Is Conan the next World of Warcraft?

Ever since World of Warcraft's 2004 release, it has held the lucrative massively-multiplayer market in a stranglethorn stranglehold, racking up in excess of 10 million subscribers.

Nothing lasts forever, though, and the spectacular success of a new massively-multiplayer game based on the Conan the Cimmerian stories has some wondering if Warcraft's time in the spotlight is coming to an end.

Age of Conan, released last week, has already recorded more than 400,000 sales worldwide, and it's gathering top scores from the critics. It's based on the same series of stories that inspired the celebrated Arnie movie Conan the Barbarian, and boasts graphics that are far more modern and impressive than World of Warcraft's four-year-old visuals.

In keeping with the notoriously violent movie, Age of Conan's melee combat offers a different experience than most massively-multiplayer games -- rather than just clicking once to attack, it features a more action-oriented system involving concepts from fighting games and shooters. And yes, it's replete with blood, decapitations, and similar hijinks.

Tempted? Be aware, the game has steep system requirements, so you'll need a reasonably recent PC to join the party. (Which, if anything, makes its sales success all the more eyebrow-raising.) If you're looking for more info, we have everything you need to know -- including a preliminary review -- right here.

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