Jagex introduces RuneScape bonds, new business model

Jagex CEO Mark Gerhard has posted a new video to the RuneScape website detailing the fantasy MMO's new business model. The clip, which runs a bit over three minutes in length, focuses on Jagex's efforts to eradicate goldfarmers from the long-running browser-based title. Gerhard mentions that the firm has removed over 3,700,000,000,000 GP from goldfarmer accounts and banned more than 1.1 million bot accounts this year alone.

Despite those "signifcant blows, gold farming continues to survive," Gerhard explains. He also says that 40 to 50 percent of the game's active playerbase buys gold "on any given month!" The solution to what is clearly a thorn in Jagex's side is something called RuneScape bonds. Bonds are a tradeable membership item that can freely gifted or traded for any other tradeable in-game item. As a result, players will be able to pay for their game memberships via in-game wealth and gold farmers will theoretically have no customers. The bonds update will also include a gold-sink designed to help the economy recover from extreme inflation. Full details are available via the video after the cut and the links below.

[Thanks Caio!]