RuneScape Combats Gold Farming With Introduction Of Bonds

A bit of the real world has bled into the virtual world this week as word comes down that purchasable bonds have been introduced to free-to-play MMORPG RuneScape, giving players a whole new way to experience the in-game economy and spend their real-world dollars.

Jagex, makers of the hugely popular RuneScape online MMO, today announced that they would be “providing players with the means to trade in-game effort for tangible benefits, including membership,” with the introduction of bond sales.

“The launch of bonds for RuneScape is a really positive move, which will improve the game’s economy and give players more choice in how they get membership,” said EP Phil Mansell. “We care as passionately about RuneScape as the game’s community, and are committed to laying the foundations for the next 10 years of growth. This update is a firm step in that direction.”

Mansell went on to say that many players have amassed a small fortune within the game and, by introducing bonds, players will now have the ability to pay for their membership or other services through the exchange of in-game wealth for bonds. The intended purpose of bonds is to liberate player-to-player trading and, let’s face it, cut down on the ridiculous amount of gold farming going on in the game.

With bonds, players will now be able to access all in-game premium content by utilizing their virtual wealth, and they’ll also be able to gift bonds to their friends. You could also purchase bonds directly from the official website for five bucks a pop, then redeem them for 14 days of membership, eight Squeal of Fortune spins, 160 RuneCoins or, if you’ve got multiple bonds, RuneFest tickets.

“The launch of bonds as a new pay-through-play option for our customers is a tangible example of our commitment to ensure the game continues to [thrive],” said Chief Executive Officer at Jagex, Mark Gerhard. “The key to bonds is that there are now two paths for our players to access and enjoy every bit of content the game has to offer. No player need ever feel excluded, since they can now access everything in RuneScape by whichever payment mechanic they choose.”

So is the ability to buy bonds in RuneScape a good or bad thing for the average player? Quite a few folks have taken to Youtube to express their opinions. For those who want to look into the matter more, here’s just one of said videos to get your Youtube crawl started, posted by user NightmareRH.