Funcom product manager Erling Ellingsen in the Leipzig Games Convention reaffirmed that the upcoming Conan movie from Lionsgate will have some pretty close ties to their MMORPG, Age of Conan. Details are still sketchy, and they've a lot of hurdles to overcome yet.

Funcom product manager Erling Ellingsen recently waded into the decidedly hostile waters of the Age of Conan forums to answer some issues brought up by the playerbase in the wake of a recent interview he did with MMORPG.com. Hit the full article for all the grisly details.

Crom's balls! We're back with yet another issue of the Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures Weekend Warrior. It's been a very busy and exciting week  since the last issue with the introduction of a new patch as well as some interesting revelations from Erling Ellingsen, the product manager of the game. Head on over to the full article and find out what happened this week.

Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures' product manager Erling Ellingsen was at the San Diego Comic-Con 2008 where he let slip a few tidbits on PVP and PvE content players can look forward to. Watch the interview in the full article.

In the latest episode of Hyborian Insider, product manager Erling Ellingsen discussed crafting, city building, and professions in Funcom's Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures. If you want to see the video for yourself and learn more about the topics we just mentioned, head on over to the full article.

As unlikely as barbarian kings going around wearing Nikes is, this was the latest rumor to go around Funcom's upcoming Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures (PC, Xbox 360) title. In a recent statement released by the developers, it was confirmed that the actual game will not support in-game advertising. Learn more about this story by clicking on the "read more" link below.

So what is it that makes Funcom's upcoming MMORPG Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures stand out against the competition? Well, Erling Ellingsen sat down for an interview and gave the lowdown on the things that make the game a cut above the rest. Catch the video interview after the jump!

Wondering just how much of a barbarian you can be when Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures comes along? Then the answers lie in this video update, where we get an eyeful of the game's combat system. Slash, decapitate, disembowel! It's all in the mind, and you'll definitely have to keep your wits about you to make sure the same thing doesn't happen to you. Check out the video in the full article!

By Crom! Ever since siege warfare was announced as a feature in Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures, this barbarian blogger and other fans have been waiting for more information about it. Who better to give us information about this than Funcom product manager Erling Ellingsen.

In a recent Eurogamer interview, Ellingsen explained the implementation of Siege Warfare in the game. It begins with the guilds in the game being given the opportunity to own lands. The options after that are diverse, ranging from the massive battlekeeps of the larger groups to the smaller forts for smaller organization.

However, as with all things in Hyboria, you have to fight to keep what you have. Other guilds who sense weakness might wish to take away your precious resources by attacking your base.

Those on the warpath will be given access to various siege weaponry such as trebuchets and the like. These machines of destruction are directly linked to a crafting skill. As it increases so will the character's capability for designing better and more efficient weapons.

Attacks on opposing forts and keeps are scheduled, set by those who currently have ownership of it. However, the more they put their territory up for grabs, the greater the rewards they will be reaping from it. Ellingsen explained why this mechanic was integrated into the game:

Age of Conan is designed with that very clear idea in mind that it should appeal to both casual and hardcore players. We want you to feel rewarded even if you only have the opportunity to play for a short amount of time each week.

If you want to solo, then go for it. Many of us at Funcom are family men and women, and we know very well that you can't pour endless hours into a game each night. You'll see this reflected in all the different aspects of Age of Conan.

Slated to be out on March next year, Age of Conan looks to be a lot of fun to play as the developers unveil even more game modes to keep the action fresh and furious. If you want to read more on this, feel free to click on our Read Link.

Should MMO players be worried about the uber fast rise of MMO games? Since online gaming is seen as a cash cow by many developers, it is only natural that some are lured to make their own MMOs. Funcom can be considered a veteran in the MMO industry with Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures and Anarchy Online under its belt, but the company expressed concern about making "half-hearted" MMOs.

In a recent interview with CVG, Funcom warned that creating MMO games is not an easy venture. According to Funcom, MMO projects require huge resources - "massive" being the operative term. Funcom's product manager, Erling Ellingsen expressed concern about the developers going into the genre with limited resources, and as a result, these developers won't be able to live up to the market's high expectations. He added,

Not necessarily because they're not talented enough, but because they're going into the genre with limited means. Creating these games takes a tremendous amount of resources, both people-wise and money-wise, but especially in terms of using the right technology. These games are hard to make.

Hmm... Sound advice. The MMO genre is still relatively young but it already has a good number of titles. Let's hope that developers listen and go for quality instead of quantity so their games don't fall short of what gamers expect.