Along with a ton of other properties.
Tag: Conan
Funcom Quarterly Report Notes 10 Active Projects
Funcom has released their third quarter financial performance and the results are up and down. Revenue is down from $7.5 million last year to $5.4 million this year which can be blamed on Conan Exiles having a strong launch in Q2 and Q3 of 2018. Funcom did not launch a title in Q3 2019, however they did admit that Conan Unconquered has underperformed to Funcom’s expectations.
Funcom’s MMO library has been relegated to a tiny corner of their report, simply mentioning “community events” for activities encompassing Age of Conan, Secret Worlds Legends, and Anarchy Online (The Secret World isn’t referenced at all). The financial report also notes that Tencent recent acquired a 29% stake in Funcom over the quarter, offering no cash infusion to Funcom itself as the stocks were purchased from KGJ Capital AS.
“We are very pleased to see Tencent come in as the largest shareholder of Funcom. Tencent has a reputation for being a responsible long-term investor, and for its renowned operational capabilities in online games. The insight, experience, and knowledge that Tencent will bring is of great value to us and we look forward to working closely with them as we continue to develop great games and build a successful future for Funcom.“ Rui Casais
After quarter activities so far have included the launch of 2015’s The Park on Nintendo Switch, as well as the release of Moons of Madness on Steam. The report does not discuss sales figures, however Steamspy estimates 20,000 to 50,000 total sales and Steam charts show the game peaking at 519.
Funcom’s upcoming titles include a Dune open world title that is currently in pre-production, a cooperative shooter set in the Mutant: World Zero IP, Conan Chop Chop set for launch in Q1 2020, Moons of Madness releasing on consoles in January, and two unnamed titles in development by Games Farm and The Outsiders, a studio created by former Battlefield developers.
Source: Funcom
Play Funcom’s Conan Threesome Free Over The Weekend
If you’ve ever wanted to play all three of Funcom’s Conan games and not have to pay anything for the privilege, you’re in luck. Starting September 19 and running through September 23, you can download Conan Exiles and Conan Unconquered. You can also play Age of Conan which was already free to play, but just pretend that it’s one of those play now keep forever deals that you can play whenever and also keep.
So if your taste is MMO, tower defense, or survival sandbox, you’re in for a treat this weekend.
Funcom Announces Acquisition Of Conan Property
Funcom has announced that it has approved plans to acquire 50% of the Conan the Barbarian portfolio. The acquisition, approved by the board and pending approval at a general investor meeting in January, would see Funcom benefiting from a 50% royalty reduction on Age of Conan and Conan Exiles while also acquiring 50% royalties for any game developed using Conan and various other properties acquired as part of this venture.
The joint venture company will hold interactive/video gaming Intellectual Property (IP) rights based on the works of Robert E. Howard and classic Swedish pen & paper and board game properties, including attractive IPs such as “Conan the Barbarian”, “Solomon Kane”, “Mutant Chronicles”, “Mutant: Year Zero”.
The acquisition will allow Funcom to secure more frequent launches of games both produced internally as well as co-developed and published from third party partners. Rather than paying cash, Funcom will be paying with shares, reducing risk and increasing revenues. More information on the acquisition can be found at the link below:
(Source: Funcom)
Funcom Boasts Best Half Ever As Conan Exiles Propels Profits
Funcom’s second quarterly revenue report is out, and the results are as expected, positive. The combined success of Conan Exiles and Secret World Legends has propelled the Oslo developer to its best half in the history of the company, nearly halving their debt and increasing equity by 40%. Sales of Secret World Legends have exceeded company expectations, although the sales had little effect on this quarter’s revenue due to its late release and will not be seen until the next release. Overall revenue increased 79% over last year.
To complement its success, Funcom has rebranded as Funcom 2.0, with a brand new logo of a screaming face on a burning flag, to convey the developer’s passion, ambition, and history.
Two new games are currently in production at Funcom, with the Oslo studio working on a new Conan game and the Durham studio in the concept stage on a game that will be dependent on the success of Secret World Legends. In addition, Funcom has announced that it is partnering with Bearded Dragons to produce a new game for 2018. Funcom had previously revealed that Johnny Depp will be involved in a TV series based off of The Secret World.
(Source: Funcom)
Funcom Earnings Slow Over Last Year
Funcom’s final quarterly report of 2015 has released, and the results are not so pretty. Revenues dropped to $2.5 million from $2.9 million over the same period last year, due to Funcom’s major sources of revenue (their MMOs) declining with age. In addition to a loss in equity and earnings, the total cash position of Funcom dropped from $1.1 million in the third quarter to 616 thousand in the fourth. The company’s cash flow for 2016 and beyond is set to be secured via sale of stocks as well as a convertible bond.
On the games front, Funcom’s primary revenue drivers continue to be Age of Conan, Anarchy Online, and The Secret World. The Park met all non-revenue related goals while selling in line with internal expectations. For those who have forgotten, in a previous financial report Funcom did not expect The Park to generate any significant source of revenue. For the first quarter, Funcom expects to launch The Park on Xbox One and Playstation 4, increasing revenues as well as expanding the company into the console market.
And while Funcom’s revenue did increase over the third quarter, this kind of result is to be expected. I’ve brought this up in previous articles but fourth quarter earnings being higher than third quarter are normal, due to the holidays and in this case a new game release. The fourth quarter is normally followed by a drop in sales in the first, which means that any growth is out of the ordinary and therefore better than expected.
As mentioned in previous releases, Funcom’s strategy going forward is to work on small budget, experimental projects working existing IPs into new technologies and platforms. The fruits of this labor will hopefully bear, at minimum, one small game per year and one larger title in development at all times. The Park is the first small game to be released under this plan with Conan: Exiles the first large title.
(Source: Funcom)
Funcom’s Next Game Is A Conan Open World Survival Title
Funcom has revealed their next title, Conan Exiles, will be released into early access this summer with full launch on PC and consoles to come after. Exiles is set to be an open world survival game where players must survive the harsh lands of Hyboria by hunting, fighting, and taking shelter. The game is played similarly to other survival titles, giving players the option to use public and private servers, alongside a single player mode.
Creative director Joel Bylos points to the setting of Conan as the perfect suitor for a survival game, noting:
“Hyboria is a harsh and unforgiving land where only the strongest can survive while the weak are swiftly cut down. Whether it is hunting animals for food, fighting monsters and other players, or building entire settlements, we want to make sure players feel like they are really fighting to survive and prosper in the most brutal fantasy world ever.”
We learned back in August that Funcom had begun work on multiple smaller, more experimental titles such as The Park. Last month, the company announced that it was a preferred partner of Conan Properties, all but ensuring that there would be more titles coming in the future. More information can be found at the main website.
(Source: Funcom press release)
Funcom Now A Preferred Partner Of Conan
Funcom has announced today that the game developer has entered a partnership with Conan Properties. As a preferred partner, Funcom will be the go-to developer for all video games on PC and console that feature the Conan brand or take place in Hyboria. The first game to be developed under this new relationship will not be announced until January, and marks one of three games set to launch in 2016.
“We are tremendously excited to be strengthening our relationship with Conan Properties,” said Funcom CEO Rui Casais. “‘Conan the Barbarian‘ is undoubtedly one of the world’s greatest and most recognizable fantasy heroes, and as game developers, working with such a character and being able to draw from the fantastically detailed world of Hyboria is nothing short of a dream come true.”
(Source: Funcom press release)
MMO Fallout 