Age of Conan going free to play

Funcom’s MMO goes free to play this summer with Age of Conan: Unrated.
Age of Conan has secured a good following since its launch back in 2008, and with Funcom also now working on their new MMORPG The Secret World, the time has come to throw open the doors of Hyboria to one and all.
“Everyone on the team is excited about opening up our world to an even larger audience,” says Creative Director and Executive Producer Craig Morrison. “The online world of Hyboria is constantly expanding as we continue to introduce new gameplay features and new content, and we truly believe that ‘Age of Conan: Unrated’ will offer something truly new and unique to both new players and to those have already experienced the brutal online world of Conan the Barbarian.”
The new model will continuie a premium subscription and also offer a new free to play model which will be supported by micro-transactions via a new in0agme store. Exclusive items available for purchase will include mounts and weapons which will supports the new business model.
“With over 1.4 million copies sold, glowing reviews for both the core game as well as the expansion, and a healthy player base ever since launch in 2008, there is no doubt that ‘Age of Conan’ has been a true success story for Funcom,” says SVP of Sales & Marketing Morten Larssen. “Now we turn to another chapter in this story as we thrust ‘Age of Conan: Unrated’ into the world of free-to-play games, a gaming space that is becoming rapidly more popular and profitable across the board.”
Age of Conan was a bold MMORPG when it launched and is probably still one of the more visually impressive MMOs on the market so this new model will open the game up to a new and  much larger playerbase. It’s well worth a look if you have not played it and more details can be found in the new FAQ.