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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]

More Bloodline Champions videos are coming down the wire from Funcom, and they are class videos as usual. In this particular instance, the class is the Blood Priest, a damage-dealer and healer who focuses on debuffing enemies and sustaining teammates at the cost of his own hit points. He's got a number of cool moves, such as a teleportation move, an area-of-effect fear, and a screen-darkening debuff, but for the most part there's nothing too wildly different about him. Naturally, as with all the class videos, this one ends with a bot match that shows all the abilities in action.

Download HD Bloodline Champions 'Blood Priest' Trailer
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The more we see coming from Bloodline Champions, the more we are getting excited for it. Two new trailers are floating around the internet now, and they are about two new classes: the Guardian and Stalker. Must like previous class videos, these two go into the inner workings of both classes, then demonstrates their abilities in a 3v3 bot match. The Guardian is a tank with crowd control and healing abilities, while the Stalker is mostly a damage dealer with some evasion. The classes aren't really that unique, but the fact that the developers are revealing this much about the game is very appealing.

Download HD Bloodline Champions Class 'Guardian' Trailer
Download HD Bloodline Champions 'Stalker' Class Trailer
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Bloodline Champions aims to be the next big action-RTS game and today its publisher Funcom announced that the game from developer Stunlock Studios will enter its open beta test on December 16. In addition pre-orders for the game are now being accepted.

There will actually be two pre-order versions of the game. One will cost $29.99 and will contain 16 bloodlines (the game's term for classes. You can also get four additional bloodlines for an extra $9.99. Then there's the $89.99 version which can access all 20 bloodlines, a lifetime VIP membership and a lifetime discount to purchase items from thein-game store. Bloodline Champions will also have a free version with "a limited number of bloodlines available in rotation."

The Christmas-New Years period is normally a quiet one for new game releases but that apparently won't be the case this year. A new press release reports that the online action-RTS game Bloodline Champions, now in closed beta, will officially launch sometime in late 2010 or early 2011.

The game, developed by Stunlock Studios, was picked up for publishing earlier this year by Funcom in a bit of a change for the company's normal MMO game lineup. Today, Funcom stated that the game currently has 150,000 players participating in its closed beta test. While Bloodline Champions is designed to be free-to-play there will be optional paid memberships and an in-game item store

Never mix up astronomer and astrologer. It's a mistake that may result in a heavy beating, especially from the astronomer crowd. And if this trailer is any indication, astronomers are complete badasses. The Astronomer class in arena RPG Bloodline Champions plays like a mixture of healer and support class. He can teleport around the arena, stun enemies, and heal allies. All of these abilities are shown, both in a training setting and an actual fight, in this trailer. Those looking for something a little different from the standard DOTA-like gameplay of arena RPGs should definitely take a look.

Download HD Bloodline Champions 'Astronomer' Trailer
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Despite the relatively mediocrity and poor reception of Age of Conan, developer Funcom has been hard at work on magical conspiracy MMO The Secret World. It may have been delayed, but it has certainly not been forgotten, and this trailer gives a glimpse into the modern, yet magic-suffused world players will join. The trailer only explores London, and showcases some of the areas, cutscenes, and characters that one will interface with when they get the game. Of most interest is The Fallen King, a hobo that purports to give visions of personal futures. This aims to show players the ropes of combat and grouping, and the trailer shows the results. While it's not all that fantastic looking compared to other upcoming MMOs, The Secret World certainly has our interest!

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.

Bloodline Champions is an onlne competitive action game where players take control of a champion and battle it out in up to 5v5 arena style combat. The game is currently in its beta test and this trailer gives a quick glimpse of what to expect. If you're interested in joining in the fight, check out the beta sign up page on the official website.

Download HD Bloodline Champions 'Beta Sign Up' Trailer (22 MB)