Runescape reaches 200 million players

Since its release in 2001, Runescape has racked up an astonishing number of players.  As of today, the browser-based free-to-play MMORPG has reached 200 million accounts.  The games fantasy environment has acted as a stepping stone for many players of modern downloadable MMO’s such as Everquest, World of Warcraft, and Age of Conan.  However, it is still an active community, as is apparent by constant growth over the past decade.

In celebration of the event, Jagex released a page showing the growth of the game since its inception in 2001.

Jagex, the developer for Runescape, revealed, on average, players of the popular title kill 150 dragons a day, have collected a total of 28 trillion gold coins, and catch around 8 billion fish per year.

This is the stats menu, featuring 25 skills that are trainable in Runescape.

For those unfamiliar with the game, Runescape has developed from fairly simple roots as a Java applet to a full blown Java game.  It features dozens of skills to level, including combat skills like archery, magic, and attack. Other skills to upgrade include woodcutting, cooking, and mining, among others. However, some of skills are exclusive to paying members of the game (subscriptions start at $7.95 a month).

This is the basic user interface and some of the graphics to expect from Runescape.

While the graphics are not on par with any downloadable MMO’s, the title boasts a large map and playerbase, as well as active clan systems and markets.  The game is worth a try if you have not played it since a lot of content is free to play.  A disclaimer though: if you are an avid MMO player, the game may be underwhelming for you.

Source: GamesIndustry