As some on tip.it probably know Ive been researching MechScape since September 2007 and randomly post Jagex insights now and then. I haven't been bothering you guys with every little find along the way, so I recommend you read my 2008 review which is a summary of my FunOrb, RuneScape and ThirdScape research (specifically focussing on what the future has to bring).

 

 

 

Table of contents:

 

• [*:23pdo814]MechScape:
   
  
  • [*:23pdo814]Beginnings
     
    [*:23pdo814]Underlying Technology
     
    [*:23pdo814]Revenue/business Model
     
    [*:23pdo814]Target Audience
     
    [*:23pdo814] Theme, Content and Gameplay
     
    [*:23pdo814]Development
     
    [*:23pdo814]Release Date
     
    [*:23pdo814]Concept Art

 

[*:23pdo814]ThirdScape

 

[*:23pdo814]FunOrb

 

[*:23pdo814]RuneScape

 

 

 

So read my Jagex 2008 end of year review.

Nice. A great read. How do you find all your info on Jagex? Are you an employee or somehow affiliated with them?

Nice. A great read. How do you find all your info on Jagex? Are you an employee or somehow affiliated with them?

 

No, just an ardent researcher (hence all the sources). I have however chatted with some Jagex employees in real life which is where a very small amount of the information came from.

Nice. A great read. How do you find all your info on Jagex? Are you an employee or somehow affiliated with them?

 

No, just an ardent researcher (hence all the sources). I have however chatted with some Jagex employees in real life which is where a very small amount of the information came from.

 

Ah, I see. Impressive!

 

 

 

In June 2008 Iddison said "Runescape has 10 years of good growth" [49]. Henrique was fairly optimistic when asked about RuneScape's future in a September 2008 interview

 

 

 

Good, I'm occasionally worried that a game that I've invested a lot of time in will die out. :P

 

 

 

I also like the whole 'funorb games on mobile phones' move, I like some of the games like Archanists, but mobile phones don't play well with Java (Iphone 3G, I'm looking at you...)

I also like the whole 'funorb games on mobile phones' move, I like some of the games like Archanists, but mobile phones don't play well with Java (Iphone 3G, I'm looking at you...)

 

I missed it from the article but the iPhone is actually mentioned by Jagex: "Identifying opportunities in existing markets and in new technologies (e.g. mobile phone, iPhone, etc) in order to augment the player base;" (source). I've updated the article to include that titbit of information :)

Great read, looking forward to it's release by Jagex.

I also like the whole 'funorb games on mobile phones' move, I like some of the games like Archanists, but mobile phones don't play well with Java (Iphone 3G, I'm looking at you...)

 

I missed it from the article but the iPhone is actually mentioned by Jagex: "Identifying opportunities in existing markets and in new technologies (e.g. mobile phone, iPhone, etc) in order to augment the player base;" (source). I've updated the article to include that titbit of information :)

 

Great! I'm planning on getting mine after the Macworld Expo, just in case the Nano rumors are true. Never know what they might update, I'd hate to buy one and have it obsolete in a week..

Anyway, I got past the first section of your article and stopped reading. They were basically stating (according to your quotes) that RuneScape is a project below their talents and meant to be for younger kids, and quite possibly that they don't put their best effort into it. Before anyone disagrees with what I just said I hope they read at least the first section thoroughly.

 

^ Note:Above post by GaVaTi was deleted because he also quoted another post which was to a scam site. Remember: Do not enter your RuneScape login details to anywhere except RuneScape/FunOrb/Jagex/MechScape.com. There are no legitimate 'beta sites' however genuine they may look.

 

 

 

Anyway, back to your statement. While not in my article, Iddison did also say "we've got a lot of people over 40 playing Runescape; we have whole families playing the game. We have granddads and grandmas meeting their siblings, nieces, and nephews within the game. We want to appeal to the whole. For anyone who wants to play RuneScape, there's something in there for them" (source).

 

 

 

So yes, you are right in that they are trying to go for broad appeal with RuneScape which could mean that they don't have things which they would otherwise have - but that doesn't necessarily mean they aren't putting their best effort into it or that they don't care about the game. As with The Simpsons the game is aimed to appeal to a large audience, and it achieves this by working at many levels - but it is still the case that if you want something more mature then you'd have to go for something which isn't aiming for broad appeal (like MechScape for example).

Anyway, I got past the first section of your article and stopped reading. They were basically stating (according to your quotes) that RuneScape is a project below their talents and meant to be for younger kids, and quite possibly that they don't put their best effort into it. Before anyone disagrees with what I just said I hope they read at least the first section thoroughly.

 

^ Note:Above post by GaVaTi was deleted because he also quoted another post which was to a scam site. Remember: Do not enter your RuneScape login details to anywhere except RuneScape/FunOrb/Jagex/MechScape.com. There are no legitimate 'beta sites' however genuine they may look.

 

 

 

Anyway, back to your statement. While not in my article, Iddison did also say "we've got a lot of people over 40 playing Runescape; we have whole families playing the game. We have granddads and grandmas meeting their siblings, nieces, and nephews within the game. We want to appeal to the whole. For anyone who wants to play RuneScape, there's something in there for them" (source).

 

 

 

So yes, you are right in that they are trying to go for broad appeal with RuneScape which could mean that they don't have things which they would otherwise have - but that doesn't necessarily mean they aren't putting their best effort into it or that they don't care about the game. As with The Simpsons the game is aimed to appeal to a large audience, and it achieves this by working at many levels - but it is still the case that if you want something more mature then you'd have to go for something which isn't aiming for broad appeal (like MechScape for example).

 

Me and toast's posts got deleted after he linked to a scam site and I quoted them (I reported it), but I'd say from the article it's obvious that Runescape is going good for them and they plan to continue developing and broadening it - as the article said, MMORPGs never really die out, and as long as it's profitable they will continue to develop it.

Me and toast's posts got deleted after he linked to a scam site and I quoted them (I reported it), but I'd say from the article it's obvious that Runescape is going good for them and they plan to continue developing and broadening it - as the article said, MMORPGs never really die out, and as long as it's profitable they will continue to develop it.

 

Yes, it definitely seems like Jagex aren't going to give up on RuneScape any time soon. I've updated my article to warn people about scam sites - I'd forgotten that people were still so trusting.

Great research, I've been enlightened very much so by reading this. Thank you for the information and some of those concept arts have really intrigued me (while others I was not so fond of, especially that blue monkey looking thing. :lol: )

Brilliant. Makes me look forward to it even more.

Um, ThirdScape! Interesting. Lot's of info, was a nice read.

Me and toast's posts got deleted after he linked to a scam site

 

What? :?

Me and toast's posts got deleted after he linked to a scam site

 

What? :?

 

It was you.. Right? Unless I got you mixed up with someone else :?

 

It was you.. Right? Unless I got you mixed up with someone else :?

 

Can't remember who posted it, but I seem to remember that they had a postcount of around 1200 so I don't think it was toast who originated it.

Excellent read :D , good to hear that runescape will live for a long time. :)

I'm all fired up for MechScape. \

 

It looks promising.

Hmm, looking foward it

My post got deleted lol, it had a link to a JAGEX site, where you could put ANY USERNAME AND PASSWORD and get a short intro of mechscape, seems like everyone thinks its all scamming, I clearly stated you DO NOT put your username or password, you put random stuff, like lolwut, whatever you want. Gosh stupid people..

 

I don't still have the URL so I can't check this, but from my memory there was a link to a [LikelyScam] site so unlikely to be from Jagex and the fact that it was asking for u/n and pass makes it look very suspicious - if I made a mistake then I apologise. The only Jagex video I know of is the E3 one. Feel free to discuss this with me via PM or on MSN.

I never knew you were ren... makes sense now.

 

 

 

Nice read, I'm really looking forward to mechscape.

I just found out something: MechScape.com is up, but it only has a 404 error page. Try going to a webpage which does not exist and gives a completely different error page.

I just found out something: MechScape.com is up, but it only has a 404 error page. Try going to a webpage which does not exist and gives a completely different error page.

 

It has been that way since around August 2008. If you go to MechScape.de it also redirects you to the non-existent http://www.mechscape.com/l=1/

Great read, I can't wait for mechscape to come out!