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