Launching on May 20th, I don't think anyone is surprised by the popularity of Age of Conan, so this announcement from Eidos and Funcom comes as no surprise.

Funcom and Eidos are excited to announce that over 500,000 gamers from all over the world have signed up to become a member of the Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures community by either signing up for the ongoing beta test or by joining the ‘Clan of Conan’ official fan club. Funcom is responding to the growing numbers by introducing websites and forums for the English, German, French and Spanish market to support the launch in all of these territories.

“The massive attention Age of Conan is generating throughout the international gaming community is simply amazing,” says Funcom CEO Trond Arne Aas. “The game seems to be already striking a chord with gamers across the world and we are thrilled and motivated by all the positive feedback we have been getting from both the press and the community.”

Not only are the growing numbers a very strong indication on Age of Conan’s popularity pre-launch, the entire development process is also reaping the rewards from the constantly increasing numbers of gamers signing up to join the beta test. This allows Funcom to thoroughly test numerous aspects of the game, contributing to a smoother launch and a more enjoyable gaming experience from day one.

Also not shocking is the fact that while launch day was pushed back, we're going to get a very polished, very graphic game to play!  See you in Hyboria!