Runescape is jacking up their subscription prices next month, going from like 12 bucks to 14 bucks a month. The increases range from 20% to 56% in price depending on currency. Players are PISSED about it especially since the company got bought out by some investment firm earlier this year, and they see it as a shameless cash grab.

Here’s a mega thread about the price increase on Reddit. Overwhelmingly negative feedback on the price increase

https://www.reddit.com/r/2007scape/s/samPRjFSCn

So I decided to make a post on Reddit basically asking in a neutral way if it would deter people from playing… And I was met with the most hostile, toxic keyboard warriors basically telling me “maybe stop working at McDonalds and you can afford it” and defending the company for the price increase. After an hour, my post was removed, and I was banned for a year without any explanation.

I’m honestly in shock that I would get banned just for asking a question, like they are that angry about people talking about the price increase?

  • ThePowerOfGeek@lemmy.worldEnglish
    63·
    3 months ago

    Not a big surprise on the Huffman Shitshow. A lot of subs over there are insanely toxic. But yeah, a ban for that? That’s crazy.

    I didn’t even know RuneScape had a subscription! I think I briefly played it about 15 years ago. Good game, I just don’t have the time to play it, unfortunately. I assume you play? What’s the community like over there?

    I just looked up their pricing and it makes sense for them to have an optional subscription. $14 a month is in line with other similar games (e.g. wow). Would be nice if they had a couple of tiers of subscription. Maybe a $7 and a $14. But that might complicate things. How much can you do on the free mode?

    • Omega@lemmy.worldEnglish
      12·
      3 months ago

      20 years ago it was $5 and maybe like 10% of skills were locked behind it. I noticed very little impact from it. But I’m pretty sure end game stuff was locked. IIRC, dragon armor was locked and may have been the best armor.

      I’d be surprised if that general model changed significantly.

      • wizardbeard@lemmy.dbzer0.comEnglish
        8·
        3 months ago

        The model hasn’t changed, but as development of new content has continued, 95% of new content is subscription only.

        That said, I can’t speak for Runescape “proper” aka Runescape 3, the current “main” version. I’ve heard a lot of concerning things about all sorts of mobile game style predatory shit going on there.

        I’ve only played Runescape 2, now called “Old School Runescape”, which is a fork of the game from (I think) 2006.

        Essentially, right around that time they completely overhauled combat, stat progression, and a bunch of other stuff, and called it Runescape 3. A lot of people didn’t like the changes and started hosting custom servers from before the changes.

        Eventually they made an official version, called it Old School Runescape, and have been developing it side by side with “normal” Runescape since.

        Old School isn’t predatory in my opinion. Outside of occasional “leagues” on special servers with specific challenges applied, there’s no FOMO. The f2p game has plenty of content enjoyable on its own. The subscription just unlocks a mountain of more content, including alternative ways to level up through early game. Technically you can advance faster with a subscription, but that’s due to having more options to turn into an over optimized plan, not some shit exp multiplier or something.

        • vodka@lemm.eeEnglish
          4·
          3 months ago

          Look up YouTube videos on fastest max level on RS3. You can get all your levels to max level with micro transaction loot boxes in a very very short time for a very very large amount of money.

  • Sanctus@lemmy.worldEnglish
    411·
    3 months ago

    “Invest Firms” are doing this all over. My company as well as several other prominent southwest construction companies just got bought out, too.

    This is the end game of capitalism. Firms buying other firms to squeeze every dime out of them. Its about to get fucken bumpy.

  • 45D@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
    205·
    3 months ago

    Honestly for an MMO it’s still a good price. MMOs in particular people sink a tonne of hours into, so it’s pennies per hour which (like gaming in general) is a pretty good rate for entertainment. That doesn’t mean huge mark ups like these are anything but infuriating.

    I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, Runescape should have tiered membership for multiple characters. For example, one character for $10, three for $20, ten for $50, etc. This would make it easier on player’s wallets, and frankly it would encourage people to play the other game modes.

    Having said that, I think the larger problem is that the people that develop the game get peanuts for pay. Most of them are fans of the game and just want to work on it, but doing so shouldn’t trap them to a low income. It’s not a good sign when developers can leave the company and earn a higher salary streaming Runescape content.

    What can you expect when the company is owned by an investment group.

  • Siethron@lemmy.worldEnglish
    162·
    3 months ago

    Small note. This is only for new members. From their email to existing members:

    “If you’re already a paying Member via a monthly or 6 monthly subscription, then nothing will change, as long as your subscription remains active, we will continue to honour the same price you’re paying now as part of our “Grandfather Rate” which is explained in more detail in the FAQ below.”

    • Buttflapper@lemmy.worldOPEnglish
      85·
      3 months ago

      This is only for new members.

      Incorrect. You should reread what you included.

      as long as your subscription remains active, we will continue to honour the same price you’re paying now as part of our “Grandfather Rate”

      So you’re locked in basically to that rate until you cancel. It’s not for new members specifically. But there’s not always going to be content that you enjoy playing. People who stay subscribed to an MMO forever are people who have tons of money to just throw away. I play World of Warcraft, and I have never just subscribed for a year at a time. Sometimes I get busy and I don’t have time to play, or there’s nothing I enjoy in the current patch.

  • RememberTheApollo_@lemmy.worldEnglish
    121·
    3 months ago

    A lot of the gaming subs on Reddit suck. Especially /gaming, but not all of them. They’re full of industry shills and “git gud kid” types, and don’t you dare criticize anything the hive mind is softballing like a gaming magazine review.

    • EatATaco@lemm.eeEnglish
      13·
      3 months ago

      Wait, is this is a joke? While I agree there is a lot of “get gud,” the bulk of the rest of it is dumb memes, and beyond that it’s people whining about every little thing. The whiners far out number any shills.

    • NιƙƙιDιɱҽʂ@lemmy.worldEnglish
      19·
      3 months ago

      Dude, I feel like if you’re still playing RuneScape in the year of our lord 2024, it’s more than just RuneScape for you at this point.

      • Cringe2793@lemmy.worldEnglish
        62·
        3 months ago

        Then if they’re gonna whine about it, but pay anyway, they’re basically saying the company can do whatever they like and they (the players) will just suck it up. So what’s the use of whining then?

  • catloaf@lemm.eeEnglish
    145·
    3 months ago

    Reddit mods being reddit mods is not reddit censoring you.

  • peopleproblems@lemmy.worldEnglish
    9·
    3 months ago

    I was literally looking at playing again with the Sailing announcement

    Now it’s… No. I remember $5 back in the day and that was awesome.

  • Meltrax@lemmy.worldEnglish
    136·
    3 months ago

    Perhaps an unpopular opinion, and I preface this by saying I do not fully understand the ins and outs of game development, though I am a software engineer (just not a game dev).

    OSRS has made some absolutely amazing improvements in the last couple years. Almost every single update has hit perfectly with nothing but minor errors or complaints. New expansions and regions, new quests, new raid, weapon and damage rebalances, new bosses, new community events and special game modes, new updates to their clients both mobile and desktop, and most importantly a significantly better bot-busting system over the last few months.

    This shit isn’t cheap. That’s a LOT of parallel systems and work, and OSRS continues to have 0 micro transactions outside of membership. True, RS3 and its cesspool of mtx helps fund OSRS, but I don’t know how far that goes.

    I’m OK with OSRS costing $2 more per month if it means that this current cadence of content of QOL updates marches on. Jagex has been absolutely nailing it and I’m very happy with them, and that’s worth money to me.

    • Benaaasaaas@lemmy.worldEnglish
      14·
      3 months ago

      Keep in mind Jagex reported record profits last year, so this isn’t about covering increasing costs.

    • OsrsNeedsF2P@lemmy.mlEnglish
      11·
      3 months ago

      I used to be a game dev. Busy so can’t reply atm but Jagex and OSRS make a LOT of money compared to everyone else already. Their subscription stats are insane