Last week, Funcom announced that their award-winning MMO Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures would receive a digital re-launch this summer under the new name Age of Conan: Unrated. Age of Conan: Unrated promises to feature a hybrid business model that will allow players to roam the lands of Hyboria, either as free players or premium subscribers who will have 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.”
Players will have the opportunity to choose whether they want to play for free or become premium subscribers. Funcom will also be introducing an in-game store where both free players and premium subscribers will be able to purchase exclusive content, such as weaponry and mounts. For a full overview of what differs from the free and premium offerings, you can check out the FAQ that is now available on Age of Conan community website.
While Age of Conan has always had a Mature rating, going Unrated will give the development team freedom to stay even more true to the source material that author Robert E. Howard created, and use even more of everything that makes Howard’s Hyboria the perfect ground to pursue what’s best in life. The process of developing new locations, monsters, equipment and storylines for Age of Conan: Unrated has already started, which includes the movie tie-in adventure pack 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.”
