Taxonomy
Free Realms
The approach of Free Realms - a casual massively-multiplayer online (MMO) game from Sony Online Entertainment, is a simple and familiar one: pack as much free content into as friendly-looking a package as possible and sell upgrades, unlocks and items for real money off the back of that initial experience. The obvious hope is that you'll become enamoured enough with the free portions of the game to pony up for advantages and privileges against other players, and Free Realms has plenty of content put aside for those who are prepared to pay.
Kingdom of Loathing
I've given up trying to describe Kingdom of Loathing (KoL) to my friends. "It's an online adventure of sorts," I usually say, "and I'm currently a Pastamancer, armed with a spaghetti catapult and clad in a frilly skirt, sporting a monocle I took off a rat. Who was also a Baron." And it's around about that point that my friends politely excuse themselves and make very rapidly to go about doing something else.
ourWorld
ourWorld is impeccable at snagging the attention of its chief audience, tweens and teens. That much is certain just from a quick playthrough of the game's areas - At just about any time of the day, even school hours curiously enough, there are plenty of teenagers commenting about one another's outfits and befriending each other in the various social and gaming lounges offered by the programmers.
Moshi Monsters
How precious!
If there is a sentiment that sums up Moshi Monsters,
it really is that one, and I mean it in the most flattering way possible. Nearly every moment of this exquisitely-crafted game shows tremendous polish, and it is all geared toward making the finished product more charming. While the game is clearly aimed at children aged seven to 12, there is more than enough here to keep parents involved as well.
Big Fish Games Launching New Virtual World, Faunasphere
The biggest secret in casual games is no longer a secret. Big Fish Games is jumping into the casual MMO space with their own virtual world, Faunasphere.
Kudos to TechFlash for the scoop, which we now share with you, dear Gamezebo readers. Read more about Faunasphere at TechFlash and check out the official Faunasphere Web site. The browser-based multiplayer virtual world is in beta now.
Wizard101
It remains to be seen if a Harry Potter virtual world will ever see the light of day, but even without Mr. Potter and the Weasleys nothing says we can’t all be the wizard (or witch) of our dreams. Let’s face it, we all dream of it at some level or another. You can deny it but the sheer popularity ofThe Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, Narnia and countless other tales proves that a leetle part of you loves magic. KingsIsle’s Wizard101 delivers in grandiose style on those yearnings for the mage in all of us.
Bang! Howdy
There are very few titles that can carry the description “casual strategy.” Fewer still are online multiplayer and in real-time. Add in old west steam punk for the setting and I can say with near 100% assurance that only a single fits this description. That’s right, you guessed it - Bang! Howdy.
Camp Fu Weekend at Gamezebo
How do you top helping to create such PC Download hits like Diner Dash and Qbeez? If you are Nick Fortugno and Margaret Wallace, you start the new company Rebel Monkey and release a casual massively multiplayer game, CampFu!
CampFu is a casual massively multiplayer online game where you can play games for free online with your friends, win together, and customize your avatar with thousands of different looks. All of the games are free-to-play but you can earn tickets or buy FuCash to get extra special premium items.
Rebel Monkey is opening up CampFu for a special Gamezebo weekend because they love our community and you can be among the first to check it out with 200 free tickets.
Click here to be among the first to play CampFu!
MapleStory
MapleStory, a free massively-multiplayer online (MMO) game, makes itself hard to judge. On one hand, it is free, and there is nothing really "wrong" or broken with the gameplay. The overall look is bright and colorful, and plenty of help is offered from the in-game dialog boxes and non-playing characters.
But once you dig a little deeper and put some hours into the game, you realize why it is free - it's doubtful that many would be willing to pay monthly or yearly subscription fees for such a basic game that also has some obvious flaws. If you're not investing money on MapleStory, you can accept its flaws a bit more readily than something you pay $10 or $20 per month for.
Pirates CSG Online
I have a secret: I really like collectible card games. I like the strategy, the lore behind the cards, the way they work together even after expansions, and I especially like getting together with friends. However, I really dislike building the decks, waiting on friends to get together, and spending the money to get the cards to make the right decks.
This is why online collective card games (CCGs) are so cool. And I've found one with pirates!
