Funcom locks down Conan MMORPG license

Earlier this month, GameSpot editors named Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures the best massively multiplayer game of E3 2006. Today, its developer, Funcom, announced that it has struck a deal to make sure the game will be the only massively multiplayer online role-playing game based on the legendary fantasy figure Conan. The Norwegian studio has struck a deal with the estate of Robert E. Howard, the late author of the Conan stories, to make it the sole developer of Conan MMORPGs until 2018. The deal applies to both PCs and next-generation consoles, further fueling rumors--and hopes--that the title will be coming to either the Xbox 360 or PlayStation 3. Funcom also has the rights to extend the deal by five years, if it so chooses, to 2023.