Jagex dips its toes into the App Store

Although it continues to generate plenty of revenue from its classic free-to-play MMORPG Runescape, UK publisher Jagex is also looking at other business opportunities, including mobile.

Late in 2009, it released its first iPhone experiment, a platformer called BounceDown, which due to the combination of its free status, and the ability to cross-market to Jagex's huge online community, ended up being downloaded four million times.

So now the company is experimenting with a paid game: the 99c Star Cannon.

Like BounceDown, it's a conversion from the company's FunOrb portal of browser games, but it certainly won't be the last to make its way onto the App Store during 2010.

"We're always looking for new ways to offer our games to the widest possible audience and Star Cannon is the first of a handful of titles we will release this year for the iPhone and iPod touch," said Rob Smith, Jagex's COO.

"We were incredibly happy with the great community feedback from BounceDown and have incorporated this into Star Cannon by building on what makes the original PC version of the game so compelling, and adding a host of new features and gameplay specific to the iPhone version."