| The Realm Online | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Developer(s) | Sierra On-Line (previous), Codemasters (previous), Norseman Games (previous), Rat Labs (previous), Realm Worlds (previous), Digital Alchemy (current) |
| Publisher(s) | Sierra On-Line (previous), World Opponent Network (previous), Codemasters (previous), Norseman Games (previous), Virtual World Holding Company (current) |
| Designer(s) | Stephen Nichols, Jordan Neville, Gil |
| Platform(s) | Windows |
| Release | |
| Genre(s) | MMORPG |
| Mode(s) | Multiplayer |
The Realm Online, originally known as The Realm, is a massively multiplayer online role playing game (MMORPG) launched in December 1996 for Windows PC.[1] It was designed in the tradition of graphical MUDs,[2] before the usage of the terms "massively multiplayer" and "MMORPG".[3]
Initially published by Sierra On-Line and developed at its original design facility in Oakhurst, California alongside classic single-player titles like Quest for Glory and Police Quest,[4] it was abandoned by that company because of its unfavorable comparison to multi-player competitors like Ultima Online and EverQuest.[5] It was next taken up for a short time by World Opponent Network, a subsidiary of Sierra On-line, before being sold to Codemasters in 1999.[6] In 2003, Codemasters sold the game to Norseman Games, a family-owned company based in Grand Rapids, Michigan[7] led by a former player of The Realm.[8]
In 2018, Norseman Games granted an exclusive license to develop and distribute The Realm Online to Rat Labs,[9] a company led by players who had previously operated an unofficial private server of the game.[10] In 2023, Rat Labs (by then renamed as Realm Worlds) announced that they had unsuccessfully attempted to negotiate the purchase of The Realm from Norseman Games and that the game server they had developed, titled Finvarra's Fortress, would close.[11] It then became public that Norseman Games had sold The Realm to Virtual Worlds Holding Company, who licensed the game to be developed by Digital Alchemy[12] who published a new game server in November 2023.[13]
- ^ "Realm Online - Online Game of the Week".
- ^ Lynn, Casey (2008-11-17). "RPG Nostalgia: The Realm". Geeks are Sexy. Retrieved 2014-12-15.
- ^ "The Top Ten Oldest MMORPGs - MMO Hut". mmohuts.com. Archived from the original on 2011-04-18.
- ^ "Yosemite Entertainment - Press Release, 1.26.98".
- ^ Bartle, Richard (2003). Designing Virtual Worlds. New Riders. p. 34. ISBN 978-0-13-101816-7.
- ^ https://web.archive.org/web/20000301221421/http://www.realmserver.com/news/index.html [bare URL]
- ^ "IT Industry Growing Quickly". 7 January 2006. Archived from the original on 2024-08-22.
- ^ https://web.archive.org/web/20050211161249/http://www.realmserver.com/dev_Journal_Scott.shtml [bare URL]
- ^ "The Game Archaeologist: The rebirth of the Realm Online | Massively Overpowered". 2 June 2018.
- ^ "The Realm Online -". Archived from the original on 2020-11-09.
- ^ "An Obituary: The Realm Online MMO gets death knell".
- ^ "The Realm Online's corporate buyer surfaces with a bizarre website and studio partner | Massively Overpowered". 3 July 2023.
- ^ "The Realm Online returns yet again with a 'reimagined' version of this classic MMO | Massively Overpowered". 23 November 2023.