I would have figured SOE would have gone from cats and dogs to something like hamsters or potbellied pigs, but instead they go and pull this huge pet update, with mythical and prehistorical beasts of all shapes and sizes now available. This means you can now be a fairy riding a unicorn, which I believe counts as winning the internet, according to the official rules.

Player housing is a feature players have been clamoring for since the game launched, and SOE delivers, with free apartments for everyone. Non-paying customers get a one bedroom layout, while paying subscribers get a free 2-bedroom apartment, with an option to buy a 3-bedroom condo in the game's marketplace.

A new fishing mini-game has also been added to the game, giving players 20 job levels to hook any of 30 different species of fish.

Finally, the Snow Days events are SOE's way of saying that they appreciate Christmas but don't want to commit to it in name in case someone gets offended. Expect candy, sweets, presents, and snowball fights - you know, Christmas things. Christmas. Say it with me.

You can check out all the new updates by heading over to http://www.freerealms.com/ and playing the damn game already. OR you can just live vicariously through other players with these Kotaku-exclusive screenshots. Your choice!

Click each thumbnail for more information.

Free Realms #4 (of 12)
Written by J.S. Lewis. Drawn by Jon Buran.

Summary Via Publisher Wildstorm Entertainment:
Based on the hit virtual world with over 3 million users worldwide! When Dane and Maya return to Briarwood, Darkthorne's followers accuse them of trying to assassinate the sorceress with a deadly poison. Now the pair must survive the darkest corners of Briarwood as they search for an alchemist who can prove their innocence!

Mirror's Edge (trade paperback)
Written by Rhianna Pratchett. Drawn by Matthew Dow Smith.

Summary Via Publisher Wildstorm Entertainment:
The 6-issue miniseries based on the Electronic Arts video game is collected! Faith is a Runner in the city - a courier who delivers sensitive cargo by traversing the rooftops of the city's skyscrapers. But how did she come by this unique trade...and what secrets from her past may affect her future?

American McGee's Grimm Vol. 01
Written by Dwight L. MacPherson. Drawn by Grant Bond.

Summary Via Website Things From Another World:
In American McGee's Grimm (the popular video game series available at GameTap.com), the player controls Grimm, a dwarf who creates a trail of destruction wherever he goes. Sick of how happy fairy tales have become, Grimm makes it his mission to revert the lighthearted yarns to their darker original versions with his patented butt-stomping chaos. Now he's set his wicked sights on comic books, and the funny pages will never be the same again...

The Legend of Zelda Vol 8: The Minish Cap
Written and drawn by Akira Himekawa.

Summary Via Publisher Viz Media:
On the day of the Picori Festival, Link and Princess Zelda go to watch the sword-fighting tournament. The winner is a strange man named Vaati, who has come to claim the Light Force which is sealed within the Bound Chest. When the Light Force turns up missing, Vaati turns Princess Zelda to stone! To save his friend, Link needs the power of the Picori Blade, but only a certain master swordsmith can reforge it. Can Link find the pieces of the broken sword before Vaati does?

Pokemon Adventures Vol. 4
Written and drawn Hidenori Kusaka.

Summary Via Publisher Viz Media:
Pokémon trainer Red goes off on a training challenge and...never comes back! But a tired and tattered Pikachu manages to return home by himself. A mysterious young trainer in yellow befriends Pikachu, and together they set out to find our missing hero!

And watch out for Team Rocket, Yellow Caballero... Could they be behind Red's mysterious disappearance?

Sonic The Hedgehog #207
Written by Ian Flynn. Drawn by James Fry.

Summary Via Publisher Archie Comics:
"Blackout": The Iron King wants the force-field over Sonic's home city gone, so he heads to its power source: the radioactive remains of Robotropolis! This could spell doom for our heroes - not to mention the surrounding environment! As Sonic races to the rescue, Princess Sally finally comes to a pivotal personal decision.
PLUS: "The Iron Queen:" The second half of this intriguing new villainess' thrilling origin is revealed!

Street Fighter: Legends of Chun-Li Vol. 2 (trade paperback)

Summary Via comics website Comixology
:
She's the strongest woman in the world! But before Chun-li was a no-nonsense Interpol officer she was a fresh recruit in the Hong Kong Police. SF Legends: Chun-li takes a trip through Street Fighter history throwing a young Chun-li's into her first encounter with the criminal Shadaloo organization. Expect appearances by Dan, Gen, Fei Long, Sagat, and more Street Fighter favorites!

Street Fighter Vol. 5: Kick It Into Turbo
Summary Via comics website Comixology:
The World Warriors battle across Hong Kong, Japan, and America to secure their spots in the ultimate competition - the Street Fighter Tournament! Fan favorites Ryu, Chun-li, Guile, Sakura, Cammy, and dozens more compete in what might be their final fight! Contains Street Fighter II Turbo #1-6, plus the 6-page Turbo story from Street Fighter Remix #0.

Halo Helljumper #5 Written by Peter David. Drawn by Eric Nguyen.

Summary Via Publisher Marvel Comics:
Dutch and Romeo have gotten themselves into some pretty crazy situations, but stealing a Covenant ship would definitely get a medal for Most Insane Thing Done In the Line of Duty. If they survive this, they'll still have plenty of questions to answer: what the heck are the Covenant doing here on Planet Ariel, an otherwise harmless colony? And why are they acting so strange-taking the humans hostage instead of glassing the planet, which is their M.O.? Whatever's lurking deep underneath the surface, if the Covenant wants it that bad, it has to be big… and deadly. DON'T MISS THE GRIPPING CONCLUSION TO THIS HEART-STOPPING STORY!

Free Realms #3 (of 12) Written by J.S. Lewis. Drawn by Jon Buran.

Summary Via Publisher Wildstorm Entertainment:
Dane and Maya return from their dangerous mission into the Briarwood to retrieve the missing girl, but the queen's representatives aren't offering a hero's welcome! Looks like the queen couldn't care less about the young girl and instead wants the box containing the potion that could keep her majesty from dying. But the box is empty! Now Dane and Maya must return to the Briarwood to find the vial before the queen dies...or her fate becomes their own!

Sky Pirates of Neo Terra #3 Written by Josh Wagner. Drawn by Camilla D'Errico.

Summary Via Publisher Image Comics:
This issue is non-stop action as Billy and the Pirate King clash over the Light Crystal. Wurl engages in a battle-to-the-death with an old rival, and Suma and Racket have to help fend off a Sky Pirates attack! Based on a game for Nintendo DS and Wii.

Starcraft #6 Written by Simon Furman. Drawn by Federico Dallocchio and Brian Denham.

Summary Via Wildstorm Entertainment:
What exactly is Cole Hickson's connection to Jim Raynor? Unless the threads of the past can finally be unraveled, the future is looking distinctly truncated. Trapped and surrounded by hostile Zerg insectoids, not to mention a vengeful C.O. and his crack Cerberus unit, the War Pigs might be making their last stand as the Protoss prepare to incinerate the Zerg-infested world the War Pigs are stranded on!

Warcraft Death Knight Volume 1 Written by Dan Jolley. Drawn by Rocio Zucchi.

Summary Via Publisher Tokyopop:
Thassarian is a loyal Lordaeron solider that longs to be a great hero like his deceased father. Although he possesses immense strength and skill, Thassarian is told that he lacks the spark that all great leaders have to guide men into battle. So when Prince Arthas calls to arms brave men to sail to Northrend and battle the scourge army, Thassarian sees his chance to prove to others—and himself—that he has what it takes to lead. When Arthas goes missing, Thassarian bravely searches for him...and unwillingly becomes ensnared in darkness. Led to a mysterious cave, Thassarian is transformed into a Death Knight, a powerful, emotionless pawn of the Lich King who will follow any order, no matter how cruel...

"Echoes of the Past Part Two": As Knuckles' friends try to valiantly defend the Master Emerald against a seemingly never-ending horde of robots, Knuckles delves deeper into the mysteries surrounding him... until he finally finds Dr. Finitevus! Knuckles is bent on revenge, but he's not counting on the surprise twist that will delay his quest. You can't afford to miss this exciting, action-packed issue!

Free Realms' Super Spooktacular runs from October 14th through November 11th, at which point everyone will give up and start playing Modern Warfare 2. The spooktacular features decorations, daily trick or treating, special seasonal mini-games, new quests, and more than 35 new costumes for players and pets to dress up in. You gotta love a game that comes with animal costumes. Take that, World of Warcraft!

"We are celebrating the first Halloween in Free Realms, with weeks of spooky activities and festive live events," said Andy Sites, senior producer at Sony Online Entertainment. "After a night of trick-or-treating the fun doesn't have to end. Dressed as a chicken, mummy, witch or any of the other crazy costumes available, kids can explore virtual neighborhoods with millions of friends from the safety of their own home."

Those of you who've been following the site for a few years may remember my irrational love affair with the word spooktacular. This is why Free Realms' celebration gets mentioned. For celebration plans for the rest of SOE's MMO lineup, feel free to hunt for each individual website. Don't search for 'spooktacular.'

Click the thumbnails for more details.

Free Realms #1 (of 12) Written by J.S. Lewis. Drawn by Jon Buran.

Summary Via Publisher Wildstorm Entertainment:
SONY teams with WildStorm and best-selling fantasy author J.S. Lewis (the Grey Griffins series) for an exciting adaptation of Free Realms, their new MMORPG! This 12-issue series mirrors the nonstop action of the game, offering exciting adventures, battles with vicious monsters and, of course, the allure of gorgeous fairies!

The story begins when a young boy is abducted and dragged into a darkened forest teeming with twisted monsters. It's up to a relic hunter and a pixie to save him, but their mission is cut short when a horde of troll-like creatures captures them!

The Legend of Zelda: Vol 7...

Summary Via Publisher Viz Media:
Four Swords, Part 2

The Green, Red and Blue Links reach Death Mountain, where they challenge Shadow Link and Violet Link in battle. Then, inside the Fire Temple they learn a terrible secret about the Dark World and the evil power behind Vaati. To defeat this great enemy, the different colored Links must find a way to become one again in order to harness the power of the Four Sword!

Pokemon Diamond and Pearl Adventures Vol 5...

Summary Via Publisher Viz Media:
R to L (Japanese Style) New friends, new lands, and all-new Pokémon-the next chapter of one of the greatest adventures! Most kids spend their days at school, but not Hareta. Raised in the wild by Pokémon, he can climb as high as an Aipcom, swim as fast as a Magik

Who will catch the Legendary Pokémon Dialga?Hareta's battle with Mitsumi comes to an end, but will Mitsumi stay loyal to Team Galactic or her old friend Hareta? Either way, the race to find the Legendary Pokémon Dialga continues! Cyrus, Team Galactic's leader, is determined to catch Dialga and seize its power for himself. Can Hareta and his friends beat Cyrus to the final prize? New friends, new lands, and all-new Pokémon: Return to one of the greatest adventures!

Sonic the Hedgehog #205... Written by Ian Flynn. Drawn by Steven Butler

Summary Via Publisher Archie Comics:
"On the Run Part One": Bunnie is back, but worse for wear with her wounds being tended in the hospital. Luckily, her friends are by her side... but not for long, as a less-than-lucid Eggman attacks in his Egg-Tortoise walker! Sonic and Tails spring into action, while Iron Queen and crew watch with wide eyes. Why are they so interested in seeing Eggman captured? It's the start of a new pulse-pounding tale guest-starring Nicole, Antoine, Monkey Khan, Espio and more!

PLUS: "Birthright Part One": Now it can be revealed: the long-held secret of the disappearance of Lien-Da's father!

Soccer comes to Free Realms in a big way with today's Goal Time update, which unlocks the various playing fields scattered across the land, allowing players to begin progressing in the Soccer Star job class. The update brings 20 new quests for the soccer aficionado, with new gear and equipment aimed at making the best of your footy career. Special skills and powerups will grant you an advantage on the playing field, as you test your skills against several AI teams or go 3-on-3 with a group of friends.

The Soccer Star job is available to free players up to level 5, with paying customers able to take their skills all the way up to the level 20 cap.

Rather than worry about issuing a preview comic months in advance like some video game adaptations, the Free Realms comic series kicks off today, with issue one arriving on comic store shelves around the country as we speak. The book is penned by J.S. Lewis, writer of the Grey Griffon series of young adult fantasy books, with art by art by Jon Buran and Allen Martinez.

SOE has passed along the first several pages, and already I am seeing inconsistencies with the game. For example, all combat is instanced, so that poor guy would have been dead. And then he'd come back to life two or three times before the mission ended. Lewis did however nail the common response to a friend request.

Sony Online Entertainment today finally launches a guild system for Free Realms, allowing friends and like-minded players to unite under a single chat channel and head tag. Any two people can form a guild, as long as the leader has reached at least level 15 in any one job. Once another player is invited to the guild and accepts, the name you pick is sent in for review and you are assigned a temporary one in the meantime, just like it works for character creation. They are generally pretty fast with approvals, so your witty pun name should be showing up within a couple of days of submission.

This is probably the one aspect of Free Realms I won't be exploring. First, the only friend I regularly played with is now dead to me, and second, I really don't want to wind up acting as a babysitter in a family-friendly online game. I've got too much mining to do.

And more celebration gear is indeed on the way. Following the free t-shirt and Sony Station Cash given to players at the 1 million milestone and the party pack delivered upon reaching 2 million, the big 3-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh has SOE passing out a "3M Pet Party Pack", which features all sorts of goodies your cats and dogs can wear in the game. John Smedley once again has words to mark the occasion.

"SOE worked diligently over the past four years to ensure that Free Realms would take the online space by storm," said John Smedley, president of Sony Online Entertainment. "We are pleased to be able to provide such a vast, in-depth and, most importantly, fun world to an average of 500,000 new gamers per week."

And with that, I propose we stop following these announcements until they reach 10 million. Thoughts?

Soccer
Those soccer fields scattered about the map aren't just there for show. Well, I suppose they are for now, but that will change once SOE implements soccer in the game. Soccer will most likely be a new job class, and it could be one of many.

New Jobs
SOE PR specialist Ryan Peters either didn't have much information or was being elusive when I asked him about increasing level caps on existing job classes, instead asking me to consider another alternative - adding new classes to master. Jobs like soccer player, for instance.

Racing Progression
SOE will be upgrading the racing and destruction derby sections of the game on a grand scale, unlocking progression for those jobs and eventually allowing players to show off their racing machines in their very own garage, which leads directly to...

Player Housing
Coming very late this year or possible later in the next, Free Realms players will be able to purchase their own little home areas with a number of spots to put down buildings. You'll be able to place your house, a garden, the aforementioned garage, and more. Use it as a base of operations, or invite your friends over to dance emote the night away.

It's probably safe to assume there will be much more as well. No one could tell me if the elves mentioned in the Northern portion of the game world would be making their way back any time soon, but I've a feeling they'll come one day, becoming a third racial choice for the game. Once again, no confirmation from SOE...it's just a feeling.

Sony Online Entertainment currently posts news about upcoming updates and game pages on the Free Realms forums, which no one reads, but soon they'll be modifying the launcher to provide updates when you log in, rendering posts like this one useless, but until then...here you go.

I stopped by the Sony Online Entertainment booth (to see if I could get a little mining in) and talked to Senior Producer Andrew Sites about the future of the game, which I will discuss a bit later. My main concern was their ever-growing horde of players. Where do they stand now? As of last night, the population has reached 2.5 million players, and they are still growing at a ridiculous rate. That's 500,000 new players in a week.

Could a free-to-play family-friendly massively multiplayer online game from SOE surpass World of Warcraft in users one day? At this rate it's looking like a definite possibility.

The player population of Free Realms continues to grow at a ridiculous rate, hitting the two million player milestone within a month of the game's official launch. According to SOE, the game is a big hit with its target audience, with 75% of its registrants under age 17 and 46% under 13. Female gamers are particularly taken with the title, representing a third of the population. Once again, SOE president John Smedley is beside himself with excitement.

"In less than a month, Free Realms has captivated a core player base of tween and teen gamers, while also strongly resonating with MMO gamers. We wanted to create a game to play with our families and are excited to have hit the mark with our intended audience."

SOE will be distributing a "party pack" of items so players can help the company celebrate this latest achievement. Hopefully it includes a little more Station Cash, as I could really use a ghost kitten to accompany me while I mine for silver. *sigh*

Free Realms is a free-to-play massively-multiplayer online game that combines puzzle games, pet raising, card dueling, exploration, and combat into one colorful and attractive package. So attractive that more than a million users have signed up for the game since launch, a fact that has SOE's John Smedley all a' flutter.

"The excitement surrounding Free Realms, and the positive response the game has already received, is overwhelming," said John Smedley, president of Sony Online Entertainment. "To achieve this milestone so rapidly speaks to the quality and the fun gameplay experience Free Realms offers to players of all ages."

To celebrate the quickly achieved milestone, SOE is giving all current Free Realms players with a limited edition Free Realms t-shirt for their character. On top of the t-shirt, the first 999,999 registered users are also getting a matching shirt for their pet and 200 Station Cash to purchase in game items. The 1 millionth registered user gets an even bigger prize: a lifetime premium membership, a one-of-a-kind astronaut suit, and 10,000 Station Cash.

I've been playing the game myself since launch, and I have to say that it's extremely addictive...and not just the premium bits either. There are just so many different things to do, and none of the posturing you find from the "elite" players in other MMO titles. If you play, send a friend request to Mochrie Shadowdancer, and I will try to resist the urge to hide from you.

A collaboration between SOE and trading card company Topps, the Free Realms collectible card game mirrors the one built-in to the PC game. A point's based creature-dueling title, the first physical release features more than 180 colorful cards that are sure to have children annoying the hell out of their parents every time they wander by the card aisle at their local Target. Making things even worse, each set contains virtual loot cards, redeemable for exclusive in-game pets and items.

Booster packs and starter decks should be trickling into retail locations this week, priced at $3.99 and $9.99 respectively. The starter deck comes with a 40-card deck; a playmat; and exclusive black Labrador in-game pet; and exclusive in-game t-shirt; and an exclusive in-game racing cart. There goes my disposable income for the month.

I mean, there goes parents' disposable income for the month. I would never spend good money for an in-game pet. Not when Baron Von Fluffy is already decked out as a kitty dump truck.

He might actually be a sugar glider or some other airborne mammal, but Chatty does a fine job of explaining the various merits of Free Realms to the uninitiated. Certainly a much better job than I generally do. I should probably just transfer this video to my unspecified portable media device and play it whenever someone asks me about the game.

To give the game a go, head over to FreeRealms.com and sign up. You'll be in-world within minutes, unless launch day madness brings the servers to their knees. Stranger things have happened.

"It's your world and nothing's impossible," exclaims Free Realm's theme song by Southern California trio The Dares, and apparently that includes one of the shortest closed beta tests in history. Weeks after entering the final phase of testing, Sony Online Entertainment's family-friendly online game is about to open for business, with servers down for final patching and tweaking before tomorrow's launch.

I've played around quite a bit in Free Realms during the beta, and it still holds up to my impressions from E3 last year. It's one of the most intriguing massively multiplayer online games to come out this year. It incorporates pet training; cart racing; Cooking Mama-esque mini-games; puzzles; and your standard hack and slash gaming into a world that will keep both kids and adults entertained for quite a long time.

My favorite feature? Name approvals. Every character name goes through an approval process before being applied, with players stuck using a generic name until their selection passes. As a frequent player on role-playing servers, I approve wholeheartedly.

Free Realms is of course free, though a subscription fee of $4.95 a month earns players more characters and additional jobs to perform, adding even more game play to the ridiculous amounts included in the free version.

Free Realms launches Tuesday [Massively]

"Let The Kids Game" is the title of the booklet, now available via SOE.com and WhatTheyPlay.com, which details all of the good that can come from playing video games such as Free Realms. It includes information from the likes of WhatTheyPlay.com's John Davidson and Cheryl Olson, Sc.D., co-author of the book Grand Theft Childhood, explaining the oft-overlooked benefits of our hobby, including improvements in vision, social interaction and visuospatial cognition. The brochure also touts the positive effects of gaming on family interaction, as well as the leadership qualities often instilled by operating in an online game guild.

In short, it's quite okay for your children to play Free Realms. The creators of Free Realms say so.

Sony Online Entertainment welcomes the closed beta players into Free Realms today, where they'll be able to explore the whimsical virtual world, raise pets, socialize, fight monsters, race cars, and pretty much do anything their little hearts desire while everyone else waits patiently for the launch of the open beta in early April. SOE president John Smedley explains the importance of the closed beta testing phase, while simultaneously name dropping Everquest.

"The beta testing phase is integral to the success of any video game, and we are asking that kids, parents, video game fans of all ages sign up to help us during these final weeks before Free Realms launches," said John Smedley, president of Sony Online Entertainment. "Ten years ago, SOE introduced EverQuest, the genre-defining online video game, and this spring, we will introduce Free Realms, a game I believe will expand and enrich the kids' online gaming genre which really shows the rapid evolution of the online game space."

Of course the Everquest reference is completely out of place and unneccesary, but I think that's just something Smedley throws into any conversation he might be having. He's just that proud.

Players interested in signing up for the open beta may do so at www.freerealms.com.

Topps will be launching the physical version of the card game included with SOE's family-friendly MMORPG this Spring with a Passport to Free Realms Starter Pack bursting with in-game goodies, along with 11-card boosters, each containing a card redeemable for in-game items.

“Our online trading card games have been hugely successful, and the chance to take our digital trading cards into the physical world with an industry leader like Topps is a fantastic opportunity for us as a company,” said John Smedley, President of Sony Online Entertainment.

Could this mean a physical version of the Everquest card-game Legends of Norrath won't be far behind? Hit the jump for the full press release, along with some rather fanciful card artwork.

SONY ONLINE ENTERTAINMENT AND THE TOPPS COMPANY ANNOUNCE FREE REALMS TRADING CARD GAME

Play Around The Block Or Around The World With Physical and Digital Free Realms Trading Cards!

DENVER – Nov. 24, 2008 – Sony Online Entertainment LLC (SOE) and The Topps Company announced an exclusive long-term licensing agreement allowing Topps to create a physical trading card game based on SOE’s upcoming and highly-anticipated online game Free Realms™. The physical trading card game complements the digital trading card game playable within Free Realms, allowing players to enjoy the game in front of their computer and around the world.

“Our online trading card games have been hugely successful, and the chance to take our digital trading cards into the physical world with an industry leader like Topps is a fantastic opportunity for us as a company,” said John Smedley, President of Sony Online Entertainment.

In October 2007, Michael Eisner’s The Tornante Company and Madison Dearborn Partners, LLC. acquired The Topps Company, Inc, a leading creator and marketer of distinctive confectionery items and sports and entertainment cards for well over 50 years.

“As Topps continues to evolve into an entertainment media company, building bridges between offline and online experiences, we are thrilled to have the opportunity to partner with Sony Online Entertainment on Free Realms, a company that understands the relevance of cross-platform entertainment and is always on the cutting edge of online and digital media development,” said Michael Eisner.

The digital version of the Free Realms Trading Card Game launches simultaneously with the launch of the Free Realms online game, while the Topps products will be available in Spring 2009. Topps will offer an exclusive Passport to Free Realms Starter Pack jam-packed with Free Realms physical and digital loot (price TBD), as well as 11-card booster packs ($3.99 SRP each), featuring a loot card in every pack, wherever Topps entertainment products are sold.

Developed at Sony Online Entertainment’s Denver studio, the Free Realms Trading Card Game integrates the trading card game format with the exciting world of the Free Realms online game. Players can buy cards, build decks, collect, trade and battle with friends and even quest through Free Realms virtual matches in the online game or by purchasing physical packs of game cards!

The Free Realms Trading Card Game features:

Exciting Gameplay: The Free Realms Trading Card Game brings the rich and exciting world of Free Realms to the familiar trading card game format.

Physical and Digital Cards: Explore the world of Free Realms with beautifully-illustrated cards that add a whole new level of wonder! Over 200 cards are expected to be available by the time the physical game launches in the spring, with more planned in successive releases.

Online or Offline Gameplay: With both a digital and physical version of the Free Realms Trading Card Game, players may participate in whatever way suits them, making it possible to adventure and enjoy Free Realms anywhere, anytime!

Loot In Every Pack: Every Free Realms Trading Card Game pack features a loot card that is redeemable for fantastic Free Realms virtual items like exclusive pets, clothing, race car enhancements, wands, house items, special character effects, and more!

For more information, visit the official Free Realms Trading Card Game site at http://www.freerealms.com/tradingcardgame.

Honestly I think I am far more inclined to play an MMO that randomly affixes farm animals to your head. Great job, SOE. You just alienated a very small, very disturbed portion of your fan base.

Sign Up For The Free Realms Beta Here [Free Realms]