British game dev Jagex announced plans today to shut down its longstanding online game portal FunOrb, citing the increasing difficulties of providing its library of browser games in a playable state.
FunOrb had a notably good run, given that Jagex launched it in 2008 as a casual games hub that aimed to provide “time-pressed gamers” with a browser-based platform for playing both single- and multiplayer games.
Intriguingly, FunOrb launched with an optional subscription system (much like the devs’ well-known browser-based MMORPG Runescape) that afforded paying members access to additional platform features. Shortly after FunOrb launched, now-former Jagex chief Geoff Eddison told Gamasutra the platform had over a million subscribers.
“We will be winding down over the next 3 months,” reads a forum post published today by Jagex. “It has been amazing to see such dedication amongst those of you who have kept coming back to FunOrb over the last 10 years. However, advancements in software and hardware have made it increasingly difficult to access and play the games on the portal, and that’s ultimately led to our decision.”
Starting today Jagex will no longer be accepting new FunOrb subscribers or charging existing ones, though their membership benefits will persist until the platform shuts down three months from now.