Funcom has announced that its much touted MMO Age of Conan will now not see the virtual light of day until next year.

The title was originally scheduled to be released this October but now gamers will be able to get their fur-lined cod pieces around the action in March of 2008.

Funcom has said that the delay is to give it time to finish “honing, polishing and improving the heralded qualities of the game”, which is perhaps just as well given the praise heaped upon the title so far, with a "Best MMO of E3" award among others.

“We naturally regret that we have to push back ‘Age of Conan’. However, after careful consideration, and analysis of recent Beta feedback, we believe that the new release date is in the best interest of the gamers, our company and our owners”, said Trond Arne Aas, CEO of Funcom.

“We are fully committed to delivering games with absolute qualities, and in the current MMO marketplace we know that only the best is good enough to truly succeed. With the new release date we have therefore given ourselves more time to meet and deliver on the massive expectations for the game. We are certain that our choice will ultimately pay off, and that all ‘Age of Conan’ players will get a special online experience."