RuneScape History Book Full Of "Gossip

RuneScape: The First 20 Years – An Illustrated History is launching internationally tomorrow, following its US release earlier this week. The history book will go over every era of the popular MMO, starting all the way back from when it was developed by three brothers in their kitchen.

The 224 page book features interviews with key figures behind the game's success, as well as previously unseen concept art. Put together by journalist Alex Calvin, the book will also focus on the "memories, adventures, stories, and friendships" that formed within the game back in its 2000s heyday.

Lead RuneScape designer Dave Osborne commented on the milestone, explaining to TheGamer what fans both old and new can expect from the book.

"If you haven't played from the very start, you might not be aware of how low-fi everything was," Osborne says. "For example, with the Gower brothers making RuneScape from the comfort of the family kitchen, separated from each other by curtain-walls. We’ve talked to the Gowers about that time and beyond, so you’re hearing about what it was like to be at the helm of a game".

Osborne also says that the book will also be full of "high quality gossip" from this classic RuneScape era, before most fans had jumped on board. And for players who reckon they know it all, there will also be a section of the book dedicated to a previously unannounced expansion that never saw the light of day.

Osborne also commented on the game's success, and why he believes it's still going two decades later.

"Our players have aged with us, and we’ve seen them grow from fans of the game to become vocal constituents and budding game designers", Osborne says. He also suspects that the continued success stems from OSRS Gold being a level playing field with no classes. "More than any other game I’ve played, the avatar is me – it’s an accumulation of everything I’ve achieved in RuneScape, and that’s hugely valuable to our players."