Nice try Jagex, but you can't reclaim any of the face that you lost 3 years ago.
You will forever go down in history as a gaming company who destroyed its own product in the futile -- and infantile -- attempt to change the basic fabric of the larger video gaming community, essentially by sitting in the corner and pouting.
Those of us who bothered to stick around long enough to lambaste you, rather than just shrug, chuckle and leave, when you opted for these asinine changes, are certainly not going to be interested in coming back as customers. You have become an eidolon within the industry: the perfect counter-example by which to teach some basic tenets of game design. The lessons are twofold:
1) A successful gaming company must know how to grow beyond the competences of its founders. In your case, Andrew Gower et al were good at game building and -- not surprisingly -- had zero business savvy; zero ability to maturely and appropriately handle concerns like real-world trading. Actions were taken as a result of hurt feelings and resentment instead of logic, market analysis, or frankly just a non head-up-the-posterior view of things. The fault ultimately lies with the company itself that was unable to provide the checks needed internally to the utterly silly Gower whims that would sooner lobotomize the game than accept the presence of cheaters and try to work around it.
2) No system can be designed to enable free decision-making without allowing for bad decision-making. This basic principle was apparently lost on Jagex. And 3 years later Jagex is the industry-standard name for bad design.
It's very cute that you've apparently just figured out you made a mistake. It's amusing that you are willing to embarrass yourselves by opening the can of worms again.
You've taught us game designers some good lessons Jagex. Is this another one? About how not to address your public? You are like a rooster who stands atop his mound of dung and continues to crow.
24-Dec-2010 08:05:45
:D