So, you grew up watching the movies over and over again. Maybe you even went so far as to read Robert E. Howard's original stories. Did you enjoy any or all of the many comics that have been written? The Conan story is an old favorite for many people. Conan embodies the basest animal instincts of Man: kill or be killed, take without asking, and show your appreciation of a woman by taking her to bed.
I have a special place in my heart for the first Conan movie and the Robert E. Howard stories. There was something special there, an appreciation for the character and his environment that is rarely captured in the later telling of his continuing saga. It is often forgotten that Conan is a story about a rogue who fears and loathes society and the sinister forces of the world that haunt him, instead the focus is often on the gore, violence, and sex. But still, the story is intriguing when done right.
And so it was with great anticipation that I followed the development of Funcom's MMORPG about one of my favorite characters of all time. I've been an avid player of World of Warcraft for over a year and have been on the look-out for another fantasy game with a phenomenal support team and proper financial backing. I viewed the progression videos on their website and familiarized myself with the project's direction. I was hooked. I had no doubt that this game likely wouldn't replace my addiction to World of Warcraft, but wanted to play it none the less.
Then somewhere along the way it came to my attention that there would be rampant nudity in the game. I love a beautiful naked woman. But why did they have to include it in this game? I have children who often watch me play games. Graphic violence is different; we've grown up with it from Loony Tunes to the Transformers and super heroes. Having been under a Christian influence for so long, America is still shell shocked when nudity appears in games and cartoons. Personally I think it's appalling that we can condone graphic violence over sex, but that's the way it is. I will not be playing Age of Conan in my home...at least not while the children are up.
Then I heard about a "nipple filter". While I have not seen it in use, I think it's a great step in the right direction; give gamers the CHOICE to keep the nipples or let them go...but is it enough? There is currently a petition in circulation that has sparked some debate over the matter. Apparently the line has been drawn between us prudes and "real gamers". Why the debate though? What's wrong with giving us an opportunity to experience a next generation online RPG on our own terms? If nipples are your thing in video games, then you don't have to turn them off. I understand that some might want more than to turn off the nipples, covering the major part of the breasts might be more suitable. This would require demanding attention from the developers of the game, however, in turn potentially pushing back other content updates; so some frustration is understandable.
It's about the choice. Some people just want to play the best games available. Yes, there are hundreds of online games to choose from that have been mildly successful, but some people only want to play the best, it's why they keep upgrading their gaming rigs. Age of Conan is likely not the best, but it's certainly in the top tier. I'm not sure if I would want my children watching me play this game anyway, but there is also a graphic violence filter if I've heard correctly. As much as I love the Conan saga, I don't want to play this game just because of that; I want to play because it's a fantasy RPG with top notch graphics and committed support behind it. That's a winning formula for any game in my book, with or without the nipples.
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