Video games cost is always a hot topic. As prices appear to be rising exponentially, the base version of GTA 6 is rumoured to run $100 – and microtransactions continue to cause backlash of live service titles, and hitting the balance is becoming an art. Jagex’s pricing structure has been attacked previously, and has incited the flames in recent investigations. So when Runescape DragonWilds Starting at a premium in Early Access and a one-time purchase price of $29.99/£25.99, it frowned. This won a competitor Valheim watch for $19.99/£15.49 for comparison. In an exclusive launch interview with , we ask Creative Director Rick ‘mod Rook’ Turek about the decision.
With the busy 2024 in mind, there are many survival games to choose from. There are newcomers like Stalwart Valheim, Nightingale and Enshrouded, and upcoming PC games like Dune Awakening, all competing for spots in the crowded genre. With the exception of Dune Awakening ($49.99/£41.99 for the finished product) all the prices listed above are slightly less than the Runescape DragonWilds. Valheim is significantly like that.
Given the busyness of the survival field, we ask why Jagex landed at premium on DragonWilds and how it has settled down in its current price range.
“From the first concept of Runescape Dragon Wilds, we were saying, ‘This game is going to be a premium title,” he says. “You pay the price to get the game. We’re expanding from early access. All of this is free to anyone who’s acquired by early access, as long as it’s live. Everyone with early access gets 1.0.
“In the future, we want to bring out new features, new experiences, new modes and new content. It’s likely in some kind of DLC, so if people are engaging with it, you can continue playing the game.
“We have a luxury in Runescape games. They are MMOs, they live and breathe. In Dragon Wild, it was really essential to fulfill that promise because we wanted to create something you could complete.
However, compared to its competitors, the prices are a little higher. Some comments on Subreddit draw the same parallel as Valheim in Iron Gate Studio. Ask if that is a concern.
“You’re always trying not to devalue yourself,” Turek says. “We did a lot of tests with the audience. We’ve been doing research. When we did our previous playtests with Alpha, we said, ‘How much do we pay for this game in early access?’ We still wanted to retain the value of our players, so we reduced ourselves with what people were saying. Especially if you’re really interested in building and exploring, we have about 20-30 hours of content and stuff you can explore with endless play.
“There are a lot out there. It’s very difficult to find the right price range, but a lot of data from players informed me,” he concludes.
Jagex dropped the Shadow Dropped Runescape DragonWilds on Tuesday, April 15th. It is currently available on Steam. You can check our impressions here.
If you’re planning on exploring Gielinor with some peers, check out our full list of Runescape DragonWilds skills. Alternatively, we’ve been extensively exploring and touching every corner of the Runescape DragonWilds map.
You can follow us on Google News’ Daily PC Games News, Reviews and Guides. There is also a lively community of Discord Server. You can chat with team members and fellow readers about this story.
