Funcom has made its barbaric MMO Age of Conan free-to-play -- well, at least in a sense. From today through January 1, those who download the game client and create an account will be able to play for free until their character reaches level 20 (basically the game's first zone).

Doesn't exactly seem "unlimited," unless ... oh, we see, you can create a new character once you reach the free trial level cap and play through the same content again -- until that character reached level 20, and so on. Funcom is hoping that folks who go in for the trial experience will be so captivated that they'll want to pony up the money to see what lies beyond level 20. (Hint: It's more of the same.)

Funcom is calling this "a special holiday offer to anyone who wishes to experience the sexy and savage world of Conan." We're calling it a cry for attention.