Age of Conan early access sold out

By Oli Welsh Published 15 May, 2008

Head starts for pre-orderers all gone.

Via a post on the Age of Conan forums, developer Funcom has announced that the early access scheme it offered as a pre-order incentive has now "sold out".

This means that pre-orders taken between now and the fantasy MMO's release next week will not come with early access. What's more, players who have already pre-ordered and received their keys - but have not yet registered them - won't be able to use them.

Cue a very long and very angry forum thread, naturally. However, there are still a handful of slots available to those starting on French or German-language servers, and the exclusive items offered to pre-orderers - including the rhino and mammoth mounts - will still work for everyone.

Funcom apologised for the "misunderstanding", but stressed that it had always said that there would be a limit to the scope of the early access scheme, and noted that it had encouraged players to hurry to register while supply lasted. The limit to registrations was to guarantee that all early-access players would be able to download the game's (enormous) client and get on the servers in good time.

"With an unlimited amount of players, that would not be possible," said community manager Oliver Kunz. "That the registrations would reach that set limit as fast as they did we didn't quite expect," he admitted.

Although it will leave many disappointed, the early-access sell-out is an indication of the strength of anticipation for Age of Conan.

Age of Conan launches next week, on Tuesday 20th May in the US and Friday 23rd May in Europe. Eurogamer MMO will be holding a Conan Week to mark the launch, with extensive coverage, including our impressions of the beta test, and a report on the extraordinary launch event held in Funcom's home town of Oslo. Fire-breathing, Norwegian heavy metal, roasted pigs and an Olympic ski jump arena all feature. Stay tuned.

Picture of Oli.

About Oli Welsh

Oli is Eurogamer's acting deputy editor and reviews editor and likes to take things one word at a time. He is among the best dressed people in South London.

Read more articles from Oli by visiting the Oli Welsh archive page.

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Comments (26) Latest comment 4 years ago

Comments threads automatically close after 30 days, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • Erinan #1 4 years ago

    Although it will leave many disappointed, the early-access sell-out is an indication of the strength of anticipation for Age of Conan.

    Actually, it's not, as we don't know how many early accesses were available. The joys of Marketing.

  • bushwod #2 4 years ago

    @Erinan

    well if it's more than they anticipated, and interest in this MMO has been building for a while, then it must be a sizable number.

    Or maybe it's all a big conspiracy, yeah right!

  • Gurgeh #3 4 years ago

    The start of the train wreck or just a bump in the road? Time will tell...

    The amount of anticipation is a double-edge sword with an MMO launch, they'll get lots of cash up front but if the servers choke people will trudge back to WoW.

  • Benno #4 4 years ago

    I think they have a good idea (better than most mmos) how many people will be logging in at launch

    so hopefully they have the hardware to do the business

  • the_dudefather #5 4 years ago

    Funcom, I have never prayed to you before. I have no tongue for it. No one, not even you, will remember if we were good men or bad. Why we preordered, or why we registered. All that matters is that a forum full of angry people stood against many. That's what's important! Valor pleases you, Funcom... so grant me one request. Grant me early access! And if you do not listen, then to HELL with you!

  • kestral #6 4 years ago

    would be good if they had sent out information about that it was actually OPEN already instead all I got was a lazy play.com email saying i could register for an account, nothing about time limited nature and the fact early access was already open as I was expecting another announcement.. nice start.. lack of communication and pissing off people even before launch.
    Edited by 1 at 15/05/08 @ 13:59

  • mikeck #7 4 years ago

    oh my godzor...funcom are losezors!!!!!!

    I can imagine the forums full of angry fans...and I bet it ain't pretty...

  • Turambar #8 4 years ago

    "Actually, it's not, as we don't know how many early accesses were available. The joys of Marketing."

    600,000 last i heard. Make up your own mind if that's good or not. All i know is i have my early access.

  • Erinan #9 4 years ago

    Care to post a link? Not that I don't trust you, but I don't see why they wouldn't be bragging about it. Or maybe they're waiting until the actual early access starts.

  • Turambar #10 4 years ago

    There's been no official statement of numbers just rumours really. I guess i should have mentioned that in my post.

    Anyway post #11 http://fo rums.ageofconan.com/showthread.... is where i got my info.

  • muscleblade #11 4 years ago

    Gamereactor gave it 9/10.

  • UncleLou #12 4 years ago

    "Funcom apologised for the "misunderstanding", but stressed that it had always said that there would be a limit to the scope of the early access scheme"

    Well, not on the preorder boxes they didn't. Which would have been a quite logical place to actually put the info, you'd think.

  • Erinan #13 4 years ago

    600k would be a very impressive figure. I'm surprised it's that high actually, given the state of the game (which has only improved in the last few days, really). I guess it's down to the hype in the end, or it could be that the WoW players are starting to migrate to other games.
    Edited by 1 at 15/05/08 @ 15:01

  • UncleLou #14 4 years ago

    600k would be a very impressive figure. I'm surprised it's that high actually, given the state of the game (which has only improved in the last few days, really).

    For an MMORPG, it seems to be in a pretty good state, actually. Compared to betas I've tried near launch in post-WoW years, anyway.

  • Erinan #15 4 years ago

    It wasn't before this week. What they have apparently done is downgrading the engine to make it run better on average/low-end machines, and it apparently helped. But it wasn't a pretty beta, that's for sure, and the NDA is still running - which makes me terribly suspicious as the game will be launched tomorrow.

  • actionfitz #16 4 years ago

    I have my early access too...

    Hakuna Matata, Bitches!!

    \o/

  • Benno #17 4 years ago

    you cocks who managaed to register for early access, make sure you check the forums to see which server the EG massive are going to be playing

    it will be all nice if we are on one server as a collective

  • WrongShui #18 4 years ago

    I'm unenthused about this.

    Roll on WotlK. Which I also hardly care for, but will be buying anyway....

    No idea why.

  • ciril #19 4 years ago

    Server list is up btw.

    [link url=h ttp://forums.ageofconan.com/showthread.php?t=96913
    ]http://fo rums.ageofconan.com/showthread....[/link]

    Rolling on Aquilonia myself.

  • neilka #20 4 years ago

    Let's try not to get sand in Oliver Kunz.

  • YourMessageHere #21 4 years ago

    Surely if they didn't expect that many people to sign up, they'll also lack a similar proportion of server capacity and bandwidth relative to demand once the game's generally released, suggesting bumpy connections ahead...

    lol @ dudefather, unless he actually remembered that whole thing without looking it up, in which case I worry.

  • chanandler #22 4 years ago

    Well I got my pre-order email, registered on the site (how confusing is their registration process?????) and then downloaded the 13GB client. A day later I tried to install, kept getting crc errors. So I downloaded again, and again when I tried to install, crc errors. I tried twice more and after 2 more lots of errors (and the fact I have almost used up my 50GB monthly broadband usage limit) and have heard nothing back from the tickets I raised with FunCom I cancelled the lot and think I have made a lucky escape. This is most certainly going to be a train wreck, no doubt about it!

  • ZuluHero #23 4 years ago

    im in.

    No probems what-so-ever. I created an account as soon as i got a code from my retailer (because FUNCOM informed everyone like a million times on the forums that early access places were limited). I entered a valid CC (coz im not a pennyless bum). I clicked on the link they sent me (not one of the millions posted on the forums). I ran the patcher as instructed from the 14th (not before). And now i'm ready to roll (come saturday). Easy.

    /smug mode off

    I do feel sorry for the millions (optimistic here ;P) of ppl that got screwed over by their retailers sending codes late though. That does kinda suck. But AFIAK the three that had the pre-order bonus items (play=rhino, amazon=bow and game=mammoth) were all sent out on time so people shouldn't have been caught short.

    I do blame those unscrupulous ppl that screwed this system over (or at least tried to, well done Funcom) who pre-ordered from all three retailers to get all the pre-order keys, only to cancel 2 of them after applying the keys to their accounts. Bad form there ppl (you know who you are!)

    I do think that has a large part to play in alot of the animosity on the forums atm, especially with the people that didnt get in or got their codes late for whatever reason (more codes means more ppl getting mailed and more prone to errors and/or delays, or something)

  • Bleh #24 4 years ago

    It might be me but I just can't figure out why ppl even want to pay an extra 5 euro just so they can start playing earlier. I just think it's a waste of money. It might be only 5 euro and ppl say it's not that much but even than. And if ppl say that they don't want to run around when all the other millions of ppl are running around you still face the ppl who are also in the early access which are quiet a few. And I read that because there are a lot scream for more keys they even made it available for an extra period which means your running around with even more. In the end your might be even better of just starting on release date :D.

  • ZuluHero #25 4 years ago

    well bleh, aside from the benifit from getting slightly ahead of the unwashed come launch day? ;)

    There's the chance to reserve your names, get a head start and get to grips with the game. Also the extra TEN DAYS of gametime which are added to your account help alot! Basically for the measly £3.90 it was here in good old Britain, you essentially get 15 days of playtime - which, when considering the monthly sub, works out as a pretty good deal :)

    Its a wierd stratagy for FUNCOM to make ppl pay, but then again this is an unconventional MMO, but as you can see it has paid off!
    Edited by 1 at 16/05/08 @ 18:21

  • craziii #26 4 years ago

    hehe, seriously, what is the number. tell us the number.
    Edited by 1 at 18/05/08 @ 03:26