I have been an avid mmorpg fan since I was 12. Sherwood dungeon was one of the first online games I played. Eventually, I was introduced to Runescape, which was only the beginning of my journey, and after almost 10 years, I've seen players come and go, and when I bring up Runescape today, I often hear the question,

"Do you still play Runescape?"

Yes, I do. In fact, many people do. Who hasn't heard of Runescape before?
It's a game that has been with us since our early teenage years, maybe even childhood for some.

It's a game that's 16 years old, that's right, sixteen.

But what makes this game so good?

For a game to survive for more than a decade, there has to be something special about it, something to keep the game engaging and immersive for so long, and I think for Runescape, it's the sheer amount of content and how it's distributed that has kept old players hooked on the game and new players coming in.

Unlike many other grindfest games (Looking at you, Aeria Games) where the majority of quests are focused on killing a reskin of the monster you've been fighting for 10 hours. Runescape offers players 27 different skills to master, ranging from classic combat to fishing, cooking, farming and even complex dungeon delving.

It doesn't stop there. The game is also comprised of 212 quests, which include simple quests about helping to bake a cake, restoring guilds and even traveling to different dimensions and meeting the Elder Gods.

Runescape offers a vast and beautiful world with an almost endless system of skills, quests, bosses, raids, minigames, and the best part of all is that even 16 years after the game launched, it is being constantly updated, with two planned expansions coming out later this year.

The Community

Another of the many aspects that make this game great is its community. They're one of the most helpful communities I've seen in online gaming, very welcoming to new players and returning players alike, and often willing to lend a hand. There's also a lot of interaction between the developers and the player base in social media and in-game forums, which shows the interest and willingness the devs have to listen to the players and their feedback.

If you're an ex-Runescape player, there's no better time to get back into the game than now. If you've heard about the game before but never gave it a try, go do it now. I can assure that you will not regret it.

However....

On the other hand, something that new players often complain about and causes them to drop the game entirely is that barely a few hours in, the game already offers an enormous amount of content. It can be really overwhelming for new players who are not familiar with the world it has to offer. Thankfully, there are two really helpful systems in place to help the newbies get acquainted with the game. The "Path system" which guides the player through the early game after finishing the tutorial, introducing them to more in-depth training techniques and early quests. There are also the "Daily Challenges",  pushing you to further explore the game to complete said challenges, rewarding the player experience or a loot bag when completed.

 There's more! Besides in-game help, there are many sites with helpful information for newcomers, including social media fan pages, a wiki, and even starting guides such as this.

To sum it up, I think Runescape is one of the best MMORPGs out there, not only because of the vast content it offers but also because of its quality, the dev-player base interactions, and as mentioned before, how different it is from many other games in the same genre. If you're looking for a fresh experience, immersive lore, jolly co-operation or straight up grinding, Runescape is the game for you.

1. Old School Runescape

We're going back in time, boys! The current version of Runescape has received a lot of patches that include graphical updates, combat updates, and of course, PvE updates.

But that's not what every player really wants. This beauty right here is a perfect demonstration of the phrase, "where time stays still". Basically, OSRS (Old School Runescape) is the game that many players loved and enjoyed spending time on when it was first came out. 

However, apart from having a nostalgia aspect to it, the game keeps the classic Runescape combat system in it. No fancy weapons, no fancy attack patterns, none of that stuff! Which means that all the PvE aspects are much more challenging and less forgiving!

It's also worth noting that OSRS does receive new content updates from time to time. They simply add new PvE aspects, as well as items.

Below, you can see one of many PvE aspects of OSRS.  

(Credit: x Devin x)

What are some MMOs that you enjoy that revolve heavily around PvE? Let us know down below!

2. Final Fantasy XIV

According to the MMO community, FFXIV is a very popular MMO. But why? The game mainly revolves around PvE. In fact, the main aspect of the game is PvE. If you think about it, for an MMO, that's pretty impressive.

The majority of MMOs also incorporate PvP in them. This one, however, is the exception. The PvE mode is where FFXIV really shines, making it quite unique within its genre.

You can check out the video below to get an idea of how detailed the PvE aspect of the game truly is:

(Credit: Steparu.com Gaming News and Previews)

3. Runescape

Developed by Jagex, this particular MMO became an instant classic when it came out. Over time, various updates have expanded the game in terms of content like areas, dungeons, and of course, combat. Though some updates have turned the community off because the game no longer feels like Runescape, it is still played by thousands of people on a daily basis. 

From a gauntlet of challenging enemies, to a God Wars Dungeon which has chaos all over the place, the game does a good job in the PvE field. Most, if not all, PvE aspects have some sort of challenge which players must prepare for in order to do well -- the classic example being Jad.

Anyone who has played Runescape knows what I'm talking about. Players must face a gauntlet of enemies, consisting of 62 waves, each one becoming progressively harder. The last one is Jad himself, a giant behemoth of a monster who must be defeated for great rewards. Needless to say, one mistake means you're dead and you must start over.

What makes Runescape's PvE great is the whole system. If you put in enough effort and succeed, you will be greatly rewarded. And of course, the rewards will help you in future PvE situations, or even in PvP if you feel like it.

(Credit: munclesonkey)

4. Monster Hunter

The Monster Hunter series, particularly Monster Hunter Online, is a quite popular MMO when it comes to PvE. Yes, Monster Hunter has a single player mode, but the game truly shines in regards to its online aspect. As a matter of fact, the MMO multiplayer aspect revolves mainly around PvE. 

Basically, up to four players can team up to fight a giant monster for its rewards and potential experience. Upon success, players can carve up the monster for its parts and craft various weapons and armor. Of course, the further you progress, the more challenging the PvE aspect becomes (and the rewards as well)! 

Unlike other MH titles, Monster Hunter Online only focuses on the MMO aspect -- and as a result, has much larger servers. Though the game is only available in China, it is possible to download it elsewhere with an English patch. If you really want to, you can check out this Reddit thread for instructions on how to do that. 

Here is just one of many monster hunts that you'll encounter when you enter this PvE experience:

(Credit: MMOJACKX57)

5. World of Warcraft

Starting of the list is the very popular MMORPG, World of Warcraft.  The game itself is packed with content that not only is found in the base game, but also through various game expansions. Not too long ago, a huge Legion patch added new content in regards to PvE.  

But generally speaking, the game has a lot of raid dungeons in which players can team up together and tackle challenges. As expected, the more difficult the area is, the better the rewards players will receive.

You can check out this link to see which servers are popular in PvE. And here is a video to get the basic idea.

(Credit: Method)

MMOs are expansive, enormous, and offer a great variety of various content. From questing with fellow gamers to fighting for fame and glory, MMOs have all sorts of combat systems and features to keep you immersed. 

Though some players enjoy fighting other players for loot, popularity, or to simply show off, MMOs also have a lot of PvE (player versus enemy or player versus environment). Gamers can tackle NPC bosses or challenging enemies in dungeons, castles, or other locations and earn useful rewards like items, consumables, currency, etc.

But with MMOs becoming increasingly more geared toward PvP, PvE doesn't seem to get as much love as it used to. Luckily, there are still some MMOs out there that have unique PvE elements and generally awesome experiences that will make any lone wolf happy. The following list showcases some titles that will challenge players with their excellent PvE podes.

Recently, British game developing studio Jagex announced that they are going to celebrate their MMORPG Runescape's 15th anniversary with a release of new game client called NXT that can optimize the graphics for players depending on their operating system performance. With this update, there will be vast viewing distances, along with dynamic shadows and lighting effects.

Here are a few examples:

Screenshot of Al Kharid, a city in Runescape

Screenshot of Prifddinas, elven city in Runescape

Screenshot of Grand Exchange of Runescape 

According to Jagex, they tested NXT on many computers with different graphic configurations, and they believe it will function well on most of operating systems. In recent beta testing, the development team had fixed most of the bugs. Although there are players who've encountered bugs in their graphics, Jagex responded as they will fix as soon as possible.

In addition to this update, there have been many other updates -- such as Party Garden and Balloon Drops -- which are dedicated to the game's 15th anniversary.

In an official press release earlier this week, creators of MMORPG Runescape, announced the new Lost City of the Elves expansion. This news is particularly significant because Runescape was first released in 2001, and Lost City of the Elves is the first ever expansion for the game.

That doesn't mean that the game hasn't changed at all in thirteen years, of course. Several changes have been made to the game since its initial launch in 2001. The addition of Clan Wars for example, as well as new items and quests, pets, and much more. 

However, the expansion promises a whole lot of changes all at once: huge new areas to explore, new quests to undertake, and new items to find. According to Kotaku, Lost City of the Elves is releasing in three parts. The first part, the "Plague's End" quest, already released earlier this week. The second part is "the unlocking of the first half of the elf city of Prifddinas--the largest city the game has ever seen--in September." Finally, in October players will be able to visit the second half of the elven city. 

"Launching the Lost City of the Elves is a landmark in the history of this extraordinary game. We've captured the imagination of hundreds of millions of players for the past 13 years, and so many of them have been waiting for this city."

                                                     -David Osbourne, Senior Narrative Designer

For many people, Runescape may very well have been their initial inroduction to the world of MMO's. It certainly was for me, so it's great to finally see the game getting so much more new and interesting content. Comments on the Runescape Forums are already showing a lot of positivity to the expansion. Hopefully, the second and third parts are equally as exciting for fans.

If you want to get started on the expansion, or if you have yet to try Runescape and want to check it out, you can do so here. 

As well as bringing together well known video game music composers, the Game Music Connect symposium in London also brought together several Audio Directors (AD) who work on some of the industry's biggest games. Namely:

• Adele Cutting of SoundCuts
• Alastair Lindsay of Sony Computer Entertainment Europe
• Paul Lipson of Microsoft Studios
• Steve Lord of Jagex
• Martin O'Donnell of Bungie

The panel was a chance for composers looking to get into video game music, and fans of genre, to get an insight into what an AD does, and the challenges they face.

N-Synchronicity

With video game composers stating the importance of games needing an AD to give structure to the music and to make professional decisions about the score, hearing what AD's have to say about their roles was incredibly interesting. They don't just deal with music, but with the sound of the entire game, including effects and voice actors.

Cutting, in particular, champions the combination of control over sound and music. During her early career working on films coordinating music, she would often be frustrated that, after much time and effort into getting the score right, sound effects would suddenly take precedence or simply work against the music. As an AD in video games, she has the opportunity to make sure that sound all works together.

As well as ensuring a concord between all audio elements, being an AD also means getting involved with aspects of a video game that have nothing to do with sound. Lipson states that part of his job is also to influence Creative Directors on how best to incorporate sound and score into the game to work harmoniously with gameplay. Lindsay supports this by saying that this early involvement between music and creative direction is vital.

Traditionally, audio was the last aspect of a game to be sorted out. But, with the role of AD becoming more pronounced, music and sound are now some of the first things to be developed to ensure synchronicity across all elements of a game. Some of the panel members say that they start to plan and implement music and sound up to two years in advance of a game's release: the very early stages of game development.

Featurette about Audio Director Steve Lord, composer James Hannigan, and the music of Runescape 3.

Tips for Composers

As these are the people who commission composers to work on their games, it was a prime opportunity to get some pointers on how to get a gig.

One of the main points that all ADs got across was that video game music composers need to play video games. Surprisingly, in a quick survey across the audience, the majority of attendees admitted to not playing video games regularly. Lord states that it is vital that video game music composers play video games, and the first piece of advice he'd give for composers is to go out, buy, and play some games. This is because it's really important to actually understand the mechanics behind gameplay and engagement for which they'll need to score to, specifically because with the absence of pre-cognition that you get in film, they'll have to understand how to overcome the issue of composing to interaction.

It is vital that video game music composers play video games. The first piece of advice for composers is to go out, buy, and play some games.

Cutting also mentions that it really helps if the composer is willing to be very involved in the game itself. Instead of sitting in their studios solely scoring away completely independently, actually taking the time to engage directly with an AD and the game itself goes a long way to not only creating a score that is right for a game, but one that's truly excellent.

As for the type of music composers write, Lipson mentions that rather than trying to be a Jack of all trades, focusing on a particular platform or style will serve composers looking to get into video games better. For him, music, just like the games themselves, is all about ground-breaking intellectual property, and being able to come up with something unique and appropriate for a title is something that gets a composer noticed by him and Microsoft.

All in all, this was an incredibly eye-opening look at the mechanics behind the music, giving patrons a profound appreciation of what goes into video game music beyond a great score and sound.

Header Picture: Paul Lipson at work. Photograph: Courtesy of www.paullipson.com

This week's news was less news and more culture kind of things, but still, GameSkinny articles worthy of note! Thanks to all the authors.

This weeks articles include:

• Mighty No. 9 Kickstarter Funded in Two Day Period, 29 Days to Go by Ashley Shankle.
• Do You Feel More Connected to Video Game Characters Than Other Forms of Media? by Synzer.
• Indie Game: The Movie (Special Edition) by Destrolyn.Bechgeddig.
• Is FFXIV: A Realm Reborn the Most Adult Final Fantasy Yet? by Destrolyn.Bechgeddig.
• RuneScape 3 "Hugely Successful" - Should Pay To Play MMO's Be Scared? by Destrolyn.Bechgeddig... Again!
• To the Rescue: How Gamers Are Saving the PC by Andrew Wynans.
• Experience Dota 2's TI3 Korean Style - Two Videos Are All You Need by Ashley Shankle.

Again thank you to all the authors and to everyone who did not make it in, I apologize... FOR NOTHING!

Anyway thanks for hanging out, I hope to see you all next week!

Well, I've played Runescape on and off since I was about 12, and now I'm 20. I must say, what they've done with the game has not only made it more interesting, but more intense. They've included so many new features that I felt like a kid in a candy store not knowing where to start. But I did it the traditional way, I made a new character and built it up.

New Features

Back in 2006/2007 when I played Runescape last, they never had the feature of Daily Challenges. This is new to my eyes and includes of course challenges you can complete daily to get XP or Spins on the "Squeal of Fortune".

That brings me to the other big new feature, the "Squeal of Fortune". With that feature you spin it based on how many spins you have (which are acquired through quests, purchasing them with real cash, daily spins, or random events) and can gain items.

These items include money, food, ores, and much much more. It's worth doing in my eyes. In fact, I've spent many quests just doing them for the spins. Personally, I'd never buy anything in Runescape except Membership. I've never really been big on using real cash for coins and such in games. Seems like a waste of money in my opinion.

Pets are now available on Runescape 3. You can buy them from a pet shop owner and raise them yourself. I think this feature is really adorable, and worth the time spent on it. When growing a pet youjust feed them as they get hungry and keep them on you at all times in the walking motion. They get hungry faster and gain percentage toward adulthood.

Customizations are better than ever. Your character can have so many different types of hairstyles and clothing options when you create a character. I was very impressed with this new feature because I LOVE to customize my characters whenever possible.

A great feature that's also new to Runescape is being able to teleport to "Lodestones" all over the map. Before, you could teleport straight to Lumbridge, with a cooldown as well. Now, you can teleport ANYWHERE without a cooldown. This makes things much faster and quests are easier. Activating the Lodestones are simply just clicking on them, and then they become available from that point onward.

Being a Member in Runescape 3

I've never purchased Membership before in Runescape, but trying it now at this age and understanding how to gain levels and do tasks I think it's well worth the $8.

I can't see myself spending more than about 4 months worth of time on Runescape, even as a dedicated player. It's a type of game that I find is good in little spurts over many years, where you feel refreshed every time you play it. Any game overload isn't good, and it's easy to feel that way with Runescape.

Past experience with Runescape

I know in the 'old school' days of Runescape some might associate it with 'spammers' and 'hackers'. The staff of Runescape have done a great job in limiting this stuff. I remember having my chat spammed all the time in the old school edition, and now you don't really get that anymore. They handle it very quickly, and you can report it as well.

Things that haven't changed

It's nice to know that some things in Runescape haven't changed over the years. The map of the world is still the same, and you can go to Varrock and visit the Exchange to sell some goods and buy some. Lumbridge is still the 'home' spot in the game where you're likely to start.

Things that aren't the same

The tutorial in the beginning of the game is VERY different from before. I remember starting out on a small island that taught you the basics, and that has changed dramatically. It involves cut scenes that teach you how to fight, and now the tutorial is optional (which I opted out of). 

With updates come all new changes, but I'm happy to say these changes in my beloved Runescape are for the better. I can't wait to see what they have coming next.

It's been a month since RuneScape released its third version of the free to play MMO. Yesterday, development studio Jagex announced that the launch was "hugely successful", claiming that 300,000 new players have joined the game, and a further 100,000 players reactivating dormant accounts.

Since its creation in 2001, the game has seen 220 million accounts being created - a Guinness World Record - and a nomination for a British Academy (BAFTA) Video Game Award.

Should Pay To Play Be Worried?

Free to play MMOs are often viewed as a business model that sacrifices content quality for price and accessibility. Companies using this set-up hope to reel in the Benjamins from tempting players to pay for extras once they've become established within their virtual worlds. As most are aware, there are a tonne of mediocre to dreadful free to play MMOs out there, and are often a cheap and lazy way to make some easy money.

Sometimes a resort to changing from a subscription model to free to play happens when some titles don't do critically and/or financially well, hoping that the increase in accessibility will perk things up. Others, like EverQuest, switch due to general entropy of players, despite prolonged acclaim.

However, RuneScape, with its accolades and fevered gamer dedication, having been designed from its very conception as free to play, is a beacon for highlighting just how potentially brilliant free to plays can be. Not to mention games like Lord of the Rings Online finding that the switch to free to play bolstered their coffers and number of players for what was already a highly acclaimed game.

With this announcement, companies like Square Enix, Blizzard Entertainment, and Bethesda, the studios behind Final Fantasy XI: A Realm Reborn, World of Warcraft, and the upcoming Elder Scrolls Online respectively, will no doubt find the mantra that subscriptions mean better quality and success sorely challenged.

Holding the Fort

Yet, even despite its rocky launch and beta problems, Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn has well exceed sales expectations. Furthermore World of Warcraft, especially after the Mists of Pandaria expansion, sees little signs of tiring or in need of resuscitating its fortunes.

So as long as these behemoths still stand and flourish under their current guises, and if Elder Scrolls Online is just as successful, it'll be a while until a solid verdict can dictate the future of how MMOs will be funded and presented. But RuneScape is certainly a thorn in the side of the traditional model and perceptions.

To play RuneScape visit www.runescape.com.

The day has finally come: the sequel to the immensely popular free-to-play browser-based MMORPG RuneScape, RuneScape 3, has just been released worldwide.

The MMO, heralded by creators Jagex as "Your Greatest Adventure," features new content and lore, beginning with a player-driven dynamic event called the Battle of Lumbridge. The Battle is one of many whose outcomes, decided by players, will determine the fate of the RuneScape world. The presence of these events is expected to make gameplay constantly epic and exciting.

CEO of Jagex Mark Gerhard said, “Married to the concept of our players determining the future of RuneScape, we believe RuneScape 3 is the most ambitious game ever launched on this cutting-edge future technology and lays the foundation for our upcoming expansion onto tablets.”

Besides its new features, the launch is globally incredible as well: RuneScape 3 is available in five different languages across 190 countries around the world.

“The simultaneous launch of RuneScape 3 around the world has been made possible by the hard work and dedication of our team over the last year,” said Phil Mansell, the Executive Producer of RuneScape 3. “RuneScape 3 ushers in a new age for players in terms of user-driven content, story, gameplay and technology, and we couldn’t be more excited for them to write the next chapter in RuneScape’s epic saga."

Though the sequel has received several significant updates across the board in its switch to an HTML 5 engine, RuneScape 3 is expected to continue to appeal to its massive amount of fans gained over the course of more than a decade.

Gerhard said, “Since launch, more than 220 million RuneScape player accounts have been created, we’ve developed 12 years of regular content, and the game is still growing. With the launch of RuneScape 3 we are looking forward to welcoming new and old players alike back to the magical world of Gielinor.”

All interested players can sign up on the game's official page to play today.

CHESHIRE, England - Developer Jagex, which is based in Cambridge, England, invited over 70 members of the international games press to Peckforton Castle in Cheshire, just down the way. The setting of a real castle, which has been transformed into a luxury hotel, provided the perfect backdrop for the first extended hands-on experience with Runescape 3.

Jagex has invested a lot of time, money and resources into the newest iteration of Runescape, a franchise that has won over hardcore gamers around the globe. Gamers have played over 450 billion hours of Runescape over the past 12 years, which is pretty impressive. The free game has attracted over 220 million players since launch.

Runescape 3 runs on HTML5 and the new game technology Jagex has developed completely changes the user experience as they explore the medieval worlds of Gielinor. Mark Ogilvie, design director on the new game at Jagex, promises that Runescape 3 is the “next big thing” in PC gaming.

“Runescape 3 puts us back in forefront of gaming, not just the browser market... For the first time ever, the force of the gaming community can dictate the future of the story. It becomes players’ game, not ours. This questions the expectations of what MMORPGs can provide. It’s a constantly evolving world where players make heroic decisions in deciding the future of the world.”

Outside of the new interactive storyline, which has become a reality thanks to Jagex’ experience with weekly content updates, the new game engine technology and HTML5 have given the developer a more robust palette with which to create. Ogilvie believes the 3D visuals in Runescape 3 will “turn the perception of what a browser-based game is on its head” and show that this genre can compete with AAA titles.

“We can instantly react to players, which means we can fix a bug as quickly as within 10 minutes of notification or we can focus time on areas of a game that players want changed... Our game world has never switched off. That agility allows us to iterate game with no down time for players. Our ability to evolve and respond has been a significant part of how we’ve survived the test of time.”

That’s set the stage for Runescape 3, a game in which the players will decide how the gods impact the world. In The Sixth Age, Ogilvie said players take the wheel and have the power to carve their names in the foundation stones of the game and change its future forever.

“Actions by players make significant difference in the long and winding tale, which has lots of big and small stories... We’re keeping our passion and flexibility, but telling one glorious story that evolves in front of players’ eyes as a million directors dictate how things unfold. The gods of Runescape have returned and a wide range of conflicting characters are back. Guthix has seen this happen before when his own home world was ravaged by the gods. This time around, players can decide which gods win and lose.”

There will be three months of events after launch that will allow the community to become more powerful than the gods they previously revered. There’s no guarantee players will follow Guthrix’ will. There’s a strong narrative link in each and every piece of content and every action a player takes will mean something and will have ramifications in future. As an example of how this will work, the Dragonkin, reptilian monstrosities tied to creation of world, are back and players will decide if they’re ally or enemy as the story unfolds

“The quests for The Sixth Age are dramatic... Players will make heartbreaking choices and there will be an emotional involvement in this game. The episodic storytelling and level of influence every player will have on this evolving world will be something uniquely special.”

In keeping with the theme of choice, a new customizable user interface (UI) will allow gamers to change the screen based on how they play the game. The community will be given more power to run and support their own groups, no matter how big or small. Jagex is also designing other significant pieces of content including two new skills and a complete overhaul to the construction system, which will allow players to build their own houses and spaces beyond what’s offered.

“It’s a new idea of world ownership... It’s all about giving more power to the players. It’s truly the best that browser gaming can offer. The UI design techniques we have are more commonly found in web and app development, which results in an MMO interface that’s easy and quick to customize for whatever you want to be doing. It puts content at the forefront and allows you to access anything you want.”

The combat system has been updated for faster and more tactical-driven experience that’s not class-limited. Players can be a wizard, warrior or summoner with this level-centric approach. Ogilvie said the variety in gameplay is vast. There are the Facebook-style gameplay options to amuse the more social gamers but also experiences that offer complex planning to achieve goals with multiple players. Runescape 3 promises to deliver hundreds of thousands of hours of gameplay for any type of player.

“Many people use Runescape as a social network and that’s more important than the game itself to them, so we’re offering large social hubs – both functionally and cosmetically for them... We have some of the most popular online communities and we’ll continue to allow them to craft and customize their experiences.”

Jagex has completely overhauled the game’s audio with a new engine that can stream CD quality music on demand from servers. This will introduce dynamic music changes based on the actions of players within world. Jagex has worked with orchestras and conductors from a wide array of genres to provide hours and hours rich music to the game, which will replace the old music completely.

There’s a lot for gamers to get excited about in this massive new upgrade for one of the most popular MMORPGs in the world today. The game looks and plays great, although there’s so much depth there it’s hard to get a full handle on the new experience in just a few hours of gameplay – especially when you’re surrounded by an amazing castle.

Think back to the turn of the century. Arguably, if you were steeped in video game culture by then, you'd most likely remember the popular MMO RuneScape. Heck, you might even still be playing it.

Well, developer Jagex Ltd. has announced the next big overhaul to the game since 2008, RuneScape 3. As mainly an engine improvement, current players won't need a brand new account. The game will utilize HTML5 and webGL for smoother running and enriched graphics. People with older PC setups are still free to use Java if that's their preference. All fans will be able to play it by Summer 2013.

Jagex has promised to expose more soon, but they've made the video above to report the basics.

Thanks to Massively by Joystiq & RuneScape.com