Joystiq http://www.joystiq.com Joystiq http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/http://www.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif Joystiq http://www.joystiq.com en-us Copyright 2013 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/<![CDATA[Age of Conan sees 300,000 sign up after free-to-play switch, double revenue in first month]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/08/11/age-of-conan-sees-300-000-sign-up-after-free-to-play-switch-dou/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/08/11/age-of-conan-sees-300-000-sign-up-after-free-to-play-switch-dou/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/08/11/age-of-conan-sees-300-000-sign-up-after-free-to-play-switch-dou/#comments Age of Conan Like Lord of the Rings Online before it, Age of Conan has sipped from the free-to-play goblet and, oh, it was a good sip. Developer Funcom reports that, since migrating the previous subscription-based game into free-to-play territory last month, Age of Conan: Unchained (the game's new moniker) has seen a spike in users to the tune of 300,000 -- overall, revenues doubled over the last month. That is, like, the total opposite of lamentation for Funcom!

And to celebrate the upcoming movie remake of the original Arnold Schwarzenegger vehicle, Funcom is hard at work on a free movie tie-in content pack called Savage Coast of Turan. It will add new areas, equipment, enemies and charatcers from the upcoming film, which is set to pillage your local cinema on August 19.

Hit the jump for the full press release.

Continue reading Age of Conan sees 300,000 sign up after free-to-play switch, double revenue in first month

JoystiqAge of Conan sees 300,000 sign up after free-to-play switch, double revenue in first month originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 11 Aug 2011 20:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>age-of-conanAge-of-Conan-Hyborian-Adventresage-of-conan-unchainedbusinessfree-to-playfreemiumfuncommmopcsalesThu, 11 Aug 2011 20:20:00 EST<![CDATA[Age of Conan: Rise of the Godslayer mounts up on May 11]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2010/04/23/age-of-conan-rise-of-the-godslayer-mounts-up-on-may-11/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/04/23/age-of-conan-rise-of-the-godslayer-mounts-up-on-may-11/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/04/23/age-of-conan-rise-of-the-godslayer-mounts-up-on-may-11/#comments You know who really needs to be taken down a peg? Those gods, man. Look at 'em, up there. Think they're so high and mighty. We hear Kratos is busy, but we're not too concerned about a lack of potential divine retribution-dealers -- especially since Funcom just attached an imminent May 11 release date to its upcoming Age of Conan expansion, titled Rise of the Godslayer.

The add-on, which can be purchased as a separate download or a retail bundle with the original, expands the game's landscape to include the eastern empire of Khitai, where dangerous, dark magic is all the rage. For more info on the expansion, we suggest you turn to the MMO experts at Massively, who might be able to explain just how much god-slaying goes on in the new content.

JoystiqAge of Conan: Rise of the Godslayer mounts up on May 11 originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 23 Apr 2010 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>age-of-conanAge-of-Conan-Hyborian-AdventresEidos-InteractivefuncomMicrosoftmmommorpgrelease-daterise-of-the-godslayerXbox-360Fri, 23 Apr 2010 16:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Funcom Games Canada enters the Age of Caron]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2010/01/09/funcom-games-canada-enters-the-age-of-caron/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/01/09/funcom-games-canada-enters-the-age-of-caron/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/01/09/funcom-games-canada-enters-the-age-of-caron/#comments What to do when you're coming off a year of huge losses but still planning to reinvigorate the company? Get yourself a new CEO! That's what Age of Conan's Funcom did, announcing that Miguel Caron would be stepping into the position at Funcom Games Canada. Caron has been working in Quebec with Lyrtech, an audio and video processing company, as well as with IT firms like BCM International and NoWire Telecom.

Given his background in reducing IT costs and raising market share in the realm of digital communications, we'd guess he's got his job cut out for him at Funcom. The company says it's aiming to expand operations in Montreal, far away from its humble roots in Norway, so we'll see if Caron can summon some Cimmerian strength and get things moving in the right direction over there.

[Via Massively]

JoystiqFuncom Games Canada enters the Age of Caron originally appeared on Joystiq on Sat, 09 Jan 2010 05:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>age-of-conanAge-of-Conan-Hyborian-AdventresannouncementceoEidos-Interactivefuncomfuncom-games-canadaMicrosoftmiquel-caronmmosweet-robotthe-secret-worldXbox-360Sat, 09 Jan 2010 05:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Age of Conan gets 'unlimited free trial,' fine print]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2009/12/14/age-of-conan-gets-unlimited-free-trial-fine-print/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/12/14/age-of-conan-gets-unlimited-free-trial-fine-print/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/12/14/age-of-conan-gets-unlimited-free-trial-fine-print/#comments
Funcom has made its barbaric MMO Age of Conan free-to-play -- well, at least in a sense. From today through January 1, those who download the game client and create an account will be able to play for free until their character reaches level 20 (basically the game's first zone).

Doesn't exactly seem "unlimited," unless ... oh, we see, you can create a new character once you reach the free trial level cap and play through the same content again -- until that character reached level 20, and so on. Funcom is hoping that folks who go in for the trial experience will be so captivated that they'll want to pony up the money to see what lies beyond level 20. (Hint: It's more of the same.)

Funcom is calling this "a special holiday offer to anyone who wishes to experience the sexy and savage world of Conan." We're calling it a cry for attention.

JoystiqAge of Conan gets 'unlimited free trial,' fine print originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 14 Dec 2009 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>age-of-conanAge-of-Conan-Hyborian-AdventresEidos-InteractivefuncomMicrosoftmmoXbox-360Mon, 14 Dec 2009 21:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Age of Conan subscription prices slashed, free content added]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2009/10/29/age-of-conan-subscription-prices-slashed-free-content-added/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/10/29/age-of-conan-subscription-prices-slashed-free-content-added/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/10/29/age-of-conan-subscription-prices-slashed-free-content-added/#comments
Listen up folks, because Funcom is willing to do anything to get you to drive away in an Age of Conan TODAY. You want discounted subscriptions? You got 'em. You want a 20-percent discount on three month subscriptions? No problem. How about a 30-percent discount for six months? Done. You want more? How about a 45% discount on a full-year subscription. Funcom is just crazy enough to do it.

But wait, that's not all. Act now and you'll receive a free update that adds three new Halloween quests, offering you the chance to earn a demon pet and a legendary weapon known as the "Unholy Backscratcher." In addition, you'll get access to the new Veteran Points system and a new high-level dungeon. Once again, this is absolutely free to subscribers. And, take it from us, this isn't a deal that Funcom would make for just anybody, but you, you look like someone that knows what they want. So come see Funcom, friend. If they can't make you a deal, they'll start choppin' heads[TM].

[Via Big Download]

JoystiqAge of Conan subscription prices slashed, free content added originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 29 Oct 2009 00:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>age-of-conanAge-of-Conan-Hyborian-AdventresEidos-InteractivefuncomMicrosoftmmoXbox-360Thu, 29 Oct 2009 00:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Funcom confirms layoffs and Secret World delay, Age of Conan not affected]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2009/09/30/funcom-confirms-layoffs-and-secret-world-delay-age-of-conan-not/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/09/30/funcom-confirms-layoffs-and-secret-world-delay-age-of-conan-not/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/09/30/funcom-confirms-layoffs-and-secret-world-delay-age-of-conan-not/#comments We contacted Age of Conan developer Funcom yesterday after reports from Norwegian news site E24 claimed the company would soon be making major staff cuts. The company's director of communications, Erling Ellingsen, recently responded to our query, confirming the layoffs, and adding that Ragnar Tørnquist's mysterious MMO The Secret World would indeed be delayed "by a few months." Age of Conan and its in-development expansion, Rise of the Godslayer, will not be affected by the layoffs.

Ellingsen explained that the cuts, which would primarily take place in Funcom's Oslo, Norway offices, were made "in order to adjust to the market situation." Though the layoffs are coming fairly soon after the developer announced its new, Montreal-based studio, Ellingsen explained that "this has nothing to do with the establishment of our studio in Canada." We wish our Norwegian game-crafting allies the best of luck in getting back on their feet.

Gallery: The Secret World

tsw_screen_1-1252609093tsw_screen_2-1252609094tsw_screen_3-1252609096tsw_screen_4-1252609097

JoystiqFuncom confirms layoffs and Secret World delay, Age of Conan not affected originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 30 Sep 2009 11:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>age-of-conanAge-of-Conan-Hyborian-AdventresEidos-InteractivefuncomlayoffsMicrosoftmmonorwayoslothe-secret-worldXbox-360Wed, 30 Sep 2009 11:50:00 EST<![CDATA[Direct2Drive's anniversary sale continues with $5 RPGs and MMOs]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2009/09/21/direct2drives-anniversary-sale-continues-with-5-rpgs-and-mmos/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/09/21/direct2drives-anniversary-sale-continues-with-5-rpgs-and-mmos/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/09/21/direct2drives-anniversary-sale-continues-with-5-rpgs-and-mmos/#comments Digital retailer Direct2Drive continues its seemingly endless parade of values this week with a number of MMOs and RPGs which you can acquire for a single five-dollar bill. These titles include Neverwinter Nights 2, EVE Online, Age of Conan and Assassin's Creed Director's Cut. Well, fine -- that last one isn't exactly an RPG, unless what the director cut from the original version was turn-based random encounters.

If you're not a fan of playing roles, you'll be happy to know that D2D has kept a number of the previous weeks' deals alive, adding BioShock, Civilization 4, Assault on Dark Athena and many other titles to the pile of $5 games. If you're looking to expand your PC library on the cheap, it's definitely worth checking out.

JoystiqDirect2Drive's anniversary sale continues with $5 RPGs and MMOs originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 21 Sep 2009 23:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>age-of-conanAge-of-Conan-Hyborian-Adventresassassins-creeddirect2driveEidos-Interactiveeve-onlineFuncomMicrosoftmmoneverwinter-nights-2pcrpgsaleXbox-360Mon, 21 Sep 2009 23:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Funcom: Anarchy Online 2 not in the cards (yet)]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2009/07/09/funcom-anarchy-online-2-not-in-the-cards-yet/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/07/09/funcom-anarchy-online-2-not-in-the-cards-yet/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/07/09/funcom-anarchy-online-2-not-in-the-cards-yet/#comments Funcom isn't planning on a sequel to Anarchy Online just yet. Speaking with VideoGamer, Game Director Craig Morrison believes a sequel would be "problematic." He notes that AO has been running for eight years and is still making money. We can't blame Funcom for not wanting to mess with a game that's making money.

Morrison explains that Age of Conan and The Secret World are currently the company's two main projects. For now, it looks like Anarchy won't be getting a sequel for ... well, considering MMO development cycles, a good long while.

JoystiqFuncom: Anarchy Online 2 not in the cards (yet) originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 09 Jul 2009 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>age-of-conanAge-of-Conan-Hyborian-Adventresanarchy-onlineEidos-InteractivefuncomMicrosoftthe-secret-worldXbox-360Thu, 09 Jul 2009 17:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Give Age of Conan a second chance, get two weeks free]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2009/07/09/give-age-of-conan-a-second-chance-get-two-weeks-free/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/07/09/give-age-of-conan-a-second-chance-get-two-weeks-free/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/07/09/give-age-of-conan-a-second-chance-get-two-weeks-free/#comments Have you turned your back on Hyboria, nay, the entire Age of Conan? The MMO may be populated with barbarians, but its developer, Funcom, is really being quite nice to turncoats by offering two free weeks of gameplay if you return. No questions axed.

This re-evaluation campaign comes in advance of August's planned game expansion, which itself is set to be unveiled at Germany's GamesCom, which runs August 19 through 23. The wise barbarian will pocket those 14 days of free play until then.

JoystiqGive Age of Conan a second chance, get two weeks free originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 09 Jul 2009 07:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>age-of-conanAge-of-Conan-Hyborian-AdventresEidos-InteractivefuncomMicrosoftXbox-360Thu, 09 Jul 2009 07:01:00 EST<![CDATA[Funcom announcing Age of Conan expansion in August]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2009/07/08/funcom-announcing-age-of-conan-expansion-in-august/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/07/08/funcom-announcing-age-of-conan-expansion-in-august/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/07/08/funcom-announcing-age-of-conan-expansion-in-august/#comments Listen, we're in no position to further heckle Funcom's muscle-bound MMO Age of Conan for its underwhelming install base. We think it's great that the game has survived this long, and we're certain the game's three players will -- no! No heckling! The game's players will be thrilled to hear Funcom's got a big expansion planned for the Hyborean RPG.

The developer is planning on unveiling the expansion during GamesCom, a gaming convention (comvention?) that will be held in Cologne, Germany from August 19 - 23. Details about the add-on are non-existant -- hopefully it won't include any mammarical modifications, which have already been proven to be decidedly unpopular with Conan's subscribers.

JoystiqFuncom announcing Age of Conan expansion in August originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 08 Jul 2009 02:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>age-of-conanAge-of-Conan-Hyborian-AdventresEidos-InteractiveexpansionfuncomMicrosoftmmommorpgXbox-360Wed, 08 Jul 2009 02:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Age of Conan survives one year, gains unspecified growth]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2009/05/18/age-of-conan-survives-one-year-gains-unspecified-growth/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/05/18/age-of-conan-survives-one-year-gains-unspecified-growth/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/05/18/age-of-conan-survives-one-year-gains-unspecified-growth/#comments FunCom has announced that Age of Conan is officially celebrating its first anniversary this week, adding that the company has seen a "significant" increase in the number of players per month. The company also noted that activity levels in the game have increased "significantly." Just how significant is all of this significance? That's anybody's guess, as Funcom hasn't provided any hard numbers.

Considering that the Age of Conan log recounts a litany of woe and despair, we suppose any player increases would be good news which, in and of itself, would be significant for the beleaguered MMO. In celebration of the first anniversary of the game, players will be treated to in-game fireworks and the chance to win prizes. Also, Funcom will soon be adding the ability to buy additional character slots and, as a bonus anniversary gift, will provide veteran players that have subscribed to the MMO for at least six months with a new character slot for free. Everyone else gets to keep playing World of Warcraft.

JoystiqAge of Conan survives one year, gains unspecified growth originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 18 May 2009 22:08:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>age-of-conanAge-of-Conan-Hyborian-AdventreseidosEidos-InteractivefuncomMicrosoftmmoXbox-360Mon, 18 May 2009 22:08:00 EST<![CDATA[Age of Conan still in development for Xbox 360]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2009/01/22/age-of-conan-still-in-development-for-xbox-360/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/01/22/age-of-conan-still-in-development-for-xbox-360/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/01/22/age-of-conan-still-in-development-for-xbox-360/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Funcom is still developing a Xbox 360 port of Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures, the publisher reiterated in an interview with Eurogamer. The affirmation comes after PC player subscriptions for the MMO dropped and half the servers were shut down.

Game Director Craig Morrison wouldn't go into specifics beyond the fact that the company still plans on having a version on Microsoft's console. Morrison describes the team working on the console version as small and dedicated. Heck, it's worth a try. Then again, who will test it? Didn't QA get laid off?

JoystiqAge of Conan still in development for Xbox 360 originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 22 Jan 2009 16:36:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>age-of-conanAge-of-Conan-Hyborian-Adventresage-of-conan-hyborian-adventuresEidos-InteractivefuncomMicrosoftXbox-360Thu, 22 Jan 2009 16:36:00 EST<![CDATA[Funcom still has "high expectations" for 360 Age of Conan]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2008/12/12/funcom-still-has-high-expectations-for-360-age-of-conan/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/12/12/funcom-still-has-high-expectations-for-360-age-of-conan/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/12/12/funcom-still-has-high-expectations-for-360-age-of-conan/#commentsFiled under:

It has been a long, long time since we heard anything about the Xbox 360 version of the Funcom MMO Age of Conan. Considering the spate of bad news about Funcom and AOC lately, we were half convinced that the project had been shelved altogether. Not so, apparently, as Funcom CEO Trond Arne Aas told gamesindustry.biz that the title was still in the works, saying, "We had high expectations when we first set out to do a console version of Age of Conan, and these remain high." He added that Funcom is working to tailor the experience to the console, saying that the 360 version should boast "most, if not all of the content and improvements that have been made to the PC version of the game."

Just when we should expect to see Age of Conan on the 360, Arne Aas did not say.

[Via Ars Technica]

JoystiqFuncom still has "high expectations" for 360 Age of Conan originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 12 Dec 2008 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>age-of-conanAge-of-Conan-Hyborian-AdventresaocEidos-InteractivefuncomFri, 12 Dec 2008 14:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Funcom confirms Age of Conan layoffs]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2008/11/24/funcom-confirms-age-of-conan-layoffs/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/11/24/funcom-confirms-age-of-conan-layoffs/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/11/24/funcom-confirms-age-of-conan-layoffs/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

The bad news parade for Age of Conan doesn't look like it's going to stop until it pulls a Tabula Rasa. TenTonHammer has confirmed layoffs at developer Funcom's US branch. Although the company would only acknowledge "staffing cuts," TTH reported rumors that 70% of the staff, mostly from the customer service and quality assurance departments, were let go.

Although it's certainly no secret that Age of Conan is hurting at this point, the QA and CS departments are the two bookends of support on many MMORPGs. When there's no need for them, it speaks volumes about what happens next.

[Via Game|Life]

JoystiqFuncom confirms Age of Conan layoffs originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 24 Nov 2008 18:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>age-of-conanAge-of-Conan-Hyborian-Adventresage-of-conan-hyborian-adventuresEidos-InteractivefuncomlayoffsMicrosoftPCXbox-360Mon, 24 Nov 2008 18:50:00 EST<![CDATA[Age of Conan dethrones GTA IV in Europe]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2008/05/31/age-of-conan-dethrones-gta-iv-in-europe/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/05/31/age-of-conan-dethrones-gta-iv-in-europe/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/05/31/age-of-conan-dethrones-gta-iv-in-europe/#commentsFiled under: ,

With the amount of hype, advertising, positive reviews and media attention Grand Theft Auto IV has received over the past few months, we wholly expected it to remain on top of the software sales charts until our video game consoles grew sentient and attempted to purge humanity from the planet. Strangely enough, a dark horse recently overtook Rockstar's well-received crime drama in many European territories -- a horse mounted by a brawny, rippling Cimmerian.

Yes, Funcom's decapitation-rich MMORPG Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures recently outsold GTA IV in a number of European locations, including Germany and Sweden. Since Rockstar's latest opus is still selling like freshly baked hotcakes in North America, we can't help but wonder if GTA's themes of living the American dream and hooker brutalization got lost in translation as the title crossed the Atlantic -- or whether Age of Conan's musclebound mascot reminds German gamers of a certain pop culture icon who is quite revered in their country.

JoystiqAge of Conan dethrones GTA IV in Europe originally appeared on Joystiq on Sat, 31 May 2008 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>age-of-conanAge-of-Conan-Hyborian-Adventresage-of-conan-hyborian-adventuresageofconanconanEidos-Interactiveeuropefuncomgermanygrand-theft-auto-ivgta-ivgtaivMicrosoftmmommorpgPCrockstarswedenXbox-360Sat, 31 May 2008 19:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Age of Conan collector's edition is all sold out]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2008/05/19/age-of-conan-collectors-edition-is-all-sold-out/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/05/19/age-of-conan-collectors-edition-is-all-sold-out/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/05/19/age-of-conan-collectors-edition-is-all-sold-out/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Selling out has become a common occurrence for Funcom's upcoming MMO Age of Conan, a theme that continues this morning with news that the game's collector's edition print run of 111,000 units is "completely sold out in all markets." The announcement stings for those of us who kept putting off pre-ordering the limited edition box until tomorrow, and while Funcom notes that some boxes may still be found on retail shelves, stores will not be able to order more.

Even so, Funcom adds that it is putting some 700.000 copies of Age of Conan on trucks bound for retail shelves on day one, ensuring that anyone who fancies suiting up in virtual loincloths will be able to do so when the MMO officially begins tomorrow.

JoystiqAge of Conan collector's edition is all sold out originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 19 May 2008 08:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>age-of-conanage-of-conan-hyboria...Age-of-Conan-Hyborian-Adventresageofconanageofconanhyborianad...eidosEidos-InteractivefuncomMicrosoftPCXbox-360Mon, 19 May 2008 08:25:00 EST<![CDATA[Age of Conan early access 'sold out']]>http://www.joystiq.com/2008/05/14/age-of-conan-early-access-sold-out/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/05/14/age-of-conan-early-access-sold-out/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/05/14/age-of-conan-early-access-sold-out/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Those who wanted to pay extra to explore Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures' lands a little early are probably going to be upset to discover that "early access" is now sold out. A post on the MMORPG's official forums gives little explanation as to why this occurred, but eagle-eyed players who read the fine print point to Funcom having discussed limited availability.

Looks like MMO players will need to find some other game to grind in until Conan officially begins next week.

[Via Massively]

Gallery: Age of Conan

JoystiqAge of Conan early access 'sold out' originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 14 May 2008 16:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>age-of-conanAge-of-Conan-Hyborian-Adventresage-of-conan-hyborian-adventuresearly-accessearly-access-keyearly-access-programEidos-InteractiveFuncomMicrosoftPCXbox-360Wed, 14 May 2008 16:15:00 EST<![CDATA[Age of Conan's retail, monthly subscription prices revealed]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2008/04/23/age-of-conans-retail-monthly-subscription-prices-revealed/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/04/23/age-of-conans-retail-monthly-subscription-prices-revealed/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/04/23/age-of-conans-retail-monthly-subscription-prices-revealed/#commentsFiled under: ,

Norwegian publisher and developer Funcom has announced the amount of money armchair barbarians can expect to shell out from beneath their loincloths to play Age Of Conan: Hyborian Adventures, with the MMO's retail box costing $59.99 and €49.99 in North America and Europe respectively. Beyond that initial outlay of coins, swinging an axe in Hyborea will carry a monthly subscription price of $14.99 in North America and €12.99 for players on the other side of the Atlantic.

However, while the oft-delayed MMO has seen a healthy influx of interest during the game's beta test, this hasn't clouded Funcom's gift for the obvious, with the company stating in an investor update that "the success of the game will depend first and foremost on the response it receives from players after several hours of playtime of the finished product."

[Via Massively]

JoystiqAge of Conan's retail, monthly subscription prices revealed originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 23 Apr 2008 05:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>age-of-conanAge-of-Conan-Hyborian-AdventresageofconanEidos-Interactivefuncomhyborian-adventuresHyborianAdventuresMicrosoftPCXbox-360Wed, 23 Apr 2008 05:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Age of Conan MMO News]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2008/02/19/age-of-conan-mmo-news/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/02/19/age-of-conan-mmo-news/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/02/19/age-of-conan-mmo-news/#commentsFiled under:

The Age of Conan MMO has been in development at Funcom on PC and 360 for some time now, and the game is starting to come out of it's shell a bit. With a demo at GDC, and impressions and interviews going up left and right, now would be a good time to discuss the shortcomings of your game right? Of course. The Funcom Product Manager Jorgen Tharaldsen told MTV Multiplayer that the game still has no release window for 360 and that the PC version will ship in May. Multiplayer even hints that the console release will not be seen until next year, a sorry state of affairs if the PC version is set to ship in a little over three months. It's easy to see why the team hasn't made much progress considering they haven't even touched what they call their largest obstacle, the controller interface. Tharaldsen even goes so far as to say that PC gamers would be unable to use their 360 controllers in the PC version, because the game was so complicated. But, if MMO's are so hard to use controllers with why do people play WoW with gamepads?

JoystiqAge of Conan MMO News originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 19 Feb 2008 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>age-of-conanAge-of-Conan-Hyborian-AdventresconanEidos-InteractiveFuncommmoTue, 19 Feb 2008 14:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Age of Conan's violence toned down for Germany]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2008/02/06/age-of-conans-violence-toned-down-for-germany/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/02/06/age-of-conans-violence-toned-down-for-germany/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/02/06/age-of-conans-violence-toned-down-for-germany/#commentsFiled under: ,

The community manager for Funcom's upcoming MMO, Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures, has announced on the game's official forums that players in Germany would encounter some alterations when it (eventually) releases there. Though "full gore" will be featured, decapitation, dismemberment and "over-the-top" fatalities will be chopped out. The rest of Europe, on the other hand, won't suffer from censorship and will be able to enjoy decapitations to their hearts' content. Gore-loving Germans might want to look into obtaining the game from a neighboring country.

Originally, the community manager also reported that the US version would "not see nipples." It wasn't made clear at the time whether the negative nipple mandate applied only to female mammaries or if the men would also need to wear pasties, but a correction posted later confirmed that the US would be free to see "breasts with nipples." Phew, crisis averted.

[Via Shacknews]

JoystiqAge of Conan's violence toned down for Germany originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 06 Feb 2008 05:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The age of Conan will begin eight weeks late. Funcom has announced that its visceral MMO Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures, originally due at the end of March, has a new release date of May 20. The company cites further polish as the reason for the delay, but we suspect they just wanted to keep up with a never-ending trend of "final" delays for the award-winning title that had an impressive showing at E3 ... 2006.

The new release date could put the game against another highly-anticipated MMO, Electronic Arts' Warhammer Online, although our sister site Massively points out there are rumblings of a fall 2008 delay for Warhammer. Check out our impressions of Age of Conan from this month's Consumer Electronics Show.

[Via Massively]

JoystiqAge of Conan pushed back until May 20 originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 21 Jan 2008 14:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>age-of-conanAge-of-Conan-Hyborian-AdventresageofconandelayEidos-InteractivefuncomMicrosoftPCXbox-360Mon, 21 Jan 2008 14:15:00 EST<![CDATA[CES 2008: Age of Conan converts at least one player]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2008/01/09/ces-2008-age-of-conan-converts-at-least-one-player/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/01/09/ces-2008-age-of-conan-converts-at-least-one-player/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/01/09/ces-2008-age-of-conan-converts-at-least-one-player/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

Sitting down with Age of Conan: Hyborean Adventures today was something of a wakeup call for me. I've enjoyed my previous exposure to the game, but I've never had that 'I get it' moment. You know that moment, every MMO has it. In World of Warcraft it's the first time you start a quest; in Tabula Rasa it's the first time you fire your gun; and in Lord of the Rings Online that moment comes when you look up and behold the majesty that is the Shire. For me, Conan's moment was when I finally 'got' the combat. The CES build of the game, hopefully just a few months away from release, really hit home with the experience of slicing and dicing in real time.

A raid on Conall's Valley (the birthplace of Conan) was the zone on display in the main exhibit hall. The big news for CES is what developer Funcom is calling 'Cheetah 2,' a brand new graphics engine. That project's goals include new rendering and weather systems, an improved framerate and other technical advances. There should be more to report on that advance before the end of the show. In the meantime, I have a few impressions for you as a newly converted Conan fan.

Gallery: Age of Conan

Continue reading CES 2008: Age of Conan converts at least one player

JoystiqCES 2008: Age of Conan converts at least one player originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 09 Jan 2008 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>age-of-conanAge-of-Conan-Hyborian-AdventresCESces-2008Eidos-InteractiveFuncomhandsonimpressionsMicrosoftPCXbox-360Wed, 09 Jan 2008 20:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Age of Conan beta surpasses 10,000 testers, more invites to come]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2007/12/07/age-of-conan-beta-surpasses-10-000-testers-more-invites-to-come/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/12/07/age-of-conan-beta-surpasses-10-000-testers-more-invites-to-come/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/12/07/age-of-conan-beta-surpasses-10-000-testers-more-invites-to-come/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Age of Conan, Funcom and Eidos' perpetually delayed massively multiplayer romp through the magical world of Hyboria and its sea of rippling pecs, has surpassed 10,000 beta testers, which by itself would sound impressive had more than ten times this number of would-be warriors not signed up earlier this year. Given this, it seems that the powers-that-be have been particularly selective about who they let into their sandbox, a practice that we presume has Lord British chartreuse with envy.

The devs state that Age of Conan is being patched and updated 'frequently,' and that Funcom plans to "continuously expand the beta efforts in the months to come, including adding tens of thousands of new testers," no doubt welcome news for the thousands of would-be players still waiting at the gate, shivering patiently in their loincloths for the chance to grind alongside fellow barbarians. The MMO, which was first announced way back in Ye Olde 2005, is currently scheduled to ship for the PC on March 25, 2008, though if you are like us you're holding off placing bets quite yet.

[Via Massively]

JoystiqAge of Conan beta surpasses 10,000 testers, more invites to come originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 07 Dec 2007 19:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>age of conanage-of-conanAge-of-Conan-Hyborian-AdventresAgeOfConanbetabeta testingbeta-testingBetaTestingeidosEidos-InteractivefuncomMicrosoftmilestonemmommorpgPCXbox-360Fri, 07 Dec 2007 19:58:00 EST<![CDATA[Dragon*Con impressions: Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2007/09/18/dragon-con-impressions-age-of-conan-hyborian-adventures/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/09/18/dragon-con-impressions-age-of-conan-hyborian-adventures/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/09/18/dragon-con-impressions-age-of-conan-hyborian-adventures/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Funcom was at this year's Dragon*Con in force with demos of their upcoming MMO Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures. While the game isn't slated for release until March 2008 (we hope), the game Funcom showed us looked pretty slick -- though they're still tight-lipped on the feat system (that would be "talent trees" for you World of Warcraft-ers) and the "spell weaving" system the magic users will have access to. We did, however, get a good look at the gameplay as well as a look at the game's female models. For those of you who have to see these things for yourself, Funcom is accepting applications for beta-testers, but for full details on what we saw at Funcom's demo, keep reading!

Gallery: Age of Conan

Continue reading Dragon*Con impressions: Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures

JoystiqDragon*Con impressions: Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 18 Sep 2007 21:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>age-of-conanAge-of-Conan-Hyborian-AdventresAgeOfConanaocdragonconEidos-InteractivefuncomHyborianAdventuresMicrosoftmmorpgPCXbox-360Tue, 18 Sep 2007 21:20:00 EST