age-of-conan posts

While developer Funcom is still working on its next MMO game The Secret World it has not forgotten its previous fantasy MMO Age of Conan. Today Funcom announced that the game now has an updated engine that, among other things, has server-side game physics supplied by Nvidia's PhysX technology.

Age of Conan is the first PC game ever to have PhysX-powered server-side game physics. Funcom reports that the change results in "more than a doubling in the speed-of in-game physics processing" versus the normal method where PhysX is on the game's client software.

Funcom has also improved a number of other visual aspects of the Age of Conan graphics engine. You can see a narrated trailer showing off and explaining those new visual effects after the jump:

In one of the more left field press announcements we have seen lately, Funcom has just announced that its MMO game Age of Conan will be used as the basis for an upcoming web comedy series called Age of Conan: Hyboria!. The web series is being made inside the game engine of the MMO title with its location and characters.

The first episode of the series is in production and is being written by Mike Fasolo who has worked on the ultra-funny Robot Chicken TV series. It's being directed by Dan Milano who has directed episodes of the cult TV show Greg the Bunny. There's no word on when the first episode will be released nor how many more episodes will be made.

Robert E. Howard's fantasy creation Conan the Barbarian is getting ready to make yet another game appearance. Today the owners of the Conan property, Paradox Entertainment (not to be confused with Paradox Interactive) announced plans to spearhead the development of a new game based on the character. The company will work with talent agency Digital Development Management who will manage whatever game developer and publisher will eventually create the game

Funcom, of course, launched the MMO Age of Conan over two years ago. THQ released a console action game based on the property back in 2007 to average reviews and poor sales. Before that developer Cauldron released an action-adventure game based on Conan in 2004 for the PC but it was released primarily for Europe.

[Via email press release]

Sunday is not a break for Direct2Drive's daily "Summer Ends" sale event. Today the PC game download site has two MMO titles that you can pick up for a song (or actually a very small price; you don't have to sing). One of the games is Final Fantasy XI. Square Enix's long running MMO title, along with all of its expansion packs, can be yours for just $5.95 until 1 pm Eastern time on Monday. Of course Final Fantasy XIV, the second MMO title in the series, will officially launch this coming week.

The other MMO game on sale today is Age of Conan. You can get the original title from Funcom and its recent expansion pack Rise of the Godslayer for just $7.50 for the next day.

If you are a player of Age of Conan or a player which has let your subscription to the fantasy MMO lapse for whatever reason you are in line for some free play time. Developer Funcom announced today that previous subscribers to the game can now play Age of Conan for free for 10 days.

In addition both inactive and active players of the MMO can now check out the recently released commercial expansion pack for the game, Rise of the Godslayer, free for 10 days as well. The offer, which apparently is not for new subscribers, is set to expire on July 15.

Funcom's recent release of the MMO expansion pack Age of Conan: Rise of the Godslayer is now accompanied by the launch of the expansion pack's soundtrack. The music is composed by Avenstroup Hauge, who handled the duties for the original game, and is performed by the Prague Philharmonic Orchestra.

The soundtrack is now on sale includes not only the music but free trial versions of the game. There's also a bonus DVD with full 5.1 DTS and AC3 audio versions of the music tracks and MP3 versions as well. It also has an exclusive Age of Conan in-game item, a very appropriate bone flute.

This week a big commercial expansion pack is released for a major fantasy MMO along with a few downloadable game releases. In addition to the games listed below, a new Sword of the Stars collection (with the original game, all the expansion packs and a new scenario) will be released this week along with the Equalizer Pack for Mass Effect 2. And keep in mind that the Mac client for Steam is scheduled to be released on Wednesday.

Age of Conan: Rise of the Godslayer: Funcom releases the first major commercial expansion pack for their fantasy MMO since the original Age of Conan was released nearly two years ago. The expansion adds a new land to the game, the Empire of Khitai, along with new quests, monsters and more. Current subscribers to the game can get the expansion via download. There's also a new retail version of Age of Conan this week containing the original game and the expansion in one package.

Age of Conan: Rise of the Godslayer, the first expansion for the MMO based in the Conan universe, is scheduled to release on May 11th. This launch trailer provides a good look at the new content players can expect when the doors to the eastern regions open up.

Download HD Rise of the Godslayer Launch Trailer (108 MB)
Check out all Rise of the Godslayer downloads

Earlier this month publisher CompuExpert announced they would be the North American publisher for the new Age of Conan retail release which will contain Funcom's original MMO with its new expansion pack Rise of the Godslayer. Today CompuExpert announced that the game will be released in both retail stores and via download on May 11.

As we have reported before the Rise of the Godslayer expansion pack will give Age of Conan players a new land to explore, the Asian-themed land of Khitai, along with a number of new additions and features. The new retail version will also contain some exclusive in-game items designed to help new players.

In 2008, Funcom used Eidos as its distributor for the retail version of Age of Conan. Now with the upcoming release of their expansion pack, Rise of the Godslayer, Funcom will release a new retail version of their fantasy MMO that combines both the original game and the expansion pack.

The new retail release will be distributed this time by CompuExpert in North America and will include some exclusive in-game items that will assist new players in their adventures. CompuExpert had previously distributed the WWII flight sim Wings of Prey to stores in the US. While Rise of the Godslayer is expected to be released sometime this year there's no specific date that has been announced.

[Via email press release]