22 Nov, 2011
We’ll get to the news in a moment, but first a preamble!
The demographic of gamers who identify under the banner of the term ‘hardcore’ often like to scoff at the idea of a browser-based game. Sure, they can be a fun little distraction, but for anyone into ‘serious’ gaming they just don’t provide the depth to satiate the hungry gamer’s appetite, right? Well, not always!
RuneScape was my first taste of the MMO drug, and it is certainly anything but shallow. First introduced in 2001 and overhauled in 2008, Jagex was fairly ahead of the game with regards to gaming inside of a browser — something that has taken off in a big way recently. The breadth of skills and content available to players for free, with the option to subscribe for even more, was also a business model ahead of the curve. I have fond memories of ringing the RuneScape subscription number (Yes, subscribing via phone, those were the days!) to top up my month’s worth of questing and adventuring.
I’ve since wavered from the game but my immense respect for Cambridge-based Jagex remains, and I often find myself dropping in to see what new features have been added to the frequently-expanding game.
As it so happens, Jagex have pulled back the curtains on a new website design to accommodate ’10 million active accounts per month, and over 156 million registered accounts’ a feat which has them recognised by Guinness World Records as the world’s most popular free-to-play MMORPG. You can see the flashy redesign for yourself right here, and check out the new RuneScape Wiki and Events Section while you’re at it. The in-game UI has also received a fresh lick of paint.
It’s heartening to see just how far the game has come since the days of 2D graphics and sleeping bags — does anyone remember fatigue?
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