Before the update on November 20th, staking was known as the best moneymaker, and moneyloser in runescape. For many people, staking is the only way they used to make money, or even mainly the only thing they did in the game. Other people had a "main" and one or more accounts for staking only. Since the best stakers had special stats, they often trained the staking accounts on certain stats, while restricting others, meaning they could spend hundreds of hours on these accounts that were not really good for combat outside of dueling.

 

 

 

After the update, staking was gone, but the accounts still exist. Needless to say, most people who had spent hundreds of hours training these accounts that are now useless were more than slightly mad. There are now the tournaments, but those are really only good for people with 95+ in ALL their combat stats, not for traditional stakers.

 

 

 

Some of the people who staked on their mains will probably not quit, but instead find another part of the game to enjoy after they get over the loss, although I expect a large percentage of them to quit. As for the people who had a secondary account staking, it's safe to assume that over 90% of those accounts will end their memberships now.

 

 

 

So what does this mean for Jagex? According to the most recent information on the Runescape home page, Runescape reached 1 million members on May 4, 2007. I'm going to take a WILD GUESS, and say that, Runescape has 1.2 Million members by now. Keep in mind, that this doesn't mean 1,200,000 people have runescape memberships, because many people have multiple accounts.

 

 

 

For the rest of my data, I will look to the recent polls. According to the October 15th poll, 20% of people DON'T duel in the arena, leaving 80% of people who do. 22% of players duel every other day or more. Let's estimate that 1/2 of the people in this group are major stakers. That would make 11% of members stakers.

 

 

 

According to the poll on August 20th, 36% of people have 2 or more accounts that they play REGULARLY. These accounts are mostly skillers, pkers, and stakers. I'm going out on a limb and saying that 1/3 of these people have a staker account. This would make roughly 12% of all members major stakers. I know this estimate could be waaay off, but It does add up to nearly the same number that I got from my other poll estimate.

 

 

 

To be safe, let's say that 10% of member accounts are stakers. This wouldn't be hard to believe if you saw how busy the dueling arena got on dueling worlds. A lot of these accounts will be changed into "mains" now, so lets say that 3/10 of these will not quit, and 7/10 of them will quit.

 

 

 

If my math is correct, 7% of all members will quit. 7% doesn't sound like a lot, but With 1,200,000 paying members, that means 84,000 people will quit. Most members pay 5$ USD, so that means Jagex will lose about $420,000 PER MONTH! That's 5.04 million dollars per year! Keep in mind that I was very conservative in my estimates, so it's probably a lot higher!!

 

 

 

Imagine what Jagex could do with 5.04 million dollars a year? They could hire 50 new employees with a 6 FIGURE INCOME ($100k per year or more) and put them all on customer service and stopping the real world traders. Maybe they could even give the goldfarming companies in China BRIBES to STOP GOLDFARMING (heh, like that would work...)? What the hell, they could probably save 20,000 starving people in Sudan with that kind of money (like they would think of that?). I don't know, but pretty much anything would have helped more than what they did do.

 

 

 

 

 

In conclusion, the reason Jagex decided to use that money to annoy it's own paying customers is beyond me. The stakers may be whining at Jagex, but maybe that's because they feel they should have SOME say what happens to the money they spend. If a Jagex Mod would like to give a better explaination for their reasoning, I'm all ears.

Nope they've came in to quite a bit of money. You cancel your membership and quit and don't use rs, they still have the last part of the membership and whilst you don't use it means they're getting free money.

Well...i think your wrong, i dont think they really care that they lost too much. They are mega rich anyway. My mate was a major staker, when it was changed, he was made yes, but Runescape isnt allll about staking, many of the people may be made into pkers or just turn them into mains like you said.

 

 

 

Just becuase they made duel arena a total waste of time, dosent mean that 10% of runescape members will quit...

 

 

 

My 10c

Nope they've came in to quite a bit of money. You cancel your membership and quit and don't use rs, they still have the last part of the membership and whilst you don't use it means they're getting free money.

 

 

 

So the fact that people won't use the mostly empty servers for the next 1-30 days whilst paying for them, which barely effects Jagex's profitability at all, makes up for them not paying $60 a year to play the game?

 

 

 

Okay.......

 

 

 

 

 

Anyway, well thought out-research. Jagex will definitely lose money because of this, there is no question. The player base may continue to expand because of new players, but it won't expand at such a fast rate because many will quit. It may even shrink for the first time ever.

I like the way you did it. I had forgoten about the recent polls about stakign adn now suspect they were designed to help Jagex predict their upcoming loss.

 

 

 

But it wouldnt be a 6 figure income because there a British companie so they pay in pounds which are roughly worth 2 dollars each. Just means a 6 figure in teh states, canada, or austrailia would be 50, 000 pounds in Europe.

This update had nothing to do with real world trading and everything to do with exposing kids to gambling. Jagax will NEVER admit to that because it would be admitting guilt. Then any kid that gets caught gambling online can then blame it on runescape. Then jagax is up for a lawsuit.

This update had nothing to do with real world trading and everything to do with exposing kids to gambling. Jagax will NEVER admit to that because it would be admitting guilt. Then any kid that gets caught gambling online can then blame it on runescape. Then jagax is up for a lawsuit.

 

 

 

Yes, that is what it is...

 

 

 

Many (pre)teens get addicted to gambling millons at the duel arena :|

Jagex is loosing money, i agree.

 

But if Mechscape happens to be a success, i think they'll forget about Runescape, IMO

This update had nothing to do with real world trading and everything to do with exposing kids to gambling. Jagax will NEVER admit to that because it would be admitting guilt. Then any kid that gets caught gambling online can then blame it on runescape. Then jagax is up for a lawsuit.

 

 

 

I doubt it. This would have been much less controversial to say than their current explaination.

Jagex is loosing money, i agree.

 

But if Mechscape happens to be a success, i think they'll forget about Runescape, IMO

 

 

 

I wish they forgot about runescape in september

This update had nothing to do with real world trading and everything to do with exposing kids to gambling. Jagax will NEVER admit to that because it would be admitting guilt. Then any kid that gets caught gambling online can then blame it on runescape. Then jagax is up for a lawsuit.

 

 

 

I doubt it. This would have been much less controversial to say than their current explaination.

 

 

 

But then they would be admitting guilt and they can be exposed to a lawsuit.

Jagex are idiots right now, plain and simple.

Imagine what Jagex could do with 5.04 million dollars a year? They could hire 50 new employees with a 6 FIGURE INCOME ($100k per year or more) and put them all on customer service and stopping the real world traders. Maybe they could even give the goldfarming companies in China BRIBES to STOP GOLDFARMING (heh, like that would work...)? What the hell, they could probably save 20,000 starving people in Sudan with that kind of money (like they would think of that?). I don't know, but pretty much anything would have helped more than what they did do.

 

 

 

gaming companys dont pay out 100k to employees like that.

 

 

 

heres some figures to show what jagex currently pays employees:

 

Chief Financial Officer: ÃÆââ¬Å¡Ãâã60-ÃÆââ¬Å¡Ãâã80k per year

 

3D Modeller (Junior) : ÃÆââ¬Å¡Ãâã18-ÃÆââ¬Å¡Ãâã20k per year

 

Player Support : 12k per year

 

Java Browser Games Developer : up to ÃÆââ¬Å¡Ãâã24k per year

 

Junior Graphics Artist (6-month contract): ÃÆââ¬Å¡Ãâã16-ÃÆââ¬Å¡Ãâã18k per contract.

 

 

 

in the uk them wages are not good. theres only 1 job on that list that gets paid more then me, and im a steelworker.

i dont think ur right every1's just mad at the duel tourny thing and only stakers and pkers are mad.....thats what we need we dont need more merches or stakers getting rich the easy way and ive asked jagex about mechscape and runescape will always be here top priority :thumbsup:

This update had nothing to do with real world trading and everything to do with exposing kids to gambling. Jagax will NEVER admit to that because it would be admitting guilt. Then any kid that gets caught gambling online can then blame it on runescape. Then jagax is up for a lawsuit.

 

 

 

I doubt it. This would have been much less controversial to say than their current explaination.

 

 

 

But then they would be admitting guilt and they can be exposed to a lawsuit.

 

 

 

they couldnt get into a lawsuit....this isnt real money, so theres no personal gain, and its only a game who cares? plus its just teaching us how to be smart with or money....

 

 

 

AND alot of adults and college students play so......

The very same thing happened with pures back when RS changed engine to become RS2. Runescape's still here, and so are pures.

jagex dont get ALL the membership cash, they prob get around ÃÆââ¬Å¡Ãâã1.50-ÃÆââ¬Å¡Ãâã2 ($3-4) per month per membership cos of taxes etc, so lets say ÃÆââ¬Å¡Ãâã175k ($350k) per month lost? so ÃÆââ¬Å¡Ãâã2.1m ($4.2m) per year? still alot but not quite asmuch. i reckon "customer services" guys get paid ÃÆââ¬Å¡Ãâã25k a year ($50k) MAX, prob closer to ÃÆââ¬Å¡Ãâã20k or even less btw, the programmers, designers etc get the most (including the ones who program anti-macro stuff etc).

 

 

 

jagex ruining staking to stop gold farmers on rs, would be like america destroying their own country to stop terrorists. (bad example i know, but what jagex did really IS that extreme.)

I found a mistake in the first line.

 

Staking came out with duelling that came out with membership.

 

Pking isn't ruined yet (well kinda it is, but you know :XD: ), but just wait for the rule "Can't take more than 3k worth of items to wilderness".

 

 

 

But yeah they're losing quite a bit of money in a month or more. Right now nothing changes really. :wink:

Don't the majority of stakers "drop trade" to their main accounts?

I like the way you did it. I had forgoten about the recent polls about stakign adn now suspect they were designed to help Jagex predict their upcoming loss.

 

 

 

But it wouldnt be a 6 figure income because there a British companie so they pay in pounds which are roughly worth 2 dollars each. Just means a 6 figure in teh states, canada, or austrailia would be 50, 000 pounds in Europe.

 

 

 

In england you mean... They got the ÃÆââââ¬Ã¡Ãâì in europe you imperial chauvinist :P

A lot of these accounts will be changed into "mains" now, so lets say that 3/10 of these will not quit, and 7/10 of them will quit.

 

I doubt it, i would say 7/10 will not quit and 3/10 will quit.

True, they haven't lost money from CURRENT stakers, but they lose POTENTIAL money since no one will stake anymore, at least not as many.

I like the way you did it. I had forgoten about the recent polls about stakign adn now suspect they were designed to help Jagex predict their upcoming loss.

 

 

 

But it wouldnt be a 6 figure income because there a British companie so they pay in pounds which are roughly worth 2 dollars each. Just means a 6 figure in teh states, canada, or austrailia would be 50, 000 pounds in Europe.

 

 

 

In england you mean... They got the ÃÆââââ¬Ã¡Ãâì in europe you imperial chauvinist :P

 

pounds are used in all the uk (Northern ireland, wales, scotland, england), not just england, and the uk is part of europe. (correct statement: pounds are used in the uk, euros are used in the rest of europe)

jagex dont get ALL the membership cash, they prob get around ÃÆââ¬Å¡Ãâã1.50-ÃÆââ¬Å¡Ãâã2 ($3-4) per month per membership cos of taxes etc, so lets say ÃÆââ¬Å¡Ãâã175k ($350k) per month lost? so ÃÆââ¬Å¡Ãâã2.1m ($4.2m) per year? still alot but not quite asmuch. i reckon "customer services" guys get paid ÃÆââ¬Å¡Ãâã25k a year ($50k) MAX, prob closer to ÃÆââ¬Å¡Ãâã20k or even less btw, the programmers, designers etc get the most (including the ones who program anti-macro stuff etc).

 

 

 

jagex ruining staking to stop gold farmers on rs, would be like america destroying their own country to stop terrorists. (bad example i know, but what jagex did really IS that extreme.)

 

 

 

http://www.jagex.com/corporate/Jobs/vacancies.ws

IMO I think anyone who quit has a problem. There's always the wilderness. Whats the difference besides an extra risk? especially those who stake major amounts of cash. If they were willing to fight people in the duel arena, surely they can alter theit goals to the wilderness? Unless there's a specific way to level to set up a perfect dueling account that differs from a pker, I don't see the problem.