Funcom's Age of Conan MMO started off strong here in the states but quickly lost steam, due in no small part to not actually being a finished product. Developers are working hard trying to turn it around, but it could very well be too late for the game in North America. So where can a pretty yet not fully realized MMORPG go to find an audience in these rough times? Oh yeah, Korea! Korean online publisher Neowiz Games will be in charge of bringing Hyborian Adventures to the Korean peoples.
“Bringing ‘Age of Conan’ to Korea is something we have wanted to do for a long time now,” says Funcom CEO Trond Arne Aas. “This is a very exciting and highly dynamic market, and we know that Korean gamers are amongst the most active online gamers in the world. With their solid legacy in online gaming, Neowiz Games is one of the most successful and knowledgeable companies in the market and we are very pleased to be working with them.”
Give it to Korea, they'll play anything! The country has been exporting slightly broken MMO games for years now, so it's good to see the folks at Funcom returning the favor.Age of Conan Coming to Korea! – Neowiz Games to Publish Localized Version of Funcom’s Highly Acclaimed Online Game – DURHAM, N.C.—(BUSINESS WIRE)—Funcom is proud to announce that ‘Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures’ will be launching in Korea. Online media publisher Neowiz Games will be responsible for publishing the highly acclaimed massively multiplayer online game, and will be working closely with Funcom in producing an adapted and fully localized Korean version. Neowiz Games will act as a full service provider, handling everything from distribution to customer service and community management. “Bringing ‘Age of Conan’ to Korea is something we have wanted to do for a long time now,” says Funcom CEO Trond Arne Aas. “This is a very exciting and highly dynamic market, and we know that Korean gamers are amongst the most active online gamers in the world. With their solid legacy in online gaming, Neowiz Games is one of the most successful and knowledgeable companies in the market and we are very pleased to be working with them.” “We are very excited to introduce the world class large scale MMORPG, ‘Age of Conan,’ with its popularity and great reputation in the industry," says Neowiz Games CEO Choi, Gwan-ho. “This will be the first large scale MMORPG for Neowiz Games and both the companies will also work tightly together to adapt and implement a fully localized game for Korean users.” The Korean release of ‘Age of Conan’ will include all updates and content added to the game after the US and European launch. It is also important for both Funcom and Neowiz Games to adapt the game to the local market, and the two companies will work closely together in making sure ‘Age of Conan’ meets gamers’ expectations. A release date for the Korean version of ‘Age of Conan’ has not yet been finalized. ‘Age of Conan’ launched in May this year and immediately topped sales charts around the world. It has received more than thirty magazine covers and more than fifteen major awards, including numerous "Best MMO of E3" awards and the "Best Online Game of Show" award at GC 2007. The game has received numerous glowing reviews, including a 9.4 score from US website GameZone. ‘Age of Conan’ is a key title in Microsoft's Games for Windows line-up, as well as a showcase title for nVidia thanks to its jaw-dropping graphics. For more information on the game and instructions on how to order your copy today, visit www.ageofconan.com.