Gamezebo: Features | MMOs

Free Realms

jimsquires — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 07:04:03 -0600

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

erin — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 08:42:37 -0500

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

erin — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 08:58:02 -0500

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

erin — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 08:33:00 -0500

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

joel — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 23:06:14 -0500

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

erin — Mon, 16 Mar 2009 08:25:22 -0500

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 of The 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

erin — Mon, 09 Mar 2009 08:32:45 -0500

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

joel — Fri, 27 Feb 2009 09:58:41 -0600

How do you top helping to create 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.

MapleStory

erin — Mon, 16 Feb 2009 09:24:12 -0600

MapleStory, the free, massively multi-player online game, makes itself hard to judge. On one hand, it is free, and there is nothing really “wrong” or broken with the game play. The overall look is bright and colorful, and plenty of help is offered from in-game dialog boxes and non-playing characters.

Pirates CSG Online

erin — Mon, 19 Jan 2009 08:20:54 -0600

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!

SecretBuilders: Learn, play and create

erin — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 07:38:00 -0600

In 2006, CEO Umair Khan hatched a concept for a virtual world that would expose kids to literature, music and fine art by encouraging them to explore their own creativity through drawing, writing, publishing and community participation. The result is SecretBuilders, a browser-based MMO where players have a direct impact on how the world evolves, looks and plays.

Yohoho! Puzzle Pirates

erin — Mon, 22 Dec 2008 09:04:54 -0600

Back when PopCap was still synonymous with nothing more than Bejeweled, and long before Johnny Depp had perfected his Jack Sparrow swagger, a small development team of six were creating one of the most unique massively multiplayer online games (MMOGs) on the market today.

Yohoho! Puzzle Pirates (Y!PP to those that love it) has that magic that all MMOGs are trying to capture: it appeals and satisfies both the casual and hardcore player; it can be played – all of it – for free, or you can spend boatloads of money if that is your preference to really put on a show; and, get this… people actually role-play! Yarr!

Gaming for Good in Elf Island

erin — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 08:03:44 -0600

When Liz and Craig Kronenberger founded Good Egg Studios about a year ago, they saw a great opportunity to develop a virtual world with redeeming values that could instil social responsibility in a fun and entertaining way. Now, the husband and wife co-founders are seeing the fruits of their labor come to life in the recently launched Elf Island.

Having started a children's entertainment company in the late 1990s, the Kronenbergers had their fingers on the pulse of that industry already, but it wasn't until they noticed the emerging popularity of virtual worlds – especially in the kids space – that the idea for Elf Island was born.

zOMG!!! Gaia Online gets its own MMO

erin — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 09:36:57 -0500

When it comes to online communities, few places can compete with Gaia Online. The Web site that began as a modest gathering place for anime geeks now averages more than 5.5 million unique users per month and 1 million posts per day – second only to Yahoo! Soon Gaia Online will come to life in a full-fledged massively-multiplayer online (MMO) game called zOMG!

Senior Producer Dave Georgeson was kind enough to walk Gamezebo through the key features of zOMG!, which is currently in closed beta.

Ikariam

erin — Sat, 16 Aug 2008 09:12:40 -0500

Ikariam is an online multiplayer empire building game based on ancient Greece that reminds me a lot of Civilization or Age of Empires – except that you can play it in your web browser for free and you don't have to download any software to your computer.

To get started with Ikariam, you simply have to visit Ikariam.org, register your character, and select a world to play in. You'll be given a small town on one of the game's many Mediterranean islands, and your goal is to eke out a living by focusing on the three elements of city-building, trade, and – if you choose – warfare.