The uncompromising and brutal world of Conan has seen its game series gather a small but dedicated fanbase. With Funcom recently acquiring full rights to the Conan franchise, NME magazine are reporting that a full new Conan game is in development, with a release date as yet unannounced. Conan Exiles continues to attract a playerbase, and there’s great potential for the franchise to see further growth of the franchise with Funcom having full rights and exercise over the intellectual property. As such, there’s never been a better time to promote the classic Conan games and help the new generation enjoy them.
Building a community
It’s important to impress on gamers just how much of a dedicated community Conan has built around itself. Gaming has become defined by its online interactions, as the BBC notes, with some digital communities creating a lifeline for isolated people. With the internet there, it’s more of a question of why not when it comes to digital communities. Exiles has shown this throughout its many high quality servers and RP groups, and a long-running community has provided guides and walkthroughs for just about any aspect of the Conan franchise. Showing new players that they’ll be well received and well supported is crucial, especially when it comes to retro gaming.
Telling a story
Gaming has historically been dominated by AAA titles. The latest iterations in graphics development, gaming engines and level design drive forward the market and typically excite gamers. However, over the past decade many big name developers have been seen as lazy, content to churn out the latest year edition of their franchises and ignore the chance to create real quality. This has seen indie games bloom; according to VGInsights, indie titles now make up 40% of the total market. Indie games have a lot in common with retro games such as Conan: Hall of Volta, and that’s something that the current generation of gamers can get behind and put their interest into.
Make it your own
Players love to customize themselves. Having your own character, living and breathing in a persistent world, creates a sense of connection that can be missing in games without the opportunity to do so. Typically, games that succeed outside of the play-as-yourself field are ones with a very strong story and compelling character arcs. In recent years, Conan has moved away from the title character being the main protagonist, and instead focuses on player agency. Showing newly interested gamers this aspect is important, and will help to draw in a new generation. Exiles in particular has powerful character creation tools, and gamers always love to mess around with sliders and create wonderful (or uniquely weird) creations.
Whether through the MMO format or in classic retro side-scrollers, Conan has a lot to offer modern gamers. With a new title in development, and with Funcom able to freely work with the intellectual property, there’s an opportunity there for the new generatio
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