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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."
Begin your 8Realms empire with a closed beta key from Massively
We first heard about 8Realms back in May, and Jagex's social empire game has progressed to the closed beta stage of development. The development team has provided some fun incentives to join closed beta, including an iPod touch giveaway every day until August 17th. If you're interested in trying the game, we've got beta key access for you. This giveaway has a bit of a twist, however, as we have a single code that can be used 3,000 times. All you need to do is visit the 8Realms signup page, log in with your Jagex account (or create an account if you don't have one), and when prompted to enter your beta key, enter "Columbus." It's as simple as that for the first 3,000 Massively readers to enter the code, so head to the signup page and get your empire underway!
Jagex preparing to conquer the world with 8Realms
"What's next?" is the question on everyone's lips when it comes to successful MMO studio Jagex. The RuneScape developer has many projects in the works, including Stellar Dawn and Transformers Online. However, the company is hoping that you'll also take notice of 8Realms, its social empire builder that lets you cultivate a civilization from scratch and conquer the world with your cunning. As 8Realms entered closed beta this past week, Lead Developer Claire Blackshaw spoke with CVG about the game's focus. "Our approach is always a strategy first and social second," she said. "Though I do think the most appealing aspect of games such as Diplomacy is the social element." She thinks that the game can challenge genre favorite titles like Civilization and Total War while remaining accessible to the lunch break strategist: "8Realms can fit into your day, firing it up at lunch to launch a few attacks or make sure your research is going as planned. Also because of the social element you have wars break out which get you very worked up." The team is also proud of how far it has advanced the capability of browser-based games alone. "We made current browser tech jump through hoops, and using our own server-side technology pushed what's possible in terms of scaling," Blackshaw said.
