CNET about Sony Online Entertainment. Although there were a lot of notable facts within the article and it’s definitely worth the read – I wanted to talk a little bit about the unannounced game that SOE has hinted at several times now.
The game is entitled Free Realms, and it’s a free to play MMO geared towards a younger audience and women. The game will require a membership fee in order to access special zones and things to do. The following quote hints at a one-time fee:
“Right now our revenue is almost all subscriptions,” John Smedley, the unit’s president, said in an interview. “In two years, we would like to see no more than 50 percent of our revenue coming from subscriptions, and five years from now we think less than 10 percent of our revenue will come from subscription sources.”
The game is also going to involve microtransactions such us purchasing small things within the game like pets and clothing. They are also considering having advertising in the game. Finally, they’ve hired more women for their team to try to add the flair that will draw girls into the game.
I think this is a great move for SOE, and a natural move. As evidenced by many other successful ventures in virtual worlds, this is where the money is. If you are a company that is well versed in providing a gameplay experience with digital delivery to a mass audience – what is more logical for you to do to increase revenue? And if you want to appeal to young girls (which Raph has shown is a HUGE group of potential ‘gamers’) what better way than to make something light and fun with cute avatars, ponies, puppies, kitties, and CLOTHES?
My hopes? Free Realms is highly successful, bringing tons of revenue for relatively inexpensive overhead and maintenance and that SOE will put some of that phat cash towards EQ2. I can dream, right? I’ll probably be watching this one very closely, because I’m into this sort of thing. Puppies + Kitties + Horses + Cutsey Graphics + Elves + Free? It’s guaranteed a try by this female gamer. =)
