Game News stub

Free Realms - A Little Too Free?

Posted on July 18, 2009

Sony Online Entertainment, publisher of one successful MMO and several dead ones, recently announced that Free Realms, which went live seven weeks ago, has snatched up 3-million users.  SOE claimed that this was a successful launch, but apparently the historians that also work at SOE have warned of a dark future.  The company is laying off 41 people, or 5% of its full-time developers.  Click Read More for sarcasm and bias!


"In a move to increase operational efficiency and reduce costs, Sony Online Entertainment has eliminated 5 percent of its full-time workforce, equaling 41 people," said SOE's PR.  

Maybe Free Realms is a little bit too free.  Don't tell them I said that - they have a tendency to fix things that aren't broken, like EverQuest.

This just in, SOE announces that making games free is not the best business model for a company with 820 employees and no strong revenue for 8 years.