my interpretation, if i look on this case from a business perspecive:

 

 

 

option 1:

 

jagex cleans up rsc to re-open it on reg servers with new marco detection system including secret variables to be updated regularely to avoid botting (assumtion: they are willing to put effort in this). they must have noticed that they can make sum cash with getting players back from the desire of old players to play RSC on private servers and from the strong interest of rs2 player(assumption: > 20.000 players would play it at least). so they can make it members and charge a higher monthly fee: 20.000 players * 15 EUR per month = 30.000 -> 3,6 Mil. per year (sales);

 

benchmark: 250.000 players on rs2 with p2p (assumption)x 8 EUR per month (dont know real members fee atm) = 2 Mil. EUR per month -> 24 Mil. EUR per year. I could detail this much more close to the real situation, but i cant be asked to collect their balance sheets from the internet, if they have the obligation to post figures to public as this depends on their type of company (ltd?), etc. Their are also other ways to narrow down these figures(info from press and this website; however, they will keep real number of paying p2p memebers on rs2 secret, LOL). furthermore, let my ask you this: Why does it take jagex so long to bring promised RSC back?

 

 

 

For above reasons (benchmark, and u can play with figures to see what i mean) all hopes from our side that rsc will reopen can be explained cash-wise very well. sales would go up by 15% (muhahah) and the effort of jagex can be covered.

 

 

 

option 2:

 

they clean rsc from autoers to close it completely. From a business case perspective this is the thing i would not do as profit on rsc servers could be very interesting (based on above quick-benchmark)

 

 

 

option 3:

 

as described by other rsc players (rs2 ban)and over-interpretation.

 

 

 

watch my post getting deleted LOL

 

 

 

D A V I :thumbsup:

You know what the truly sad thing is... There's still autoers on these private servers, but they have active staff - They are open to pm's and basically have an entire world of scouts (the players) and they ''blow the whistle'' as such.. This results in the autoers being banned and everyone being happy..

 

 

 

The big question is.. How did Jagex the Company making money from us not manage this?

 

 

 

Private servers ask the players what they want changing and although i understand it was Jagex's game to do with as they pleased, they didn't really consult us on changes and rather just barraged us with quests.. it truly is a sad indictment that a few individuals can run the game more effectively (if on a smaller scale) than Jagex ever managed to.

 

 

 

Jagex always said that they needed sophisticated technology to detect autoers... Fair enough, but the most basic things just so happen to be the most effective - People power.

 

 

 

If Jagex ever do bring back rsc i believe that the original problems will remain.

 

 

 

From a business point of view you're correct, there's still money to be made and bringing rsc back would probably stop the private servers, rather than Jagex attempting to Sue them all instead lol...

Agree with adx's post. Having admin'd on a server myself, it's piss easy to detect auto'ers. A command to teleport to a 'mod office', spawn npcs etc. is all you need. Fair enough, you'll probably get advanced scripts that will talk, log and such, but a good set of rules of etiquette when spawned by a mod or talked to would sort that out. That would mean afk'ers would be fine as afk'ers simply would log out after 5 mins of being teleported and would not attack npcs spawned in the mod office.

 

 

 

Ok, enough rambling. Option 1 would obviously suit jagex most, but let's hope they don't make a mess of rs1 this time. :pray:

It'd take JAGeX one member of staff to walk around from 9am-5pm listening to requests and then acting on evidence. They could open RSC up for everyone (with the same stats) and monitor it. It'd be easily done, but they simply don't want to do it.

From a business point of view you're correct, there's still money to be made and bringing rsc back would probably stop the private servers, rather than Jagex attempting to Sue them all instead lol...

=D> that made me laugh really hard.

 

 

 

i fully agree with you, customer relationship management for RSC failed totally. :thumbdown:

 

 

 

EDIT: Same post is still up on RS official forums under RSC discussions... I hope jagex will "grasp" that hint. I understand that this kind of a business perspective might be too much off their current focus as they are all "over-time-grown" programmers, but hey, in the end, "the brothers" want to make sum cash. :idea: If things wont change, I really see myself forced to get more concrete into that business case (LOL):

 

 

 

Source: http://cambridgecluster.com/?p=400

 

 

 

"Jagex keeps growing fast and now employs 480 people and boasts six million active users and one million paid-up subscribers. I wonder what Fred Wilson of avc would say about this headcount and sales of some £60million per annum.

 

 

 

Fred Wilson posted about business models and profitability and said that CraigsList employs fewer than 30 people. Using Freds figures, if 30 CraigList people cost $4mm then 480 will cost around $64mm. Allow some $20mm of hosting and bandwith costs we have a total cost base of $84mm. Sales are one million per month paying users x $8 per month x 12 ~ $100mm - let us be generous. Again using Fred Wilsons x10 for valuation and we end up around $160mm.

 

 

 

This is far, far less than CraigsLists $900mm. It all means that Mark Gerhard has much to do - perhaps first he should read Fred Wilsons blog and then go see the man and start leaning on Jagexs VCs to make them focus. I wonder if Jagexs VCs were involved in recruiting the new CEO?"

 

 

 

LOL :wall:

Source: .org/lawstuff]http://www.[Caution: Jagex Rule Violation].org/lawstuff

 

 

 

 

 

contact 1:

 

Hello from Jagex,

 

 

 

I work within Community Management for the massive multiplayer online

 

game RuneScape (http://www.RuneScape.com).

 

 

 

I have discovered that your website at isthebest.com]http://www.[Caution: Jagex Rule Violation]isthebest.com

 

undertakes or facilitates the distribution of modified versions of our

 

game client.

 

 

 

The site also offers access to information that encourages your members

 

to run their own private servers.

 

 

 

Such behaviour damages our game and infringes our intellectual property

 

and other legal rights.

 

 

 

Please contact me within 7 days to confirm that you will stop this

 

activity.

 

 

 

Otherwise I will pass the matter to our lawyers.

 

 

 

Sincerely

 

 

 

Donal Phillips

 

Jagex Ltd.

 

 

 

response 1:

 

Hello from [Caution: Jagex Rule Violation]isthebest.com,

 

 

 

I am the owner and operator of [Caution: Jagex Rule Violation]isthebest.com, as such I do not allow any copyrighted or illegal items on my server, and I work hard to keep it that way.

 

 

 

If you would be so kind to point me to any items that are illegal or copyrighted on my server, I would be more than happy to immediately remove them.

 

 

 

Please reply with this information in at your earliest convenience.

 

 

 

Sincerely

 

 

 

[Caution: Jagex Rule Violation]isthebest

 

 

 

contact 2:

 

To whom it may concern,

 

 

 

With regards to your site [Caution: Jagex Rule Violation]isthebest.com, which is the epicentre of

 

a community that is heavily involved in the distribution of modified

 

versions of our game client. On the main section of your site you have

 

many links to the modified version of our client which can be found here

 

 

 

isthebest.com/[Caution: Jagex Rule Violation].html]http://[Caution: Jagex Rule Violation]isthebest.com/[Caution: Jagex Rule Violation].html.

 

 

 

Information on how to 'hack' these clients and details on how to host

 

and program private servers can all so be found through out your forum.

 

 

 

client hacking

 

isthebest.com/smf/index.php?PHPSESSID=a518906ee5430c4c2bf7c62c573d5fda&board=21.0]http://www.[Caution: Jagex Rule Violation]isthebest.com/smf/index ... board=21.0

 

 

 

server development

 

isthebest.com/smf/index.php?PHPSESSID=a518906ee5430c4c2bf7c62c573d5fda&board=51.0]http://www.[Caution: Jagex Rule Violation]isthebest.com/smf/index ... board=51.0

 

 

 

These actions infringe on our intellectual property and other legal rights.

 

 

 

Other sections of the forums are dedicated to the development of macro

 

programs which damages our game and are against our terms and conditions.

 

 

 

isthebest.com/smf/index.php?PHPSESSID=a518906ee5430c4c2bf7c62c573d5fda&board=70.0]http://www.[Caution: Jagex Rule Violation]isthebest.com/smf/index ... board=70.0

 

 

 

 

 

isthebest.com/smf/index.php?PHPSESSID=a518906ee5430c4c2bf7c62c573d5fda&board=20.0]http://www.[Caution: Jagex Rule Violation]isthebest.com/smf/index ... board=20.0

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Please confirm that you will remove this web site or I will have no

 

choice but to instigate legal proceedings.

 

 

 

Regards,

 

 

 

Donal Phillips,

 

Jagex Ltd.

 

 

 

response 2:

 

To whom it may concern,

 

 

 

The internet is made of links, if it were not for links, I would have never found runescape.com to play your game, if it were not for links, you would have never found [Caution: Jagex Rule Violation]isthebest.com, links are not and cannot be illegal.

 

 

 

As to the "information" on my website, here in the United States of America one of our most sacred laws is this:

 

 

 

"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances."

 

ââ¬â The First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution

 

 

 

Information is not illegal.

 

 

 

As to this claim of yours:

 

 

 

> Other sections of the forums are dedicated to the development of macro

 

> programs which damages our game and are against our terms and conditions.

 

 

 

You have to be joking, programs that I or others write on our own (for example SCAR) are 100% our code and they can be used for a multitude of purposes, just because some people use these programs to click on your game does not give you any right to have them removed and you know it, please don't send any more of these nonsensical, unfounded requests regarding programs written by others you have no claim to.

 

 

 

Sincerely

 

 

 

[Caution: Jagex Rule Violation]isthebest.com administrator

 

 

 

> To whom it may concern,

 

>

 

> With regards to your site [Caution: Jagex Rule Violation]isthebest.com, which is the epicentre of

 

> a community that is heavily involved in the distribution of modified

 

> versions of our game client. On the main section of your site you have

 

> many links to the modified version of our client which can be found here

 

>

 

> isthebest.com/[Caution: Jagex Rule Violation].html]http://[Caution: Jagex Rule Violation]isthebest.com/[Caution: Jagex Rule Violation].html.

 

>

 

> Information on how to 'hack' these clients and details on how to host

 

> and program private servers can all so be found through out your forum.

 

>

 

> client hacking

 

> isthebest.com/smf/index.php?PHPSESSID=a518906ee5430c4c2bf7c62c573d5fda&board=21.0]http://www.[Caution: Jagex Rule Violation]isthebest.com/smf/index ... board=21.0

 

>

 

> server development

 

> isthebest.com/smf/index.php?PHPSESSID=a518906ee5430c4c2bf7c62c573d5fda&board=51.0]http://www.[Caution: Jagex Rule Violation]isthebest.com/smf/index ... board=51.0

 

>

 

> These actions infringe on our intellectual property and other legal

 

> rights.

 

>

 

> Other sections of the forums are dedicated to the development of macro

 

> programs which damages our game and are against our terms and conditions.

 

>

 

> isthebest.com/smf/index.php?PHPSESSID=a518906ee5430c4c2bf7c62c573d5fda&board=70.0]http://www.[Caution: Jagex Rule Violation]isthebest.com/smf/index ... board=70.0

 

>

 

>

 

> isthebest.com/smf/index.php?PHPSESSID=a518906ee5430c4c2bf7c62c573d5fda&board=20.0]http://www.[Caution: Jagex Rule Violation]isthebest.com/smf/index ... board=20.0

 

>

 

>

 

> Please confirm that you will remove this web site or I will have no

 

> choice but to instigate legal proceedings.

 

>

 

> Regards,

 

>

 

> Donal Phillips,

 

> Jagex Ltd.

 

>

 

> admin@[Caution: Jagex Rule Violation]isthebest.com wrote:

 

>> Hello from [Caution: Jagex Rule Violation]isthebest.com,

 

>>

 

>> I am the owner and operator of [Caution: Jagex Rule Violation]isthebest.com, as such I do not

 

>> allow

 

>> any copyrighted or illegal items on my server, and I work hard to keep

 

>> it

 

>> that way.

 

>>

 

>> If you would be so kind to point me to any items that are illegal or

 

>> copyrighted on my server, I would be more than happy to immediately

 

>> remove

 

>> them.

 

>>

 

>> Please reply with this information in at your earliest convenience.

 

>>

 

>> Sincerely

 

>>

 

>> [Caution: Jagex Rule Violation]isthebest

 

>>

 

>>> Hello from Jagex,

 

>>>

 

>>> I work within Community Management for the massive multiplayer online

 

>>> game RuneScape (http://www.RuneScape.com).

 

>>>

 

>>> I have discovered that your website at isthebest.com]http://www.[Caution: Jagex Rule Violation]isthebest.com

 

>>> undertakes or facilitates the distribution of modified versions of our

 

>>> game client.

 

>>>

 

>>> The site also offers access to information that encourages your members

 

>>> to run their own private servers.

 

>>>

 

>>> Such behaviour damages our game and infringes our intellectual property

 

>>> and other legal rights.

 

>>>

 

>>> Please contact me within 7 days to confirm that you will stop this

 

>>> activity.

 

>>>

 

>>> Otherwise I will pass the matter to our lawyers.

 

>>>

 

>>> Sincerely

 

>>>

 

>>> Donal Phillips

 

>>> Jagex Ltd.

 

>>>

 

>>>

 

>>

 

>>

 

>

 

>

 

 

 

email and registered letter:

 

Dear Sir

 

 

 

isthebest.com]http://www.[Caution: Jagex Rule Violation]isthebest.com (âthe Websiteâ)

 

 

 

We act for Jagex Limited. As you know our client has owned and operated

 

RuneScape, the well-known online multiplayer adventure game, at a

 

website at

 

runescape.com since 2001. There are currently some 4.1 million active

 

registered players of the game in over 15 countries. Our clientâs

 

turnover

 

in its last financial year to March 2005 was in excess of £5 million

 

(approximately $9 million).

 

 

 

Our client owns Community Trade Mark E2942761, UK Trade Mark 2302308

 

and US

 

Trade Mark 2829952 for the word RUNESCAPE in classes 16, 25 and 41. Our

 

client also has common law rights (and/or under company name / unfair

 

competition law or equivalent) in the name RUNESCAPE deriving from its

 

extensive use outlined above.

 

 

 

We understand that you are the owner / operator of the Website and have

 

previously communicated with you regarding the infringements mentioned

 

below. Your Website infringes our clientâs rights as follows:

 

 

 

The Website is being used to facilitate the distribution of software

 

robots

 

and / or similar programs (âbotsâ) for the purpose of cheating (as well

 

as

 

related discussion groups).

 

 

 

Clearly you or persons authorised by you have used our clientâs site to

 

effect these transactions and you have thereby become bound by - and

 

breached - our clientâs contract which strictly forbids such

 

activities.

 

 

 

In any case you have tortiously induced the other parties to break

 

their

 

contracts with our client.

 

 

 

These transactions damage the gameâs reputation and cause our client

 

financial loss. Not only do they enable players to advance without

 

spending

 

time playing the game (resulting in loss of revenue) but honest players

 

are

 

discouraged from playing as a result.

 

 

 

Breaching our clientâs contract means that any use by you of our

 

clientâs

 

site is unlicensed and thereby infringes our clientâs intellectual

 

property

 

rights in its site. Furthermore our clientâs contract confirms that all

 

RuneScape characters and items are and remain our clientâs intellectual

 

property.

 

 

 

Bots infringe our clientâs copyright by copying and modifying our

 

clientâs

 

software and/or by attempting to circumvent our clientâs copyright

 

protection mechanisms. Bots also constitute a trespass to chattels.

 

 

 

The transactions are criminal offences insofar at they incite, counsel,

 

procure or assist persons to gain unauthorised access to our clientâs

 

computer systems.

 

 

 

Our clientâs trade mark RUNESCAPE is being used on the Website in a

 

manner

 

which is not in accordance with honest practices in commercial matters

 

and

 

which without due cause takes unfair advantage of, or is detrimental

 

to, the

 

distinctive character of the mark. This is trade mark infringement.

 

 

 

We note on that on the Website you admit to cheating on RuneScape this

 

admission has been captured as evidence and may be used at a later

 

stage

 

should it become necessary to do so.

 

 

 

Please cease all activity outlined above within 7 days from today.

 

Otherwise

 

our client will have little choice but to initiate formal legal steps

 

to

 

protect its position.

 

 

 

Yours faithfully

 

 

 

 

 

Adlex Solicitors

 

http://www.adlexsolicitors.co.uk

 

Tel: +44 (0) 207 317 8400

 

Fax: +44 (0) 207 317 8405

 

Mob: +44 (0) 7775 635 835

 

76A Belsize Lane, London, NW3 5BJ

 

 

 

The sender does not guarantee that this message including any

 

attachment is

 

secure or virus free. Also, it is confidential and may be privileged or

 

otherwise protected from disclosure. If you are not the intended

 

recipient,

 

do not disclose or copy it or its contents. Please telephone or email

 

the

 

sender and delete entirely from your system.

 

 

 

 

 

final response:

 

I act for [Caution: Jagex Rule Violation]isthebest.com, As you may or may not know I have worked as a cashier at a grocery store since 2002, In my limited free time I run a website whose forums have no more than 1000 active members, divide that by your claimed 4.1 million active runescape players and you get the percentage of 0.02349% of your userbase, subtract the large portion of the members such as myself who have not played runescape for over a year and you see how many are left. My turnover last financial year to march 2005 was in excess of $2000 dollars, all of which went to my living expenses. If I liquidated all of my assets, which consists of a 1989 Chevrolet S10, my net worth would be around $1000 dollars.

 

 

 

I own the name [Caution: Jagex Rule Violation]isthebest, I fail to see how this infringes on any trademark that you own, please correct me if I am mistaken.

 

 

 

I don't know what you are refferring to about having contact with me previously, because I have never recieved nor sent an email from adlexsolicitors in the past.

 

 

 

My website does have programs that either my members or I have written. Most of these programs are released open source under the gnu/gpl license and frankly are none of your business. The fact that some of these programs can be used for multiple purposes, one being to cheat on runescape, is complelly irrelevant.

 

 

 

As to anyone "using your client's site to effect these transactions" I have no idea what that means. My site has very explicit rules against any and all selling or trading of runescape characters and items. I simply do not allow it. Next time do your homework first before making false accusations.

 

 

 

I have never "tortiously induced" anything, whether your clients break thier contracts with you is bewtween you and them, leave me out of it.

 

 

 

In no way possible could my website be causing your client financial loss, even if your clients cheat on runescape, you already have your monthly fee and they keep the window open and logged in no matter what. Again, let me emphasize that I have nothing to do with your clients decision to cheat or not.

 

 

 

I don't use your clients site, therefore I am not infringing on anything belonging to them. However, if you or your client use my site, you are breaking the contract anyone must agree to in order to use my site, also note that I record the IP address of anyone who agrees with the contract. I have never disputed the fact that all runescape characters and items are your clients intellectual property, again, any selling or buying of anything on my forums is expressly prohibited.

 

 

 

Nothing on my site has anything to do with gaining unauthorized access to any computer systems. I still haven't the faintest idea what these "transactions" you speak of imply.

 

 

 

I would ask that you point me to the exact United States law that prohibits me from even mentioning the word runescape, I use it in no way for a monetary gain, which I believe is the only way one could use it in an illegal manner. I don't use the word runescape in any way differing from that of other communities you support such as tip.it and runehq.com.

 

 

 

Please cease all ignorant, unfounded accusations within 7 days from today.

 

 

 

As a side note, I have not played runescape or used your clients website within the last year or more, well before this website was started. Also note that I reserve the right to publicly post and/or publish this and all future coorespondence for the public to see. You may do the same.

 

 

 

Yours faithfully

 

 

 

[Caution: Jagex Rule Violation]isthebest.com administrator

 

 

 

[Caution: Jagex Rule Violation]isthebest lollers. :thumbup:

 

 

 

sorry no native speaker, just got a BA (hons) from NTU. Lub ya, RSC fellows.

Source: http://cambridgecluster.com/?p=384

 

 

 

4 Comments

 

Ren wrote

 

at 2:53 pm - 15th January 2009 Permalink

 

Andrew has been building games virtually since coming into this world in 1978?

 

It would be more accurate to say he started programming at the age of 7, but it is impressive nevertheless.

 

 

 

he had to wait until 2001 until he came up with the idea of RuneScape

 

 

 

Andrew had been working on RuneScape since 1998, originally under the name DeviousMUD. While there were several complete code re-writes and a change of name along the way it is still somewhat based on his original vision. To quote Andrew the central part of the map [drawn as a plan for DeviousMUD] is an approximate mirror image of the current map.

 

 

 

Do they have Google style offices and perks such as top chefs, I wonder?

 

 

 

The outside and entrance is cool, but from what Ive seen the inside is mostly just an above-par office space with the added bonus of a cool game room. On the plus side they have gym membership, games room, lots of jollies, no dress code and can put figurines on their desk.

 

 

 

If the subscription is some £5 per month that adds up to quite an income

 

 

 

For 06-07 they had £28.15m in turnover, pre-tax profits of £15m, post-tax profits of £10.74m and a £8.6m dividend. However, 7% of that income was from advertising sales.

 

 

 

It was re-launched in 2004, after a re-write of the code, presumable to help the servers cope with the millions of users.

 

It wasnt just the server which was improved, they totally revamped the graphics engine too (which was then further improved for RuneScape HD).

 

 

 

No details on funding and I guess that they were funded by themselves from the income generated by the earlier games. In which case why do the brothers only own 52% of the business? Were there any VCs or angels investors? Did they use a business plan resource or did they just put in the sweat hours?

 

 

 

When they started out it was operated from Andrews parents house where he lived after graduating from Cambridge University. It wasnt a big earner an in fact the dotcom bust meant that the ad revenue wouldnt be enough to keep it alive.

 

 

 

So in December 2001 they set up Jagex Ltd as a commercial venture (previously Andrew had merely used the name as a sole trader) and the original shareholders were Andrew (30%), his brother Paul (30%) and their head of business Constant Tedder (40%). This soon got changed and by February 2002 Constant had 20%, Paul had 20%, Andrew had 59% and the third of the Gower Brothers Ian Gower had 1%

 

 

 

It stayed like this without any outside investment until 2005 when Insight Venture Partners came along. They bought a minority stake in the company, meaning the owners were Insight (35%), Constant (13%), Paul (13%), Andrew (38.35%) and Ian (0.65%).

 

 

 

When Iddison joined in 2007 he replaced Tedder. However, in addition to Iddison, Tedder remains on the Board of Directors alongside Andrew, Paul and two people from Insight.

 

 

 

A lot of Jagexs energy is currently being focussed on their upcoming sci-fi MMO MechScape which Iddison described as a very, very big investment.

Source: http://www.insightpartners.com/portfolio/jagex_limited

 

 

 

8-)

I have also been told that Jagex even tells Youtube to delete videos of private servers. Wow, if they would only put more of their energies on reviving RSC then they wouldn't even need all these lawyers. It's not like they would need 10000000000000000 customer service staff. I bet you one or two people could easily moderate RSC and get rid of all the cheaters.

solution is easy as stated before by meili ;) and others: Control the game, be willing to support and earn sum cash. dedication needed pls. :wall: