Jagex Launches Casual Game Site FunOrb

RuneScape developer Jagex has announced that it has officially launched its online games portal FunOrb, offering "time-pressed gamers" a number of games it promises have greater depth of play than traditional casual games. The company says the site will grow to offer a broad range of single and multiplayer games including shooters, puzzlers, 3D platformers and strategy games, with lobbies, league tables, achievements, forums and instant messaging available throughout. Though the base portion of FunOrb will be offered for free, a paid subscription to the site -- offered at $3.00/£2.00/€2.50 per month, or $2.00/£1.40/€2.00 per month if purchased with a RuneScape subscription -- will grant users additional levels, achievements and community features. Gamasutra talked with Jagex development head Mark Faulkner in January, who said the company plans to keep the site’s content fresh, aiming to add one new game every two weeks, and said each game represents "about 50 hours of solid gameplay if you know exactly what you’re doing... We design all our games for multiple repeat playability.” Said Jagex CEO Geoff Iddison, “For the first time, there is a generation of experienced gamers, turned young professionals, who want to play and be challenged, but are unable to devote large amounts of free time to gaming. FunOrb addresses this niche by blending quality entertainment with social functionality, offering players of all levels a complete social gaming experience.”