SEPT. 1, 2009 • Funcom is setting up a new development studio in Montreal to better serve the North American market. The MMO publisher was able to secure state government funding through Investissement Québec, and expects the studio to work on a number of current Funcom projects.

Impact: Funcom’s biggest product, the MMOG Age of Conan, has struggled to retain subscribers.  This is particularly true in North America.  In DFC’s recent survey of 8,000 PC gamers, among those that had played Age of Conan, only 9% in North America identified themselves as “current subscribers.”  Among European consumers 19% of users that had tried Age of Conan identified themselves as “current subscribers.”  Funcom has several major projects in the works including an expansion to Age of Conan and The Secret World, a major new MMOG.