Jagex Games Studio is a world leading independent computer games developer specialising in the development of high quality browser-based games.
The studio is best known for RuneScape, the world’s largest free-to-play MMORPG (Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Game) and FunOrb, the online gaming portal. Jagex currently employs almost 400 people across two Cambridge studios under the leadership of CEO Mark Gerhard and Jagex’s Founder and Principal Architect, Andrew Gower.
Company History
Jagex was founded in December 2001 when brothers Andrew and Paul Gower and their business associate, Constant Tedder, sought a commercial operation to take over the management of RuneScape, the company’s underlying technologies and other games which had been developed by Andrew.
The three founders set out with two immediate tasks. First, to make the operation of RuneScape commercially viable through establishing long-term advertising sales relationships. Second, to develop a premium version of the game for subscription-paying members.
Both of these tasks were achieved soon after Jagex was founded and in February 2002, Jagex launched the RuneScape Members’ version. In the week following launch over 5000 people subscribed, instantly making RuneScape one of the largest pay-to-play games in the world.
Since that date RuneScape has gone from strength to strength, expanding as both a game - with regular updates giving new storylines, quests and maps produced by the content development team - and as an ever-growing community of sociable online gamers.
Jagex has grown substantially as a company and studio and has recently entered the world of third-party publishing with the launch of Jagex.com and War of Legends, the company’s first third-party and non-Java title.
The Jagex brand remains true to its roots as the Java Gaming Experts but following the broadening of the company’s objectives, Jagex is now Just About the Gaming Experience!