Here's an an overview and review of Fresbo World, from Fresbo. An online world currently in public beta, Fresbo World is intended to be embedded in social networks (such as Facebook and MySpace) but also intends to offer full MMO functionality within that -- with a customizable avatar, home, and public areas to shop and socialize in real time.

Name: Fresbo World

Company: Fresbo

Established: January 2008

How it Works: Fresbo World is experienced on the web through a combination of html and Flash. It requires no installation, other than of the technology (if you don't have it installed already.) Navigation and gameplay are accomplished via mouse and keyboard input.

Overview: Fresbo World is a socially orientated online world like most others, offering a customizable avatar, a home to decorate and areas in which players can meet and socialize. Players can also arrange events and auction unwanted items, and games are available to play. The world has also been designed to allow users the ability to embed the client on social network pages.

Payment Method: Fresbo World is free to play, and earns revenue through microtransactions -- users can buy "Fresbo Credits", used to purchase items and clothes, via a variety of different payment methods, including Cherry Credits.

Key Features:
- Browser MMO embeddable on social networks
- Customizable avatar and home, with clothes and items to buy
- Interact with other users in real time in social spaces such as the mall or the park

Fresbo World: In-Depth Tour

Fresbo World is (unavoidably, perhaps) actually very similar to earlier MMOs we've investigated in the Atlas. Probably the most obvious comparison Is Gaia Online, as it offers an MMO experience within your browser (with a customizable avatar, home, social spaces, etc.) but there are enough differences to make it stand out -- against Gaia Online, for example, the fact that it all happens in the one browser window.

The initial experience of signing up for Fresbo World is typical (select your character's initial look from a fairly limited selection, chose a name and get logged in) and although there isn't any particularly in-depth explanation of how to navigate or use the world, It's quite quick to pick up if you're used to MMOs (though perhaps not if you aren't.)

After a few short moments I had my character dressed in his absolutely horrible starting clothes (though at least he starts with the option of wearing some glasses) and had decorated his room with the starting furniture. Before heading out to socialize, I took some time to play the games console that all players start with, and was pleasantly surprised to find the flash games, while of the simplistic sort that you'll have played a million times before, were (at least) not match 3 clones, instead simple action games that I got fairly into. You earn points, too, from doing well, and points can be used to purchase new items. Perhaps a little confusingly there are two way to pay for things -- with points or credits. Credits can be purchased using cash and points are earned in world, though everything can be purchased with one or the other. 100 credits cost roughly 2 US dollars though offers vary, and you can also earn credits by completing surveys for Offerpal Media if you don't want to spend any cash.

The social world at this current beta state is rather small -- in general there are an average of a few hundred users online at any time, with three different public areas, the park, "futsal" pitch and the shopping mall to interact with each other. The areas are interesting enough (you can sort of play football on the futsal pitch, and the shopping mall has a range of shops plus auctions for users to buy and sell their items to each other, but the social atmosphere is of a community that is still finding its feet – though there is an events browser which over time should further solidify the community.

Fresbo World is a small MMO with a small community right now, and while still in beta there are both positives and negatives about its approach. I'll go into detail on my feelings in the upcoming conclusion.

Fresbo World: Conclusion

You might have noticed that my "in-depth" look at Fresbo World was rather short, compared to my other atlas entries, and the honest reason for that is that there isn't that much of it!

However, my feelings on that are rather conflicted. I have to admit that Fresbo World is still in beta, which can be used to an extent as an excuse for its limited nature, but on the other hand a lot of other beta worlds I've experienced there was still a huge amount of content. In turn, however, Fresbo World's team is very small (as little as 4 people according to the company blog!) which means what they have done is actually very impressive.

There are more features to come in future (including upgradeable homes and pets) and when I think about the world in the context of the small team, I do appreciate it, especially because the world loads quickly, is completely stable (I've never had it crash) and is a strong basis for a deeper MMO to be developed from. The small community is a problem if you find socialization to be the main reason to play an MMO (as would most people) but the bonus is that Fresbo is at such an early stage the community has a better chance of growing than tailing off, especially when you consider the MMO is designed to be used as part of social networking through Facebook etc. -- making it easier for players to incorporate it into their daily internet socializing. The inhabitants of the world are having fun, too, no matter how few there are.

If there are problems, it would be the general lack of polish to the world. The graphics are fine in certain respects but are often basic or clash with each other -- it's not a particularly attractive world -- and the interface is rather ugly, despite being very functional. Because I don’t find the world very nice to look at, it's important to note that my urge to work hard to improve my avatar's room or clothes was never very high -- something that may be the case with many other players, as few showed the flair that they do in other worlds.

The fact is that the MMO genre is a very crowded one, and while it's admirable for a small team to have created an MMO, the main worry is that without some major future development Fresbo World will be lost in the shuffle. They've done some good work in signing up microtransaction methods (with Cherry Credits and Offerpal Media, for example) but if there's something I've felt about the world it's that it's missing a vital spark, or a unique touch, that sets it apart and makes it essential. Fresbo World is certainly an MMO to keep watching as an underdog, but it remains to be seen if it can overcome that and find its place.

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