Mark Androvich
21:51 (BST)
26/06/2008
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Conan "steak" to WOW "McDonalds", says Godager
Age of Conan may not be as easily accessible as World of Warcraft, but it could be more "meaty" says Funcom's Gaute Godager.
In an interview with out sister site, Eurogamer.net, the game director compared his product to a fancier meal.
"I enjoy playing WOW, I enjoy playing Lord of the Rings Online. But you know... I'm going to be a bit cheeky now, but if you've been to McDonalds for four or five years, and had your burger and your coke, sometimes it's great to just have a great steak and a glass of good wine," he said.
"I think that's what we're trying to do. It's more expensive, it's not for everyone and perhaps it's not as easily accessible as WOW is. But it could be more meaty."
Godager noted that the player base is almost split 50-50 between North America and Europe even though he feels that the MMO is more European than its competitors.
He speculates that the style and aesthetics of the game appeal more to Europeans than to Americans who play both console and PC games and prefer the same colourful visual style on both platforms.
"In Europe, a lot of people don't have consoles, and they use their PC for gaming to a bigger degree. Many European countries also have better internet connectivity than many parts of the US, and PC gaming has for many years promoted the consumption of high bandwidth, not only through legal means but also through piracy."
Godager believes that as Age of Conan opens in other territories - localised in Polish and Russian, for instance - it will shift towards being a more European success story.
The complete interview with Gaute Godager can be read at Eurogamer.net.
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