MechScape

MechScape was an upcoming browser-based game being developed by Jagex Ltd. Its development started in 2006, and in 2009, development was ended and its assets were recycled into Stellar Dawn.

History
Jagex first mentioned the name "MechScape" in Jagex recruitment material. Sources indicate that this is a Java-based massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) based on the technologies used by RuneScape, another MMORPG by Jagex. At E3 2008 Jagex confirmed that MechScape is in development and hinted that it will be released Q1, 2009, this has not happened. The game will be released when it has reached a mature state. They stated that they do not want to rush this and will be ready, once they think they worked out most glitches and bugs.

Nature of their upcoming game
Jagex says that MechScape will be a step or two beyond RuneScape in technology. They have also said that RuneScape targets teenagers while MechScape will target people in their mid-20s. However it can only be expected that people of all ages will play. Jagex job advertisements for content developers claims that a "sci-fi interest" is useful and that they are working on an undisclosed game. They have also recruited people to create low-polygon models "for environments, objects, vehicles, characters and special effects".

Jagex CEO Mod MMG has confirmed that the game will use previous Jagex usernames.

Jagex's trademarks for MechScape cover MMORPGs and some of the domain names registered appear to anticipate real-world trading.

Jagex have hinted in a recent news posting that they would prefer to keep the MechScape pre-launch hype as low as possible. Despite this, several fan sites have been created over the last couple of years in anticipation of what they hope will be a large and in-depth MMORPG.

Former Jagex employee John Seru claims to have been the lead modeler on an "online space MMORPG" between April 2005 and October 2006. Thomas Woode claims to be a Jagex employee who has "recently moved to the role of Lead concepter for a exciting new MMORPG title currently in development", and provides concept art of space ships with Jagex copyright on it.

Jagex employee Rupert Turner insisted that MechScape would not be released until it is ready and that this might not be until as late as October 2009.

There have been increasing fears among RuneScape players that MechScape will eventually aim to overtake RuneScape in the MMO market. This seems like a logical summary so far, as an in-depth MMO has been hinted at strongly by Jagex moderators; if MechScape, as rumored, will have superior technological attributes, players from the existing game will undoubtedly start to play MechScape. No information on the stability of RuneScape has been officially told as of yet.

Domains
This is a list of internet domains registered by Jagex and the dates they were registered. Some of these domains were probably registered so that people could not register selling gold domains, or sites to market unofficial MechScape-based material whilst others may have been registered to create different versions of the game in different languages.

Jagex has also registered 3 other domains, "vegascape.com," "stellardawn.com," and "alienscape.com". These may be alternative names for MechScape or serve some other purpose. However, "www.vegascape.com" redirects to the RuneScape homepage and "www.alienscape.com" and "www.stellardawn.com" redirect to the FunOrb homepage. It is unknown whether or not these domains are reserved for upcoming Jagex games.

Beta
Currently, there is no MechScape beta test; when there is, it will most likely be announced on the RuneScape, FunOrb, Jagex, and/or other Jagex pages such as the Jagex Twitter or Jagex LiveJournal, so do not enter the passwords to any of your Jagex game accounts on any website other than runescape.com, funorb.com, or mechscape.com.

Trivia

 * There was a glitch on the RuneScape website. If you searched for "MechScape" in the RuneScape manual, a result would come up with MechScape, highlighted. Clicking the link will take the user to the normal page (without MechScape references).