RuneScape is a fantasy massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) developed and published by Jagex, released originally in January 2001. RuneScape is a graphical browser game implemented on the client-side in Java, and incorporates 3D rendering. The game has had over 200 million accounts created and is recognised by the Guinness World Records as the world's largest free MMORPG and the most-updated game. As Cambridge University undergraduates, the Gower brothers worked on a complete rewrite of the game. The isometric view was replaced by a mixture of both 3D and 2D sprites.

The game, renamed RuneScape (created using a word combiner and randomiser program that Andrew had), was released to the general public as a beta version and for testing on 4 January 2001 and was originally operated from their parents' house in Nottingham.[3] In December 2001, the Gower brothers and Constant Tedder formed Jagex to take over the business aspects of running RuneScape. Kemp updated those numbers, saying that "we have seen just short of seven million players log in with over two and a half million becoming members."

Although he describes some roadblocks experienced by the development staff since Legacy Mode's release — including "community tribalism" and divided opinions of fans and developers alike on the existence of the feature — he ultimately concludes that the officially run legacy servers have been a boon to the long-running game. You most people complained our prices for XBox have risen a lot. The reason is that prices are changing almost everyday depending on the supply and demand. However, we are always the cheapest. Just keep on focusing on our site.

Unlike RuneScape, World of Warcraft doesn't offer official legacy versions of the MMO. Instead, players take to hosting their own game servers that allow players to return to the game they might have originally played with, before its various expansions launched. Blizzard Entertainment's terms of use, however, don't condone these private servers, resulting in cease-and-desist orders forcing player-run communities like Nostalrius to close. A new update for RuneScape was recently launched, which improved performance and revamps the MMO’s graphical engine. Despite the success, a legacy server is something that other popular MMOs have not explored. Unlike RuneScape, World of Warcraft does not have any legacy versions of the game.

Rather, players have to host their own game servers that allow players to return to the game they may have originally played with before the expansions launched. Blizzard Entertainment’s terms of use, however, don’t condone these private servers, resulting in the closure of player-run communities like Nostalrius. Despite launching the new update, the team behind RuneScape is still dedicated to running a legacy server. Old School RuneScape runs along with the main game, allowing players to play the game much the same as it was when the title was at its height almost ten years ago.

Ogilvie, Kemp and the rest of the development team recognized the desire to return to this time not just within players, but themselves as fans of the game they were making. While some voiced their concerns about possibly cannibalizing the game's audience by offering this older version — including staff and the fanbase — the majority voted to introduce the server. It's since achieved success on both a business level and with players, something Kemp recently detailed in an analysis of the legacy server business model.