Muscular pop icon Conan the Barbarian has been delighting fans with his video game adventures since 1984. The first game Conan: Hall of Volta was originally released on Atari, Commodore 64 and Apple II series, but you can still play a PC version online if you are a big fan of retro gaming. Since then, there have been another 10 Conan games, including the incredibly successful Conan: Exiles, which has sold 1.4 million copies. It has recently been announced that there is a brand new Conan game in development, made by Funcom, who have now acquired full rights to the entire franchise. The new game will incorporate stories and characters from the Robert E Howard universe, the original creator of Conan the Barbarian.
A nod to Exiles
Conan: Exiles, which was released in 2017, is an open-world survival game, and the most popular in the franchise. The game is an exciting adventure that involves strategy and skill to play. The characters need not only strength and brawn, but also tactical skills. Learning about planting seeds to grow flowers for spells and recipes is essential. Plants can be used for cooking, brewing and in potions to defeat enemies. In Exiles, Conan has to navigate his way through a vast, sprawling world, searching for the Serpent Ring of Set, and battling his enemies along the way. The new Conan game will look to build upon the commercial success of Exiles, captivating players with its story and characters.
The world of Robert E Howard
Along with the rights to the Conan the Barbarian video franchise, Funcom have also acquired the full range of intellectual properties that were owned by Cabinet Group. This includes Mutant Year Zero and Solomon Kane - another one of Robert E Howard’s creations. Funcom have announced that the new Conan game will bring together many of Howard’s fantastical characters. The first of the Solomon Kane stories, “Red Shadows” was first published in 1928, and there is certainly a wealth of material to draw inspiration from. The character was brought to life on the big screen in 2009, and featured James Purefoy, Pete Postlethwaite and the late, great, Max Von Sydow.
A possible TV tie-in?
Funcom’s subsidiary Heroic Signatures is responsible for the new acquisitions, and has also made licensing deals with some big names including Titan Books, Panini, Penguin Random House and Monolith. This will help spread the knowledge of Conan the Barbarian, and the other Robert E Howard characters, far and wide. Marvel Entertainment has begun publishing a weekly serial Conan the Barbarian comic book. It has also been confirmed that Netflix are working on a live action Conan TV series. The new Conan game could very well tie in with this.
Conan the Barbarian is 90 years old, but he is now being brought to a whole new generation of gamers. The new Conan game is definitely one to get excited about and will be intertwined with some classic Robert E Howard characters.
