Sony Online Entertainment announced its free-to-play MMO Free Realms has attracted more than nine million registered players since launching last April for PC., and just a month after the game hit the the 8 million user mark. The company partly attributes this growth spike to its marketing support and new targeted content.

Players can take part in a variety of activities and mini-games in Free Realms, from ninja fighting to kart racing to raising pets. The family-friendly game also offers a trading cad game that can be played online with virtual cards or offline with physical card decks sold at brick and mortar retailers.

SOE says its continuous development of new features and themed in-game events has helped draw in new users. Most recently, the studio introduces Rides, which allow players with optional memberships to travel on top of T-Rexes or Dragons (available in multiple color choices) around the world at 150 percent their normal speed.

The developer is working to release more types of transportation in the future, with the next slated Rides option consisting of Horses. It's also planning to release new Owl and Groundhog pets, and a new 3D minigame.

"With Free Realms, we’ve been able to reflect the needs and wants of our players by keenly listening to their suggestions and feedback," says SOE president John Smedley, president of SOE,

"We believe the persistent exercise of capturing in-game research inside Free Realms has been a huge contributing factor as to why we’ve attracted over nine million players in less than a year; It truly helps us give our players a game where they can do and be whatever they want."