Interview: Jagex�s Mark Gerhard

[fertjuh3]

http://www.developmag.com/interviews/49 ... rk-Gerhard

 

 

 

May 22, 2009

 

Despite the vigilant work done by NPD, Chart-Track et al, games sales analysts remain trapped in the dark ages of tracking nothing beyond physical, boxed products. Its a scenario which makes digital distribution, and free-to-play models, something of a secret success.

 

Every week in the UK, and every month in the US, we are not reminded of these facts:

 

RuneScape, the longstanding free-to-play MMORPG, now enjoys over 8.5 million active subscribers. One of those subscribers has played the free edition of the game for over 13,500 hours.

 

Tthe company behind RuneScape, Cambridge-based Jagex, recently launched its own Java-based casual games portal FunOrb. Now, just a little over a year since it launched, FunOrb has clocked its one millionth account holder.

 

Faced with such encouraging popularity, Develop sits down with company CEO Mark Gerhard to talk about the companys plans for expansion, and the potential of the free-to-play model itself.

 

 

 

 

 

Jagex is known as a pioneer of free to-play games, but has the model itself reached the levels of popularity many had expected it to?

 

I think we have. When we started out the whole industry was fixated on classic retail distribution, and no one really understood the free-to-play model, or even the online model.

 

Today we see the complete opposite, with some of the biggest names in gaming wanting to do what we have done.

 

Many companies are not quite following our own model. If we look at some of the companies that have tried to copy what we do, like Sony and Free Realms, these companies are releasing just a free demo for the membership component and monetizing component of the game.

 

We feel that the Jagex model, and certainly RuneScape, is different to this. We have released a comprehensive free game for our fans.

 

Just to give you a sense of scale, the free game has got over 13,500 hours of gameplay to it; we know this because thats how much time our most-dedicated free-to-play player has spent on the game so far, and that person has still not maxed out all her skills.

 

So people have seen that the free-to-play model works, but typically companies implement it in the wrong way, and only offer a few hours of free play. As a result of that, our competitors have not seen the success that we have, and I suspect they probably wont.

 

I think something weve been very true to throughout is that we have two individual games; a free game and a members game. For the most ardent fans, membership is the only option, but for those not paying we want to make sure people have access to a self-sustained game, not a demo.

 

 

 

I had heard that 60% of RuneScape was for members only.

 

We look at the whole game as a globe. A mass the size of the Americas is free, but obviously there are other continents available for members only. The free-to-play game has 25 quests, the members version has 150. So yes it is significantly larger from that aspect.

 

 

 

How is your plan to expand to consoles progressing?

 

Before we spoke to various platform holders we did some research ourselves to see if our propositions can technically work which obviously saves a lot of time.

 

We have working proof of concepts on some of our products, and different parts of our games on different systems. Which one we go with is another question entirely; do we put this MMO on this console, do we put all of them on another these are all questions that we have to consider.

 

Were a games studio and technology company above all else. Of our 400 staff, about 250 are technical, and thats because we build our own tools for whatever we need. So we do a load of R&D, and the challenge for us was if we could write a software package that would take our code and output it to a C# version for the 360, Wii and PS3.

 

This was in fact one of my first primary aims when joining Jagex, and we discovered that the answer was yes, we can put our code on consoles.

 

 

 

Making it technically possible is one thing, but how do the platform holders look at the free-to-play model?

 

Well, thats a very good point, because thats where were facing challenges right now and these are the topics of discussion we are having with platform holders.

 

My aim is that there will be a completely free game on all the consoles out there, where we preserve the current free-to-play model. I think this is where the industry should go, but I dont think thats where they want it to go, given that everything that goes on WiiWare, PSN and XBLA has a price tag on it in some form.

 

Therefore I think that the free-to-play games will probably be charged at a nominal fee, so you pay to download it and, if you want, pay to receive the premium version of the game.

 

Thats the thinking at the moment, though things are very much up in the air.

 

But of course, my preference will be to lobby these companies, to tell them that they need to catch up with todays tastes and provide free games if you want to compete in this area.

 

 

 

How much luck are you having in pitching the free-to-play model to each platform holder?

 

I really cant go into specifics; I wouldnt like to talk about individual companies while were still discussing things and while nothing has been set in stone yet.

 

 

 

Former Jagex CEO Geoff Iddison said that he wanted to merge the premium subscription model with micropayments. How do you feel about the idea?

 

I dont think you can take a game like RuneScape and retrofit microtransactions into it. The games just too big, and I dont think it would add value for our players. Obviously that system could be more remunerative, but I think it would price a player experience too far up.

 

 

 

Why do you think free-to-play models are so tightly associated with MMOs?

 

I think that many people feel an MMO means youre going to be spending a significant amount of time on a product, and so I think the free-to-play model compliments that more because it allows players to ask do I want to spend a significant amount of time on this.

 

 

 

You have previously mentioned your ambitions to expand into the Asian markets, how is that progressing?

 

The technology is in place now; RuneScape can support various different languages now. Our next step is a commercial one. We re thinking about where next; be it eastern Europe, Asia, South America, and so on. The honest answer; the jurys still out on that one.

[SanNo1]

Can't really see myself playing rs on the Wii, I can't play it without forums :twisted:

[Carl]

Very interesting read, although, as the above poster said, I couldn't see myself either playing on a console (Ps3).

[Racheya]

Interesting, I could probably see myself playing RS on the Wii, but I think it'd be better to keep it to the browser imo.

[fertjuh3]

I think it really is doable on a ps3, there are already is a keyboards for on your controller

[Dragonlordjl]

13,500 hours? Arbitrary statistic, much? :ugeek:

 

 

 

There are several F2P players that have maxed their skills, so what he said is fallacious.

[InkofDeath]

I was going to post this, but when I had read the article, I found out that nothing new or interesting really stands out.

 

 

 

Unless of course you think playing RS on the Wii/PS/XboX is worth giggling over when you're going to be made to pay for the free version to download it, and then pay again for the premium.

 

 

 

But too bad that the monthly subscription is most likely going to be double what you'd pay if you were playing it online. It's just how Microsoft, Nintendo, and Sony like to work and make money.

 

 

 

So yay, get excited for an overpriced soon-to-be game that is much cheaper on the PC!

[Guest]

13,500 hours? Arbitrary statistic, much? :ugeek:

 

 

 

There are several F2P players that have maxed their skills, so what he said is fallacious.

 

 

 

yes 13500 hours is what S_diamant_Y has roughly spend, I know because I know her and she plays more than me (i've played roughly 4.5 years which is 1620 days with an average of at least 5 hours a day that makes 8000+ hours, s diamant y has roughly 2.5 times my total xp, which means yes the 13500 is adequate).

 

 

 

Also maxed f2p could mean all 99's but I think andrew meant 200m xp on every skill (which is also not yet achieved on p2p ;) )

 

 

 

"For the most ardent fans, membership is the only option, but for those not paying we want to make sure people have access to a self-sustained game, not a demo."

 

 

 

gf you f2p bashers ^

[n64jive]

I don't know if that statistic helps them or hurts them...anyone who has played runescape would go insane after 13500 hours on ftp.

 

 

 

I'd play rs on 360. I already browse forums while playing oblivion, I just set my laptop on my desk and swivel my chair :).

 

 

 

Goodluck persuading ms to allow a completely free download over xbl for indefinite play

[tintin113]

The main attraction of Runescape is the communication for me, and how would that work on a console? The typing systems on all consoles are far too slow and wouldn't be able to be used in game, so speech? But then who would be able to hear you? Anyone in a certain range or only certain players? Then censorship would be shot to bits. I think it would be a very bad idea to put RS on consoles.

 

 

 

However this was a very good read and the point that RS has been successful due to the F2P is very true, I must have clocked up 100+ hours on F2P at least before getting members.

[oddyss3us222]

Teh graphics better own

[oddyss3us222]

on second thought, no i wouldnt play on my 360. rs

[Jard_Y_Dooku]

take our code and output it to a C# version

 

 

 

:shock:

 

 

 

DO IT.

[Guest]

I don't know if that statistic helps them or hurts them...anyone who has played runescape would go insane after 13500 hours on ftp.

 

 

 

I'd play rs on 360. I already browse forums while playing oblivion, I just set my laptop on my desk and swivel my chair :).

 

 

 

Goodluck persuading ms to allow a completely free download over xbl for indefinite play

 

 

 

I am already crazy so that helps :)

[DarkDude]

Would be interesting to see how it would work on the consoles. There is yet to be any sort of subscription based downloadable game on any of the systems that I'm aware of.

 

 

 

Would be interesting to see how they get the chat and things to work and if it'd be possible without needing a keyboard or chatpad or whatever. Will have to see what they have instore for us. Wonder if they'll announce anything at E3 this year, last year was where I believe they confirmed Mechscape existed and it was shortly after RSHD was announced so they showed that off, hoping for something big this year too.

[Will H]

I was going to post this, but when I had read the article, I found out that nothing new or interesting really stands out.

 

 

 

Unless of course you think playing RS on the Wii/PS/XboX is worth giggling over when you're going to be made to pay for the free version to download it, and then pay again for the premium.

 

 

 

But too bad that the monthly subscription is most likely going to be double what you'd pay if you were playing it online. It's just how Microsoft, Nintendo, and Sony like to work and make money.

 

 

 

So yay, get excited for an overpriced soon-to-be game that is much cheaper on the PC!

 

I really doubt Jagex would give in to Nintendo, Microsoft, Sony or the like that easily. After all, they don't have to expand to a console, and it seems that consoles are becoming more and more like modified computers instead of distinctly different machines. It won't be long before the consoles can run Runescape anyway and then Jagex just needs to modify the game themselves to have an option which would enhance the ease of use of different controllers like something similar to the Wii Remote, like adding remote gestures.

 

Over time, Jagex will have the upper hand, and then free to play would be free on consoles anyway.

[Nero]

It won't be long before the consoles can run Runescape anyway

 

 

 

wat

 

 

 

You can run rs on 10 year old machines lol

[Hawks]

There are free Wii things in the Wii Shop Channel... there's no reason not to make it a free dl, if they don't almost no one will dl it because they can play for free on their computers...

 

 

 

Though I wouldn't mind having it put in the DSiWare, I might pay to dl that.

[InkofDeath]

I really doubt Jagex would give in to Nintendo, Microsoft, Sony or the like that easily.

 

If Jagex wants to get on consoles, they will have to submit defeat to the big three. There is no way in heck that M$ would allow the same business model as the online model is. Sony the same but Nintendo may do something different, but their interests are money.

[XxTearGodxX]

yawn, an article about free to play. I think I'll pass and not read.

[Lordjake]

Seeing that statistic about someone spending 13,500 hours on f2p makes me feel better about myself :-#

[JimmyJTomson]

You guys obviously aren't up to date on the latest console news. OnLive

 

 

 

Check it out, it will take over the console market.

[Gandorf61]

You guys obviously aren't up to date on the latest console news. OnLive

 

 

 

Check it out, it will take over the console market.

 

 

 

^ This.

 

 

 

I was going to post the link but you seem to have beaten me to it. :

 

 

 

The interview was an interesting read with some cool bits of info.

[Zilla]

It would be rather interesting to see Runescape on a console, but I wouldnt be at home without the forums. Perhaps when Mechscape comes out they could also have it on a console? Mechscape just seems like it might be suitable for a console and a Computer.

[Guest]

yawn, an article about free to play. I think I'll pass and not read.

 

 

 

Shut up and read you [bleep], f2p is the main focus of Runescape now :) and yes we do bring some money in the basket. I've had it with all the f2p bashing idiots!

 

 

 

Oh yeh Lordjake you know who it is ;) and I bet you spend 10k hours on rs as well ;)