Interesting Article

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/24735969

Exerts...

MSNBC
That said, they really own this space, so I’d imagine that Sony Online Entertainment would like to take it back, or at least a bigger piece of it.

John Smedley, one of the original creators of “EverQuest” and the president of Sony Online since 2000.
It depends on how you look at it … “Runescape” has more active players, 11 million active players. There are plenty of games in Asia that are just as big, and “Runescape” is a great example of a more English-centered game. It’s got most of its base in the U.S., and they’re just starting to localize for different languages.

MSNBC
Are you going after the “Club Penguin” market with “Free Realms?”

John Smdley
No, we’re going after the “Runescape market” … with 12 being the primary age that we’re targeting really hard. But we want it to be 50/50, and we’re spending the money really hard to get it in both places … both boys and girls playing. Studies that we’ve looked at have shown that (younger girls) don’t just want to kill stuff.

Thought I'd share....

lol 20-30milion to launch the runescape competitor. Interesting, they've got the funding but i doubt hugely it'll have to much of an effect.

As it's got micro-transactions that's enough to keep me away from it tbh, not interested in paying rl money for items. You pay for runescape and you get a game, not a sword or some rubbish.

No, we’re going after the “Runescape market” … with 12 being the primary age that we’re targeting really hard.

lol I find it funny that it's that widely accepted that most of runescape is under 13. Kind of sad really.

Like creepy said they have the money to finance this project but I doubt they'll actually put up the work to go after runescape and all the different aspects of the game.

People are idiots.

Not sure what makes it 'mature' as far as content goes but there are perhaps more oldies playing RS than you think.