Jagex, devs of RuneScape, are testing how far they can push monetization without losing players. However, many long-time players are realizing they don’t want their paid game of 10+ years to turn into an ad-filled, pay-to-win nightmare.
Things that Jagex, RuneScape developer, hopes to add to the game:
- Advertisements - an ad supported plan like Hulu, so you have ads hitting you in the face while you play
- Paid account recovery - Pay more money to recover your account!
- Character Name reservations
- “special worlds” just for you! So VIP servers, paying EXTRA… for VIP servers, on a game you already pay to play
- Pay to win features - longer AFK timer to stay in the game for longer. If you pay more, you ge a longer in-game access time
- More membership price hikes - It’s likely the membership price will rise AGAIN. Keep in mind, Jagex profit AFTER ALL EXPENSES has surged over 35% over past 5 years. They are stealing from their players, robbing them blind
Example of their black-mirror inspired membership plans
The $32.49/month membership option for Old School RuneScape and RuneScape 3 includes:
- Access to both games.
- 2 member characters.
- Additional member characters for $10.49 per month each.
- Specialized Member Worlds.
- Character Name Reservations.
- Pre-Verified Account Recovery.
- A complimentary bond.
You ready to be nickle and dimed like going to the carwash and getting that juicy tire shine for an extra $5?
Here’s a wonderful discussion post if you enjoy diving in and seeing some great points, and information: Membership Survey /r/2007scape
TL;DR: Jagex survey asking if players are ok paying an absurd amount more money for having access to customer service, ad-free gaming experience. Players went ballistic, and are finally wiseing up to how awful the company really has become.
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$32.49/month
I’m sorry, what?! For RuneScape? I don’t know any other MMORPGs that charge that much, let alone for the simple game that RuneScape is.
Simple strategy. You lose the low value customers, retain the spenders. Less cost for infrastructure, employees, all that.
They’re likely cutting it too close with the cost, but what do I know, I don’t pay for jack.
It sounds dangerous.
Don’t you need the playerbase to attract and retain the whales?
Only on PVP focused games
Which is very much OSRS. PvP is what single-handedly holds up the game economy there, while mega-rares and discontinued items prop it up in RS3.
This is what Stop Killing Games will look like…we should get used to it…
Trash tier take
You can downvote all you want, but that is the logical escape the industry will take. They will make the online part of games expensive to pay until no one wants to play it or pays them an absurd amount.
Fucking hell even XIV isn’t that much… And is a better game IMO
I sincerely hope that OSRS players don’t rollover on this one but I’m not holding my breath.
Reading the CEO comments the other day really highlighted how tired I am of corporate speak and just how patronizing it is.
Jagex is particularly guilty of this
The 10 bucks a month per extra character slot really stood out to me as the icing on the shit cake.
What a ripoff lol
Come join [email protected] and get away from this mess
Checking that out later today. Thanks for the suggestion!
It’s definitely still an early access game, but it’s progressing nicely, incredibly stable, charming, backed by a passionate team, and well priced.
It’s$400+ a year?
More like RuneScam amirite
We need the names of Jagex executives being shouted from the rooftops in RuneScape forums, and the jeers should follow them to their next job, because people deserve to know when a shitty, product-ruining executive is going to ruin a second product.
Jagex isn’t doing a damn thing. It’s the executives.
Does RuneLite not have the longer afk plug-in anymore?
