How Many People Still Play RuneScape
RuneScape has been around for a long time – 18 years and still counting! It has been around longer than some of the players! This is a rare case indeed, but even more so not only because of its longevity, but also because of its consistent popularity. We’re going to take a look why is that the case today.
RuneScape Classic
What is known today as RuneScape Classic is actually the first version of the game. Sorry, all of you Old School RuneScape fans, you are not the most seasoned scapers after all. RuneScape was launched in 2001 and was playable only via browser. This proved to be very convenient. First, it meant that it was widely accessible due to low requirements for users’ hardware. Second point also relates to accessibility, since you could theoretically play this game from any computer that had internet access. Slow day at work? RuneScape. Have to kill a few hours in town and there’s an internet café nearby? RuneScape. Third, it was a genuinely good game and had more RPG elements than many of the games we call “MMORPG’s” today.
RuneScape’s story is also a great success story: essentially, it was developed by two of the three founders of Jagex: brothers Andrew and Paul Gower, the third one being Constant Tedder who joined in later. This version of RuneScape was first run from brothers’ parents’ home in Nottingham. Fun fact: the cooking sound in that game was actually brothers’ mom cooking bacon! As the game grew there was more and more content added and membership option was also introduced, which worked the same way it does today: you get access to more content, quests, zones, etc.
RuneScape Classic was maintained for 17 years until it was shut down on August 6, 2018. While the population numbers dwindled over the years and a lot of players moved on to the newer version of the game, the fact that RS Classic was serviced by Jagex for a whopping 17 years shows how dedicated both Classic’s players and Jagex were. But let’s get back to the chronological order. The game grew more and more popular until in 2004 Jagex decided to remake the game in full 3D. And thus RuneScape 2 was born.
Old School RuneScape
Old School RuneScape (OSRS) also known by the title RuneScape2007 (RS07) is the version of RuneScape 2 as it was in 2007. RuneScape 2 was launched in 2004 and it was a huge success. Most of the players enjoying the game in the modern day have started their journeys in Gielinor with this particular version of the game. This version had updated 3D graphics, game engine and fixed some of the issues of the previous iteration, but like the previous iteration, in the beginning you could play it only via your browser.
The game grew more and more, both content-wise and in terms of popularity. That also had to do with the fact that those were the years when computer and internet access grew exceptionally fast. However, as well as it had its ups, it had its downs as well and there were some points in the game’s lifetime when it bled a lot in terms of player count. In time, Jagex decided that the time has come to overhaul the game once again and this led to not one, but basically two games being launched.
In the beginning, Jagex didn‘t even know, if they‘ll be able to pull this off. They haven‘t kept an older version of the game with the idea of bringing it back like a phoenix from the ashes. Eventually they’ve found a save from 2007 and it worked! Since then, this version of RuneScape 2 became known as Old School RuneScape and has attracted a lot of players, both new and those who felt nostalgic and the launch of OSRS Mobile was nothing but a major success! Since the launch a variety of changes were introduced to the game, but do not let that fact overwhelm you! You can check https://probemas.com to help you get your head around everything new that was introduced, including skilling methods.
RuneScape 3
RuneScape 3 was launched on July 23, 2013. This version of the game introduced an updated graphics engine as well as tons of new features. While it was controversial and many players complained about it alienating them from RuneScape due to the many changes, it remains a popular version of the game, with tens of thousands of players online at any given time. With it being popular and receiving constant updates, RuneScape 3 is a noteworthy game in its own right. Constant addition of new content, such as quests, zones and dungeons keeps the game fresh and Evolution of Combat system allows for more player agency and more dynamic interactions overall. In case you have never tried RuneScape 3, don’t be shy and give it a shot and form your own perspective. If you’re interested, we suggest you read more about the game and be ready for any challenges it may throw at you.
Overall, both games provide a lot both in terms of content and popularity. You will always find something to do and someone to do it with. Tens of thousands of players are online at all times and that’s more than enough people to enjoy the game to the fullest!
How Many People Still Play RuneScape,
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