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 2012 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[Alan Wake, Epic Mickey among award-nominated video game scores]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2010/10/17/alan-wake-epic-mickey-among-award-nominated-video-game-scores/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/10/17/alan-wake-epic-mickey-among-award-nominated-video-game-scores/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/10/17/alan-wake-epic-mickey-among-award-nominated-video-game-scores/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Set to be announced in advance of the Hollywood Music In Media Conference running November 18-20, 2010 in -- where else -- Hollywood, CA, the 2010 Hollywood Music In Media Awards nominees include nine video game scores under the category of Visual Media. The bombastic orchestral sounds of God of War 3 and Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood are joined by the more moody fare of Alan Wake and -- a bit out of left field -- the score to Disney Epic Mickey.

The winning score will be revealed on November 11, 2010, and you can find the complete list of nominees after the break. Cue dramatic end-of-post theme.

Continue reading Alan Wake, Epic Mickey among award-nominated video game scores

JoystiqAlan Wake, Epic Mickey among award-nominated video game scores originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 17 Oct 2010 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>age-of-conanAlan-Wakeassassins-creed-brotherhoodbioshock-2epic-mickeygod-of-war-3halo-reachMedal-of-Honor-2010microsoftnintendopcplaystationprince-of-persia-the-forgotten-sandsps3pspsonywiixboxSun, 17 Oct 2010 15:30:00 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 dev Funcom spawns casual MMO label SweetRobot]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2009/12/11/age-of-conan-dev-funcom-spawns-casual-mmo-label-sweetrobot/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/12/11/age-of-conan-dev-funcom-spawns-casual-mmo-label-sweetrobot/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/12/11/age-of-conan-dev-funcom-spawns-casual-mmo-label-sweetrobot/#comments
Despite a year that saw it incur financial losses, less-than-stellar subscription uptake for its flagship MMO Age of Conan, plus layoffs and a delay for its next major title, The Secret World, Funcom has announced that it's launching a subsidiary called SweetRobot to publish family/kid-friendly MMOs. "Our passion and dedication for high-end online games remains the same, and Age of Conan and The Secret World are still our primary focus," company CEO Trond Arne Aas said in today's announcement. "But we are also eager to explore new opportunities within the industry, and it felt natural for us to step into the social gaming segment especially considering our outstanding experience with making online worlds and communities."

SweetRobot's first title, the free-to-play Pets vs. Monsters, has yet to be stamped with a release date, will be entering beta soon. Aas feels that "the fact that these productions require significantly lower budgets and smaller teams to develop" makes games like it attractive, since "it allows us to try out several concepts instead of placing all our resources into one single bet."

It also lets Funcom, er, SweetRobot do things like make a game that looks sort of like Diablo, only with robot frogs and trees covered in snot. Hey, it's what the focus groups said the kids want!

JoystiqAge of Conan dev Funcom spawns casual MMO label SweetRobot originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 11 Dec 2009 18:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>age-of-conancasualFuncommmopets-vs-monsterssweetrobotFri, 11 Dec 2009 18:15:00 EST<![CDATA[Funcom posts $9.6 million loss in Q3 2009]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2009/11/18/funcom-posts-9-6-million-loss-in-q3-2009/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/11/18/funcom-posts-9-6-million-loss-in-q3-2009/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/11/18/funcom-posts-9-6-million-loss-in-q3-2009/#comments Following a round of layoffs, a delay for one of its most anticipated titles and continuing reports of the player decline of Age of Conan, we knew that Norwegian developer Funcom wasn't in the best shape. Earlier today, the company posted its Q3 financial results and confirmed our suspicions: The company's reporting a $9.6 million loss for the third quarter of this year. Compared to the company's $3.3 million profit from the same period last year, that's a pretty disheartening decline.

With an expansion for Age of Conan and the ever-intriguing The Secret World presumably due out next year, and (according to a September 30 finance report) $34.8 million in the bank, Funcom's far from down and out. However, until one of those titles hits store shelves, things are probably going to get considerably less fun for Funcom.

JoystiqFuncom posts $9.6 million loss in Q3 2009 originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 18 Nov 2009 03:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>age-of-conanbusinessdeclinefinancefuncommoneyprofitthe-secret-worldWed, 18 Nov 2009 03:15:00 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[Mirror's Edge vs. Age of Conan at Nordic Awards]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2009/03/31/mirrors-edge-vs-age-of-conan-at-nordic-awards/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/03/31/mirrors-edge-vs-age-of-conan-at-nordic-awards/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/03/31/mirrors-edge-vs-age-of-conan-at-nordic-awards/#comments
Nordic Game 2009 is fast approaching and, like you, we're gearing up by listening to loads of ABBA, driving Volvos and wearing nothing but H&M clothing. That's all they do over there, right? Anyway, with the conference comes the obligatory awards show, though this one comes with a uniquely nordic theme. While über nordic games like LasseMajas and Englekræsj show up on the list, EA DICE-developed Mirror's Edge and Funcom-developed Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures are duking it out for two major awards: Artistic Achievement and Best Nordic Game.

We can't speak to the ... ahem ... games we've never heard of running against Mirror's Edge and Age of Conan, but retro remake Bionic Commando: Rearmed is also competing for the Best Nordic Game award, while Watchmen: The End is Nigh takes on the two for Artistic Achievement. The awards are set to be a veritable smörgåsbord of gaming, if you will. (Those are Swedish, right?)

[Via Edge]

JoystiqMirror's Edge vs. Age of Conan at Nordic Awards originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 31 Mar 2009 16:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>age-of-conanbionic-commando-rearmedea-diceEnglekrsjfuncomLasseMajasmirrors-edgenordic-game-2009swedenwatchmen-the-end-is-nighTue, 31 Mar 2009 16:10:00 EST<![CDATA[Funcom CFO quits after $23.3 million loss]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2009/02/23/funcom-cfo-quits-after-23-3-million-loss/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/02/23/funcom-cfo-quits-after-23-3-million-loss/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/02/23/funcom-cfo-quits-after-23-3-million-loss/#comments
Mongol General: Conan! What is best in life?
Conan: To crush your enemies, see them driven before you, and to hear the lamentation of their women.
Mongol General: That is good! That is good. And what's second best?
Conan: Well, I guess it's looking at a company with a $23.3 million operating loss in the fourth quarter and being able to say to yourself, "Hey, you know what? As the CFO, I'm gonna go ahead and deploy the old life raft and try to reach shore, or, barring that, a promising web 3.0 start-up that would benefit from an experienced hand." It's tough to throw in the towel, but sometimes it's just the sound fiscal decision.
Mongol General: ... Yeah, well, I guess that's pretty good too.

JoystiqFuncom CFO quits after $23.3 million loss originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 23 Feb 2009 10:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>age-of-conaneconomyfuncommmopcMon, 23 Feb 2009 10:40:00 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[Age of Conan's servers being cut by over half]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2009/01/12/age-of-conans-servers-being-cut-by-over-half/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/01/12/age-of-conans-servers-being-cut-by-over-half/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/01/12/age-of-conans-servers-being-cut-by-over-half/#commentsFiled under: , ,


Funcom has revealed that its ailing MMO Age of Conan will reduce its server count from 49 to 18. The cuts are most dramatic in the US, where 25 servers have been hacked to six. GI.biz speculates that AoC won't be shut down because it's Funcom's only source of income until it launches The Secret World, allegedly releasing in the next couple years.

Although the server reductions have been anticipated since late last year, Funcom only recently announced the full list of closures mergers. Funcom also recently disposed of employees in its QA and customer service departments. The company isn't doing too hot with its Hyborian Adventures at the moment, but hopefully these changes will keep the company afloat until the Conan expansion's cash infusion arrives.

[Via Massively]

JoystiqAge of Conan's servers being cut by over half originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 12 Jan 2009 10:11:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>age-of-conanage-of-conan-hyborian-adventuresfuncomPCMon, 12 Jan 2009 10:11:00 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[Want to leave WoW for Conan or Warhammer? Good luck!]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2008/11/05/want-to-leave-wow-for-conan-or-warhammer-good-luck/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/11/05/want-to-leave-wow-for-conan-or-warhammer-good-luck/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/11/05/want-to-leave-wow-for-conan-or-warhammer-good-luck/#commentsFiled under: , ,


Despite his rather stoic delivery during an Activision Blizzard conference call earlier today, Blizzard's Mike Morhaime undoubtedly took some thrill reciting the following statistics relating to players trying to leave World of Warcraft for the competition: Of the players who cited Funcom's Age of Conan as their reason for leaving WoW, a whopping 68% returned to Azeroth; of the players who cited Warhammer: Age of Reckoning as the impetus behind their departure, a less overwhelming (but similarly impressive) 46% of players ultimately leapt right back into Blizzard's no-doubt strategically receptive embrace.

So, what's the takeaway from this tale? Like broadband internet, hardcore drugs, or those 24-hour wicker stores, World of Warcraft is tough to stay away from once you've gotten a taste. And with Blizzard on the cusp of rolling out its latest and greatest expansion in Wrath of the Lich King, we're pretty certain there are plenty of cold-turkeyers getting the shakes just thinking about it.

JoystiqWant to leave WoW for Conan or Warhammer? Good luck! originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 05 Nov 2008 21:26:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Activision-BlizzardAge-of-ConanMacPCWarhammer-OnlineWorld-of-WarcraftWed, 05 Nov 2008 21:26:00 EST<![CDATA[Age of Conan servers merging, stock hits 2-year low]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2008/09/30/age-of-conan-servers-merging-stock-hits-2-year-low/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/09/30/age-of-conan-servers-merging-stock-hits-2-year-low/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/09/30/age-of-conan-servers-merging-stock-hits-2-year-low/#commentsFiled under:


An MMOG's health is indicated by its server numbers, which means Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures is currently ailing. Funcom's new Game Director for AoC, Craig Morrison, writes on the game's forums that server merging, in both Europe and North America, will soon occur.

At one point Funcom announced that AoC had 700,000 players, but that was when the game first shipped and players had a free trial month with the purchase. It's not just the players leaving -- Funcom investors also seem to be looking for the nearest exit. The company's stock is currently trading at $5, which is $20 down from when we checked in late July and $50 down from before AoC shipped.*

*The downward trend was already occuring prior to the current global economic crisis.

JoystiqAge of Conan servers merging, stock hits 2-year low originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 30 Sep 2008 10:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>age-of-conanaocfuncomPCserver-mergeTue, 30 Sep 2008 10:25:00 EST<![CDATA[Funcom co-founder quits, Age of Conan in Anarchy Online director's hands]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2008/09/17/funcom-co-founder-quits-age-of-conan-in-anarchy-online-director/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/09/17/funcom-co-founder-quits-age-of-conan-in-anarchy-online-director/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/09/17/funcom-co-founder-quits-age-of-conan-in-anarchy-online-director/#commentsFiled under: , , ,


Funcom co-founder Gaute Godager has resigned from the company after 16 years, citing dissatisfaction with certain elements of the company's MMO Age of Conan. The very bold statement by Godager comes as former Anarchy Online producer and game director, Craig Morrison, takes the reins of future Hyborian adventures.

In a follow-up piece by GI.biz, Funcom's European product manager stated he didn't want to get into specifics over why Godagar was "dissatisfied," but that "there were elements in the game that he was not happy with and he wanted to take the consequence of that." He concludes that the big priority right now is to give players what they're asking for. Apparently, Morrison's just the man to do it.

Source -- Funcom press release
Source -- Funcom: Godager stepped down as "consequence" of Conan problems

Gallery: Age of Conan

JoystiqFuncom co-founder quits, Age of Conan in Anarchy Online director's hands originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 17 Sep 2008 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>age-of-conanage-of-conan-hyborian-adventuresfuncomgaute-godagerPCWed, 17 Sep 2008 13:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Age of Conan 'Game Master' axed after grinding exploit]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2008/08/12/age-of-conan-game-master-axed-after-grinding-exploit/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/08/12/age-of-conan-game-master-axed-after-grinding-exploit/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/08/12/age-of-conan-game-master-axed-after-grinding-exploit/#commentsFiled under: , ,

age of conan
Even those who indulge in the sanctioned decadence of a Hyborian lifestyle can find themselves bound to otherworldly codes of conduct, as one Age of Conan "Game Master" (real job, apparently) recently learned after he engaged in a brief, albeit illicit affair with one of the game's denizens. While some would-be sleuths have concluded that the incident was a classic case of entrapment, the governing authority nonetheless terminated the frolicking GM. "If the guidelines are broken there are consequences," Funcom has stated. Let this be a lesson to all of us working the virtual shift: Pants are to be worn at all times.

[Via Big Download]

JoystiqAge of Conan 'Game Master' axed after grinding exploit originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 12 Aug 2008 02:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>age-of-conaneidosfuncomXbox-360Tue, 12 Aug 2008 02:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Age of Conan developer's stock drops by half]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2008/07/28/age-of-conan-developers-stock-drops-by-half/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/07/28/age-of-conan-developers-stock-drops-by-half/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/07/28/age-of-conan-developers-stock-drops-by-half/#commentsFiled under: ,


Funcom, developers of supposed MMORPG-hit Age of Conan, has seen its stock drop 55% over the last couple weeks. The stock has gone from $54 to $24 (as of last Friday) per share as speculation continues about how successful AoC actually is.

Massively notes that there's no way of knowing how many players actually stayed beyond the free 30-day trial and Funcom's done some phenomenal PR spin on the topic; however, we do know that the game has had strong sales at retail. The $54 price may have been a bubble, though, since $24 is what the company had been trading at earlier this year. If the price drops down further, then it looks like investors don't like what they're hearing about the game and are losing confidence in the company.

[Via Massively]

JoystiqAge of Conan developer's stock drops by half originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 28 Jul 2008 19:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>age-of-conanage-of-conan-hyborian-adventuresfuncomPCstockMon, 28 Jul 2008 19:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Zero Punctuation visits Conan in Hyboria]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2008/07/23/zero-punctuation-visits-conan-in-hyboria/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/07/23/zero-punctuation-visits-conan-in-hyboria/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/07/23/zero-punctuation-visits-conan-in-hyboria/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,


No matter how much the hardcore MMORPG crowd may want to deny it, almost every game in the genre wants to be, or wishes it could have been, World or Warcraft. This week's Zero Punctuation says as much, with Yahtzee trying to enjoy his Hyborian adventure but wandering into familiar -- but not quite right -- WoW territory.

Check out the NSFW review of Age of Conan after the break.

Continue reading Zero Punctuation visits Conan in Hyboria

JoystiqZero Punctuation visits Conan in Hyboria originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 23 Jul 2008 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>age-of-conanage-of-conan-hyborian-adventuresconanescapistescapist-magazinePCyahtzeezero-punctuationzeropunctuationWed, 23 Jul 2008 21:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Age of Conan reaches 700,000 players]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2008/06/30/age-of-conan-reaches-700-000-players/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/06/30/age-of-conan-reaches-700-000-players/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/06/30/age-of-conan-reaches-700-000-players/#commentsFiled under: , ,


Funcom announced today that Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures has entangled 700,000 players in its breast-reducing web. GameDaily reports that Funcom believes this makes Conan the #2 subscription MMO in the western world -- yeah, World of Warcraft is still #1 ... by a long shot.

According to NPD, Conan remains the top selling PC title in the US since its launch May 20. Funcom reported early last month it had shipped a million copies of the game to retail and now believes its current subscription numbers give it "significant development resources" to evolve the game over time. Hopefully this also means bugs that reduce anatomical parts will be caught in the future.

Gallery: Age of Conan

JoystiqAge of Conan reaches 700,000 players originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 30 Jun 2008 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>age-of-conanage-of-conan-hyborian-adventureseidosfuncomPCMon, 30 Jun 2008 17:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Counting Rupees: The MMO-TV hybrid]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2008/06/14/counting-rupees-the-mmo-tv-hybrid/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/06/14/counting-rupees-the-mmo-tv-hybrid/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/06/14/counting-rupees-the-mmo-tv-hybrid/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Each week Jeff Engel and Geoff Brooks contribute Counting Rupees, a column on the business behind gaming:

Can a game spin off into a successful TV series?

Many of us still remember waking up early on Saturday mornings to catch the latest episode of "Captain N: The Game Master" or rushing home after school to watch "The Super Mario Bros. Super Show!" (or if we were lucky enough to be watching on a Friday, "The Legend of Zelda"). While these shows weren't exactly something to write home about, it was certainly exciting to see some of our favorite Nintendo characters come alive in the form of a cartoon. In the last few years the wildly popular Pokemon games have spawned a long-lasting TV show and more recently, a Viva Piñata TV series was launched side-by-side with the game, in what was a moderately successful cross-marketing strategy (the kid's show is still running today and the game posted slow but steady sales, developing somewhat of a cult following). Clearly, there's some precedence for games to become the basis for a TV series, but these have all lacked one basic element that all the games required: interactivity.

So it is with some interest that the LA Times reports that Sci-Fi channel is teaming up with Trion World Network to create (simultaneously!) an MMO and a TV show based on it. Sci-Fi channel president Dave Howe says that it's the "Holy Grail". A subscription-based MMO and a successful television series that are able to successfully leverage each other could certainly be a potential windfall. However, while the details are somewhat scarce at the moment, from what I can glean, there are some major hurdles that this joint venture will need to overcome.

Continue reading Counting Rupees: The MMO-TV hybrid

JoystiqCounting Rupees: The MMO-TV hybrid originally appeared on Joystiq on Sat, 14 Jun 2008 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Age-of-ConanCounting-RupeesMMOMMORPGPCSci-FiTVWorld-of-WarcraftWoWSat, 14 Jun 2008 09:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Rock Band 2 to feature Turbonegro, Funcom announces]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2008/06/13/rock-band-2-to-feature-turbonegro-funcom-announces/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/06/13/rock-band-2-to-feature-turbonegro-funcom-announces/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/06/13/rock-band-2-to-feature-turbonegro-funcom-announces/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

turbonegro
Yeah, you read that right: Funcom, the creators of the Age of Conan MMO. The Norway-based studio has name-dropped "Rock Band II," despite there being no official word of the sequel from the folks who develop, publish and distribute the Rock Band franchise. Joining the ranks of two consumer surveys and a Bo Diddley obituary as unofficial bearers of Rock Band 2 news is Funcom's press release for the Age of Conan soundtrack, which proudly touts fellow Norwegian deathpunk rockers Turbonegro (or "Turboneger" as they're known around Oslo) as feature acts on the disc, who, oh by the way, are also in "the game Rock Band II."

And did you hear? Bad Religion has also been linked to the Rock Band sequel. Guitarist-songwriter Brett Gurewitz hit his Twitter watchers with this message last month: "Seven meetings and four executive decisions later, back at Sound City putting the finishing touches on 'Sorrow' for Rock Band 2."

[Via Shacknews]

JoystiqRock Band 2 to feature Turbonegro, Funcom announces originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 13 Jun 2008 11:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>age-of-conanbad-religioneaElectronic-Artsfuncomharmonixmtv-gamesPS2PS3rock-bandrock-band-2turbonegroWiiXbox-360Fri, 13 Jun 2008 11:59:00 EST<![CDATA[Age of Conan ships a million units]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2008/06/06/age-of-conan-ships-a-million-units/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/06/06/age-of-conan-ships-a-million-units/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/06/06/age-of-conan-ships-a-million-units/#commentsFiled under: , , ,


Despite changing women's breast sizes without permission, Age of Conan is apparently doing well, as publisher Funcom has announced that the game has shipped 1 million units. Late last month the company announced it had reached a customer base of 400,000.

Funcom's VP of Sales and Marking, Morten Larssen, says Funcom's sales data shows that AoC is "the biggest MMO launch since World of Warcraft." He believes the numbers are very promising for the future. Yes, but are the numbers promising a customer base of 10,000,000 players?

JoystiqAge of Conan ships a million units originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 06 Jun 2008 10:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>age-of-conanage-of-conan-hyborian-adventuresfuncomPCsalesFri, 06 Jun 2008 10:15:00 EST<![CDATA[Age of Conan's incredible shrinking breasts]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2008/06/03/age-of-conans-incredible-shrinking-breasts/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/06/03/age-of-conans-incredible-shrinking-breasts/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/06/03/age-of-conans-incredible-shrinking-breasts/#commentsFiled under: , , ,


Age of Conan's developer, Funcom, recently went on an accidental mass breast reduction spree within the MMORPG. The company writes on its forum (registration required) that a slip in the code from an earlier patch caused the "morph values" for character models to become altered. Apparently, the only body part -- at least, the only part anyone's complaining about -- to become amended were player's breasts.

The company posted that it is working to fix the error and informs players, "Your breasts should be back to normal soon." Thankfully, Age of Conan's mammary incident didn't have some reverse effect on men's pectorals.

[Via Kotaku, 1UP]

JoystiqAge of Conan's incredible shrinking breasts originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 03 Jun 2008 22:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>age-of-conanbreastsmammaryreductionTue, 03 Jun 2008 22:25:00 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 celebrates 400,000 players]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2008/05/26/age-of-conan-celebrates-400-000-players/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/05/26/age-of-conan-celebrates-400-000-players/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/05/26/age-of-conan-celebrates-400-000-players/#commentsFiled under:


Funcom announced today that Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures' "positive pre-order trend" translated into actual sales and the game has amassed a player base of 400,000 customers. The press release also states the first 20 reviews have scored the game above 90%, but we're not seeing any of that on Metacritic (as of this post going up). It appears many major review sites are digging a little deeper and taking some time with the MMORPG before posting an official verdict on the title.

If you're looking for more on Age of Conan, sister-site Massively has been covering the ups and downs of the games launch.

Gallery: Age of Conan

JoystiqAge of Conan celebrates 400,000 players originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 26 May 2008 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>age-of-conanfuncomMon, 26 May 2008 15:30:00 EST<![CDATA[The Best Of Big Download: May 16-22, 2008]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2008/05/22/the-best-of-big-download-may-16-22-2008/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/05/22/the-best-of-big-download-may-16-22-2008/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/05/22/the-best-of-big-download-may-16-22-2008/#commentsFiled under: ,


Hello once again, loyal reader. The team at Big Download has had an extremely busy second week with lots of features, downloads and news to report about on the PC gaming scene. It doesn't get much bigger than the release of Penny Arcade Adventures (and yes we have the PC, Mac and Linux demo versions available to download) and of course Age of Conan was pretty huge as well. We are still trying to iron out a few more bugs on the site but we are pretty happy with what we've got so far. Let's take a quick look at the highlights for our second official week:

Exclusive Features:

Continue reading The Best Of Big Download: May 16-22, 2008

JoystiqThe Best Of Big Download: May 16-22, 2008 originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 22 May 2008 15:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>age-of-conanbig-downloadchair-entertainmentEpic-gamesguild-warsPCpenny-arcade-adventurespostal-2Thu, 22 May 2008 15:45:00 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[April Fools' Alert #14: How the MMOs get their prank on]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2008/04/01/april-fools-alert-14-how-the-mmos-get-their-prank-on/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/04/01/april-fools-alert-14-how-the-mmos-get-their-prank-on/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/04/01/april-fools-alert-14-how-the-mmos-get-their-prank-on/#commentsFiled under: , ,

With only so much time left in the day, we thought we'd fit in a handful of the gros amount of April Fools' pranks found in the various MMOs today.
Speaking of WoW, our Azeroth-obsessed sister site converted to Hello Kitty Insider for a day of mass coverage (30+ posts!). Here's what their front page looked like today.

JoystiqApril Fools' Alert #14: How the MMOs get their prank on originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 01 Apr 2008 23:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>age-of-conanaprilfools08battle-for-middle-earthblizzardddodungeons-dragons-onlineguild-warshello-kittylord-of-the-ringslotrworld-of-warcraftwowTue, 01 Apr 2008 23:20:00 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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