Jagex holds “biggest fundraising event ever” for SpecialEffect’s GameBlast weekend
Over £48,000 is raised for the disability gaming charity SpecialEffect, as 90,000 gamers tune in to watch 24-hour gaming marathon.
Thursday 27th February 2014, Cambridge, UK – Jagex Games Studio, makers of the multi-award winning fantasy MMORPG, RuneScape, today revealed the results of their 24-hour long gaming marathon in support of SpecialEffect’s inaugural GameBlast weekend.
The marathon, which witnessed 90,000 unique viewers over the course of the stream, saw staff and selected members of the RuneScape community play RuneScape and Ace of Spades throughout the 24 hour period, raising over £48,000 as a result.
“It’s been great to see our players really get behind such a worthy cause as SpecialEffect,” said Jane Ryan, Head of RuneScape Community Management and co-organiser of Jagex’s gaming marathon. “It’s been a crazy 24 hours; we’ve seen staff rise to the occasion and take on all kinds of challenges in the name of charity. The generosity of our players is both touching and gratifying and we can’t wait to do it all again next year!”
“We’re absolutely delighted with the way that Jagex and their players have thrown themselves into the GameBlast weekend.” Said Dr Mick Donegan, Founder and Director of SpecialEffect. “This has turned out to be our biggest gamer-driven fundraising event ever and we cannot express how grateful we are for the support we have received. The money raised this weekend will help us to bring video games to all those who are passionate about them, whatever their disability.”
In addition to direct donations though the studio’s JustGiving page, the in-game Well of Goodwill re-opened for the weekend. The well allowed players to donate their in-game gold, items and RuneScape bonds to charity, which were then converted into a real world contribution on their behalf. In addition, 50 percent of all profits from the sales of Ace of Spades were also donated to SpecialEffect during the GameBlast weekend.
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Notes to Editor
Further information on SpecialEffect and GameBlast can be found by visiting http://www.specialeffect.org.uk/
A highlights video of the event can be downloaded from our Press Extranet.
Donation breakdown
JustGiving – £9,380.80
RuneScape – £25,412.50
Ace of Spades – £13,759
About Jagex
Starting in 2001 with their flagship free-to-play adventure game, RuneScape, Jagex has created a long-standing reputation for crafting the world’s best online games services. Today they stand as the UK’s largest independent games developers and publishers. With over 40 titles published to date, Jagex prides itself on developing and publishing hugely popular, accessible, free-to-play online games for millions of players globally. For more information please visit www.Jagex.com.
About RuneScape
Venture forth into the rich and immersive medieval fantasy world of Gielinor, where even the smallest of actions affect the vast world around you. Recognised repeatedly by Guinness World Records as the world’s most popular free-to-play MMORPG, with over 200 million players and counting. RuneScape offers unparalleled levels of choice to its players, where they can be anyone, slay anything and go anywhere in their own unique open world adventure, all within the browser window. Start your greatest adventure today at www.RuneScape.com.
About Ace of Spades
Ace of Spades is the latest title from the multi-awarding UK studio behind the leading free-to-play browser MMO RuneScape and the eagerly anticipated Transformers Universe. Ace of Spades is the first-person shooter that lets you create your battleground, destroy it, then create it again. Up to 32 players choose from 4 unique classes and jump into team-based, multiplayer mayhem across an endlessly evolving battlefield, to construct, destruct and take out the opposition. Visit www.AceofSpades.com for more information.
