Despite having launched less than a year ago, Free Realms, SOE’s free to play MMO, has since managed to rack up an impressive 8 million registered users according to John Smedly, president of Sony Online Entertainment. This success has been attributed to popular features that place an emphasis on customization, such as easily personalized houses or pets.

“Free Realms is more than just a virtual world for our players; it is a portal for imagination,” expresses Smedly, citing the necessity for developers to create  “the tools that inspire and compel (players) to share their experiences with eight million others.”

When it comes to attracting new players, I’m pretty certain that having the word ‘free’ in your MMO’s name and business model probably doesn’t hurt either.