RuneFest 2011 is right around the corner, just 8 weeks from now, and many of us RuneScape players are stoked about it. The main issue I see most is that many players don’t know exactly what RuneFest actually is.

RuneFest is a gathering for two days in-real-life with RuneScape players. It holds Insider Sessions with jagex, has a community area to hang out and play RuneScape, a meet the makers session, multiple Distractions & Diversions, the famous Golden Gnome Video Awards, RuneQuiz, a costume competition, and a Halloween Party on Saturday Night. This is an event you will not want to miss out on if you have the money to attend.

RuneSlayer plans to have two staff members attend RuenFest to meet and socialize with those who we support through our websites. If you are going to RuneFest, make sure you stop by and say “hello” to one of us!  It will be Anthony(Brainiac744) and Ben(Ben_Ryfos) who will be attending.

It isn’t too late to buy a ticket, but you should act fast because they are likely to sell out fast!

You can find out all the information you need to know about RuneFest by either visiting RuneFest.com or browsing the RuneFest section on the official RuneScape Forums.

Thanks  to the huge success of last year’s RuneFest, we are proud to announce that we’re back with RuneFest 2011! And in celebration of 10 years of RuneScape, this year’s RuneFest will be bigger and better!

RuneFest 2011 will also be held over two days allowing you to completely immerse yourself in the experience and live RuneScape for a whole weekend. And for a truly memorable event, we’ve secured a stunning three floor venue in the heart of London overlooking the River Thames.

Each floor will be themed and feature an array of entertainment guaranteed to satisfy even the most ardent RuneScape fan. There are more new features than you can wave a bronze dagger at as well as some of last year’s favourites: the Insider Sessions and the Golden Gnome Video Awards. The Gaming Area is also back and is bigger and better than ever with events galore, giveaways, more opportunities to play and slay the RuneScape team. This year, we’ve gone all out on some pretty special exclusive content for all RuneFest attendees.

If all of that wasn’t enough, there’s a Halloween after party! Inspired by last year’s late night shenanigans, we’re holding an exclusive after party featuring games, ghouls, live bands, DJs and a special one-off community mash-up among the evening’s entertainment.

With an ever-expanding schedule of fantastic activities and events, you’ll need to keep your ears to the ground and your eyes on www.runefest.com to stay up to date with the latest announcements. You can also register for emails updates to get all the RuneFest news sent directly to your inbox!

RuneFest 2011 will take place over the weekend of Saturday 29th and Sunday 30th October 2011 at Old Billingsgate, Central London, UK. Tickets go on sale from Monday June 27 2011 and are £59 for a one-day pass, and £99 for the weekend.

The Halloween after party costs £49 and is open exclusively to RuneFest attendees. Tickets are limited so if you want to be there, you’ll need to get in quick!

If you’re looking for the ultimate experience and don’t want to miss a moment of RuneFest then there are a number of VIP tickets available. VIP tickets give you a truly individual weekend with priority seating for all presentations, private insider sessions with senior developers, signed concept art and a private J-Mod staffed area with your own VIP bar. You get all that, guaranteed access to the Halloween after party plus a few surprises we’re still keeping under our hats for now for £179.

We will be unveiling lots of exciting features over the coming weeks before tickets go on sale and will be announcing the first competition – the Golden Gnome Video Awards – next week, including news about this year’s categories and some very exciting prizes. In the meantime, you can start planning your RuneFest on the dedicated forums.

See you there!

The RuneFest Team

It has been a while since I last posted an article. As such, a lot can change when one is gone for extended periods. One of those changes was the look of the RuneScape website.

In my opinion, it looks great and is definitely a step up from its previous version. My favorite feature has to be the gobs of new content readers are now treated to. In particular, the “Hot Forum Topics” are a tremendous resource that will surely get buzz. I have already seen an increase in activity on the official RuneScape forums. I am not sure if it is fair to attribute that to the new section on the website, but nonetheless it is providing an avenue to help advertise threads.

The overall look of the site lends itself to better organization and easier access to site functions such as the built-in search engine, the polls, and the expanded menu at the bottom of the page. There should be no excuse for someone not to be able to find what they need on the site anymore. It’s that good, in my view.

Cosmetically, the colors and varying image types are creative. The header image adds a dramatic appeal. It inspires a feeling of action and exploration. I particularly like the stone, almost mechanical appearance of the navigation bar.

All in all, I am quite happy with the new site page. The people who created it over at Jagex did a fantastic job. Hopefully, the new homepage will prove to be a useful area of the website for years to come.