Jagex to close online game portal FunOrb

Runescape developers Jagex announced yesterday that it will be sunsetting online game portal FunOrb, which the company launched in 2008.

In a forum post the company said that while it was "amazing" to see the dedication of the audience over the last ten years, "Advancements in software and hardware have made it increasingly difficult to access and play the games on the portal, and that’s ultimately led to our decision."

FunOrb launched with an optional subscription service, and in an interview with GamaSutra in 2008, former Jagex CEO Geoff Iddison said: "The subscription model works really well for us. We’ve got more than a million subscribers currently and growing, so it’s worked well. Margins are very good and we’re extremely profitable, so it works for us. But going forward, we are considering in our future MMOs having not just subscription but micropayments too."

FunOrb has long been a quieter part of Jagex’s offerings, with the company best known for its Runescape MMO and affiliated projects. FunOrb will be slowly winding down over the next three months, and will no longer be charging its existing subscribers, although they will keep their membership benefits until the 7th August when the servers are closed down.