Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures Interview

IGN offers a massive, four-page interview with game director Craig Morrison about Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures.

IGN: Considering the current economic climate, at least in the United States, is there any talk of perhaps implementing any kind of altering the pricing structure with the North American version to something other aside from product purchase and subscription fee?

Craig Morrison: Overall I think the subscription MMO genre actually offers great “value per hour” entertainment, and that’s even more relevant in the current economic climate. When you compare it to other forms of entertainment, like going to the movies or eating out, it actually represents really good value for your hard-earned cash.

That said though, alternative business models are the kind of thing we are constantly assessing. We have never been afraid to approach new business models as a company. We were one of the first companies in the Western market to embrace the free play model and in-game advertising, with Anarchy Online, for example. So this is an area that we are constantly looking at. There isn’t anything we are looking to change with Age of Conan right now, but that’s not to say we wouldn’t if we saw a possibility for broadening the games appeal in that way.

IGN: According to your official site server merges will be happening soon with Age of Conan, and these types of events always cause concern in the community. So, can you talk about why the merges are necessary and what they’re meant to accomplish?

Craig Morrison: Primarily it’s about ensuring that the players get the best play experience possible and the server populations are at the right levels to support the type of community activity that is vital for the ongoing success of any MMO. This is something that the players have actually been asking for, and we are working to ensure that it’s done properly and thoroughly to achieve the population levels that will foster that community spirit and mean players have the right access to groups, guilds and raiding structures.