It's impossible to think of Robert E. Howard's iconic Cimmerian barbarian without also thinking of the brutal, lawless, and lewdly wanton Hyborian Age in which Conan dwells. That's exactly the tact Norwegian-based Funcom plans to take with the upcoming Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures, a fully fledged massively multiplayer online role-playing game in which players delve into a world lorded over by Conan the king.

　　Fans hoping for the worst were rewarded in a sense this week with the Entertainment Software Rating Board awarding Age of Conan an M for Mature rating, according to a post on the game's official Web site by Funcom community manager Shannon Drake. However, while the M rating vindicates the violence, fans will experience it in different ways, depending on their region.

　　As noted by Drake, European audiences will experience the game in all its uncensored glory with a PEGI rating of 18+. That is, save for violence-sensitive Germany, where Funcom has been legally required to forgo "decapitation, dismemberment, and over-the-top type fatalities."

　　The situation is reversed for puritanical North American standards, though some confusion has arisen over how much nudity will be present in the M-rated game. Initially, Drake reported that the US version will feature full gore, but no nudity. However, in a follow-up post to the original ratings announcement, Drake amended her statement, saying that while the game will not feature full nudity, gamers will be able to geek out over the presence of "breasts with nipples."

　　After its most recent delay, Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures is now expected to evoke Crom on May 20 for the PC. An Xbox 360 version is also expected later this year.