PC-only title knocks Rockstar epic off its perch in Germany and Sweden
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IGN writes:

"Fresh off the heels of releasing an update to the highly successful Age of Conan MMORPG yesterday, developer Funcom has once again graced us with its presence by releasing yet another substantial patch hours after the previous update. For those keeping count, that's 2 patches within one day, if that's not love, we don't know what is. The patch notes, according to the game's official forums are listed in the article"
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Highlights this week include Wii Fit (Nintendo Wii), Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures (PC), and Haze (PS3).

Check out the full list of new video game releases (USA) for the week of May 18, 2008 on Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Nintendo Wii, Sony PS2, PSP, Nintendo DS, and PC!
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Age of Conan developer Funcom has revealed that it intends to allow PC gamers to play with console gamers when the Xbox 360 version is released around this time next year.

Speaking to VideoGamer.com at the launch of one of 2008's most anticipated MMORPGs in Oslo, Norway, product director Jorgen Tharaldsen also threw PS3 owners a life line, saying it wasn't "ruling out" a version for Sony's console.

Tharaldsen revealed that following the release of the PC version of Age of Conan, which will go live on 17 May for gamers who have paid for early access codes, developer Funcom will split up into three sections, one to speak with players and fix problems, one to work on future expansion packs and one to work on the already announced Xbox 360 version. It has, Tharaldsen said, been working on the Xbox 360 version "for a long time".

When asked when the Xbox 360 version would be coming out, Tharaldsen said: "Next year... We're trailing about a year. No longer than a year. But we're pretty much Guinea pigging our way into the Xbox, just like Microsoft is. We are exploring frontiers on how to deal with the consoles and online games."

Tharaldsen said that the developer would like for PC and Xbox 360 players to be able to play together, and that Age of Conan will be "the same essence and the same experience" on Microsoft's console.
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AusGamers has been granted permission by Funcom to locally host a download mirror for the forthcoming MMO Age of Conan: The Hyborean Adventures. The massive 14gig file is now locally hosted for Australians, and the download speeds from AusGamers, thanks to the relaunching of their site, AusGamers 2.0, are incredibly fast adding incentive to get involved in the Beta for AoC if you live downunder.
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Videogamer writes: "Funcom won't rule out making available mounts similar to the pre-order exclusive War Mammoth and War Rhino.

Age of Conan developer Funcom has revealed that it intends to announce a "road map" for future content updates and expansions soon before the game's May 23 European release.

Speaking at the game's official launch in Oslo this afternoon, game director Gaute Godager took to the stage to reveal that while players who have not pre-ordered the game will never gain access to the pre-order exclusive War Rhino and War Mammoth mounts, the developer is "not ruling out the chance" that similar mounts will be made available some time in the future."
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On the 10th of May Funcom is transforming the entire Open Beta into PvP MAYHEM, while at the same time giving testers access to all which Hyboria has to offer!
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Funcom's seen fit to conjure up details on Age of Conan's PvP modes as the MMO creeps ever closer to release.The big, big, big end-game PvP feature in the title is siege warfare, which finds guilds and players fighting for control of battlekeeps with might of arms and siege weaponry. Successful conquering of enemy-held battlekeeps and subsequent ownership rewards all members of the conquering guild with buffs and bonuses.On top of this Funcom ... » Read More

Funcom has released the latest FAQ for their upcoming MMORPG, Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures:

"It's said that FAQs heave themselves from the dark places of the Earth and return to terrorize the surface world every few years.

The time is upon us once again.

The stars are right and the FAQ is nigh, covering such popular questions as:

¿ What kind of PC do I need to run Age of Conan?
¿ Will player-made items be better than dropped items?
¿ How many people can play on each server?

While we're under no illusions that this will settle all the debates out there, it will give you a place to start and a handy reference. You'll find the new FAQ here.

We hope you enjoy."

The FAQ contains 15 sections:

1. General
2. Real Combat
3. PvP and Siege Combat
4. Classes and Feats
5. Races
6. The single player experience
7. Magic
8. Quests
9. Guild
10. Crafting
11. Technology
12. Equipment
13. City Building, Player Cities, and Defense
14. Gameworld
15. Conan Lore
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Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures game director Gaute Godager said that he believes that the MMO's unique and controversial combat system, which has been scathed by some critics, will be ideal for the conversion of the game to a 360 format.

Speaking at GDC yesterday, he also said that the 360 version is likely to appear 12 months after the PC game.
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Funcom's showering us with new screenshots from Age of Conan in honor of the Game Developers Conference kicking off today in San Francisco. 14 shots have whizzed down our internet pipe onto the site. Don't be shy - take a look. ... » Read More

The Game Developers Conference doesn't properly start until Wednesday, but companies are taking advantage of the gathered press in San Francisco to show some 2008 wares. One of MTV Multiplayer's first appointments was an updated look at Age of Conan, currently scheduled to drop on PCs sometime in May.

But, it's also coming to the Xbox 360 - eventually. While catching up with Funcom Product Manager Jorgen Tharaldsen, he updated MTV Multiplayer on the Xbox 360 version's progress. Unfortunately, Funcom doesn't yet have a timeframe for release, as the their resources are devoted to ensuring a May ship date for the PC version.
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Age of Conan house Funcom suffered declining revenues during the fourth quarter of 2007, as well as increased operating losses.

Fourth quarter revenues were $1.75 million, down from $2.15 million during the same period last year, while group operating losses increased from $1 million to $3.1 million, "mainly due to increased cost levels related to the build up for the Age of Conan launch and exchange rate fluctuations". Nevertheless, the company said it was in a strong financial position, with cash reserves of $52.4 million.
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Age of Conan will feature full gore and "breasts with nipples" when it is released in the UK and US later this year. Funcom originally said the game would bear an M for Mature badge in North America, but later corrected itself after an uncensored version was submitted and came away with a Mature 17+ stamp.

The developer apologised for "maybe two small errors". However, the German version will differ from the rest of Europe and have to make do without decapitations, dismemberment and "over-the-top type fatalities".

Age of Conan carries an 18+ rating in the UK because it's mature and gory and about as subtle as Arnold Schwarzenegger. It's an MMORPG but focuses on an active combat system and player versus player battles, making it a hard to prospect to resist. And, according to Funcom, around 500,000 of you have already felt the attraction by joining the ever growing community. That number includes beta sign-ups, forum members and probably hairy barbarian groupies.

The PC version is due to arrive on 20th May, with an Xbox 360 version announced but languishing in the "to follow" category.
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Shannon 'Pharamond' Drake, Community Manager of Funcom, reports that Age of Conan just gotten its rating, and he can now give us the full and complete story on what we will and won't see in each 'version' of the game:

"Please note this isn't a design decision or something we can reverse. It's a legal (or as good as legal) requirement to sell the game in that particular territory.

With that said:

The US version is rated M for Mature by the ESRB. If you buy the US version, you will not see nipples.

The German version is rated 18+ by USK. The German version has full gore, but will not have decapitation, dismemberment, and over-the-top type fatalities.

The 'elsewhere in Europe' version is rated 18+ by PEGI and is unchanged."
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Funcom has once again pushed back the release of their Age of Conan MMO. The game was already pushed back last August when it received the March 25th release date because the devs wanted to "focus on honing, polishing and improving the heralded qualities of the game, ensuring a fantastic MMO experience when it launches next spring."
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Funcom has told us that Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures is set for release on March 25. Previously the game had a hazy March-May 2008 release timeframe. Funcom had hoped to get Age of Conan out at the end of 2007, but the developer pushed it back following the decision to make alterations to the game's combat system. Oddly enough, it was the game's real-time dynamic combat system that caused a stir in the MMO community when Age of Conan was first announced. An open beta for the MMO is ... » Read More

Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures is an Online Action RPG, mixing a deep, story-driven single-player experience and a massive and brutal multiplayer end-game brings forth the ultimate representation of the Age of Conan. Funcom community manager Shannon 'Pharamond' Drake revealed that there will be an open beta for ten of thousands of people ramping up to the game's launch.
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Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures is an Online Action RPG, mixing a deep, story-driven single-player experience and a brutal multiplayer end-game. In addition to the game itself the box comes with an art book, the original soundtrack, a bonus DVD, a faux leather map of Hyboria, 5additional gamekeys which can be given to friends, and priceless in-game items.
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The Consumer Electronics Show (CES) is in full swing and The Game Reviews is here in Las Vegas to bring you our initial impressions of the games and gaming hardware featured at the show. TGR was lucky enough to spend an hour in Microsoft's limousine rubbing elbows with none other than Corporate Vice President of Global Marketing Jeff Bell, Xbox Live's Director of Programming Major Nelson, GamerscoreBlog.com's Online Community Manager Chris Paladino, and several others.
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