The Norwegian MMO developer Funcom had a strong financial year in 2017, but much seems to hinge on the release of Conan Exiles in May for PC, PS4, and Xbox One. Since its Early Access, there has been suspiciously little buzz around the game. According to Google Trends, the game is pretty much dead.
Funcom has revealed its numbers for 2017. It is a year in which the company consolidated itself. Debt was reduced, cash and revenue increased. In 2015, Funcom was on the verge of bankruptcy, from which it has now recovered.
In the 4th quarter of 2017, Funcom made higher revenues than in the 4th quarter of 2016, but is reporting losses on profit.
Conan Exiles – Launch will likely be crucial, but is anyone still interested?
Overall, it seems that the biggest revenues of the year came from the Early Access of Conan Exiles at the beginning of 2017. At that time, there was a genuine hype surrounding Conan Exiles.
However, the hype quickly faded, as evidenced by the numbers on Google Trends. The graph shows the global search interest in Conan Exiles from January 1, 2017, to February 27, 2018.
In August 2017, there was another spike in search interest when the survival game was released on Xbox One.
Conan Exiles has been quiet in recent months. Like so many Early Access hits on Steam that rely on crafting and survival, it seems to have been nothing more than a flash in the pan.
However, Funcom is restructuring its strategy for 2018 around a release of Conan Exiles in May, seemingly counting on the launch of Conan Exiles to make significant waves.
Much seems to depend on Funcom ensuring that the launch of Conan Exiles in May is successful.
Launch in May for PS4, Xbox One, and PC – Significant efforts are being made
Conan Exiles is set to release on May 8 for PS4, PC, and Xbox One. The map will be twice as large as in Early Access and they plan to offer significantly more features.
Funcom talks about marketing campaigns, local partnerships in China, Japan, and Korea. The game is set to release in 12 languages, and will also be available in retail.
They are also enthusiastically looking forward to a TV series about Conan that is being developed by Amazon. This is intended to increase the value of the “Conan” brand.
Secret World Legends – New content in Q1 2018 to attract players
The relaunch of Secret World Legends is set to receive new content in Q1 2018. With the agent system and additional story content, players are expected to be drawn in.
This is the first new content after the launch. Funcom aims to attract new customers to its MMORPG.
However, Secret World Legends does not play a significant role in the financial report. There is no mention of other games like Anarchy Online or Age of Conan.
New coop shooter in development and a Conan game
Additionally, Funcom is excited about the development of the business. They have created a subsidiary called “Heroic Signature” that licenses brands like Conan the Barbarian. They consider this a strategically wise move. If someone develops a video game with Conan, they earn from it.
- In Oslo, a new game is being developed with the Conan IP while taking care of Conan Exiles.
- In North Carolina, a new coop shooter is being created with a license from “Heroic Signature,” the subsidiary.
Moreover, they have introduced a new game in cooperation with “Bearded Dragons”:
The new game from Funcom is no longer an MMO, but something completely different
What do you think? Can Conan Exiles generate as much attention at launch in May as Funcom has planned?
