One of the oldest MMORPGs still running will soon be shutting down, as the people at Jagex have announced that RuneScape Classic will be closed down on August 8th.

The reason given for shutting down RuneScape Classic is due to the difficulty in maintaining a game that uses such an outdated engine. It is now a lot easier for people to cheat within the game and use modding tools without any kind of security to stop them. The developers have also had to deal with an increase in bots, which players can use to game the system in their favor.

The developers have also become aware that many game breaking bugs have become commonplace and that they lack the resources to ensure that the game will run properly for everyone.

The closure of RuneScape Classic will not have any effect on the other RuneScape game which continues to operate and can still be played for free.

The fans who still long for a nostalgic RuneScape experience can try Old School Runescape, which is based on the 2007 version of the game and is still available on many platforms.

RuneScape first became available in 2001, where it became popular due to its low technical requirements and the fact that it was free. The gaming public was desperate for some high-quality MMORPGs that didn't look like garbage and many players relied on RuneScape to scratch that itch, especially as it could be played by pretty much anyone.

The closure of RuneScape Classic represents the ending of another piece of gaming history, as it was only last year that Asheron's Call closed down its servers, despite efforts from the community to purchase the IP and keep it open.

A few of the oldest MMORPGs are still around, such as Ultima Online and Everquest, which have been running since '97 and '99 respectively. One can only wonder how long those pieces of gaming history will exist until they too are snuffed out, due to the competition from other online games.

We take for granted how influential games like RuneScape were to the development of the Internet and gaming history, as they laid the foundation for a lot of the online titles that are enjoyed today. It seems that even a significant fanbase isn't enough to keep these games alive forever and they must all inevitably be shut down.

Those of you who want to say goodbye to the land of Gielinor have until August 8th, before it goes offline for good.