Timeline of Mechscape
1999
Jagex release Cyber Wars, an online strategy game featuring battlemechs, mechanoids and aliens. Probably has little to do with MechScape. (Source) (Source) (Source)
15/12/2003
The domain mechscape.com is registered. (Source)
16/12/2003
The domains Mechscape.net, Mechscape.org, and Mechscape.co.uk are registered.
??/04/2005
John Seru becomes “Lead modeller, for an online space mmorpg” at Jagex. (Source)
10/08/2005
Constant Tedder, one of the founding members and managing director of Jagex Ltd, is listed as the registered owner for the domain, with Jagex Ltd listed as the company.
11/10/2005
Jagex Ltd files for a UK trade mark on the word Mechscape. This trademark was successfully registered on June 16, 2006. (Source)
25/10/2005
Press release announces that Jagex has secured an investment from Insight Venture Partners, who say that Jagex “has a dedicated community of users, innovative technology that allows for maximum player experience, and more exciting games in the pipeline”. (Source)
31/03/2006
Jagex file for a US trademark for the term MechScape. Amongst other things, the usage covers “entertainment services, namely, providing an online computer game”. The trademark was published for opposition on the 23rd of October 2007. (Source)
30/06/2006
Jagex advertises a job vacancy, and want a content developer to “build creatures, shape virtual worlds, design quests and storylines for our new, undisclosed game”. (Source)
04/09/2006
The domain records are updated to to show Jagex Ltd at Legal Surfing Centre as the registered owner. Jagex is the owner of the listed domains, as updated on 12/11/2007.
17/05/2007
User claims a J Mod told them a game called MechScape would be “a whole new RPG, as a sister RPG to Runescape”. (Source)
03/09/2007
Different user claims a Jagex accountant informed them that “Jagex are making a futurustic version of rs” to be called “Mechscape”. The thread was swiftly deleted from the official RuneScape forums.
23/10/2007
Geoff Iddison, former head of PayPal Europe, is hired as Jagex CEO. The press release says he will “drive the continued growth of RuneScape and bring new online games to market”. (Source)
??/10/2006
Oscar Gillespie is hired as a content developer to work on “a new MMORPG”. (Source)
13/11/2007
Jagex CEO reveals that Jagex “plans to launch a couple of new titles” in 2008. (Source)
16/11/2007
Jagex re-designs their billing system and re-brand it with the Jagex logo. (Source)
16/11/2007
The Junior Graphics Artist Job Vacancy features a Junior Graphics Test which contains a Word document sporting a team logo debatably featuring a mech or robot. (Source)
27/11/2007
Jagex advertise for a RuneScape Game Team Leader to lead a team of 15 content developers, but the Jagex credits list 25 people doing content development. Could 10 content developers be working on non-RuneScape projects? (Source) (Source)
30/11/2007
Jagex is advertising for a 3D Modeller to create “models for environments, objects, vehicles, characters and special effects”. (Source)
04/02/2008
Jagex employee Imre Jele states in an interview that there will be a new MMO going live “next year”. (Source)
26/02/2008
Jagex advertises for the vacancy “Game Development Team Manager (Upcoming Project)” with a key duty being “leading a team of 12+ content developers ranging from new to senior staff”. Desirable qualities include “Anime, graphic novels and general interest in sci-fi.”
04/05/2008
Jagex advertise for a graphic artist to design a website “for one of our upcoming games”, giving a preliminary timescale of 2-3 months. (Source)
09/05/2008
Jagex CEO Geoff Iddison said they have “got a very, very big investment into another MMO” and that “you can expect it early next year, Q1 2009″. When asked if it was the rumoured MechScape brand, he responded “I can’t say too much more, I’m afraid”. (Source)
Domains
The following domains are registered under Jagex:
24/08/2005 - mechscape2.com
24/08/2005 - mechscape.biz
24/08/2005 - mechscape.info
24/08/2005 - mechscape.us
24/08/2005 - mechscape.info
26/08/2005 - mechscape.biz
15/05/2006 - mechscapecoin.com
15/05/2006 - mechscapecommunity.com
15/05/2006 - mechscapecredit.com
15/05/2006 - mechscapegold.com
15/05/2006 - mechscapeguide.com
15/05/2006 - mechscapehq.com
15/05/2006 - mechscapeinfinite.com
15/05/2006 - mechscapemillions.com
15/05/2006 - mechscapemoderators.com
15/05/2006 - mechscapeproject.com
15/05/2006 - mechscaper.com
15/05/2006 - mechscaperealm.com
15/05/2006 - mechscapeshopping.com
15/05/2006 - mechscapetrades.com
15/05/2006 - mechscapetrading.com
15/05/2006 - mechhq.com
12/07/2006 - mechscape.es
26/09/2006 - mechscape.mobi
04/10/2006 - mechscape.tk
This can be confirmed by performing a whois on the domains.
Employees
Thomas Woode - CV, RuneScape Credit
“Jagex produce on line java games. I was originally employed to work on ‘Rune Scape’ a MMORPG currently with 4,000,000 users (of which over 800,000 are Paying members). I have more recently moved to the role of Lead concepter for a exciting new MMORPG title currently in development.“
“Establishing a style guide covering all visuals for new Jagex MMORPG. Includes characters, environments and interfaces.”
“Producing designs and plans for all in game vehicles (a few hundred ). Ensuring all vehicles are original, look great and have an equal and sustained level of development.”
John Seru - CV, LinkedIn, RuneScape Credit
“Lead modeller, for an online space mmorpg. This was also for Jagex Ltd, release date and official title, not yet known.”
“Assistant concept artist, for an online space mmorpg. This was also for Jagex Ltd, release date and official title, not yet known.”
Oscar Gillespie - LinkedIn, RuneScape Credit
“I’m developing content for a new MMORPG, from the makers of http://www.runescape.com - this involves a combination of design, coding, mapping and writing, all the skills that I’ve been trying to hone during my career basically.”
I’ve been trying to find ways that we can take the genre forward in terms of story telling and player grouping, while also developing cool missions and minigames.
Job Vacancies
Content Developer - (Source) (Source)
“Your role will primarily be to build creatures, shape virtual worlds, design quests and storylines for our new, undisclosed game… Also useful: …Anime, graphic novels and general sci-fi interest”
3D Modeller (Junior) - (Source)
“Creating models for environments, objects, vehicles, characters and special effects… Ability to work with maximum size/complexity limitations and create great looking low-polygon count models”
Junior Graphics Test - (Source)
Sphere: Related Content
