Age of Conan slays 400,000

Funcom's Hyborian Age-themed MMOG for PC hits milestone one week after official launch.

In the wake of Blizzard Entertainment's 10-ton (and 10 million player strong) gorilla, World of Warcraft, it's difficult to accurately measure the success of a massively multiplayer online role-playing game. However, as several recently launched MMOGs can attest, just getting the first hundred thousand in the door can be a daunting feat.

Of course, no challenge is too great for Conan the Barbarian. Funcom said today that more than 400,000 players have stepped into the online realm of Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures. Not long after the game launched for the PC last week, Funcom stated that the collector's edition for its M-for-Mature-rated MMOG had indefinitely sold out. The Oslo, Norway-based developer expects sales to continue to climb as retailers restock the standard edition of the game.

Based on the savage universe first imagined by Robert E. Howard, Age of Conan drops players into the unforgiving online realm of the Hyborian Age. Assuming the role of one of 12 classes, players begin life as an escaped slave, and, if they're lucky, end it at the point of a sword. For more on the game, check out GameSpot's live gameplay marathon and its accompanying postlaunch impressions.

95 Comments

  • bzh027

    Posted May 31, 2008 10:07 am PT

    I can understand why some people will not like this game. They either have judged it before it was even released or their standards are so ridiculously high that they will never be sated by any mmorpg after their first love 10 years ago, everquest or whatever started their interest in the genre. Those are the same people who can never get enjoyment out of watching a b movie. I am glad I am not so jaded.

    I personally love this game. Visceral, bloody, unforgiving pvp servers, no factions, guild cities and keeps, some interesting class types oh and of course, fatalities. The look isn't designed to be shiny and polished like crysis so graphics geeks may be disappointed, but a better looking mmo I have played none.

  • nord1c

    Posted May 31, 2008 9:34 am PT

    Watch out for Conan the slowpoke!

    Played it for about a week now and boy, that game is boooring. Same old questing as in WoW, no economy as of yet. Cooperative play is rarely necessary. The skills are way too one dimensional to really keep one interested in the game. Also the gfx engine is a constant imposition. While Crysis ran smoothly on my machine, Conan fails at this with even the artwork being far inferior. So, my hopes lie with Warhammer online, let's hope that Games Workshop will bring somethng new to the genre.

    AoC is definitely fails to decapitate WoW and while it might offer some limited entertainment to MMORG-Noobs, it fails to surmount a big yawn with the veterans of the genre.

  • Guts5

    Posted May 29, 2008 7:50 pm PT

    "Dryker I can't wait for this to hit 360, though I fear it will do severe damage to all other facets of my life. By Krom, no guts no glory!"

    Sadly, no one knows how long that wait will be. The game is not unlisted on gamestop, it was Sept1. We shall see.

  • Warghost2k

    Posted May 29, 2008 4:47 am PT

    Awesome game, but my PC doesn't run it well. I hate to say this, but it appears this game is a little too over-ambitious with its hardware requirements. I wish Funcom the best of luck, and I'll be back when I upgrade my dinosaur of a PC.

  • Dryker

    Posted May 28, 2008 11:15 pm PT

    I can't wait for this to hit 360, though I fear it will do severe damage to all other facets of my life. By Krom, no guts no glory!

  • Swampthing

    Posted May 28, 2008 3:30 pm PT

    BETTER GRAB THIS MONTH's PC GAMER... There's a free unique code in each issue for a "Totem of the Origins" that magically teleports the user back to their home city once per 24 hours.

  • raichudl

    Posted May 28, 2008 1:56 pm PT

    SWG was dead before WoW hit it big time as in millions.

  • Yuck_Too

    Posted May 28, 2008 7:09 am PT

    Just to throw this out there in regards to MMO's

    They should make a "Trade Wars" MMO...with a Firefly feeling to it.

    Some of you might be old enough to know what I'm talking about.

  • Guts5

    Posted May 28, 2008 5:10 am PT

    Khalathwyr Great post.

    I'll add this as well. WOW cost over 50 million US dollars to make. All other MMOs that have come after it are no where near that expensive. Those teams the best they could with their respective MMOs but they didn't get that kind of funding. AOC and Funcom did get 50 million in funding and lucky for all of us they didn't waste it!

    Oh for those not in game yet, they are adding servers all the freaking time. It's growing crazy fast!

    Agermemnon yeah, I hope it does great on the 360 as well. The XBOX live subscriber base is larger than WOWs and the there are millions that aren't even subscribers. Consoles are a large untapped market.

  • Agermemnon

    Posted May 28, 2008 3:34 am PT

    I hope it does well on the 360 also and pave the way for more good mmo's to come out for consoles .

  • Khalathwyr

    Posted May 28, 2008 3:27 am PT

    It's not difficult to accurately measure an MMO's success. Wow was a fluke with respect to IP popularity and taking the safe approach to making an MMO. Kudos to them. Meanwhile, back in the real world, 200,000+ subscriptions makes a very profitable and successful game. With all due respect to blizzard, the MMO genre will be much better off with people with the power to write articles pull their lips off WoW's butt. I heck, there was even an article written on THIS SITE with Kotick stating in no way were they going to spend $500,000 to $1 million to try to compete with WoW as they figured most likely they will fail. SMedley and SOE tried to mimic WoW with SWG with the NGE and look where it got them. 400,000 subscriptions is a success for MMOs. To suggest anything other than that bespeaks a severe lack of touch with the genre.

  • _iMMuNiTy_

    Posted May 28, 2008 3:01 am PT

    Gamestop, please. Stop with these moronic, inane and ill-fitting headlines. Please.

  • Diernes

    Posted May 28, 2008 2:35 am PT

    WOW's success is just grotesque, and frankly unjustified. I really hope AOC steals its thunder.

    But really, until wow came along a 400,000 strong player base was a great sucess.

  • razgriz_101

    Posted May 28, 2008 2:16 am PT

    i tried to pick this up to check it out wasnt too keen on WoW seen this and thought hmm could this be the MMO i will actually play.Went to shops it was out of stock in game and gamestation and a couple of other retailers and i thought damn this must be pretty good if its sold out,only now i have to wait for those places to get em back in stock

  • thenephariouson

    Posted May 28, 2008 1:58 am PT

    360 please!!!

  • d3vilg0d

    Posted May 28, 2008 12:53 am PT

    I got has far has I wanted in Wow including elite griphon.Im giving AoC a chance cos it comes with 30days so after 30 might choose who gets my $15.

  • truevar

    Posted May 28, 2008 12:13 am PT

    been playing WoW from day one but now Hyboria is my home.

  • sirkel28

    Posted May 27, 2008 11:43 pm PT

    Played WoW for like 2 years and finally got sick of it, this game combat is fresh and so are the more real life graphics. I'm sure there will be lots of tweaking and bug fixing for a while though.

  • blackace

    Posted May 27, 2008 11:31 pm PT

    I haven't played WoW in many months, so trying this game would be a waste of my time. I heard the game was pretty buggy, but did have some good points to it.

  • damariners

    Posted May 27, 2008 11:01 pm PT

    hehe the new mmog champ!!! age of conan!!!

  • Viral-venom13

    Posted May 27, 2008 10:51 pm PT

    I guesss this game must be really awesome, Warcraft watch out, your new advasary may be here 2 take your crown!!

  • theory8sf

    Posted May 27, 2008 10:23 pm PT

    Wow , 400,000 copies has sold that cool! I went like looking everywhere for this game. I went to Best Buy and Fry's and there sold out!

  • Guts5

    Posted May 27, 2008 10:03 pm PT

    "AngelsongCA Can this game be played with only a game pad?"

    Yes. On May 15th a Funcom Dev did an interview indicating they plan on having cross platform servers betweeb the PC and 360. You'll just map the different attacks to different buttons and use the bumpers or the flat pad to cycle through your hotbars more likely.

  • ColdfireTrilogy

    Posted May 27, 2008 10:00 pm PT

    I would definitely try it .... if i hadn't put so much time into wow already ... im not willing to start over at this point, just not enough pull for me. If i were to do anything it would be going back to my FPS roots completely, as for transferring MMOs ... not a chance.

  • AngelsongCA

    Posted May 27, 2008 8:01 pm PT

    Can this game be played with only a game pad?

  • BigSmitts07

    Posted May 27, 2008 7:33 pm PT

    when this comes out for 360 i think im going to give it a chance =)

  • Sins-of-Mosin

    Posted May 27, 2008 7:15 pm PT

    Glad to hear it's doing good but I'm in no need of a MMO. I am waiting for some good gameplay videos of the higher end stuff.

  • LagElectronics

    Posted May 27, 2008 6:54 pm PT

    @Warchief_Zuljin

    Except there are 3 races to play...

    Lern2Lore

    Congratulations! You fail!

  • Guts5

    Posted May 27, 2008 5:14 pm PT

    And more copies of Super Mario Brothers has been bought than any other single game.... The #1 selling game franchise of all time is The Sims... that doesn't mean those games are like AOC. Just like EQ/WOW is not like AOC. It's surely not going to be the most popular MMORPG ever with the same group that plays WOW.

    Other than it being a completly different game here's a couple more differences. NO MACROS or MODS allowed. That's right, YOU actually have to play the game and it won't play itself for you with all that junk. So, if you're planning on watching your favorite TV show while you play AOC, like you do in WOW... it isn't gonna happen.

    Get it?

    Completly different experiences from all the EQ clones. That were based on the limitations of a 56k modem... and have been lazy and not innovative from that time forward, because some people just keep accepting the same old tired gameplay. For those that are sick of it, AOC is your mmoRPG.

  • somberfox

    Posted May 27, 2008 5:10 pm PT

    that 11 million subscriptions on WoW are dead or non active accounts anymore

    WoW subscription reports don't count inactive ones... every single one of the 10+ million subscriptions are currently active.

  • MidniteShadow

    Posted May 27, 2008 5:04 pm PT

    wow I cant believe all the WoW/Lineage/FF11/etc vs AoC posts on here, get a grip people they are jsut stating that 400k members have signed onto AoC during the first week and hell thats alot of players even if they are on Free Trials. AoC is still at a baby state still growing,being nurtured, and whatnot. and as said earlier,that 11 million subscriptions on WoW are dead or non active accounts anymore, count how many players come online each day,then you can talk.

    apologize for the tone but im in a pissy mood atm because i cant play AoC lol

  • ssjdagas

    Posted May 27, 2008 4:44 pm PT

    EVE online only has 200k or so players after 5 years so 400k this fast is not bad.

  • Agulf

    Posted May 27, 2008 4:39 pm PT

    I always had the feeling these guys thought they would only get like 50k subs. So grats funcom, you needed this.

  • stricot

    Posted May 27, 2008 4:34 pm PT

    ...To those saying it's 400k 1-month free trial players, I would remind that the game itself is not exactly free, unlike many MMORPGS which allow anyone to download the full game and try it for free.
    Most of those who bought the box for CHF 80 or USD 50 maybe, will not put it on a shelf after 1 month unless they believe they have seen everything they wanted in the game and that it's now reached maturity.

    I believe like many others that all MMORPGs need some time before it gets polished, improved, and before depth increases (higher level quests and overall activity / interest, more specific or rare items, more unique item designs, new area, improved group interaction...)

    At the end of the day I would expect that at least 80% of those having purchased the game will play for one or more years, and that this will spread pretty quickly among people currently on LOTRO or other servers, which might get a bit empty and dead boring pretty soon...

  • majere613

    Posted May 27, 2008 4:34 pm PT

    This is a critical time for AoC at the moment- it's still very buggy but the devs are working very hard to get it all sorted out, which is a promising sign. Hopefully they'll stick to their guns and not change things like the combo system to pacify the occasional whiners who seem to want everything in it to be more like WoW. And yes, I'm here because of the downtime too

  • gameflogger

    Posted May 27, 2008 4:25 pm PT

    aoc ftw!

  • mylesblasonato

    Posted May 27, 2008 4:16 pm PT

    Swampthing, you can't compare Marvel UA with AoC because AoC is an MMO and MMO's run of servers so you can't have much information sent across to the client because then the client would have to download that information and it would take them ages to download it, thus causing lag. That's why a single mouse click is often used because it's a small bit of data to send across. Trust me AoC does have a revolutionary battle system, one that no other MMO incorperates, it's one step closer to having a realtime "Fable" type battle system. Trust me I'm a game designer and creating a battle system like AoC's would have proven a technical feight for the AoC developers in terms of MMO's.

    Cheers,
    Myles Blasonato.

  • somberfox posted May 27, 2008 4:09 pm PT (does not meet display criteria. login to show)

    somberfox

    Posted May 27, 2008 4:09 pm PT (hide)

    Hmm
    400k free months.
    Lineage, Everquest, Runescape, and Final Fantasy 11 all are all still maintaining over 500k subscribers many years into their lifetime (the top 4 mmos under WoW). Until AoC has that many paying subscribers for even its first year, I'll remain not impressed...

  • bnutter02

    Posted May 27, 2008 3:55 pm PT

    Awesome game, and very inviting for players new to MMOS. New combat system is intriguing and puts more depth into the game than the simple auto attack button. My only concern at the moment is how the heck do I get a mammoth or rhino for a mount?!

  • Warchief_Zuljin posted May 27, 2008 3:53 pm PT (does not meet display criteria. login to show)

    Warchief_Zuljin

    Posted May 27, 2008 3:53 pm PT (hide)

    12 classes, wow! If only there was more races to play hmmm? 1 stale and boring race just doesn't cut for a MMO.

  • Ailith

    Posted May 27, 2008 3:48 pm PT

    This game looks awesome. I need to save my money to buy a new computer to run it, but I'm so impatient!

  • jekaboom

    Posted May 27, 2008 3:39 pm PT

    wow, I'm really impressed that AoC can stand the hype that was created around the game. I think I will give it a try once it's restocked

  • jbohr562 posted May 27, 2008 3:36 pm PT (does not meet display criteria. login to show)

    jbohr562

    Posted May 27, 2008 3:36 pm PT (hide)

    Lets see how the game does after the first 30 day FREE trial runs out. While 400,00 is a significant number lets not forget you get 30 days free. WoW has over 10 million (now close to 11 million) PAYING customers. Lets see the numbers after the free month is up.

  • Lepuke

    Posted May 27, 2008 3:36 pm PT

    For a game that really has not advertised much, or cranked the hype knob up to 11 that is an impressive number.

  • Kez1984

    Posted May 27, 2008 3:28 pm PT

    This game lives up to the hype.

  • Rob_101

    Posted May 27, 2008 3:25 pm PT

    Wow thats good. I REALLY want to try this out but the buddy keys aren't available I think I'm going to pick up a 60 day game card tomorrow, can't wait!

  • Norther81

    Posted May 27, 2008 3:24 pm PT

    My first mmo game. The reasson for me to go in to this, is that i'v been a big fan of Robert E since i read my first Conan comic (1987)

    I see that you guys have all these tearms and words and what not. But for me (as it's my first time) i love it. the battles are great. Story is fun. And let us not forget the AWSOME music! And im Norwegian so maybe im a bit of a patriot ^^

    Anyway, i love the game(my wife dont) and im sure it will take some months out of my time

    Enjoy ppl

  • Guts5

    Posted May 27, 2008 3:14 pm PT

    "Swampthing Guts5... Nothing to add really. Switching "shields" is nothing more than a variation of block and parry which exist in tons of other games. Looking for an opening to do a combo without the other party knowing what you are doing? Well... Marvel vs Capcom even had those mechanics."

    I understand where your are coming from and you're right those games do have that mechanic. However, the story doesn't end there. None of the EQ clones has that, also you're still focused on 1 on 1 combat. The beauty of AOC is it isn't and it is and no other game can compare.

    What I mean to say is the weapon reach rating changes the tactical combat from all other MMOs or even any thing else.

    Example Assassin vs Barbarian... usually Assassin wins. However you have lets say 3 barbarians and 3 assassins, using their daggers with limited reach vs barbarians wielding 2h swords. If the barbarians are smart and stand near each other. The assassins are forced to get near each other... so while each assassin is hiting 1 target, each barbarian potentially is hitting 3 with the right formation. It's a lot more indepth than that simple example. Combined that with the shielding, combos, and spell weaving. At that point you do have hte most advanced innovative combat system to date. Think about it.

  • Swampthing

    Posted May 27, 2008 3:07 pm PT

    Guts5... Nothing to add really. Switching "shields" is nothing more than a variation of block and parry which exist in tons of other games. Looking for an opening to do a combo without the other party knowing what you are doing? Well... Marvel vs Capcom even had those mechanics.

    Honestly, I expected alot more. When Funcom announced a "revolutionary" system, I think alot of people were disappointed with the final result. For example, what about amputations? Why can't that happen? What about damaged body parts that become unusable for a set period? What about a more interactive environment? Now I was not in the closed beta, but it would have been interesting to see what the "advanced combat" system had been like before it was "dumbed down" as the closed beta folks said.

  • jroony96

    Posted May 27, 2008 1:51 pm PT

    I have played WOW, LOTRO and Lineage 2 and this is my favorite so far. I have been able to run it fairly smooth. One day I will have it on high settings and get 25fps, then the next day I will have to change to medium settings to get 15fps. They are still working out some issues (which is ok with me considering how enormous this game is). Even with these issues, it is still a great game that I don't regret buying at all, and recommended to all my friends.

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