RuneScape

Cambridge, UK –17 ^th January 2011 – Jagex Games Studio, developer of RuneScape, the world’s most popular free-to-play MMORPG, today announced that the RuneScape community has voted overwhelmingly in favour of restoring the Wilderness and Free Trade to RuneScape. As a result of the phenomenal level of support Jagex has announced that both features will be added to RuneScape on the 1 ^st February. 

Jagex launched the online referendum on 24th December as part of their 10 ^th anniversary celebrations for RuneScape, giving players the unique chance to directly influence and shape the future of the game. Over 1.2 million votes were cast in just under three weeks, with more than 91% of players voting in favour of bringing back the Wilderness and Free Trade demonstrating how passionate the community are and how quickly they can mobilise support for their cause.

“We have the most incredible community of gamers and we wanted to demonstrate how much we value them by handing this game changing decision over to them,” said Mark Gerhard, Jagex CEO. “I firmly believe that the Wilderness represents the ultimate risk versus reward experience in any MMO and the incredible support for the campaign demonstrates that our players agree. It has been fantastic to watch the community mobilise in support of the update and we can now introduce these features certain in the knowledge that they are what our community want.”

Christoph Vietzke, Head of RuneScape followed by saying: “The RuneScape community have sent us a very clear message and the development team has started work this morning. The entire Jagex team have been glued to their screens watching the votes fly in and it has been great to see the community vote with such enthusiasm.”

As a result of the referendum unrestricted trade will be released into the game on the 1 ^st February, meaning that players will once again be given the freedom to gift their wealth to their friends or trade items with the wider RuneScape community.

The Wilderness will also reclaim its place as the most dangerous area in RuneScape, offering players the chance to stake their armour, weapons and resources to defeat others and loot their remains once victorious. With numerous new features added to RuneScape over recent years including: summoning creatures, new curses, more powerful weaponry and armour, making the new Wilderness the deadliest place in RuneScape.

To create a free RuneScape account and prepare for the return of the Wilderness please visit: www.RuneScape.com.

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About RuneScape

RuneScape is the world’s most popular free-to-play MMO (as recognised by Guinness World Records), from multiple award-winning independent British development studio Jagex. Set in a richly detailed, medieval fantasy world of epic scale both geographically and historically, RuneScape proudly draws its inspiration from classic role-playing games to deliver a contemporary, innovative and original experience for millions of players across the globe as a fully featured free-to-play game, with a popular subscription option of even greater scale and ambition, both running directly within almost any computer’s browser.

Thanks to its character-class-free skill system and elective gameplay, there are no limits to the hero players can become, no quest you cannot complete and no requirement to collaborate with others or face them in player-versus-player combat unless you so choose.  RuneScape’s distinctive role-playing style rewards players who think strategically and play smartly. Its witty, intelligent tone, finely balanced gameplay, epic questing and myriad in-world diversions combine to create a game that has earned its place as the most popular free massively multiplayer online games of all time and continues to push the boundaries of online role-playing as it enters its glorious tenth year.

About Jagex – Just About the Game Experience:

Jagex Games Studio is a multi-award winning games developer and publisher based in Cambridge, England. Jagex specialises in the development of high quality browser-based games and is the largest independent games developer and publisher in the UK.

Jagex has a long-standing reputation for creating the world’s best online games and for developing hugely popular, high quality, accessible, free-to-play games and for providing an unbeatable community experience for millions of players around the world. Jagex has developed and self-published over 40 online titles including the world’s most popular free online multiplayer game, RuneScape.

Press Contact:

Adam Tuckwell

Communications Manager

Jagex Games Studio

Email: Communications@Jagex.com

Tel: +44 (0)844 588 6607

Fax: +44 (0)844 588 6611