Age of Conan Videos

Jorgen Tharaldsen on Age of Conan for XBox360(2:14)

Recently, MMORPG.com Managing Editor Jon Wood had the opportunity to sit down to talk with Funcom Product Manager Jorgen Tharaldsen and talk about the XBox360 implementation for AoC.
Duration: 2:14
Views: 8,369 32 comments
Game: Age of Conan
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User Comments

Velinash(posted Thu Jul 10 2008)
- LordHale. u are actually wrong. SOOOOO many Xbox games have been scrapped. idk what ur smoking but its really bad. MMOs (WoW, LOTRO, AoC) are taking over the consoles. its read about everywhere. idk where uve been all these years. but its been said through so many gaming articles and even newspapers. PC gaming is above the xbox and playstation and nintendo. PC has most of the games out that are for consoles. NOT ALL! MOST! and i spend ahead of time to upgrade my computer for games coming out. and im good for about 3 years then i upgrade again. the upgrades about 300-400$. not that bad for knowing in about 3 years ur gonna need to upgrade now is it?
asgaurd(posted Wed Jun 18 2008)
- Because FFXI was mentioned I think we should all be aware of the constraints of a multi-platform game. The issue is Long Term Gaming experience. From FFXI we learnt that the graphical presentation of a multi-platform game is strictly based on the lowest spec platform. Also in FFXI we learnt the limitations of the console in that PC’s will always evolve due to adjustable upgrades. Fact: PC’s will evolve, and do evolve. Platform consoles do not. Fact: FFXI has had a long and successful life due to its fanbase. Its gameplay is outdated, its graphics are outdated. It is 5 years old. It was outdated in the first year it was introduced.. Gamble: Can AoC build a strong enough fan base to ignore the fact that as a multi-platform game it will degrade faster then the normal MMO? Time will tell… History has shown us that cross platform MMO’s upgrade slow and small.
locherbread(posted Sun Jun 15 2008)
- I wouldn't mind playing games on a console if they had a keyboard/mouse option, personally I feel you get much better control with this method over a game controller & I feel controllers are pretty cumbersome when playing FPS or MMO's..
LordHale(posted Sun Jun 15 2008)
- all of you pc gamers are forgetting doom 3. they made a video card just to run that game and look what happened they ported it over to xbox and sales went sky high. pc's are dead and so is pc gaming. i come to this conculsion based on the fact that new mmo's for the pc are getting scraped left and right but no console game has been scrapped in 2 years. developers are seeing this trend and they are gonna follow the money simple as that. ppl get tried of upgrading and spending several hundered dollars just to play a new game i mean really who has that kinda cash just laying around?? ppl with bills to pay and gas at 4 bucks a gallon is it a good idea to just drop cash on a new card or ram? and so i predict the fall and demise of the pc gaming age.
UberKnot(posted Tue Jun 10 2008)
- From what I have read you guys a making much about nothing. The game was made for both and has been planned for both and thats the way it is. PC and 360 players will love the game and the PvP thats going to be in it. Wether or not a person likes the format of the game is more or less a personal thing and has nothing todo with PC or 360 at all.
nmalthus(posted Mon Jun 09 2008)
- Nobody really knows yet if a Gold of Silver XBL account will be required. People pay the $10 for PSU and pay the $15 for FFXI so I don't see that holding anyone back.
Seafort(posted Mon Jun 09 2008)
- I don't see console gamers paying $50/year for Live + $15/month for AoC. The hdd space required will be a major problem as well. MMOs are patched at least once a month if not more in AoC case. It might work on PS3 as u can replace the hdd for a bigger, cheaper one but not with the x360. I don't see this venture being very successful on x360 especially with MS locking the hdd down cos of security reasons.
nmalthus(posted Sun Jun 08 2008)
- Console gaming is the future because it is where the money is. The user given a choice to either pay $60 for the console version to play on his/her 360 or to pay $50 for the PC version and an addition serveral hundred dollars to upgrade the pc just to be able to play it, 360 wins.
Wolfsheim(posted Thu Jun 05 2008)
- Final Fantasy XI was a great console MMO, it ran fine in a mostly seamless open world on hardware much weaker than the PS3 and XBOX360. So there's no reason to think Conan was dumbed down to be put on a Console. They are well within specs to run AOC very well. And actually I think using a Controller would be better for much of the combat in AOC. Executing movement with combo directions will be much easier with a controller. And voice chat will replace texting for them. Also its VERY good business to appeal the the hugely massive Console audience. Crysis learned this the hard way.
Pookie666(posted Wed Jun 04 2008)
- Frankly, I don't care if folks play it on a toaster :P I guess the question we all have (or at least PC users) is, "Will this degrade my experience on the PC?". If the answer is NO then I'm fine with them putting it on whatever; however, if it is YES and starts to dumb down the game because of consoles then I for one will take my business elsewhere which would sadden me a bit but oh well. Pooks(30 PoM)
Antaran(posted Mon Jun 02 2008)
- Ok it's this simple.. PC = Start, Present and Future of gaming.. Consoles were designed for children, i admit that i own a PS2 yet very rarely use it for games, to me it's a DVD player in mine and misses bedroom. People speak of limitations when comparing a PC to a Console, lets use an XBOX 360 for example as it's part of the topic, the XBOX 360 was out of date compared to the mid range of PC's out at the time. A PC can and will always outdo consoles. My system cost me £270 brand new and is mid range specs, it out performs high spec rigs as i keep my PC in tip top condition with regular defrag/cleanups. Simply put a Console is only as good as todays low spec PC's. The graphic capabilities of the 360 are equal to that of a 7x series nVidia which in todays market is nothing, AoC will require a major downgrade for it to work on the 360. SIMPLE FACT.
grimfall(posted Sat May 31 2008)
- One point of fact: Halo was originally being made as a PC game.
lordtwisted(posted Thu May 29 2008)
- I'm still not understanding the limitations you guys speak of...graphics? those are going to be a little diffrent no matter what, but why would my xbox360's graphics bother a PC player? Controls? My 360 can handle a keyboard just like you use on your PC? I personally prefer the controller though. And obviously so do many PC players since there are programs for a few diffirent online games to allow you to use the 360 controller. So how is this going to be diffrent? The future of online gaming is going to include PC+consoles = larger market.
lordtwisted(posted Thu May 29 2008)
- Consoles will actually soon be the favored mode of gaming. PC's will always be here, and always be superior. But as a continous game tester since 1994 I can tell you now I am damn near done with PC game since every year they force me to either buy a new operating system, a new video card, or more ram. Consoles don't have that problem. So while PC will always be the best for gaming, it is getting less feasible to run a gaming rig. My xbox360 cost me less then $400. My last video card was top of the line when I bought it, and ran $280, it was obsolete with in two years. For my computer to run AoC I would have to replace the mother board, chipset, graphics card at the least. for my xbox360 to run AoC it would cost me..well nothing....
Kordesh(posted Wed May 28 2008)
- I have to agree with Carbonism. While the graphics can simply be toned down for the 360 version, at some point concessions in gameplay will have to be made in any PC+360 game by merit of the different ways the games interface and the technical limitations of the console. Personally, I do not like the idea of PC and 360 games merging as it creates an artificial cap and adds limitations on the PC version to make the game world console friendly. Make it for one, or the other, but if you're going to do both, make them play separately so that the quality of one is not compromised by the other. MaeEye, get your facts straight. Consoles are not "the future" they're simply locked down PCs, todays consoles more than ever. PC is not going away by a long shot. It was there at the birth of electronic gaming and it will see it to its end.
MrVicchio(posted Wed May 28 2008)
- They released on the PC first because the natural market for MMO's IS the PC. The 360 version is the end game, to break into the set user base, with no issues of hardware conflict. AoC IS a 360 game, being beta tested on the PC and launched on the PC to snag the PC crowd. It's a lot cheaper to buy a 360 then it is to buy a computer that can run AoC well. It's sound decision making on their part. How many PC Gamers would buy a "Console port" MMO? Not many. But how many 360 users would play an MMO like Conan? think about it people.
pepcfreak(posted Wed May 28 2008)
- Dont expect it. That is all i can say. I dont see this pc to console port ever happening. 1 there is way to many issues to get around such as how to dumb the graphics down without killing the great eye candy that is "next gen" mmo. On top of that, how will you be able to handle 10-15 spells and combos with a controller. As far as the gaming being dumbed down or help back... no way in my opinion. The PS3 couldnt handle this game if it tried on the setting i use. Full aniostropic filtering with AA on max i maintain a 30-45 fps with some drops due to texture/object loads. Its jsut not possible. As far as instances go, i dont even see how that would help it on xbox seeing again as the Graphcs card in the xbox is compairable to the ATI x1800 or a nvidia 7600 which which is are crap card for use with age of conan on PC. Instancing was also done in other games such as DDO and no one ever talked about it as a possibility for the pc to console port. Instancing is just a great way to get away from some prick who is bothering you and to limit system reqs. for a beast graphical game like AoC. Furthermore, there is in my opinion no way this will ever hit xbox as beutiful as it is on PC. You will see tons of skills removed, tons of content, whole missing areas, none speaking NPCs (which at the moment are only on tortoge but soon will be updated for all quest/storyline givers. I also think if Age of conan hits the xbox it wont be the same game at all, and will have the same controls or a slight twist of Conan for the console currently, and a more storyline driven path of 1 way to create your character with end game being nothing but seige wars all day and nothing else. Anotehr reason i think this idea will be scrapped is due in part to updates. How will they be able to update 100-400 megs to a system where most people have only a 20gig harddrive and you know that most people have already filled most of that, and the game will need a ton of space itself. I just think its a bad money sink for Funcom to try and make a pc to console port. Online MMOs never sell well look at the flop FFXI had on consoles. On top of that, now they will need to hire devs to manage both PC and Xbox versions since they will be so dramatically differant there is no way the 2 would ever interact, which means two fronts. As in war, if your fighting on two fronts, you have a 2 times the chance of failure and 2 times the casualties.
goldenr1(posted Tue May 27 2008)
- Carbonism, no, just no. Like one of the posters below me, I completely disagree with you. The game was built for PC, then he just talked about how they were going to get it to work for the 360. Do you not understand that if it had been "Console all the way" it would have been out first on the 360, then ported to the PC, like say, Halo or GTA? Also, the game is not hampered at ALL by the 360 specs. They use a different build, period. As for the instancing, this was designed as both a technical and gameplay addition. It helps limit stress on even the most high end of PCs, which blow 360's away, and it helps get rid of what you players constantly bitch about, camping and kill stealing. I like the instancing idea actually, and though it could be more efficient and user friendly than it is right now, when some group is raping all the mobs I need, I can just switch instances, get my quest done, and progress.
Fion(posted Tue May 27 2008)
- I'd have to disagree with some of your comments Carbonism. 'PC version is hampered by the technical specs of the 360.' The games technical specs are well beyond what any current console is capable of. You need a pretty damn powerful setup to play this game at it's maximum settings. Consoles are going to be limited to much smaller texture sizes, much smaller view distances, etc. While the instancing my benefit the console (though IMHO it was added because otherwise the requirements to play the game would be considerably higher. If you had 200 instead of 40 other people in Tortage with you, even the best computers would have a hard time with that. Last, if the game's combat was 'made for a controller.' Why cant you use one in it?
Fion(posted Tue May 27 2008)
- Simple Exthorxo; The graphics simply won't be as good, especially the texture quality. They won't have access to the most high end textures. Thats what kept the open beta and PvP weekend from breaking 13gigs.
angrylama15(posted Tue May 27 2008)
- will Xbox and PC versions be playing together?
IAmMMO(posted Tue May 27 2008)
- Nope think again Console will not dominate the future of gaming. Pc gaming counts for 60% of the sales in the gaming industry today. Before they used to just count boxed sales in the gaming industry and Pc's looked to be lagging behind, but after including all digital download game sales, boxed sales, and subs to MMO accounts. The Pc gaming now accounts for 60% of the gaming industry. Today's highest end Pc are already leaps ahead in computing power when compared to the latest generation of consoles. Pc gaming was and still is at the forefront of gaming pushing the envelope for future next gen consoles to aim for.
oxthorxo(posted Tue May 27 2008)
- This is a 24gb game so far.How is the 360 gonna run this game straight off a disc?Theres gonna have to be major hard drive installation and as for me I only have like 4gb left on my 20gig hard drive.
MaeEye(posted Mon May 26 2008)
- I'm glad the game is coming to the 360. Consoles are the future and Funcom knows that.
solareus(posted Mon May 26 2008)
- why o why John didn't you ask about pricing module ?
Gnazon(posted Mon May 26 2008)
- Agreed 100% with both your comments Carbonism!
Carbonism(posted Mon May 26 2008)
- And just to clarify my coments. The game is good, I didnt mean it was bad by what I said. What I mean is the PC version is hampered by the technical specs of the 360. So I can only imagine what the game would have been like if the 360 wasnt their ceiling.
Carbonism(posted Mon May 26 2008)
- No watering down huh? There game is instanced where it shouldnt be, linear where it neednt be, the combat is made for a controller, the grouping is crap. Its a console game, and always has been. The PC version is barred by the limitations of the 360. So says not watered down? Pfff. Yes it is.
lordtwisted(posted Mon May 26 2008)
- No such thing as time managment during a game release. These guys work damn near 24 hours a day during a launch.
solareus(posted Mon May 26 2008)
- maybe better time management ?
afoaa(posted Mon May 26 2008)
- Thats what you look like when you havent really slept for weeks. :)
solareus(posted Mon May 26 2008)
- Sweat much ?

Age of Conan

Developer: Funcom
Genre: Fantasy
Status: Final
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Website: http://www.ageofconan.com

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