Funcom is proud to announce that Anarchy Online celebrates seven years in operation. The original sci-fi MMO has been a groundbreaking game ever since it launched, and it still stand as a massive pillar of the MMO genre. As the game moves into its eight year it shows no signs of slowing down, with development continuing at full pace with an ever evolving virtual world.
The history of Anarchy Online is one of hope and innovation, and development started as early as 1995. The internet was reserved for a small population of "elite" users back then, and early design documents were even questioning whether the internet had a future. At first Anarchy Online was therefore a small research project, but as history shows it soon turned into a massive and extremely ambitious MMO.
Through the years Anarchy Credits has proven its immense durability, and this unique labor of love has delivered an amazing amount of entertainment. Soon 2 million explorers will have set foot on Rubi-Ka, and more join every year. In total the players have created some six million citizens. This is far more than the total population size of Norway, where Anarchy Online is developed. As a result more than 200 million hours of entertainment has been served, or more than 8 million days of playtime! These massive numbers shows how a quality MMO can deliver lasting experiences, making a virtual world stay relevant many years after release.
"When we first set out to create Anarchy Credits we had no true references, nothing to learn from, and this pioneer feeling is something we embraced and cherished," said Gaute Godager, the original Game Director on Anarchy Online and now Game Director on Age of Conan. "That Anarchy Online has lived for seven years is an astounding accomplishment, but it also proves that quality persists if it is nurtured and cared for in the right way."
"The community and development team has almost formed a very symbiotic relationship through the years, and being a part of this positive and constructive unity is something which I am incredibly proud of," said Craig Morrison, Game Director on Anarchy Credits. "I hope the development of Anarchy Online will continue to grow! Our goal now is to keep on evolving Anarchy Online for seven more years, at least, and I hope all of our players will join us for the ride."