Jagex's Use of Social Networking Sites
Written by Pliigi

Hi there, I'm Pliigi. The topic of this editorial will be Jagex's use of social networking and speculation on how Jagex will use them in the future.

First, I'd like to post links to the current Jagex profiles so you can see what I'm talking about:

• The Jagex YouTube Channel
• The Jagex Twitter
• The German Twitter
• The Brazilian Twitter
• The Finnish Twitter
• The French Twitter
• The Jagex LiveJournal
• The Jagex Facebook
• The RuneScape Facebook
• The FunOrb Facebook
• The Finnish RuneScape Facebook
• The German RuneScape Facebook

Currently, Jagex is using social networking websites to tell people about Jagex news, as on the Jagex Twitter. They're also using them to tell specific players about updates affecting them, such as this tweet telling French players that their Bounty Worlds have been removed. MechScape World has been mentioned several times on the Jagex Twitter, as well. (1)(2)(3) Although, so far at least, Jagex hasn't released any information exclusively on their profiles, they're a great way to learn about updates and events.

Jagex probably decided which social networking sites to use based on the results of this poll. Interestingly, Jagex hasn't created a MySpace page yet, although it received 27% of the votes. Also, Bebo, the fourth most popular social networking site, doesn't seem to have a Jagex page, although there was a topic several weeks ago regarding a possible Jagex profile. Mod Ajd recently said, "we are slowly expanding the number of sites that we use and will post any updates to the main RuneScape Forums."

The official Jagex YouTube channel has several FunOrb videos, as well as the iCould interviews. Jagex recently hired a video editor, who presumably worked on the RuneScape trailer. There has been speculation that Jagex will release a MechScape trailer when the game is closer to being released, as was done for RuneScape High Detail. A video showing a few seconds of the game, accompanied by some in-game, music would definitely build hype for the release and would probably cause more players to play the beta once it is released.

Although Jagex hasn't yet advertised their profiles very publicly, other than on this page, thousands of people follow their various profiles. If the pages were more prominently displayed, perhaps in a news post, they would probably receive hundreds of thousands of views.

Currently Jagex only has RuneScape and FunOrb profiles, but it's pretty safe to assume they will eventually have MechScape profiles as well. A MechScape Twitter, for instance, would be an invaluable way for players to let Jagex know about glitches in the MechScape beta. It would also be a great way for Jagex to keep players up to date on MechScape news, once the full game is released. Players could learn about progress on the beta, hear about the process involved in creating a massive game like MechScape, and warn Jagex about potentially dangerous or harmful glitches, so they could be fixed before the full game is released.

Many players have suggested that there should be a way to take screenshots in-game; perhaps this will be integrated into MechScape, so players can save images of milestones and particular events. Maybe players will be able to embed videos into the MechScape forums or post links to their personal profiles on other websites. The ways social networking could be integrated into MechScape are endless.

Jagex recently posted a job vacancy for a Head of Online Marketing. Some of the responsibilities of this job are; "planning and executing viral marketing campaigns, establishing a plan for the development of the web 2.0 sites and how Jagex can use these to increase the its player base, and identifying opportunities in existing markets and in new technologies in order to augment the player base." Although it's unclear if the reference to web 2.0 means social networking sites, it likely does. This is quite significant, because up until now Jagex hasn't done much online marketing, instead relying on word of mouth.

Jagex is certainly using social networking websites to keep players up to date on news and events in-game, but there's definitely more they could do with them and it will be interesting to see how they are utilized in the future, both in RuneScape, FunOrb and MechScape.

MechScape and Community News

Q&A with Mod MMG on RSOF
A recent Q&A on the RuneScape Forums with Jagex CEO Mark Gerhard has provided with new ideas to speculate on. (Read more)

Interview with Mark Gerhard
Another interview has been done by Mark Gerhard, this time given to Rock, Paper, Shotgun. It is about Jagex and their future. (Read more)



Previous Issues:
MechScape Post #22: Basics of the Four Playable Species
MechScape Post #21: The Mecherican Dream
MechScape Post #20: Desert City Art Review and New Beginnings Review
MechScape Post #19: Cultural Differences: How they might affect MechScape
MechScape Post #18: The Economy of an MMORPG
MechScape Post #17: Influences on MechScape
MechScape Post #16: MechScape Moderation
MechScape Post #15: The MechScape Environment II
MechScape Post #14: The Community of MechScape
MechScape Post #13: Codename MechScape
MechScape Post #12: The Importance of Music to MechScape as a Game


Footnotes
Contributors: Brenden, Ed5, Ren (Content Research Team); mike470, Pliigi, Xela (Writing & Editing Team).
Disclaimer: The views expressed by members of staff do not necessarily represent the view of MechScape World.

It will be interesting to see how they use the social networking sites in the future.

Good job Pliigi, good read.

Very interesting! I'm one of the 5000+ following them on Twitter. I really hope they get a MySpace page!

short yet sweet.

And informative.

If I can ever figure out how to use twitter i may actually subscribe or w/e you do.

Good read and good thought on how they can use these sites for MechScape Beta.

Nice work Pliigi!

I personally don't want them adding a thing ingame or on their forums to link to your personal page. A new era of flaming and bullying over peoples looks, hobbies, whatever would be born. I prefer to keep the game to a less than personal basis. I don't want you to know everything about me which is what linking to profiles would do. Of course, I could abuse the system and link you all to some random site...

Meh, SNS doesn't really matter and as far as myspace its dying so no point in Jagex making one

I think they should just stay on twitter and youtube. It works, It informs the many of their followers what is going wrong (or right), and no-ones complaining about it, which is good. To me, going onto another social networking site is pointless, as Jagex will be inundated with friend requests and everything else. Seems right to stay on the more 'serious' social networking site twitter than on the others clearly aimed towards teenagers.

Really interesting, thanks Pliigi. I seem to recall some talk of FunOrb considering launching games for/on facebook. Seems like a smart move, with social networking still on fire. I've also heard that MySpace is thinking of becoming primarily a games portal...not sure what that portends, but it seems ominous lol.

It seems rather odd to me, IT requires more updating and attention.
Why don`t they just post all new on their own website, Instead of keep blogging it in like 5 other sites.
Perhaps its a good way of attratcting players, When you see people with like 10k followers. I can understand why, but it may take a while to have an affect.

Mr Thomas

As we heard about an hour ago, Jagex are already using Twitter and Youtube and putting up new icons and backgrounds to do with MechScape
Nice MP, Jagex sure do want to take advantage of all the social networking sites. It is free advertising after all and lots of people playing Jagex games follow their Twitter, Subscribe to their YouTube channel, etc.

EDIT: Shouldn't you put this on the Mechscape World homepage?

I'm not too sure where you read it was directly for Mechscape. There is a chance, but new logos doesn't mean a new game. I obviously could be wrong, we will just have to wait and see.

@Topic nice read :)

Just a minor thing:


Jagex first has to add bbcode support, avatars, signatures, images, advanced moderation tools, more space per post, more smilies, attachments, etc. etc. etc.

Great read pliigi, I check their twitter regularly to see if anything new has popped up recently

Thanks everyone.



Well yeah, that's obviously a long term thing.

We can all honestly say, their forum system is pretty poor.

I`d like to see profiles, some more common forum features, and a few more j mods posting on it.

Good read. The only thing I follow of theirs is their FunOrb page on Facebook. Lately they have been spamming it with pathetic updates lately, so they have been getting annoying for me. Nonetheless, they do post up a lot of useful things and usually they post it up on Facebook before they do on the FO homeage! :D

I don't follow Jagex on any social networking site. If they say something important, I'll find it here.

Because many of these things are not worthy to be placed on the main page. And there social sites are used to get to a smaller number of users first, and then I thunk they will start expanding. Also they are easier to get things like reminders around, because they alert the other users of any updates.

I periodically check up on the RuneScape facebook and often look at the Jagex Twitter. I have even used Twitter to contact Jagex about an event I ran, which they gladly tweeted at the time of the event. It really is useful.

Thanks for the twitter link!

Great read.

I follow them on twitter and youtube, but having too many sites will make all the information too spread out. All of it needs to be posted on the runescape website/forums first, before all these other sites.

Meh it worked for Hitler.

I know him and asked him recently about any Mechscape stuff, but he said no.

i twitter feeded jagex. so thats how i knew about this thread: )

Thanx 4 da read. interesting indeed there is no myspace page for jagex.

That would be really nice if they used their sites for more than just updates. I also, love the suggestion of making in-game videos and in-game snapshots. Yet, i don't follow Jagex on any social networking site atm, I may in the future. Let's See.