Heads will Roll as Age of Conan moves into Open Beta
– Open Beta exclusively available through FilePlanet.com and partner IGN sites
– 50.000 aspiring barbarians may enter Hyboria on May 1st
Durham, USA April 15, 2008 Funcom, Eidos and IGN are proud to announce that Open Beta for Age of Conan will start on May 1. The Open beta will be hosted exclusively by IGNs popular game download site, FilePlanet.com, as well as being offered through partner IGN sites such as Gamespy.com, MMORPG.com, Tentonhammer.com and Warcry.com. The application pages at FilePlanet.com are now open for registrations, and gamers from across the world can sign up. As 50.000 gamers prepare their Hyborian assault, rivers of blood is about to flow, and its exclusively available through FilePlanet and IGN partner sites.
When we started development of Age of Conan five years ago we truly wanted to move away from the standards of the MMO genre, and bring something fresh, new and exciting to the table, said Gaute Godager, Founder of Funcom and Game Director on Age of Conan. As we get ready to show everyone what Conans savage world is all about we first need final stress testing. That we could team up with the Beta masters at IGN was a perfect opportunity for us, and we simply couldnt ask for a better partner for this crucial stage of our Beta.
The IGN and FilePlanet audience has consistently told us that Age of Conan is one of their most anticipated games of the year, and we are very pleased to partner with Funcom and Eidos on the open Beta, says Senior Vice President of Consumer Products at IGN, Jamie Berger. The Funcom team has developed a truly unique, visceral gaming experience that players will have to see to believe.
Funcom would like to point out that the primary function of the open Beta is to stress test Age of Conan prior to launch. Seeing how many MMOs have failed their Beta quest in the past, Funcom will therefore cap the in-game level range. The Beta experience will still give players hours and hours of entertainment, and complete class and culture variety, while at the same time giving Funcom the needed focus for an open beta.
You are required to be a FilePlanet member in order to sign up for the open Beta. Preloading of the client will start prior to the launch of the Open beta, and applicants will receive more information should they receive a beta key. The Open beta will start on the 1st of May at 1500 GMT / 0900 EST.
Age of Conan is consistently mentioned as one of the most anticipated PC games in development. It has received more than twenty covers on high-profile gaming magazines across the globe and more than fifteen major awards, including numerous "Best MMO of E3" awards and the official "Best Online Game" award at the Games Convention 2007. Age of Conan is a key title in Microsoft’s Games for Windows line-up, and a showcase title for nVidia. The game is set to launch in several territories on May 20th, 2008.
For more information on Age of Conan either in English, German, French or Spanish visit the official website at www.ageofconan.com where you also can access the respective community websites.