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Jagex closing down browser-based 8Realms
More MMO layoffs are in the news this week as noted free-to-play maker Jagex is shuttering its browser-based 8Realms project. A source told Massively that the social empire-building game "has been a major (and very expensive) flop. Many of us are losing our jobs, some are being moved to other departments." We contacted Jagex for an official comment and were provided a statement by COO Daniel Clough: "Jagex has always been committed to creating fun and compelling games. During the 8Realms beta it has become clear that the game doesn't meet our high expectations for success and we are therefore channeling our focus on other exciting opportunities in the pipeline."
RuneScape increasing subscription prices on February 1st
In a new post on the official RuneScape site, the game's vice president Daniel Clough has announced that, beginning in February, RuneScape membership prices will be rising from $5.95 US per month to $7.95 US per month. If you're already a member, don't worry! Anyone who is a registered member prior to February 1st will still be able to subscribe to the game at the current fee of $5.95 US per month, and the rate will not rise as long as the subscription isn't cancelled. So if you were thinking about shelling out for a RuneScape membership, act before the end of the month in order to lock in the current, lower pricing model. For the full details, click on through the link below to the RuneScape official site. [Thanks to Sean for the tip!]
Free for All: Jagex answers more questions about nuking bots
Recently Jagex, maker of the mega-popular browser-based MMO RuneScape, bragged about the success of its Bot Nuking Day, an event of epic proportions that promised to rid the game of the thousands of bots that plague legitimate players. The proof is in the pudding, as they say, and any long-term player can now tell you that the effort seems to have worked. But for how long? Players have been promised a solution for a long time, so what makes Jagex think that the recently nuked will stay nuked? I wanted to know more, and Daniel Clough, VP of RuneScape, was nice enough to answer several of my questions about the event. Did the nuking work as well as the team hoped? Will the bots stay dead? It didn't work in the Terminator, so why now? Click past the cut for all of the answers!
RuneScape is losing the war on bots
We have an expectation of conflicts made up of good vs. evil. What we don't usually expect is for evil to win. But in RuneScape's war against the evil of botting, that appears to be what's happening. In a letter from Daniel Clough, it was explained that despite the development team's best efforts, the war on bots is being won by the botters. The re-introduction of the Wilderness and Free Trade has resulted in an explosion of gold farming and botting that just can't be held back. The letter goes on to urge players to not utilize these services and report anyone known to be using them and outlines the steps being taken to try to beat back the tide. But as Clough puts it, while the staff sinks significant time and money into fighting the problem, it's fighting an opponent whose only business goal is to get back into the game. It's grim news for the game's players, certainly, and it doesn't bode well for the many other games waging the same battles.
RuneScape launches Clan Citadels
Look! Up in the sky! It's a bird... it's a plane... it's a... floating castle? If you're one of RuneScape's legions of players, you might be waking up to just that sight today. Jagex's golden child has released its Clan Citadel update, and with it the ability to move into one of these sky castles. Just pray that the anti-gravity generators don't fail. Clan Citadels are meant to be a pumped-up version of other MMOs' guild halls, a place where clans can congregate and party when not slaughtering everything in sight. There are four variants of castles, each of which can be customized to your heart's content and upgraded through seven tiers. These citadels aren't just for show, but for hardcore use: Each comes with a battleground editor that allows you and your clan to create a tailored combat scenario, including capture-the-flag, to compete with other clans. RuneScape VP Daniel Clough says that this will make the game the toast of the town: "We have been looking for a unique and innovative way to provide new multiplayer features to the game, and we are hugely excited to see what the community makes of this update."
