AoC server consolidation – Even the boobs can’t save it now!

I tend to avoid MMOs like the plague, but it’s hard to miss the hoo-hah surrounding Age of Conan.

It was heralded for its entire development as being the first MMO to be built for DirectX 10, packed full of hardcore adult content including nudity, violence and mature themes, coupled with a combat system more in-depth than the typical click-o-thon.

Boasting an official license for the revered Conan universe, the game was set to be, above all things, a WoW beater.

As pretty much predicted, it failed…

The DirectX 10 mode is only notable by its absence, the violence unrealistic due to the stilted combat system, which was wasted, the implementation of the Conan universe was boring (attributable to the lack of camels to punch) and the game completely failed to even touch World of WarCraft’s lofty subscriber numbers, largely because the high-level content was both lacking and horrendously poor once you left the starting tutorial zone at level 20.

Oh, and even the boobs got old when you realised everyone was playing a nubile topless barbarian.

Now, Destructoid (amongst other sources) are carrying the news that Funcom have announced that the server count, which originally numbered just shy of 50, has been slashed to 18, with most areas receiving just one PvP & one PvE server in order to bump population counts.

Of course, even the most cynical/realistic amongst us know from experience that server consolidation is step one of the slippery slide towards the big red OFF button.

Still, at least they didn’t have the gaul to offering a lifetime subscriber option…  Flagshipped IDD!