5 (c) Andrew Gower Runescapes with Millions
Tapping the Community Talent
“Unfortunately I’m a bit of a computer geek, I’m not very good at PR. People seem to think of me as some sort of corporate suit, and forget that I’m actually still a programmer who started this game as a hobby. I don’t normally get involved in customer support or rules enforcement at all I try to stick to what I’m best at which is sitting in a darkened room and programming the game itself. My absolute aim above everything else is to make the best game I can.”
- Andrew Gower
Andrew Gower is the developer of the MMORPG (Massively Multiplayer Online Role-playing Game) RuneScape, which according to the Guinness Book of World Records 2008 is the most popular free MMORPG in the world with over 105 million users registered since its launch[i].
The company behind RuneScape, Jagex Ltd., was recognized by the Sunday Times as one of the 100 best companies to work for in 2007 and 2008. The company also won the best UK developer award from Golden Joystick in 2009. A single online game developed while still an undergraduate has made Andrew Gower a multi-millionaire with an estimated net worth of £99 Million.
Born in 1978 in Nottingham, UK, Andrew Gower was interested in computer games since his childhood. Very soon, he started programming multiplayer games in Java and started using the trade name Jagex which eventually became his company. He went to Cambridge University for his BA Hons degree in computer science where he developed the RuneScape game. For more details visit www.earnmoneyfromwebsite.com
Within a year of the formal launch of RuneScape in 2001, the game had over a million players[ii]. Andrew dropped out of college and began operating RuneScape.com from his bedroom[iii]. Gradually, several new features of the game were offered on a monthly subscription basis, which attracted positive response from fans of the game. Apart from subscriptions, RuneScape also earns through advertisements and membership fees[iv].
Table 9: Growth of Andrew Gower
|
2006 |
2007 |
2008 |
2009 |
|
|
Andrew Gower’s Net Worth |
£32 Million |
£113 Million |
£109 Million |
£99 Million |
Sources: Wikipedia.com[v], TimesOnline[vi]
[i] “RuneScape has 105 Million User Accounts”. PlayBBG.com. 1 Sep 2009. PlayBBG.com 21 Feb 2010. <http://www.playbbg.com/news/latest-updates/runescape-has-105-million-user-accounts.html>
[ii] “Jagex”. Wikipedia.com. 21 Feb 2010. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jagex_Ltd>
[iii] “Andrew Gower – Happy 30th + Biography”. Rune Tips Online Forum. 3 Dec 2008. RuneScape Tips. 21 Feb 2010. <http://forum.tip.it/topic/210963-andrew-gower-happy-30th-biography/>
[iv] “Runescape”. Wikia.com. 21 Feb 2010. <http://runescape.wikia.com/wiki/RuneScape>
[v] “Andrew Gower”. Wikipedia.com. 21 Feb 2010. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andrew_Gower>
[vi] “Andrew and Paul Gower”. TimesOnline.com. 26 Apr 2009. The Sunday Times. 21 Feb 2010. <http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/specials/rich_list/rich_list_2009/article6131979.ece>
