Funcom Leverages Highwinds GDN for Online Game Delivery

SAN FRANCISCO, March 5, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Highwinds®, a leader in content delivery, network and cloud-based IP services, today announced that independent developer and publisher of online games, Funcom, is tapping into Highwinds GDN™ (game delivery network) for the delivery of its online games to global audiences.  In addition to supporting Funcom's existing game titles today, Highwinds is also well-positioned to support the public release of Funcom's highly anticipated massively multiplayer online role-playing game, 'The Secret World,' set to launch on June 19th.  Highwinds GDN provides Funcom and its online audiences with reliable gameplay via HTTP caching, which supports game downloads, patches, content expansion and in-game monetization.

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"Highwinds' commitment to the gaming community is commendable," said Ole Schreiner, COO of Funcom.  "It's evident in Highwinds' dedicated and experienced account team, and it's evident in their solutions to support the evolving needs of the gaming industry.  We look forward to a long and rewarding partnership."

'The Secret World' (TSW) is currently in beta, with over 750,000 gamers now registered as beta testers.  Funcom expects the number of beta registrations to grow significantly in the coming months as the company ramps up its major PR and marketing initiatives towards launch.  TSW is consistently mentioned as one of the most anticipated MMOs in development, breaking new grounds and genre conventions by introducing a modern-day setting, a story-focused MMO experience, and a freeform progression system using no classes and no levels.  'The Secret World' is developed and published by Funcom and will be distributed by co-publishing partner Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ: EA).  Those looking to join the ongoing beta test can sign up via the official TSW site at www.thesecretworld.com.

"We're excited to be standing at this threshold with Funcom, with the public release of 'The Secret World' fast approaching," said Steve Miller, founder and CEO of Highwinds.  "The fact that the entire gaming community is talking about this game and anxiously awaiting its launch is a testament to Funcom's reputation for delivering great titles and outstanding entertainment over the past two decades.  Highwinds stands ready to continue supporting Funcom's existing titles, while scaling our game delivery solutions to support the massive growth on their horizon."

Highwinds GDN, which was launched last August, is a vertically focused reinvention of its content delivery network (CDN) for online game publishers and the first CDN specifically tuned for high-performance game delivery.  It integrates CDN services and a gaming software stack that enables faster downloads, lower delivery costs, fewer abandonments, an integrated download manager and real-time analytics, all from a single-source provider committed to game delivery innovation.  Learn more about Highwinds GDN this week at the Game Developers Conference in San Francisco.  To schedule a meeting, call 407.215.2400 or e-mail [email protected].

About Funcom

Funcom is an independent developer and publisher of online games for PC and consoles.  Funcom has provided outstanding entertainment since 1993 and continues to expand its track record of more than 20 released games.  Recent titles include 'Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures,' 'The Longest Journey,' 'Anarchy Online' and 'Dreamfall.'  For corporate information, visit www.funcom.com.  For information about Funcom games, visit www.anarchy-online.com, www.dreamfall.com, www.thesecretworld.com or www.ageofconan.com.  Funcom is listed on the Oslo Stock Exchange under the ticker FUNCOM.

About Highwinds Network Group, Inc.

Highwinds is a content delivery, network and cloud-based IP services business that offers a comprehensive suite of CDN solutions, including content storage and IP software.  The company delivers content and rich media over its high-performance RollingThunder® network to millions of global users every day.  Highwinds CDN customers gain unprecedented command and control with its StrikeTracker® console and open APIs.  Highwinds is headquartered in Winter Park, Fla., and maintains data centers around the world.  For more information, visit www.highwinds.com.

Highwinds, RollingThunder and StrikeTracker are registered trademarks, and GDN is a trademark, of Highwinds Network Group, Inc.  All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

SOURCE Highwinds Network Group, Inc.