mark-gerhard posts

Jagex cancels MechScape at significant cost, restarts anew

by Kyle Horner Oct 29th 2009 at 12:00PM

Filed under: Sci-fi, New titles, News items, Mechscape

Jagex CEO Mark Gerhard has indeed confirmed the cancellation of MechScape, although you wouldn't quite know it from his comments, which seem excited to be working on a different title with a new direction. This isn't the first time an in-development MMO has been rebooted in favor of a completely new direction, although Tabula Rasa at least kept its original name.

Why the sudden decision? According to Gerhard, MechScape wasn't able to avoid the same pitfalls of RuneScape. Of course, making such a move is going to cost Jagex millions, but their current financial success will be shouldering the weight. The new game -- known as Stellar Dawn -- should be coming in 2010 and will be based on the MechScape graphics engine.

The big changes planned for Stellar Dawn are content and combat focused, although no specifics were given by Gerhard. It's a bold move, no doubt, and sometimes this industry favors such decisions -- other times it punishes them significantly. Whether you look at this as stalled (Tabula Rasa) or prolonged (everything Blizzard) development, you have to admit it creates a notable amount of interest in Jagex's 2010 game.

Tags: 2010, blizzard, breaking, cancel, cancelled, eurogamer, jagex, mark-gerhard, mechscape, runescape, stellar-dawn, tabula-rasa

New details surface about MechScape

by James Egan Aug 31st 2009 at 6:00PM

Filed under: Sci-fi, Game mechanics, Interviews, MMO industry, New titles, Mechscape

Ever since Massively first learned of Jagex's sci-fi follow up to RuneScape at GDC 2009, a project codenamed "MechScape" -- and that it will be more than "RuneScape in space" -- we've wondered what to expect from the game. Jagex has given us a few hints though: four distinct species; choice of alliances which affect player adventures; and the potential for cloning, player-built vehicles, perhaps even spaceship construction.

There's now more info out there about MechScape through a Eurogamer interview with the game's Chief Designer Henrique Olifiers. Eurogamer's Rob Purchese learned just how different a spin on MMOs MechScape might be. Olifiers said, "From the beginning we didn't want to make another RuneScape: it can't be another fantasy game, so no more elves... no more orcs, no more dragons." This sci-fi game will not share some of the standard MMO game mechanics we've come to expect.

Tags: chief-designer, eurogamer, game-mechanics, gdc-2009, henrique-olifiers, interviews, jagex, mark-gerhard, mechscape, mmo-industry, new-titles, rob-purchese, runescape, sci-fi

Jagex CEO Mark Gerhard discusses future of free-to-play on consoles

by James Egan May 26th 2009 at 7:00PM

Filed under: Fantasy, Business models, Interviews, MMO industry, Runescape, Free-to-play

The free-to-play MMO business model as it presently stands in North America and Europe is still strides behind what exists in Asia, but F2P is clearly making inroads in the West. What's less clear is how the free-to-play business model will evolve in the coming years. We've come across an interview with Jagex CEO Mark Gerhard conducted by Rob Crossley for Develop, which points to a few directions that free-to-play may take.

It's safe to say Gerhard knows a fair amount about the state of free-to-play games; RuneScape boasts millions of players and is a major success story with this business model. Gerhard specifically highlights his views on bringing free-to-play MMOs to consoles. Technological hurdles aside, Gerhard focuses on the business model applied to consoles and the industry's resistance to the concept of truly free-to-play titles appearing on Wii, Xbox 360 and PS3. You can read up about F2P meeting console MMOs in the Develop interview with Jagex's Mark Gerhard.

Tags: business-models, console-mmos, consoles, develop, f2p, fantasy, free-to-play, interviews, jagex, mark-gerhard, mmo-industry, rob-crossley, runescape