– Award-winning MMO ‘Age of Conan’ soon available in a savage, sexy and brutal UNRATED version featuring a hybrid business model –
Durham, USA – May 25th, 2011 – Funcom is excited to announce that the award-winning and critically acclaimed massively multiplayer online game ‘Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures’ will receive a digital re-launch this summer under the new name ‘Age of Conan: Unrated’. As well as reaffirming its position as the sexiest and most savage MMO in the world, ‘Age of Conan: Unrated’ will also feature a hybrid business model allowing anyone to freely roam the vast lands of Hyboria either as free players or premium subscribers with access to extra content.
“With over 1.4 million copies sold, glowing reviews for both the core game as well as the expansion, and a healthy player base ever since launch in 2008, there is no doubt that ‘Age of Conan’ has been a true success story for Funcom,” says SVP of Sales & Marketing Morten Larssen. “Now we turn to another chapter in this story as we thrust ‘Age of Conan: Unrated’ into the world of free-to-play games, a gaming space that is becoming rapidly more popular and profitable across the board.”
The new business model will give players the opportunity to choose whether they want to play for free or become premium subscribers, and Funcom is also introducing an in-game store to the game where both free players and premium subscribers can purchase exclusive content such as weaponry and mounts. For a full overview of what differs from the free and premium offerings, please view the Frequently Asked Questions now available on ‘Age of Conan’ community website.
‘Age of Conan’ has always been a Mature gaming experience, but going Unrated gives the development team freedom to stay even more true to the original works of Conan author Robert E. Howard, and use even more of the barbaric, brutal and sexy setting that is Howard's Hyboria. Funcom is already in the process of developing new locations, monsters, equipment and storylines for ‘Age of Conan: Unrated’. This includes the movie tie-in adventure pack announced yesterday, that will introduce content and characters from the upcoming ‘Conan the Barbarian’ movie.
“Everyone on the team is excited about opening up our world to an even larger audience,” says Creative Director and Executive Producer Craig Morrison. “The online world of Hyboria is constantly expanding as we continue to introduce new gameplay features and new content, and we truly believe that ‘Age of Conan: Unrated’ will offer something truly new and unique to both new players and to those have already experienced the brutal online world of Conan the Barbarian.”
Comments
I year or so ago I didn't want this to happen. However, in this competitive market, personally I think it is the right business decision. I think it will bring a lot of people to come back and check things out. Whether people like it or not it's now just a better option to get updated.
This has actually got me interested in trying out AoC again, I did the trial but I did not think the game was worth a subscription fee (although I have become very anti-renting games). I will have to explore the game once it re-launches and see if it can keep me entertained for a little while. Although I have to say the unrated part kind of scares me, I already despise when people try to cyber with me in a MMO! This game being unrated might make it a thousand times worse in that category.
Great news!
If Funcom doesnt screw up the buisness model I can see myself playing AoC again.
But with Funcoms track record Im a bit worried...
If WoW = The Beatles
and WAR = Led Zeppelin
Then LotrO = Pink Floyd
Never played this before, so I'm really interested in trying this out when it's free.
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I boguht the AOC Collectors Edtion years ago, and honestly it was not worth playing, but if they actually market, and make correct to the changes I might check it out again, but right now at this point AOC isn't worth $1 to me, and here is why.
http://www.funcom.com/news/age_of_conan_goes_free_and_unrated
– Award-winning MMO ‘Age of Conan’ soon available in a savage, sexy and brutal UNRATED version featuring a hybrid business model – (Really wouldn't call it a Sexy MMO, Sure the Box Art is but the actual in game is too Censored.)
AOC art work itself was great, but the actual armors in game looks like the developers couldn't design worth crap.
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=age+of+conan+armor+set&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.&wrapid=tlif130630638027910&um=1&ie=UTF-8&tbm=isch&source=og&sa=N&tab=wi&biw=1209&bih=768 Just look through these and tell me that armor doesn't look like this.
http://images.mmosite.com/photo/2008/05/02/aoca7067iTgu5C1.jpg This for example on the other side is good art work, and it is sad to know that they don't have armor in the game that looks like this lol.
Now if you ask me, This is real armor.
http://www.google.com/search?um=1&hl=en&biw=1209&bih=768&tbm=isch&sa=1&q=Tera+Online+Armors&aq=f&aqi=g2&aql=&oq=
Anyways I will be watching to see if AOC is actually worth playing down the line.
I am surprised it took them so long. I like it.
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Love it, played AoC some time ago...now i will be happy to go back and see whats changed. Thanks for news. Hope we will get f2p date soon.
It was bound to happen. We were only waiting for it.
Well , cheers
Best PvP game ever (imo) is going to have "free version"? Oh boy, I'm coming back for sure at least try. Guardian ftw!
Played: Lineage 2,Guild Wars 1 and 2, Age of Conan, Ragnarok Online, LOTRO, World of Warcraft, League of Legends, EvE online
Tried: KAL Online, Face of Mankind, ROSE online
Playing: CS:GO
How many threads do we need on this topic, its already been covered by the staff.
Is the explicitness of the content really going to be that much different, or is it going to be like the unrated versions of all these movies that come out on DVD? The ones that when you look through the deleted scenes, the only difference is a few more curse words, or a hint of a nipple.
'Mature' rating, 'unrated', what's the diff?
? I'm pretty sure I've seen armor like that ingame, the one piece I'm not 100% certain about is the pants, but the rest of the gear I've encountered on other players.
As for armor taste, well, in contrast to other fantasy MMORPG's, AoC is not a 'high fantasy' setting but a 'low fantasy' setting, with the typical overall vibe that's more down-to-earth including looks of gear and cities. You won't see floating cities like Aion's Sanctum or talking mushrooms in AoC.
The ACTUAL size of MMORPG worlds: a comparison list between MMO's
The ease with which predictions are made on these forums:
Fratman: "I'm saying Spring 2012 at the earliest [for TOR release]. Anyone still clinging to 2011 is deluding themself at this point."
I am not sure, but you might be right. It might also inspire Funcom to add content more often to the game, my problem with AoC have always been that they take so long time adding stuff to the game.
More and more games are going freemium today, it seems like P2P is getting rarer and rarer. And I guess that games like GW2 will go hard on the P2P games at launch so mybe this is for the best. And at least it will keep the servers busier.
The question is just if freemium actually gives you more money when most games suddenly do it. When just DDO tried it the thing was a huge success.
I hope Funcom don't get too greedy like SOE with EQ2, paying for access to using items you already have is really bad.
Love this type of propaganda.
If the game is really doing well and has a thriving player base there'd be no reason to go free. DDO, LotRO and this - none were ever "major" competators in the MMO world.
Really didn't think this game was worth paying for, sadly because i love the Conan stuff, but I may check it out once it's free.
Was just announced Eric like a few mins before postingall these years I have seen all you guys post lol!
Here is more info- click here
Might be worth checking out while I continue to wait for TOR.
Game population has been in such a bad state for quite some time I am surprised they did not do this a lot sooner.
Restrictions are quite heavy on the free to play option but still at least you can get pretty far into the game.
No real access to any of the exp pack contents without paying a sub..
Only access to 2 end game raid dungeons...
Restricted classes..
but at least by then you will know if you like the game or not and probalyl sub up or stop playing.. Really this is just an extention to the trial as you dont get access to the end game stuff that is the main part of the game.. Getting to lvl 80 is so fast these days..
but still its a good move by them and will get more people back into the game
The game is getting better and better. The fact that they are going F2P is brilliant. Now all Funcom/ AoC haters has a chance to play the game for free. Most of you will have a great time, and the game can compare with Aion and Rift .
This game needed this very much. one thing that lacked in this game was population especially on the pvp servers. but free to play should bring in alot of new players.
next step should be to combine all servers so there is 1 pve server and 1 pvp server. then open a fresh server for both and not allow transfers that way all new players can start fresh together and enjoy leveling up without being face stomped by 80s on the pvp server.
One thing that needs to change; don't limit the chat capabilities of F2P players. Otherwise, hell yeah! It's been speculated about for months and it's finally real. One thing I don't fancy is going the EQ2E route and limiting the playable classes so much, but all the archetypes are there so it should be doable.
Very nice!
I've always been interested in the Conan MMO. I absolutely love the low-fantasy setting, and you can't really go wrong with this.
But I've never felt it was absolutely worth the 15bucks/month, especially with the lower population.
Maybe we could setup a MMORPG.com guild once it goes free to level up with a bunch of people and explore what the game has to offer? I'd happily roll a healer so we don't all have to solo up, will still roll a barb on the side though for the great melee system :P.
Sounds like this might provide a good game to wait in until the new batch of MMOs comes out, and possibly even return to in the case they dissapoint.
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As a loyal subscriber right from the beginnning I do welcome that they TRY to change the business model for the better but consider the actual approach more than just clumsy. Of course there has to be an incentive for people to also spend money but this approach doesn't give people enough reason to want to stick to the game.
Chat limitations, no (or barely no) low level dungeons will lead to a singleplayer experience even way beyond the singleplayer-heavy Tortage. That in combination with the instance system will even more than at release lead to people doubting if this is actually a MMO.
This approach is definitely NO f2p one. An extended trial at best, clumsily created on top. Despite having been a loyal subscriber for 3 years now I wholeheartedly say: Get lost, Funcom.