Runescape, arguably the most popular MMORPG in the Western world, launched probably the largest single update in its venerable existence today, overhauling the website and launching a new high-detail visual mode that shows off the fact that Jagex has updated effectively every asset in the game. They’ve also added a much-desired full-screen mode and chosen this time to announce that prices for new subscribers will be going up starting in August (30p increase for UK users, 95 cent increase for US users). I’ve included a shot of the updated Runescape below (taken from a forum dweller….I wasn’t able to get in with my trusty character Dreampie due to server difficulties.)
It’ll be interesting to see if this boosts Runescape’s user numbers or not over the next few months.
Click here to see a shot of the new Runescape look.
15 comments
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July 3rd, 2008 at 4:19 pm
Pentharian
Clearly, they felt threatened by the EE screens you’ve been releasing!
July 3rd, 2008 at 7:50 pm
Simon
I was schocked too ; where are the little glimmering rocks and teh old-fashioned sword on their homepage!!!
July 4th, 2008 at 8:19 pm
Cory
And yet I still can’t find it in me to ever want to play this.
July 5th, 2008 at 1:15 pm
Brian 'Psychochild' Green
Based on my observations of other games (and a revamp of my own game), graphical revamps don’t seem to draw new people to the game. It’s mostly a technique to keep the existing players interested and perhaps to draw back old players. As you can see from Cory’s comment above, people who were interested in playing Runescape are already playing it. People who have dismissed the game won’t suddenly be interested because of the revamp.
That’s my prediction, at least.
July 6th, 2008 at 7:17 pm
Matt
Perhaps, perhaps not. Runescape did a similar graphical overhaul in 2004 and experienced immense growth afterwards. Whether it would have happened anyway is up for debate and we’ll never know, of course.
–matt
July 7th, 2008 at 8:20 am
wowpanda
Another change or two they will look like WOW.
July 10th, 2008 at 10:36 am
wowpanda
Sorry Matt, I don’t meant to offend you. I happen to agree on most of the things you say, and strongly agree that government should not limit our freedoms. Just on some issues I can’t turn myself.
July 10th, 2008 at 10:38 am
Matt
Last comment! Let yourself be turned. I used to be a horrible bigot and I got better.
You\’ve not got nearly as far to go as I did.
July 12th, 2008 at 5:44 pm
aaabronco
i still think runescape sucks
EARTH ETERNAL FTW!
July 12th, 2008 at 6:02 pm
aaabronco
in runescape you cant really do anything without being a member you
can only trade 3k worth of items without waiting 5 mins and there isnt even a wilderness anymore and the GMs sometimes ban you for asking for help
July 15th, 2008 at 10:28 am
That other guy behind the steering wheel.
I used to play Runescape, but I got bored of it and so I just gave most of my items to a friend and quit the game.
July 15th, 2008 at 8:28 pm
Simon Newstead
Runescape I think can help get new users with this update - especially those stumbling onto it the first time and who now won’t be put off by prehistoric level of graphics (I only got into it last year and even for web based, it looked very primative).
As long as it’s a high end option so it doesn’t slow down all the older and lower end machines (like happened with Second Life recently) I think it’s a great move…
Good on them!
July 16th, 2008 at 3:35 pm
Brian 'Psychochild' Green
Matt wrote:
Runescape did a similar graphical overhaul in 2004 and experienced immense growth afterwards.
How would that growth have compared to a relatively cheaper major expansion or advertising campaign? As a way of acquiring new (paying) customers, I suspect a graphical revamp of that magnitude wasn’t the most cost-efficient way to grow.
Mmm, speculation and educated guesses.
July 16th, 2008 at 3:38 pm
Matt Mihaly
Yeah, I really have no idea how it would compare. Runescape makes enough money that it’s probably worth giving both a shot though. Note that they’ve recently announced Mechscape, their next game, as well.
July 31st, 2008 at 3:22 pm
Anonymous
Wow, nice, so instead of looking like a game from 1998, it now looks like a game from 2003. Way to go Jagex.