Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures, the MMORPG that has been in development since 2003, and is coming to the PC in March (2008), is opening up for more beta testers. They already have about 10,000 testers, but they expect to let in many more thousands in the next little while:

DURHAM, N.C.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--As Age of Conan gets ready for launch, the beta for the highly anticipated MMO draws ever larger crowds. More than 10,000 beta players have been invited to the beta, allowing Funcom and Eidos to prepare for a stable, fun and polished MMO experience next spring. The invaluable beta feedback has confirmed the ambitions for the title, with high fun-factor and outstanding immersion cited by beta testers.

“The fact that we have now passed 10,000 beta players means we have reached a considerable milestone for Age of Conan, and proves that we have successfully escalated our beta efforts over the past few months,” said Gaute Godager, Producer of Age of Conan. “Personally I believe that the best beta feedback is that so many of our testers are having a lot of fun, and nothing pleases me more. This is what games are all about, and as we move into the last months of polish I feel certain we can impact the genre with something fresh, new and exciting. At the same time, I want to send a personal thank to all the beta players that help us test the game, report issues and assist us in making the game ever better. Age of Conan will be a better game because of all of you and your assistance is invaluable to us.”

The Age of Conan game is now patched and updated frequently, showcasing how an MMO beta is an organic, growing experience. Funcom will therefore continuously expand the beta efforts in the months to come, including adding tens of thousands of new testers.

To celebrate the 10,000 milestone, Funcom has also created a great new trailer for the game. Available in HD at the official www.ageofconan.com website, as well as through external gaming sites, the brand new video takes you on a stunning visual journey through Hyboria. Make sure to check it out, and see what the players can expect upon entering Conan's savage, sexy and brutal universe.

Do you want to join the Conan beta as well? Sign up today at www.ageofconan.com, and you might become one of the lucky pioneers of Hyboria.

Age of Conan features a "Real Combat" system, where the player has the ability to swing weapons in six different directions. The system looks like a nice refreshing change of pace from many standard, turn-based fighting MMORPGs. Here is a gameplay video showing some of the combat:

The game is aiming for a mature audience with a world faithful to the original Howard Conan books, featuring adult-themes, such as drinking, topless women, and blood and gore.

The game will be released for the Xbox as well, but a date for this release has not been set.