Age of Conan Hits Store Shelves Today

Age of Nanoc goes retail today and I’ll probably stop by Best Buy today and snag a copy. I’ve got a gift card burning a hole in my pocket so I either buy that or that Barbie Dream House game.

It’s a harder decision that it sounds.

I’ve heard reports from multiple news outlets that AoC did two separate runs of its collector’s edition and sold them all, some 70,000 units all total. Preorders for the game have exceeded 700,000. That’s impressive, to be sure, but still no where near the business that World of Warcraft does. And I can’t help but think that the AoC’s “mature” rating will prevent it from ever hitting WoW subscriber numbers. Let’s face it, one of the things we all hate about WoW is those punk teenagers crowding Shittrat with their night elf huntards, spamming the trade channel with their witty Chuck Norris observations. AoC may attract a more discriminating gamer but at the cost of mass appeal.

That’s only if retail outlets keep the game out of the rug rats’ hands. Gamestop, Walmart, and Best Buy should be carding kids and plucking AoC from their grubby little mitts. If they don’t abide by the ratings standard, AoC’s subscriber base could be pushed higher, allowing all of us to hear more of how when Chuck Norris does a push up, he isn’t lifting himself up, he’s pushing the earth down.

Oh for the love of god retail store, keep this game out of their hands! I’m begging you!

I don’t think AoC has to do WoW numbers. I bet Lord of the Rings Online doesn’t do a fifth of the subscriber business that WoW does, and yet it appears to be thriving as a niche alternative MMO. AoC could do the same thing, though I suspect most of its user base will have to come from the other MMOs, and since WoW has the most to begin with, it likely has the most to lose as well.

I’d love for MMO developers to post their monthly subscriber base, initial purchase revenue, and subscription revenue. Not only would it be interesting to compare the major players in the industry, it would also be a bit easier to forecast trends and changes. I heard rumors that WoW pulled in almost $300 million dollars for its parent company, but it wasn’t clear if that was a yearly or quarterly total. Getting some hard and fast numbers would help clarify whether WoW is primed for a dethroning or further entrenched as the reigning MMO.

Even though I’m picking up Age of Nanoc today, I likely won’t play it till next week as we’re having company over Memorial weekend. When I do crank it up, I’ll post some observations or do a full-blown review.