A preview of the new Lair Raid can be seen in the Issue #6; The Last Train to Cairo video, narrated by Game Director Joel Bylos.

Download the video from our Press FTP here

See the video on our YouTube channel here

Download screenshots and artwork from the Lair Raid on our Press FTP here

This new Raid is the culmination of The Secret World’s Lair feature. In Lairs the players fight together in groups to take on tough monsters. These enemies not only offer good loot and many Experience Points, but can also drop pieces of patterns which can be put together to summon powerful bosses. There is a marked Lair area in each major playfield in The Secret World.

There are several tiers of such Lair bosses and the Eidolon of the Outer Dark offers the most brutal Lair challenge. Here players must gather in groups of ten to take on this Raid size battle, and work together closely to overcome the many tricks and traps the boss has made ready for them.

Best Regards,

Funcom

Oslo, Norway – March 14^th, 2013 – How would you like to fight on top of trains, travel through time and battle enemies with a whip from ancient times? Well, now you can, in Funcom’s modern-day MMO ‘The Secret World’. Funcom is excited to announce the release of Issue #6; The Last Train to Cairo, a major new update that expands the game with all new content. The focus of this update is the new storyline taking place in The Scorched Desert. Players will be taken on a long and action-filled journey, packed with new missions and side missions which offer hours of new content. The new missions in The Last Train to Cairo lets players battle the crazed cultists of Aten, travel back in time to unearth powerful artifacts and fight atop a moving train in the climactic end scenes.

Catch the latest preview video of Issue #6; The Last Train to Cairo narrated by Game Director Joel Bylos to get a sneak peek at some of what this latest update contains.

Check out the video on Funcom’s YouTube page

Download the ESRB or PEGI versions from Funcom’s media FTP

Download the new screenshots and artwork for the Issue from the FTP

The update also contains many other new features. Players can now learn to use the new Whip Auxiliary Weapon. The Whip is great for doing damage to groups of enemies, can encourage the entire team to run faster with a handy buff or trip enemies and pull them towards you. Many new player vs. player enhancements are also in this update. Players can now earn PvP Experience Points which give them ranks and a new form of currency which can be used to purchase fresh PvP uniforms.

Veteran Points are now given to members for each month they are or have been a member. These points can be used to gain unique items in the Item Store. Anyone recruiting a new player now also earns Veteran Points equal to one month of membership. A new Lair Raid is also introduced to the game. Players can band together in groups of ten to take on a brutal new foe, trapped in a prison between dimensions. This Lair Raid will go live once final testing is done on the Test Live server.

Members get three days of early access to DLC #6, while it becomes available for non-members in the Item Store on Sunday the 17^th of March. The general features in this update are available to everyone who plays The Secret World.

Read the news article covering Issue #6 here

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

Funcom is excited to announce that The ‘Get your Music in the Game’ competition has been a great success, all thanks to the combined creative power of the games’ wonderful community. Funcom has received more than three hundred submissions, many of them containing several songs.

– “It has been very hard to choose the best music in this competition,” says Audio Director Simon Poole, “because we have received tons and tons of great stuff. I knew The Secret World had an awesome community, but this response has surpassed my wildest expectations. Since we have gotten so much great music we will put more new songs into the game than I first had planned, to share these treasures with the everyone who plays The Secret World.”

The winning songs will be heard on radios in The Secret World where their theme and genre fit with the surroundings.

However we wish to let everybody hear the winning songs right now. So check out the new article with the list of all the winners and their winning songs. Click the song titles to listen to them now.

Check out the News Story with the winning songs here

Best regards,

Funcom

Oslo, Norway – February 27^th, 2013 – Funcom is thrilled to announce its new and exciting strategy for its Montreal studio, where the company has established an experienced team of talented developers who will be building high-quality games and technology for mobile and tablet platforms. Funcom is also very pleased to announce that the new strategy is being kicked off by the development of two new mobile and tablet games based on the immensely popular LEGO® brand.  The two newly announced LEGO® titles are being developed on a work for hire basis for the LEGO Group, and Funcom is in the process of securing similar opportunities for the Montreal studio going forward.

The new branch strategy is part of Funcom’s overall company-wide strategy of building smaller, high quality games, and it is Funcom’s ambition for the Montreal studio to grow and become a key player in the emerging mobile and tablet gaming space.

“Being able to kick off with such an amazing brand represents an incredibly solid start to our Montreal studio’s new future,” says Funcom CEO Ole Schreiner. “This studio has always been an important development hub for Funcom and it is here we developed ‘Pets vs. Monsters’ and ‘Fashion Week Live’, which have both contributed immensely to our teams’ knowledge and expertise within the casual gaming space. Many of the talented individuals who worked on those games now represent the core of our new mobile and tablet team and their capacity to create great gaming experiences has definitely been proven.”

An update on the ongoing restructuring process and its new strategy will be communicated at the upcoming presentation of the company’s Q4 2012 results on February 28^th, 2013.

###

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

ABOUT THE LEGO GROUP: The LEGO Group is a privately held company based in Billund, Denmark. The company is still owned by the Kirk Kristiansen family who founded it in 1932. The LEGO Group is engaged in the development of children's creativity through playing and learning. Based on the world-famous LEGO® brick, the company today provides toys, experiences and teaching materials for children in more than 130 countries. The LEGO Group has approximately 10,000 employees, and it is the world's third largest manufacturer of play materials.

The head office is in Billund, Denmark but there are also subsidiaries and branches throughout the world, and LEGO products are sold in more than 130 countries.

Durham, USA – February 26^th, 2013 – Funcom is excited to announce that ‘Age of Conan’ and ‘The Secret World’ veteran designer Joel Bylos has stepped up to take the creative leadership of the company’s newly formed, centralized live team. The dedicated live team is made up by some of the most skilled and experienced developers working at Funcom and is entirely focused on expanding, enhancing and supporting company’s three live games, ‘The Secret World’, ‘Age of Conan’ and‘Anarchy Online’.  

The establishment of a joint, centralized live team comes as a result of the organizational restructuring process Funcom recently went through following the launch of ‘The Secret World’. It is the company’s ambition that each of the three live games will benefit greatly from a shared pool of the incredible skill, competence and creativity that makes up this highly experienced group of developers. The centralized live team is situated in Funcom’s North Carolina studio, which gives the developers the advantage of working closely with the company’s quality assurance, community, customer service and billing teams which are located at the same studio. 

Joel Bylos is an accomplished developer at Funcom, having been an instrumental part of creating the company’s two biggest online games ‘Age of Conan’ and ‘The Secret World’. After serving as Lead Designer on the very successful ‘Age of Conan’ expansion ‘Rise of the Godslayer’, Bylos went on to become Lead Content Designer on ‘The Secret World’ where he is responsible for creating some of the game’s most critically acclaimed features such as the investigation gameplay and the unique missions. Last year he took on the role of Game Director for ‘The Secret World’ and led the work of bringing it over to a buy-to-play business model which proved very successful with hordes of new players joining in. 

“Having one centralized live team responsible for both the health and the future of each online game means there will always be fresh ideas, years of design know-how and invaluable skill with our tools flow freely between each project,” says Creative Director Joel Bylos. “I am very excited to have been given the opportunity to lead this team going forward and we have already started mapping out a very exciting future for ‘Anarchy Online’, ‘The Secret World’ and ‘Age of Conan’. Stay tuned, great things are coming!” 

Joel Bylos is also releasing three letters today – one for each community – talking about the change and what opportunities it will bring to each game. You will find these letters on www.ageofconan.com, www.thesecretworld.com and www.anarchy-online.com (forums). In the letters, Bylos give fans a glimpse at some of the team's plans, including the new graphics engine for 'Anarchy Online' which the team hopes to get onto test servers soon, an outline of the coming updates for 'The Secret World'including the Tokyo update and the soon to hit Issue #6: 'The Last Train to Cairo', as well as what impact the upcoming Conan movie might have on 'Age of Conan'.

###

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 twenty released games. Recent titles include ‘Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures’, ‘The Longest Journey', 'Anarchy Online' and 'Dreamfall: The Longest Journey'. For corporate information please 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.

Raleigh, USA – January 25^th, 2012 – Funcom, a world leading independent developer and publisher of online games, today provided an update on the Company’s previously announced restructuring process. The restructuring is an important step in the long-planned implementation of the Company’s strategy of building smaller, high quality online games such as the upcoming LEGO® Minifigures game while at the same time continuing to support, service and expand its three successfully launched massively multiplayer games ‘The Secret World’, ‘Age of Conan’ and ‘Anarchy Online’.

Funcom announced last year that following the release of ‘The Secret World – which is the Company’s largest MMO project to date – that the Company would implement a strategy of developing smaller, high quality online games with more limited budgets and shorter production timelines. This would allow the Company to spread its investments and work on more games simultaneously. It has also been important for Funcom to make sure that the new strategy incorporates the continued support of the Company’s existing online games, which are all a vital part of its legacy as well as its future business.

As part of the restructuring Funcom is establishing a joint, centralized live team at its studio in Raleigh, North Carolina, whose primary responsibility will be expanding and enhancing the Company’s three live games and making sure the thriving community of loyal players receive the support they have come to expect after years of successful live operation. The centralized live team consists of many of the talented people that worked on those games previously, and it is Funcom’s ambition that each game will benefit from having a shared pool of skill, competence and creativity that makes up this highly experienced group of developers in the centralized, joint team in Raleigh, North Carolina.

The team in Montreal will work on currently unannounced projects for the tablet and mobile platforms, as well as continuing to improve and enhance Funcom’s own industry-leading Dreamworld technology.

The Dreamworld technology powers many of Funcom’s massively multiplayer online games, such as ‘The Secret World’ which was re-launched successfully in December to a buy-to-play business model. The move resulted in a 30% increase in overall sales and an increase in server activity of more than 400% as a result of many players returning to the myths and legends themed online game. The centralized live team will continue to build upon this success in the months to come.

“The live team in Raleigh, North Carolina, has up until today only housed our billing/tools, community, customer service, operations and quality assurance teams,” says Funcom CEO Ole Schreiner. “By bringing the developers on our live games to Raleigh it allows us to build a stronger, more unified team that can service and support our online games as they work to expand these worlds and create new experiences for the players who inhabit them. This will also allow us to have the team staying in Montreal focus exclusively on their new responsibilities of developing for tablets and mobile devices as well as working on new tech.”

The restructuring process includes a reduction in headcount at the Montreal studio among those who have not been relocated to Raleigh to be part of the centralized live team or who are not part of the new team which will be working with mobile, tablet and technology. As a natural result of the completion of the development on ‘The Secret World’, the Beijing studio, which primary responsibility was delivering art and animation to that project, will be closed down this year and the live team in Raleigh will be equipped with resources to produce visual assets for upcoming updates to the three live games. There has also been a staff reduction at the Raleigh studio in certain departments.

The restructuring process is still ongoing and Funcom will update the market on concrete numbers when the process has been finalized.

For more information about Funcom please visit http://www.funcom.com.

Enquiries may be addressed to investor@funcom.com.

###

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 twenty released games. Recent titles include ‘Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures’, ‘The Longest Journey', 'Anarchy Online' and 'Dreamfall: The Longest Journey'. For corporate information please 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. 

Durham, USA – January 14^th, 2012 – Funcom is excited to announce the launch of ‘The Secrets of Dragon’s Spine’, the latest content update for ‘Age of Conan: Unchained’. This latest update introduces the brand new area of Dragon’s Spine including the deep and perilous dungeon known as The Sepulcher of the Wyrm. Players may now travel to the mountainous peaks of Dragon’s Spine deep in the Stygian desert to embark on new and challenging high level adventures.

Be sure to catch the exclusive preview video of the majestic Dragon’s Spine adventure zone, showing the stunning beauty of the dangerous landscape and the perilous depths of the new dungeon.

Check out the video on Funcom’s YouTube channel

Download the video from Funcom’s media FTP

You should also make sure to check out the new screenshots and artwork of some of the fresh content, monsters, gear and locations in Dragon’s Spine.

Download the new screenshots and artworks from Funcom’s media FTP

The history of Dragon’s Spine goes back thousands of years and contains many hidden secrets. The content and quests the players get to experience in this new adventure zone ties in closely with the original stories of Robert E. Howard. Hurried excavations are underway in Dragon’s Spine to uncover the lost treasures of the ancient culture of the Serpent Men.

There are also fears that the alluring and corrupting power of the Emerald Lotus may reemerge, and there are rumors of even darker powers dwelling beneath the Dragon’s Spine.

‘Age of Conan: Unchained’ is free to play and can be downloaded from www.ageofconan.com. The latest update is available to premium players. ‘Age of Conan’ is one of the most critically acclaimed massively multiplayer online games of all time, and following launch in 2008 the game sold over 1.4 million copies worldwide. Over three million people from all over the world have adventured through the virtual rendition of Robert E. Howard’s legendary world, and the game has become increasingly more popular after several major updates and the switch to a free-to-play model last year.

For everyone who has been following Joel’s decent into madness this December – prophesying the end times through interviews, tweets and videos – it is probably not surprising to hear that today, after 11:11 UTC has come and gone on December 21^st, he is a very happy man.

In his third and final ‘End of Days’ video log we follow him into the bunker where he does one or two things that probably warrants a ‘viewer discretion’ advisory, before learning from Funcom’s CEO that the world is still standing and that everything he believed in was all a hoax.

Ouch. That must be awkward. 

Feel free to share Joel’s third and final ‘End of Days’ Video Log with your readers:
EMBED FROM YOUTUBE | DOWNLOAD FROM FTP

Still, Joel is a very happy man. Despite being a nail-biting month for him, it sure has been an incredibly exciting one as well. The Secret World opened up for a bigger audience by removing the subscription requirement, the fifth major content update for The Secret World was released chock full of amazing content, and tens of thousands of gamers from all over the world has been taking part in Funcom’s unique ‘End of Days’ alternate reality game.

Happy Holidays from everyone at Funcom!

These are truly exciting times to be following The Secret World. Not only did Funcom remove the required subscription fee last week, this week the company released the fifth major content update, ‘Issue #5: The Vanishing of Tyler Freeborn’ which is chock full of great content including a special in-game end of days event.

You can read more about ‘Issue #5: The Vanishing of Tyler Freeborn’ on the official website.

Joel’s End of Days Video Log #2 Now Out!

Speaking of end of days; the public have been exposed to Game Director Joel Bylos decent into madness this month as he prepares for December 21^stand the end of days. A few days ago he released his first video log chronicling his preparation for the end, and today, he has released the second video log where he bids farewell to the team and goes on a goes on a last-minute shopping spree for some supplies before entering the bunker and closing the hatch.

You can embed the video from YouTube here or download it from Funcom’s press FTP.

New Game Director’s Letter Available!

In what is apparently a last farewell to the world, Joel Bylos also released a new Game Director’s Letter today where he reflects on the move away from required subscription, but also detailing what content would have gone into Issue #6 if he had thought the world would survive the apocalypse.

Check out the full Game Director’s letter on the official website.

See you in The Secret World!

Sincerely,
Funcom

Durham, USA – December 19^th, 2012 – Funcom is excited to announce that Issue #5; The Vanishing of Tyler Freeborn has just gone live. This update introduces much new content, and also sets the stage for a very special in-game event called the End of Days. This event starts on the 21^st of December and offers tons of new challenges. A competition is held during the event to reward those who do the most to stem the tide of this rising darkness.

Catch the exclusive Issue #5 Preview Video narrated by Game Director Joel Bylos, and get a sneak peek into all the fresh content and some of the new and brutal monsters which bring the apocalypse.

Check out the video on Funcom’s YouTube channel

Download the ESRB or PEGI versions from Funcom’s media FTP

 You can also download the cover artwork for Issue #5.

To get more insight into the End of Days event, be sure to read Senior Designer Tanya Short’s developer blog. It reveals many of the unique challenges awaiting the players during these end times, and what rewards the very best can expect should the world survive.

Read the 'End of Days' Developer Blog here

Issue #5; The Vanishing of Tyler Freeborn contains:

End of Days Event

In addition to all the new and already live content in Issue #5, an in-game End of Days event will start on the 21^st of December and will last until January 7^th (if the world survives). During the event hordes of Mayan zombies will rise, three giant Harbingers will walk the earth, and the God of the Nine Underworlds will come to end this age. The players get new missions, face new challenges and can earn many unique rewards, such as pets or special weapons.

End of Days Contest

A competition will be running during the event. Players earn points by defeating these new threats and gaining their special loot. The top thousand players will be rewarded with a unique title, and the top hundred will get an exclusive pet. Players will be able to track their standing in the competition through The Secret World’s special Chronicle system.

New Auxiliary Weapon

Players can get their hands on a very special weapon in Issue #5. The Quantum Brace warps both space and time to unleash devastating attacks. Hit once with the weapon and your action bar will change, revealing a new icon for a completely different follow-up attack. The Quantum Brace is great for doing damage, but also has some very handy abilities for healers.

Exciting Story Arc

The main character in Issue #5 is the Solomon Island blogger Tyler Freeborn. He has taken it upon himself to investigate the grim happenings on the island and has now disappeared. The players can follow in his footsteps and enjoy a completely new story arc consisting of several missions and hours of gameplay. The climax of this story arc is particularly revealing and should not be missed by anyone.

New Missions

This update also introduces a new Investigation mission in the Shadowy Forest, where Alina is trying to escape her Morninglight past, and a new Sabotage mission in the Scorched Desert, which lands you in the middle of the conflict between the undead arms dealer Said and the mysterious Phoenicians. Issue #5 also makes all Investigation missions repeatable, so that everyone can enjoy their deep stories and puzzles again and again.

- Prepare Yourself for the End, There is Still Time to Join the Experience -

Durham, USA – December 17^th, 2012 – As the world heads for its inevitable doom on December 21^st, tens of thousands of conspiracy theorists are working around the clock to unlock the mysteries of Funcom’s latest alternate reality game (ARG) set in and around ‘The Secret World’ universe. Since pre-registration began on December 3^rd, participants have spent over 30.000 hours working side-by-side solving riddles, cracking puzzles and unlocking rewards in the deep, complex ARG experience which focuses on the imminent end of days and how we can prepare ourselves for what is to come.

Check out the new ‘The Secret World’ ARG teaser video:
EMBED FROM YOUTUBE | DOWNLOAD FROM PRESS FTP

Get started on the ARG experience in the Situation Room.

The ARG takes place online (and outside the actual ‘The Secret World’ MMO) in the Situation Room, a main hub where participants can live chat with each other, see updated video briefings and access several intricate puzzles that are being made available over the course of the ARGs lifespan. Among some of the tasks participants encounter are situations where they must ‘hack’ (obviously not the illegal kind) computer terminals to access information, investigate strange websites, and go through other challenges and mini-games that will put their mental capacity to the test. Players accumulate points, and they have access to a special profile page where they can track their progress. 

The ARG builds on one of the core pillars of ‘The Secret World’ – the investigation missions – and fans of this unique gameplay will find much to enjoy in the alternate reality game. The ARG will continue until the end of days on December 21^st and after that, well, nobody really knows.

It should come as no surprise that the end of days is heavily influencing everything that is happening in and around ‘The Secret World’ this month. In addition to the ARG, this week the developers are also introducing a special ‘end of days’ event in-game which include the rise of undead Mayans all over the world as well as the sudden arrival of giant monsters – known as harbingers – which players must battle.

Also worth mentioning is Game Director Joel Bylos’ descent into madness. Convinced the world is about to end, Joel is currently chronicling his final days on earth in a YouTube video log.

If the end really is coming – are you prepared?

‘The Secret World’ is developed by Funcom and co-published by EA Partners, a division of Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ: EA). For more information about the game please visit www.thesecretworld.com. For media assets such as screenshots, artwork and videos, head over to http://ftp.funcom.com/press.

–No Complicated Rules or Restrictions, Simply Enjoy All the Content and Features of ‘The Secret World’ Without Ever Having to Commit to a Subscription –

Durham, USA – December 12^th, 2012 – Funcom is excited to announce that subscription is no longer required to play the company’s modern-day massively multiplayer online game ‘The Secret World’. The game is now available online and in retail and starting today no subscription fee is required to enjoy any of the game’s content, features or storylines. There are no complicated rules or restrictions, no complex matrixes telling you what you can and cannot access. Pay Once, Play Forever – it’s that simple.

Check out the new ‘Pay Once, Play Forever!’ trailer for ‘The Secret World:

EMBED FROM YOUTUBE | DOWNLOAD FROM FTP

“With this recent change there is no reason not to join and take part in ‘The Secret World’,” says Game Director Joel Bylos. “Most players end up having a ton of fun once they delve into the myths and legends of ‘The Secret World’, and we believe the game has the potential to be even more successful without the subscription entry barrier. It is an ambitious and very exciting move for us!”

Besides working tirelessly to expand ‘The Secret World’ through new content and features, Joel Bylos is also currently preparing for the end of the world, expected to come on December 21^st 2012. Recently, Bylos released the first in a series of videos chronicling his final days on earth. Meanwhile, in the realm of the sane, Funcom is also currently running a special end-of-the-world alternate reality game.

‘The Secret World’ is one of the most unique massively multiplayer games ever released, breaking the mold on everything from its modern-day setting to its freeform progression system that is neither built on classes or levels. The game received several glowing reviews after launch earlier this year, with magazines such as PC Powerplay saying “The Secret World is a breath of fresh air in a stale genre” and TenTonHammer reporting that “Funcom has colored outside the tried and true lines of the MMO genre”. As of now, ‘The Secret World’ has a user rating of 8.2 on MetaCritic and 8.50 on MMORPG.com.

Since launch, the talented and dedicated live team working on ‘The Secret World’ has pushed out four major content updates, adding everything from new weapons to an entire raid to the game. This post-launch update plan is among some of the most ambitious in the MMO industry, and the team will continue to create free updates – also called Issues – as well as offering optional paid content packs.

Even though the subscription requirement for ‘The Secret World’ has been removed, there is still a Membership option available which provide exciting bonuses such as 10 USD/EUR per month which can be spent in the in-game store, the ‘Time Accelerator’ item that grants double experience gain for one hour each day, a fixed 10% discount to everything in the in-game store, and more.

For more information about the change, please take a look at the details available on the website.

‘The Secret World’ is developed by Funcom and co-published by EA Partners, a division of Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ: EA). For more information about the game please visit www.thesecretworld.com. For media assets such as screenshots, artwork and videos, head over to http://ftp.funcom.com/press.

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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 twenty released games. Titles include ‘The Secret World’, ‘Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures’, ‘The Longest Journey', 'Anarchy Online', ‘Fashion Week Live’ and 'Dreamfall: The Longest Journey'. For corporate information please 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.

- ‘The Secret World’ Game Director Joel Bylos Has Officially Gone Bonkers; Releases First Episode in Series of Videos Chronicling His Final Days on Earth -
 

On December 21^st at 11:11 UTC the world is coming to an end. Apocalypse. The last goodbye. The final curtain call. Whether you believe in it or not, there is one man who does: Joel Bylos, Game Director on ‘The Secret World’ and now self-professed 2012 doomsday prophet.

Mr. Bylos – known primarily as the happy-go-lucky Australian who has brought much joy to hundreds of thousands of gamers through his work on ‘Age of Conan’ and ‘The Secret World’ – has just released a video where he begins chronicling his final days on earth:

WATCH/EMBED VIDEO ON YOUTUBE | DOWNLOAD FROM FUNCOM FTP

According to Joel, the video is apparently the first in a series that he is putting together to bring attention to what he calls ‘the end of all things’. Don’t watch it; it’s just nonsense, really.

Especially that bit near the end where he tries to force the corporate hand to relinquish the subscription requirement.

As Joel would have said himself: You have been warned.

Best regards,
Funcom

Funcom is excited to announce the release of the very first raid experience for ‘The Secret World’, the company’s modern-day massively multiplayer online game. The Manhattan Exclusion Zone puts players in the middle of a devastated Times Square where they must battle skyscraper-sized monsters and unlock new pieces of the puzzle that is ‘The Secret World’.

The raid is part of ‘Issue #4: Big Trouble in the Big Apple’ – the biggest update yet for ‘The Secret World’ – which is now LIVE and ready for players to experience for themselves.

Since launch this summer the team behind the modern-day MMO has cranked out four major updates and in a letter posted to the community today, Game Director Joel Bylos has now lifted the veil on what is to come in Issue #5. Available in December, the issue will include goodies such as a new auxiliary weapon, new missions, a new story arch centered around a new character, and much more.

The full Game Director’s Letter can be found on the official site in English, French and German.

For more information about the recently launched ‘Issue #4: Big Trouble in the Big Apple’ update, please visit the official website or download the extensive preview video narrated by Joel Bylos himself. The video can also be embedded directly from Funcom’s YouTube channel. The cover artwork for Issue #4 can be downloaded directly from our media FTP.

Here is a list of some of the content and gameplay mechanics added in Issue #4:

- New York Raid - The first raid in The Secret World and our take on how a raid can feel and play in a story and atmosphere heavy game.

- Fusang PvP Revamp - Revitalizing the PvP gameplay in The Secret World is very important to us and is a part of our larger mandate of increasing faction conflict in the game. The revamp gives people a real reason to go to Fusang, whether alone, in a small group or as a zerg.

- The Albion Theatre - Something for our role-players, the Albion Theatre feature provides people with a place to rehearse and put on plays for each other.

- The Chainsaw - Starting from a new mission with Dr Aldini, players will have access to the chainsaw auxiliary weapon.

- Reticule targeting mode - Press T in the game to switch to reticule targeting mode and see if you prefer to play that way. I suspect it is going to become the new favorite way to play for a lot of our players.

… and much, much more.

For more information about ‘The Secret World’ or to gain access to the free trial, please visit www.thesecretworld.com today.

Durham, USA – November 1st, 2012 – Funcom is excited to announce that 'Dreamfall Chapters', the long-awaited sequel to the award-winning adventure title 'Dreamfall: The Longest Journey', has gone into pre-production at Red Thread Games, a new studio founded by Ragnar Tørnquist, creator of 'The Longest Journey' saga.

Red Thread Games has licensed the rights to 'The Longest Journey' universe from Funcom, and Mr. Tørnquist will spearhead development of 'Dreamfall Chapters', while continuing in an advisory role as Creative Director on Funcom’s recently launched modern-day massively multiplayer online game ‘The Secret World’.

Last month Joel Bylos stepped into the position as Game Director on the myths, legends and conspiracy themed online game, allowing Mr. Tørnquist to devote more of his time to 'Dreamfall Chapters', which recently entered pre-production.

Red Thread Games will independently fund and produce the sequel to 'Dreamfall', and has entered into a revenue sharing agreement with Funcom as part of the licensing deal. Funcom owns the intellectual property rights for 'The Longest Journey', but due to the company’s focus on and commitment to the development of online games, the decision was made to license the rights to Mr. Tørnquist and his new development studio. The close working relationship between Funcom and Mr. Tørnquist will allow him to continue on as Creative Director of Funcom’s ‘The Secret World’, in parallel with putting together a team to develop 'Dreamfall Chapters'.

“I'm very excited to finally have the opportunity to continue the 'The Longest Journey' saga,” says Ragnar Tørnquist. “Ever since we ended 'Dreamfall' on a nail-biting cliffhanger, players have been rightfully demanding a sequel, and my deal with Funcom will finally make that possible. I'm extremely grateful to Funcom for this unique and exciting opportunity, and I can't wait to dive back into the universe I helped create more than a decade ago, and continue the story players have been waiting for these past six years."

Red Thread Games will release more details about 'Dreamfall Chapters' in the coming months.

‘The Secret World’ is developed by Funcom and co-published by EA Partners, a division of Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ: EA). For more information about the game please visit www.thesecretworld.com. Media assets can be found at ftp.funcom.com/press.

'Dreamfall Chapters' will be developed by Red Thread Games, under license from Funcom. For more information about the game, please contact Red Thread Games at info@redthreadgames.com.

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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 twenty released games. Titles include ‘The Secret World’, ‘Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures’, ‘The Longest Journey', 'Anarchy Online', ‘Fashion Week Live’ and 'Dreamfall: The Longest Journey'. For corporate information please 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 RED THREAD GAMES - Red Thread Games is a new independent development studio based in Oslo, Norway. Founded and led by award-winning writer, producer and director Ragnar Tørnquist -- best known for his work on 'The Longest Journey', 'Dreamfall', 'Anarchy Online' and 'The Secret World' -- Red Thread Games will focus on telling new stories in 'The Longest Journey' universe, in addition to creating original story-driven games for PC/Mac, iOS and Android.

For a massively multiplayer online game based on myths, legends and mysteries, many would say that Halloween is The Secret World's Christmas. As such the developers have pulled out all the stops to make sure this is a seasonal event to be remembered!

The Halloween event is part of Issue #3: The Cat God, the third content update in The Secret World's ambitious post-launch update plan. Besides Issue #3, the team has already released two major content updates since launch in July, adding new weapons, missions, areas and all new gameplay mechanics to the game. With Issue #3 out the door, the team is already hard at work wrapping up Issue #4: Big Trouble in the Big Apple which will include the first raid set in a monster-ridden New York City. The team remains fully committed to supplying The Secret World's playerbase with fresh, exciting updates on a regular basis.

In the unique Halloween event which went live today, players must pursue a challenging storyline that will take them back to the wondrous Stonehenge where they must face off against the Cat God himself. And though everything is true, the truth is often not what it appears. The real truth is yours to discover. Of course, Halloween would be nothing without costumes, and in The Secret World players will now be able to dress up as a pretty princess, a pillaging pirate and much more with all new costumes available in-game.

Check out our exclusive Halloween video narrated by Game Director Joel Bylos:

Download from Funcom press FTP

View/Embed directly from YouTube

The cover artwork for Issue #3: The Cat God can also be downloaded from Funcom's press FTP.

Last but not least, the team has also put together a special, server-wide Halloween competition. All who take part in this special Halloween event will be rewarded and can earn unique costumes and pets, but you can get your hands on even more prizes as The Secret Societies themselves will face off in a competition for Halloween dominance.

To learn more about the Halloween event and the competition please visit the official website.

See you in The Secret World!

Durham, USA – October 10^th, 2012 – Long-time Funcom designer Joel Bylos recently stepped into the position as Game Director for the company’s recently released modern-day massively multiplayer game ‘The Secret World’, and today the newly appointed lead released his first letter on the state of the game to the press and the community. In the letter, Mr. Bylos reflects on the game’s initial reception and what the team wanted to achieve before he goes into both short-term and long-term plans for the game.

“I need to do everything in my power to convince gamers out there who still have not played ‘The Secret World’ that this is a universe worth immersing yourself in,” says Game Director Joel Bylos in his letter. “It is a crowded market out there and we have a lot of competition, so I know that we will need to make improvements but also expand on the game’s unique strengths to make it stand out even more clearly. It is definitely going to be a challenge and fortunately I am bringing one of the most talented teams ever with me into the fray. Our sleeves are rolled up. We have our war paint on. We are ready for battle.”

The full Game Director letter is available in English, German and French:

• Game Director Joel Bylos Reveals His Plans For ‘The Secret World’ [ENG]
• Game Director Joel Bylos enthüllt seine Pläne für ‘The Secret World’ [DE]
• Le directeur du jeu Joel Bylos révèle ses plans pour ‘The Secret World’ [FR]

A photo of Joel Bylos can be downloaded here.

Looking to the future, Mr. Bylos reveals exciting new details about the upcoming update for ‘The Secret World’ called ‘Issue #4: Big Trouble in the Big Apple’, the fourth content update after the game launched just over three months ago. He also spends time talking about the longer term plans and serves up a glimpse into what the team is doing to address key elements such as improving animation and making the secret society conflict even more exciting. Mr. Bylos also briefly hints at the upcoming raid investigation missions which build on one of the most heralded features in the myths and legends MMO.

‘The Secret World’ is developed by Funcom and co-published by EA Partners, a division of Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ: EA). For more information about the game please visit www.thesecretworld.com. Media assets can be found at ftp.funcom.com/press.  

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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 twenty released games. Titles include ‘The Secret World’,  ‘Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures’, ‘The Longest Journey', 'Anarchy Online', ‘Fashion Week Live’ and 'Dreamfall: The Longest Journey'. For corporate information please 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.

Durham, USA – September 24^th, 2012 – Funcom is excited to announce that Joel Bylos has taken the new position as Game Director on ‘The Secret World’, the company’s recently launched massively multiplayer online game (MMO). Mr. Bylos will work together with Creative Director Ragnar Tørnquist on expanding and enhancing the game through quality post-launch content. The team has already launched two major content updates in just over two months following launch, and focus going forward will be to expand the storyline, introduce entire new areas such as the upcoming New York raid, and much more.

Ragnar Tørnquist will continue in his role as Creative Director with even more focus on the overall setting and story for the game.

Mr. Bylos, who has been instrumental in shaping ‘The Secret World’ as Lead Content Designer’ throughout development, has extensive experience with developing post-launch content for MMOs. This includes serving as Lead Designer on the critically acclaimed ‘Rise of the Godslayer’ expansion pack for Funcom’s previous MMO launch ‘Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures’. Mr. Bylos will manage the development team together with Scott Junior, who continues in his position as Producer on the game.  

“Being given the opportunity to lead the game into a bold, new future is definitely a dream come true for me,” says Joel Bylos, Game Director on ‘The Secret World’. “I am very proud of what we as a team have created with ‘The Secret World’, and it is truly a brilliant canvas that will allow us to create more groundbreaking MMO experiences for many years to come. ‘The Secret World’ is only really getting started, and with a game world that draws upon our own, real world, there is no limit to what sort of amazing stories we can tell and fantastic locations we can visit in the upcoming content updates.”

“Joel and I have worked together for many years, and I cannot think of anyone more suited to maintain the vision and lead the game going forward than him,” says Ragnar Tørnquist, Creative Director on ‘The Secret World’. “I look forward to continue working with Joel on bringing the game forward through many, exciting post-launch updates, and I especially look forward to spending more time expanding on what I truly enjoy the most about ‘The Secret World’: the story, characters and the setting itself.”

The development team is currently working on wrapping up ‘Issue #3: The Cat God’, the latest content update for ‘The Secret World’, and production on ‘Issue #4’ is also well under way. This update puts players in the middle of a devastated New York City where they have to battle an enormous monster crawling up from the depths of the New York subway system and onto the streets of Times Square.

‘The Secret World’ is developed by Funcom and co-published by EA Partners, a division of Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ: EA). For more information about the game please visit www.thesecretworld.com. Media assets can be found at ftp.funcom.com/press.  

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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 twenty released games. Titles include ‘The Secret World’,  ‘Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures’, ‘The Longest Journey', 'Anarchy Online', ‘Fashion Week Live’ and 'Dreamfall: The Longest Journey'. For corporate information please 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.

– Latest Update for ‘The Secret World’ Includes Rocket Launcher, Plastic Surgery, Barbershop, Looking-for-Group Tool, Investigation Missions and Much More –

Durham, USA – September 19^th, 2012 – Funcom is excited to announce that the second major content update for its modern-day massively multiplayer online game ‘The Secret World’ is now live. The update, titled ‘Issue #2: Digging Deeper’, provides subscribers with a vast amount of new content and features, adding many more hours of fun and exploration to an already incredibly deep MMO.

In just over two months after launching ’The Secret World’, the development team has already delivered two major content updates for the myths, legends and conspiracy themed MMO. These updates are part of a post-launch content plan aimed at serving subscribers with new content to explore. ‘Issue #3’has already been in development for some time and the content of this update will be revealed later this week. Hint: It has cats in it, but not the type we recommend offering a bowl of warm milk.

“When we revealed our post-launch content plan it was to assure our players that we are committed to expanding the game long after launch,” says Creative Director and Senior Producer Ragnar Tørnquist. “With two major content updates delivered in less than three months after launch, I think we have definitely shown just how committed we are to the game. We are far from done, and in the next few months players will see everything from story-based seasonal events to our first ever raid.”  

Check out the ‘Issue #2: Digging Deeper’ preview video, where Lead Content Designer Joel Bylos takes you through some of the most important aspects of the new update:

Download the video from Funcom’s press FTP 
or embed it from Funcom’s YouTube channel

Here is an overview of some of the content and features of ‘Issue #2: Digging Deeper’:

New Game Systems

The first of many completely new Auxiliary Weapons – the Rocket Launcher – is now available! The players can acquire the Rocket Launcher through a special new mission and upgrade it as they defeat greater and greater challenges in the game. This also means the introduction of the new Auxiliary Wheel, where players can develop new abilities for the Auxiliary Weapons. In addition they have gotten an extra active and passive ability slot to take advantage of their newfound power.

New Content

‘Issue #2: Digging Deeper’ offers plenty of new content for players to enjoy. With four new Investigation missions and an Action mission there is plenty of new stuff to do. But that is just the beginning; all Lairs in the game have been revamped, receiving a mission each - with much more to come! All of them now also offer increased rewards to the persevering players who hunt in these dangerous areas. Two new Nightmare dungeons have become available, The Facility and Hell Eternal, and these extreme challenges will give even the most experienced dungeon crawlers the fight of their life.

New Opportunities

Players are now be able to visit a barber shop, Ockham’s Razor, and a plastic surgeon, the Modern Prometheus, to alter their appearance as they see fit, with a host of new options for looks and hairstyles. A completely new Group Finder tool is another fresh feature included with ‘Issue #2: Digging Deeper’.With this tool players can easily team up with anyone, from any Dimension anywhere in the world, and play together in any dungeon or playfield throughout ‘The Secret World’!

‘The Secret World’ is developed by Funcom and co-published by EA Partners, a division of Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ: EA). The game has received significant positive feedback from players, and currently holds a 8.3 user score on MetaCritic and a 8.23 user score on MMOPG.com. For more information about the game please visit www.thesecretworld.com. Media assets can be found at ftp.funcom.com/press.

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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 twenty released games. Recent titles include ‘Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures’, ‘The Longest Journey', 'Anarchy Online' and 'Dreamfall: The Longest Journey'. For corporate information please 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.

Durham, USA - September 3rd, 2012 – Funcom is excited to announce a series of upcoming updates called ‘Secrets of Dragon’s Spine’ for its massively multiplayer online role-playing game ‘Age of Conan: Unchained’. The updates will be released over time, with the first one to hit in the next few months, and will introduce a remote desert region known as The Dragon’s Spine filled with new dungeons, quests, monsters and rewards for players to experience.

The ‘Secrets of Dragon’s Spine’ update series will provide players with all new Hyborian experiences as they venture to the desert region located south and west of the ancient city of Pteion. Rippling desert dunes stretches for miles in every direction from the spine, lifeless, except for a small oasis in the mountain’s shadow, and treacherous caves and tunnels weave in and out of the mountain rock. The only building made by man is the Palace of Cetriss, which can be found in the center of the area, at the foot of the mountain ... but men are not the only beings to have forged a thriving civilization in the desolate desert, many secrets lay buried beneath the sands.

Download the Dragon Spine reveal artworks and other assets from Funcom’s FTP.

“Our version of Hyboria has grown into a vast online world since we launched back in 2008,” says Craig Morrison, Creative Director at Funcom. “With the ‘Secrets of Dragon’s Spine’ update we are moving into an incredibly exciting part of Robert E. Howard’s work, and I think both ‘Age of Conan’ players and fans of Howard’s work alike will find a lot to enjoy once they get to explore this new content.” 

Within the new content, which is aimed at level eighty players, there will be several new dungeons, a new raid area, a massive outdoor region (roughly the same size as the coast of Ardashir), and a new PvP area, as well as a host of new rewards, armor sets, weapons and other cultural items. There will also be a new mount type that will be revealed later on, which is closely linked to the story in the new area. The new dungeons are called The Coils of Ubah Kan, The Sepulchral of the Wyrm and The Slithering Chaos, and will offer the same kind of selection of experiences as in ‘The Savage Coast of Turan’ update.

‘Age of Conan: Unchained’ is one of the most critically acclaimed massively multiplayer online games of all time, and following launch in 2008 – then called ‘Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures’ – the game sold over 1.4 million copies worldwide. Over three million people from all over the world have adventured through the virtual rendition of Robert E. Howard’s legendary world, and the game has become increasingly more popular after several major updates and the switch to a free-to-play model last year.

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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 twenty released games. Titles include ‘The Secret World’, ‘Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures’, ‘The Longest Journey', 'Anarchy Online' and 'Dreamfall: The Longest Journey'. For corporate information please 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.

As most of you probably know, The Secret World team has been through a turbulent couple of weeks. We've had to let some people go, and we're in the process of reshuffling and reorganising ourselves around the remaining staff. This is never fun, but it's the way of things: we need to scale down from a full development team to a more cost-efficient live team.

So what does this mean for The Secret World? How will a smaller team affect the delivery of upcoming content? And most importantly, does TSW have a future?

That last one is an easy one: of course it does! The Secret World has a bright future ahead of it and the team remains dedicated to delivering monthly content updates.

Okay, look, we all know there are a lot of alternatives out there -- from warring guilds to kung-fu-fighting pandas -- but I can safely say that no other game offers what The Secret World offers. Freedom from classes and levels; a modern-day setting with real world locations; a critically acclaimed storyline and an atmosphere second to none; fully voiced characters that you can empathise with and believe in; a deep and unique character progression system, with boundless opportunities for experimentation and character development.

The list goes on and on. I think it's fair to say that TSW is an original and ground-breaking game, and our players agree. Our ratings remain incredibly high -- in fact, with an 8.4 Metacritic user score, we're amongst the highest rated MMOs of the past decade -- and our community is vocal, positive and growing.

And that's why we're not about to change. We're not going to play it safe. We won't be introducing classes or levels, elves or centaurs, and regardless of the competition, we won't back down from our original vision. We're going to keep doing what we're good at. We'll continue to push the boundaries, and we'll keep reinventing the wheel (quite literally). Five years ago, we set out to revolutionise the genre, and the revolution has just begun.

Fact is, this is more than bullet-points on the back of a box: The Secret World is actually unique and different, and even if our players go off to dabble in a bit of high fantasy, we'll still be here when they come back, doing what we've been doing since launch, offering a deeper and more complex experience, a game that's truly original, mature and challenging. A game for gamers.

On the development side, we have two main goals right now: To continue to service our existing players with new content, features and gameplay -- along with tweaks and fixes to existing content, of course -- and to build our player base by reaching out to new players who haven't yet had the opportunity to take the game for a spin and get hooked.

How do we plan on doing this? First off, we're going to stick with our monthly release schedule. Like we've said before, we feel it's important to give our paying customers new content and features every single month. Our second issue -- Digging Deeper -- has unfortunately been delayed by two weeks, due to the restructuring of the team, but issue #3 (title to be announced, but there are cats and it ties in with our Halloween event) will be released on time.

Secondly, we'll be polishing, fixing and streamlining the game based on feedback from our community, in order to make The Secret World even more inviting to new players. We won't mess with the core game, but we will continue to improve the experience -- visually and mechanically -- and this will certainly benefit players both new and old.

So what's ahead in upcoming issues? There's a ten-person raid in New York scheduled for October, and it's not like any raid you've ever played before. We have a bunch of auxiliary weapons on the way, and more character customisation improvements. We have a huge and exciting new feature pencilled in for Christmas, which ties into the achievement system and gives a lot more meaning to the usual 'Kill 1,000 Vampires' goals. (After all, who hasn't wondered what it would be like to have some vampiric abilities to play around with?) We're creating intermediary decks with brand new clothing rewards; we have a ton of new missions and storylines in development; and we have a huge new adventure zone scheduled for next spring, bringing players back to Tokyo's Ground Zero, to face brand new threats, meet new characters, play new missions and explore an intriguing urban environment unlike anything you've ever seen in an MMO.

And that's only some of the cool content we have in the pipeline. The Secret World is far from done: in fact, we're just getting started. (Actually, we're pretty far along, but you know what I mean.)

This game will continue to grow and evolve in the months and years ahead, and I hope to see you all along for the ride!

Ragnar

P.S. Oh, and please tell your friends and family about our trial! All you have to do is go to our official website and register to enjoy three whole days of The Secret World, free of charge.

Some of these initiatives are part of normal procedure following the launch of a major project, such as adjustments to the customer service staffing based on the number of customers in the game as well as adjustments to the production team as the project goes into a post-launch phase following years of intense development. Many of those affected on the customer service team are on temporary contracts which is common for a live service such as 'The Secret World' where customer service demand shifts based on the game's population levels.

Around half of the company's personnel have been affected, with some departments being more affected than others. To make sure Funcom is in the best possible position to realize its plans for both existing games as well as future projects, the company is focusing on retaining as many as possible on the production teams.

For more information about Funcom and its portfolio of games, please visit www.funcom.com.

Badhoevedorp, The Netherlands, 22 August 2012
Funcom

Durham, USA - August 15th, 2012 - Funcom is excited to announce that a limited time trial for the company's recently launched massively multiplayer online role-playing game 'The Secret World' kicked off today. The trial coincides with this week's GamesCom show that is taking place in Cologne, Germany, where Funcom is conducting press demos and showcasing exclusive new content that will be making its way into the MMO in the coming weeks and months.

The Secret World has struck a cord with the MMO crowd and is currently the highest rated recent PC game on MetaCritic by user score and is also the highest rated game on MMORPG.com by reader vote. Needless to say, the trial is a great way for everyone to see what all the fuss is about!

The trial offer is open until Sunday August 19th and to participate all you have to do is visit www.thesecretworld.com and register. Registering will allow you to play for three days for free (no matter when you sign up as long as you sign up by August 19th), and players who manage to complete at least thirty missions during that time will also be awarded with two extra days of playtime! Also, during GamesCom, secret society agents clad in their iconic red, blue and green uniforms will also be roaming the show floor giving away scratch cards that enable four day trials. ' 

Among the content being revealed for the very first time at GamesCom is the first raid that will be introduced to the game in a couple of months time. The raid, set in a devastated New York City, builds on the story focus in The Secret World to create a truly unique raid experience. Starting out, players will be introduced to the story by listening to the accounts of characters that have taken refuge in the New York subway system, and eventually players will battle a monster that towers over the skyscrapers in the middle of Times Square. 

Click here to download the brand new screenshots of the New York raid experience!

Funcom announced in July that the company is committed to an ambitious update plan where new content is being introduced to the game on a monthly basis. The first of these updates, which are known as Issues, launched late July and introduced several new missions, a marketplace for players to buy and sell items, and hardcore mode to two dungeons. The second update -- titled Issue #2: Digging Deeper -- was revealed today and will introduce, among other things, the rocket launcher auxiliary weapon, several new missions, and the ability for players to seek out a plastic surgeon and barber in the game world to customize their looks.  

Click here to learn more about Issue #2: Digging Deeper and download the cover artwork!

The Secret World has been recognized widely for its new take on the MMO formula. Not only is it set in a unique modern-day setting, the game completely does away with confinements such as classes and levels. Storytelling is also taken to a new level and the game introduces engaging missions unlike anything seen before in MMOs. Public interest in the game has been formidable with 1.5 million gamers all over the world registered to beta test The Secret World, breaking all previous Funcom records.

The Secret World is developed by Funcom and co-published by EA Partners, a division of Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ: EA). For more information about the game please visit www.thesecretworld.com. Media assets can be found at ftp.funcom.com/press.

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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 twenty released games. Recent titles include ‘Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures’, ‘The Longest Journey', 'Anarchy Online' and 'Dreamfall: The Longest Journey'. For corporate information please 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.

Durham, USA – July 10^th, 2012 – Funcom is thrilled to announce an ambitious monthly update plan for its recently released modern-day massively multiplayer online game ‘The Secret World’. Every month going forward Funcom will be releasing comprehensive game updates filled to the brim with exciting new content such as storylines, missions, seasonal events, gameplay enhancements and even entire world regions. These updates will serve players new and exciting experiences every month, ensuring there is always something new to discover in ‘The Secret World’.

"The team is excited to be working on expanding The Secret World," says Senior Producer and Creative Director Ragnar Tørnquist. "We are committing to a very ambitious update schedule, but our goal is, and has always been, to provide our subscribers with new, high-quality content every month."

‘The Secret World’ launched to great critical acclaim on July 3^rd and is the highest rated current PC game on MetaCritic by user score. The number of players is growing quickly and to cope with the increasing traffic, Funcom today had to add a new dimension to the game. One dimension can hold tens of thousands of gamers playing at the same time, and due to the game’s unique single-server technology players can move seamlessly from one dimension to another to play with their friends anywhere and at anytime no matter what dimension they call home.

The first update will be released July 31^st and details on what is included in the update will be made available later this week. In his first State of the Game to the community published today, Mr. Tørnquist also revealed a high-level overview of what players can expect further down the line, including:

* Monthly mission packs, including a slew of new investigation missions

* New weapons (including a big one that will cause even bigger explosions!)

* Raids (clue for the first one: The Big Apple will never be the same)

* Expanded character customization, including plastic surgery

* A player vs. player dungeon set in an entirely new geographical area

* Dungeon finder tool to make grouping for dungeons much easier

* Seasonal events such as Halloween and Winter Solstice

* Two large adventure areas including new characters, missions, monsters, lore and more

* More social gameplay will be added to the London hub

* Combat will be enhanced significantly both visually and mechanically

* And much, much more!

‘The Secret World’ has been recognized widely for its new take on the MMO formula. Not only is it set in a unique modern-day setting, the game completely does away with confinements such as classes and levels. Storytelling is also taken to a whole new level and the game introduces engaging missions unlike anything seen before in MMOs. Public interest in the game has been formidable with 1.5 million gamers all over the world registered to beta test‘The Secret World’, breaking all previous Funcom records.

‘The Secret World’ is developed by Funcom and co-published by EA Partners, a division of Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ: EA). For more information about the game please visit www.thesecretworld.com. Media assets can be found at ftp.funcom.com/press.  

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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 twenty released games. Recent titles include ‘Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures’, ‘The Longest Journey', 'Anarchy Online' and 'Dreamfall: The Longest Journey'. For corporate information please 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.

Durham, USA – July 6^th, 2012 – On July 3^rd, Funcom, a world-leading independent developer and publisher of online games, launched the highly anticipated massively multiplayer online (MMO) game ‘The Secret World’ to the masses. Three days later Funcom is happy to report that the launch has been a tremendous success for the company with positive feedback from both players and the press. In terms of server and client performance the launch was exceptionally smooth and as of now several of the game’s dimensions – which can hold tens of thousands of gamers playing at the same time – have started filling up due to the ever-increasing number of players coming into the game.

The growing interest in the game may be attributed in part to the very positive press reviews that keep pouring in. Over twenty reviews have been published by gaming sites and magazines the past few days, and as of Friday July 6^th the average review score is at about 83%.

PC Powerplay has given the game a 9/10 score, saying that “The Secret World is a breath of fresh air in a stale genre.” Dread Central served up a 4.5 out of 5 score, saying the game “… is a marvel from a presentation standpoint combining great graphics with an appropriate soundtrack and a storyline that always has something new to uncover.” The online gaming site TenTonHammer awarded the game 84 out of 100, concluding that Funcom has “… colored outside the tried and true (and often dull) MMOG lines and drawn a game that is truly different from all the rest”. Funcom has also registered tremendously positive feedback from players, with the current user rating on MetaCritic coming in at 8.9 and the user rating on MMORPG.com currently at8.78. Funcom is also registering exceptionally high playtimes per player in the game, indicating that players are enjoying their time with the game.

“We are absolutely thrilled to see such amazing reactions from both press and players,” says Funcom SVP of Sales & Marketing, Morten Larssen. “With‘The Secret World’ Funcom set out to break new grounds for the MMO genre, to really shake things up and show the gaming industry that you do not have to conform to the tried and true formula to make a great MMO experience. Seeing this innovation being positively received is not just a victory for Funcom, it is also a victory for gamers and the genre.”

‘The Secret World’ presents players with a modern-day alternate reality where all the myths, legends and conspiracies of our world are true, and where hellish monsters threaten real-world locations such as Transylvania, Egypt and New England. ‘The Secret World’ has been recognized widely for its new take on the MMO formula. Not only is it set in a unique modern-day setting, the game also does away with confinements such as classes and levels. Storytelling is also taken to a whole new level and the game introduces engaging missions unlike anything seen before in MMOs. Public interest in the game has been formidable with 1.5 million gamers all over the world registered to beta test ‘The Secret World’, breaking all previous Funcom records.

‘The Secret World’ is developed by Funcom and co-published by EA Partners, a division of Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ: EA). For more information about the game please visit www.thesecretworld.com. Media assets can be found at ftp.funcom.com/press.  

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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 twenty released games. Recent titles include ‘Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures’, ‘The Longest Journey', 'Anarchy Online' and 'Dreamfall: The Longest Journey'. For corporate information please 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.

Durham, USA – July 3^rd, 2012 – Funcom is thrilled to announce that the hugely anticipated modern-day massively multiplayer online game ‘The Secret World’ officially launched worldwide today. What many are calling one of the smoothest launches in MMO history actually started Friday last week when Early Access began, opening the doors to the online world of myths, legends and conspiracies for all pre-order customers to enjoy during the weekend. Launch happened smoothly and hordes of gamers have so far enjoyed ‘The Secret World’ and its fresh take on the MMO genre.

The first press reviews are starting to surface, and so far the reviews are very positive. Hyper Magazine has given the game a 9/10 score, saying “… this could be the most important MMO since ‘World of Warcraft’”. NowGamer awarded the game a 8.3 out of 10 score, praising the game’s excellent graphics saying the “… DirectX 11 visuals challenge the limits of what we’d credit an MMO as capable of achieving.” Other reviews hitting today include 5/6 from both VG and Dagbladet, two of the biggest mainstream newspapers in Scandinavia, as well as a 9/10 from PC Powerplay. Looking at the incredible number of comments on forums and social media channels, feedback from players has also been overwhelmingly positive so far. The game is receiving praise for breaking new grounds for the MMO genre, combining technical and gameplay innovation with superior high quality production values.

Download the brand new ‘The Secret World’ Launch Trailer from our FTP or embed it from YouTube.

"We are incredibly proud of what we have created with The Secret World,” says Creative Director and Senior Producer Ragnar Tørnquist. “This is exactly the game we wanted to make, our vision has been fully realized, and we have never compromised on that vision. When the whole team uses their spare time to play a game they have spent their entire day working on, you know you have created something very, very special."

‘The Secret World’ presents players with a modern-day alternate reality where all the myths, legends and conspiracies of our world are true, and where hellish monsters threaten real-world locations such as Transylvania, Egypt and New England. When first entering the game players must enlist in a secret society – the Illuminati, the Dragon or the Templars – and engage in a battle not only for the future of our world, but also for the power to control its governments and corporations to further their cause. ‘The Secret World’ has been recognized widely for its new take on the MMO formula. Not only is it set in a unique modern-day setting, the game completely does away with confinements such as classes and levels. Storytelling is also taken to a whole new level and the game introduces engaging missions unlike anything seen before in MMOs. Public interest in the game has been formidable with 1.5 million gamers all over the world registered to beta test ‘The Secret World’ prior to launch, breaking all previous Funcom records.

‘The Secret World’ is developed by Funcom and co-published by EA Partners, a division of Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ: EA). For more information about the game please visit www.thesecretworld.com. Media assets can be found at ftp.funcom.com/press.  

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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 twenty released games. Recent titles include ‘Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures’, ‘The Longest Journey', 'Anarchy Online' and 'Dreamfall: The Longest Journey'. For corporate information please 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.

Funcom N.V. (Funcom) announced today that the Supervisory Board of Funcom has nominated Ole Schreiner as the new CEO of Funcom and as a new member of the Management Board of Funcom. Ole Schreiner comes from the position of COO of the Company, a role he has held with great success for several years. Ole Schreiner is one of Funcom's longest-serving employees and he has been working directly with titles such as 'Anarchy Online', 'Age of Conan' and 'The Secret World' in several capacities.

After serving as Funcom CEO for several years and having successfully shipped two of the company's most important titles - 'Age of Conan' and 'The Secret World' - Mr. Aas has decided to take on a freer role as Strategic Advisor. Mr. Aas will also serve as Chief Strategy Officer. Among other projects Mr. Aas will be working actively with the recently announced LEGO MMO developed by Funcom.

"Trond Arne Aas has been an invaluable asset to Funcom and he has established Funcom as a world-leading company in the online games space," says Gerhard Florin, Chairman of the Supervisory Board. "When Trond Arne Aas made his request for a transition, Ole Schreiner was the natural successor. Mr. Schreiner knows the company intimately and is one of the most experienced executives in the online games business. He has been working together with Trond Arne Aas for years and through his work at Funcom he has demonstrated deep and broad business understanding and world class operating skills, both in terms of people management, customer understanding and interaction, in game development and in cost and margin optimization. A key strength is his unrelenting drive for change and continuous improvement. The Supervisory Board feels confident that Ole Schreiner will be a strong CEO for Funcom."

Ole Schreiner's operational experience will prove particularly valuable as the company's greatest investment, 'The Secret World', is now launching and heading into its post-launch, operational phase, where focus will be on operational excellence and on the ongoing process of providing players with more content and new experiences as well as customer support and community engagement. Mr. Schreiner will, based on a special mandate of Funcom NV's Management Board, take on his duties as CEO with immediate effect, final appointment as member of Management Board pending confirmation by the general meeting of shareholders.

"I am very excited to take on this new role in Funcom," says Ole Schreiner. "I have been passionate about online games and MMOs for years and Funcom today has a very exciting position in the industry as one of the leading MMO-developers and publishers in the world. I believe the product portfolio of the company, and in particular 'The Secret World', is very strong, and that we can build on and further re-enforce Funcom's position as an innovative and quality-focused developer and publisher of MMOs. Our focus will be to continue providing millions of gamers across the world new and exciting entertainment products, as well as providing solid returns to investors."

For Trond Arne Aas the decision to transition into a new role in the company has come naturally and he is looking forward to contributing to the company's future in a new capacity.

"I have served as CEO of Funcom for several years and it has been an exciting and rewarding experience," says Trond Arne Aas. "Funcom has developed immensely during that period and I am very proud of the fact that Funcom has been established as one of the most credible and respected companies in the MMO-space with a strong technology base and a strong product portfolio. Funcom now has two very exciting products heading into the post-launch phase: 'The Secret World' and 'Fashion Week Live'. The Company's financial position is strong and the foundation of the Company's long-term product and technology strategy is in place. It feels like a very natural point in time for me to make the transition to a new and freer role in the company, but I will remain committed to the Company both as a major shareholder and as an employee."

The shares and options in Funcom NV held by Trond Arne Aas and his wholly owned company Arminius AS will remain regulated as shares held by management in Funcom with respect to red and green periods of trading. As part of the transition to the new role, Mr. Aas will also leave the Management Board of Funcom.

Badhoevedorp, The Netherlands, 2 July 2012
Funcom N.V.

Durham, USA – June 29^th, 2012 – Funcom is thrilled to announce that the Early Access pre-launch period for ‘The Secret World’ – the modern-day MMO of myths, legends and conspiracies – begins today. In the next few days leading up to launch on July 3^rd everyone who has pre-ordered the game will get to explore a groundbreaking online world that MMORPG.com predicted “… is going to take the world by storm and set new standards for excellence in gameplay....” and which Videogamer.com heralded as “one of the most distinctive MMO’s of the last 10 years.”

Gamers eager to enter ‘The Secret World’ during the four-day Early Access period can still do so simply by heading over to the official site and pre-ordering the game at any time before July 3^rd.

‘The Secret World’ presents players with a modern-day alternate reality where all the myths, legends and conspiracies of our world are true, and where hellish monsters threaten real-world locations such as Transylvania, Egypt and New England. When first entering the game players must enlist in a secret society – the Illuminati, the Dragon or the Templars – and engage in a battle not only for the future of our world, but also for the power to control its governments and corporations to further their cause.

“To say that we are shaking things up is an understatement,” says Funcom SVP of Sales & Marketing Morten Larssen. “With ‘The Secret World’ we are showing gamers as well as the gaming industry that MMOs can be taken into new, exciting directions and that innovation in this genre is definitely not dead. Judging from the fantastic feedback we have already received from hundreds of thousands of beta testers, innovation is clearly the way forward and Funcom is excited to be breaking new ground."

‘The Secret World’ has been recognized widely for its new take on the MMO formula. Not only is it set in a unique modern-day setting, the game completely does away with confinements such as classes and levels. Storytelling is also taken to a whole new level and the game introduces engaging missions unlike anything seen before in MMOs. Public interest in the game has been formidable with 1.5 million gamers all over the world registered to beta test‘The Secret World’ prior to launch, breaking all previous Funcom records. Media outlets such as G4TV, MMORPG and RockPaperShotgun have singled out‘The Secret World’ as one of the most anticipated games of 2012.

Funcom is also excited to announce that the game’s complete soundtrack – composed by Marc Canham and Simon Poole --  is now available and can be purchased from outlets such as iTunes and Amazon.

‘The Secret World’ is developed by Funcom and co-published by EA Partners, a division of Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ: EA). For more information about the game please visit www.thesecretworld.com. Media assets can be found at ftp.funcom.com/press.  

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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 twenty released games. Recent titles include ‘Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures’, ‘The Longest Journey', 'Anarchy Online' and 'Dreamfall: The Longest Journey'. For corporate information please 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.

Durham, USA – June 28^th, 2012 – Funcom, a world leading independent developer and publisher of online games, is excited to announce that the company has signed a license agreement with the LEGO Group, one of the world’s most successful manufacturers of play materials, to develop a massively multiplayer online game based on the hugely popular LEGO® Minifigures franchise.

LEGO® Minifigures are the inhabitants of an unimaginable number of spectacular creations put together by both kids and grown-ups over the past several decades. Whether it is a knight in shining armor, a brave firefighter or just an oddball in a gorilla suit, these figures breath life into elaborately constructed cities, castles and even space stations around the world. The LEGO Group estimates that 340 million minifigures will be produced in 2012 (including minifigures not part of the LEGO® Minifigures collectibles).

The massively multiplayer online game that Funcom will develop based on the LEGO® Minifigures franchise will focus on maximum accessibility. Funcom and the LEGO Group will work together to make the game available to consumers in their online channels and will be coordinating activities to provide a broad and enhanced experience for the product line. The game will be a prominent part of the LEGO® Minifigures online experience which already has millions of unique visitors per month.

“The market for family-friendly online experiences intended for children and youngsters is brimming with potential,” says Funcom CEO Trond Arne Aas. “Being able to work with a world-renowned brand such as the LEGO® brand to develop an MMO for this audience is incredibly exciting to us as game developers and for Funcom as a company. This is source material we all know and love and we simply cannot wait to get started working with the LEGO Group on realizing this exciting project.”

For more information about Funcom please visit http://www.funcom.com. More information about LEGO® Minifigures can be found on the official website.

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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 twenty released games. Recent titles include ‘Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures’, ‘The Longest Journey', 'Anarchy Online' and 'Dreamfall: The Longest Journey'. For corporate information please 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 THE LEGO GROUP: The LEGO Group is a privately held company based in Billund, Denmark. The company is still owned by the Kirk Kristiansen family who founded it in 1932.

The LEGO Group is engaged in the development of children's creativity through playing and learning. Based on the world-famous LEGO® brick, the company today provides toys, experiences and teaching materials for children in more than 130 countries. The LEGO Group has approximately 10,000 employees, and it is the world's third largest manufacturer of play materials.

Our head office is in Billund, Denmark but we have subsidiaries and branches throughout the world, and LEGO products are sold in more than 130 countries.

Social GameTakes Players into the Exciting, Fast-Paced World of High Fashion

MILTON KEYNES, UK – X June 2012  – 505 Games, a global publisher of video games,Funcom, a world-leading independent developer and publisher of online games, and IMG Worldwide (IMG), the global sports, fashion and media company, havelaunched Fashion Week Live,  a Facebook game thattransports players into the first interactive social network experience to authentically represent the fashion industry.  Fashion Week Live challenges players to forge a career for themselves within thefashion world where they can rise in the ranksand interact with top designers, models and make-up artists. Fashion Week Live is available to play on Facebook now by visiting https://apps.facebook.com/fashionweekgame

Kicking off Fashion Week Live’s launch is an exclusive partnership withglobal fashion brand, DKNY.  As users advance in the game, a DKNY boutique becomes available to them, with access to virtual authentic designs available for purchase as virtual goods.  Players are also able to unlock unique DKNY job opportunities and events as they progress further within their fashion career.

“DKNY is the ideal debut partner for Fashion Week Liveand we are confident the global appeal of the brand, in combination with its digital prowess, will be a perfect fit with the game’s players who are sure to identify with thebrand’s designs and lifestyle,” said Tim Woodley, Head of Global Brand, 505 Games.

"For DKNY, social gaming is a new way for us to engage with fans old and new.  Through Fashion Week Live, we look forward to sharing the fashion industry experience in a highly interactive, digitally advanced forum”, says Patti Cohen, EVP Global Marketing & Communications for Donna Karan International.

“Our ambition is to create a game that brings consumers the most authentic and immersive experience of the fashion industry and we are proud to partner with such a prestigious brand as DKNY”, said Frank Sagnier, Managing Director, Funcom.

Fashion Week Live users can collaborate across many facets of the fashion industry – from model styling tolocation based photography, show production and more.  Within the Fashion Week Live community users can explore and activate their own individual talents, collaborate and network with each other to create and build various dimensions of the fashion industry and rise to fame with each challenge.

The IP, game concept and parties were brought together by IMG Licensing in collaboration with IMG Fashion who isresponsible for the industry's most celebrated portfolio of Fashion Week shows and designer fashion events from New York, to Miami and from Moscow to Mumbai.  Fashion Week Live is being co-developed by global video game publisher 505 Games andonline game developer and publisher Funcom.

“Fashion Week Live has been developed through a unique collaboration between individuals and companies working in the heart of both the fashion and games industries. Fashion Week Live immerses players in a visually rich and contextually deep environment loaded with gaming challenges and interspersed with the simple pleasures of shopping, styling and aesthetic self expression,” said Matthew Primack, Managing Director of Fashion Week Live and Vice President of IMG Licensing.

For more information, please visit the Fashion Week Livewebsite, www.fashionweeklive.com

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About 505 Games

505 Games is a global video game publisher focused on offering a broad selection of titles for players of all ages and levels.  The company publishes games on all leading console and handheld platforms as well as for mobile devices and social networks.  Product highlights include Zumba® Fitness, the Cooking Mama Worldseries, Rugby World Cup 2011, Naughty Bear and IL2 Sturmovik: Birds of Prey.

505 Games is headquartered in Milton Keynes, UK with offices in Los Angeles, Lyon, Munich, Milan and Madrid and a network of distribution partners within the Nordic territories and Australia.  For more information on 505 Games and its products please visit www.505games.com.

About Funcom

Funcom is a world-leading 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 twenty released games. Recent titles include Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures, The Longest Journey, Anarchy Online and Dreamfall: The Longest Journey, and the upcoming The Secret World. For more information, visit www.funcom.com.

About IMG

IMG Worldwide is a global sports, entertainment and media business, with nearly 3,000 employees operating in 30 countries around the globe. IMG’s areas of expertise are diverse and wide ranging:  IMG College; IMG’s Joint Ventures in China, Brazil and India; IMG Media; IMG Events and Federations; IMG Fashion; IMG Models; IMG Art+Commerce; IMG Clients; IMG Academies; IMG Consulting and IMG Licensing.  More information is available at www.imgworld.com.

About DKNY

Donna Karan International is one of the world’s leading fashion design houses.  It designs, markets and distributes collections of apparel, sportswear, accessories and shoes under the Donna Karan and DKNY brand names.  The Company has selectively granted licenses for the manufacture and distribution of beauty and beauty related products, jeanswear, activewear, men’s sportswear and furnishings, men’s tailored clothing, hosiery, intimate apparel, coats, children’s apparel, watches, eyewear and home. Since November 2001, Donna Karan International has been part of LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton, the world’s leading luxury goods group.

For Media Inquiries Please Contact:

Sara Ashraf

Fearnhurst PR

Tel: 0207 258 2670

The game concept was co-created by Noel Gordon.

Durham, USA – June 19^th, 2012 –‘The Secret World’, the highly anticipated modern-day massively multiplayer online game of myths, legends and conspiracies, draws ever closer to its July 3^rd release date. In preparation for launch, Funcom is excited to announce that the fourth and final Beta Weekend – titled ‘The Battle Begins’ – will be made open to all of the more than 1.3 million gamers who have signed up to beta test ‘The Secret World’. Guaranteed access to the final Beta Weekend will also be given to everyone registering via the game’s official website by June 22^nd (use the beta sign-up form on the right side).

‘The Secret World Beta Weekend #4: The Battle Begins’ starts at 9am PDT on June 22^nd and runs for almost three entire days until 11.59pm PDT on June 24^th. During that time players will be able to experience all the content that has been included in the three previous Beta Weekends, such as all three secret society starter experiences, the town of Kingsmouth, the Savage Coast and the Polaris and Hell Raised dungeons. Brand new this weekend is the inclusion of player vs. player gameplay, where the secret societies must duke it out in legendary locations such as Stonehenge and Eldorado. Participants will also get to experience the persistent player vs. player war zone of Fusang Projects, where over two hundred players clash together in a massive struggle for server-wide power. The outcome of these battles affects all players belonging to the victorious secret society, across the server.

The previous Beta Weekend – titled ‘Hell Raised’ – ran from June 15^th to June 17^th and saw the highest number of players yet participating and is undoubtedly the most successful event yet.

“The game is definitely living up to our expectations, and it appears this is a sentiment we share with our testers as well,” says Funcom SVP of Sales & Marketing Morten Larssen. “The playtime per participant during the last Beta Weekend was very impressive, shattering all records from previous Beta Weekends or even beta events from our previous games. This is a strong indication of the engagement and depth of the gameplay experience. Beta surveys have shown that four out of five players will recommend the game to their friends, something we find remarkably positive and a true testament to the quality of the game and the amazing work the team has done.”

‘The Secret World’ is consistently mentioned as one the most highly anticipated MMOs in development. The highly engaged and active community surrounding the game continues to grow quickly, and hundreds of thousands of community members have already sworn allegiance to their secret society through online initiation tests as well as ‘The Secret War’ Facebook-powered pre-launch social experience that saw over 250.000 participants actively engage in the conflict for their secret society.

In well over one hundred hands-on previews throughout the international gaming press the past eight months, ‘The Secret World’ has been heralded as “one of the most distinctive MMO’s of the last 10 years” (Videogamer) and world-leading online gaming site MMORPG.com went on to predict that “The Secret World is going to take the world by storm and set new standards in excellence in gameplay.” The game has also been singled out as one of the most anticipated games of 2012 by gaming sites such as G4TV, VideoGamer, and RockPaperShotgun.

‘The Secret World’ is developed by Funcom and co-published by EA Partners, a division of Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ: EA). For more information about the game or how to register for the beta, please visit www.thesecretworld.com. Media assets can be found at ftp.funcom.com/press.  

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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 twenty released games. Recent titles include ‘Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures’, ‘The Longest Journey', 'Anarchy Online' and 'Dreamfall: The Longest Journey'. For corporate information please 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.

– 1.3 million gamers registered to beta test, shattering all previous Funcom records –

Durham, USA – June 12^th, 2012 – Funcom is thrilled to invite thousands of gamers from all over the world into the bowels of hell itself, in the third Beta Weekend for the company’s highly anticipated modern-day massively multiplayer online game ‘The Secret World’. Starting on June 15^th at 9am PDT and ending on June 17^th at 11.59pm PDT, gamers will be able to explore a wealth of new content that was not available in the two previous Beta Weekends, including the Dragon and Illuminati starter experiences.

Whereas players in previous Beta Weekends got to sample only the Templar starter experience and the troubled town of Kingsmouth, this weekend the game will be opened up to include the massive region known as The Savage Coast, as well as two epic dungeons: The Polaris and Hell Rising. This represents only a fraction of the content available at launch, but still spans over dozens upon dozens of hours of pure gameplay. The best way to gain access to the Beta Weekend is to pre-order ‘The Secret World’. This grants access to all Beta Weekends leading up to launch. Funcom is also teaming up with major partners all over the world this week, including world-leading hardware manufacturer NVIDIA, to conduct a massive giveaway of keys that will enable play for this weekend only.

Funcom is also excited to share that over 1.3 million gamers are now registered as potential beta testers for ‘The Secret World’, shattering all previous company records including that of its previous MMO ‘Age of Conan’. The company is regularly inviting more and more from this pool of people into the ongoing and very successful Closed Beta. A recent survey among the tens of thousands of testers, who have played in the Closed Beta, confirms that the vast majority is enjoying the game and will play it at launch.

“We are very encouraged by both the numbers of beta registrations and the positive feedback we are getting from our testers,” says Funcom CEO Trond Arne Aas. “The fact that so many gamers want to play ‘The Secret World’ combined with the high purchase intent among testers is something we consider a very positive indicator.” 

The company can also share today that ‘The Secret World’ has now gone GOLD, and that production of physical units have started and that these will soon be rolled out to retail in preparation of launch on July 3^rd. For those who have pre-ordered, Early Access will commence on June 29^th as planned.

‘The Secret World’ is developed by Funcom and co-published by EA Partners, a division of Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ: EA). For more information about the game or how to register for the beta, please visit www.thesecretworld.com. Media assets can be found at ftp.funcom.com/press.  

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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 twenty released games. Recent titles include ‘Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures’, ‘The Longest Journey', 'Anarchy Online' and 'Dreamfall: The Longest Journey'. For corporate information please 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.

We are also excited to share with you the dates and content of the remaining Beta Weekends!

The third Beta Weekend, titled 'Hell Raised', will begin on June 15th and run until June 17th. In this Beta Weekend players will be able to experience the Illuminati and Dragon starter experiences as well as the Templar experience. Players will also get to leave Kingsmouth and  venture into the massive region known as Savage Coast, where they will soon find that the very gates of hell itself have opened up! This will allow players to experience the epic 'Hell Raised' dungeon where you will have to battle the demons of hell itself!

MMORPG.com and Massively.com played through the 'Hell Raised' dungeon recently, and judging from their previews they had a hell of a good time. You can check out their impressions here.

The fourth and final Beta Weekend will begin on June 22nd and run until June 24th. This event will focus on the player vs. player experience in The Secret World, and players will get to sample both the Eldorado battlefield experience as well as the massive warzone gameplay where over a hundred players clash together in persistent battle. Here the Illuminati, the Templars and the Dragon will get to duke it out and hone their battle skills on each other before the real conflict begins when Early Access opens on June 29th.

The best way to secure your place in these Beta Weekends is to pre-order The Secret World. This grants guaranteed access to both Beta Weekends.

See you in The Secret World soon!

Durham, N.C., USA – May 24, 2012 – Funcom, a world-leading independent developer of online games, is thrilled to  announce that it is working closely with NVIDIA for Funcom’s upcoming modern-day massively multiplayer online game ‘The Secret World’.

Funcom’s and NVIDIA’s engineering teams have been working together to make ‘The Secret World’ the most graphically advanced massively multiplayer online game ever to launch on the PC platform. ‘The Secret World’ will feature several cutting-edge DirectX 11 features, such as ground and object tessellation, which makes flat textures appear three-dimensional, thus bringing ordinary objects and surfaces to extraordinarily detailed life. ‘The Secret World’ will also feature full support for NVIDIA 3D Vision® technology for further gaming immersion and increased performance for gamers running dual-GPU configurations utilizing NVIDIA SLI® technology.

NVIDIA will also be launching its online “GPU Analyzer” tool specifically for ‘The Secret World’, which will allow gamers to quickly test their gaming rigs and confirm they have the right hardware for the best possible gaming experience. Funcom and NVIDIA are collaborating on additional virtual events, such as an upcoming Beta Weekend that will potentially allow every registered NVIDIA customer to try out ‘The Secret World’ before launch. With promotion across the NVIDIA.com website, social media channels, newsletters, YouTube and more, Funcom is expecting coverage of the game to exceed more than 100 million impressions.

“We are truly excited to again be working with NVIDIA like we did with our previous title, ‘Age of Conan,’” says Funcom CTO Rui Casais. “By collaborating with NVIDIA engineers, we are making sure we get the absolute most out of our game engine in terms of performance and visual splendor, both of which are tremendously beneficial to anyone playing ‘The Secret World’ with NVIDIA GeForce® GPUs.”

‘The Secret World’ is developed by Funcom and co-published by EA Partners, a division of Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ: EA), and is consistently mentioned as one of the most anticipated MMOs in development. Funcom has previously reported that over 1,000,000 gamers are registered for the ongoing beta test for ‘The Secret World’. For more information about the game or how to register for the beta, please visit www.thesecretworld.com. Media assets can be found at ftp.funcom.com/press.

Durham, USA – May 15^th, 2012 – Funcom is excited to announce that the next Beta Weekend for its upcoming modern-day massively multiplayer online game ‘The Secret World’ will start on May 18^th at 9am PDT / 6pm CET and run until Sunday May 20^th at 11.59pm PDT / May 21^st 8.59am CET. During this Beta Weekend players get to pick up where they left off with the same character they played during the first Beta Weekend, as they get to meet all-new characters in Kingsmouth each with their own unique missions and storylines.

The best way to gain access to the Beta Weekend is to pre-order ‘The Secret World’. This grants access to all Beta Weekends leading up to launch. Funcom is also teaming up with major websites all over Europe this week to conduct a massive giveaway of keys for this weekend only, and this is a great way for gamers to have a look at the game before pre-ordering.

Sites running this exclusive giveaway include Buffed (DE), JeuxVideo (FR), PC Gamer (UK), Gamer (NO), Daily Rush (DK), Fragzone (SE) and Peliplaneetta (FI). Gamers in North America can get a key from the major MMO gaming site Curse. Visit the game’s official website for a complete list of partners.

Funcom executed a successful first Beta Weekend from May 11^th to May 13^th, both in terms of player numbers, feedback and technical stability on both client and server side. The company is also encouraged by the fact that this Beta weekend saw higher player numbers, longer play-times and higher return visits than for beta week-ends conducted for its previous MMO, “Age of Conan”. Funcom also teamed up with the world’s largest gaming site GameSpot to bring thousands of keys for the first Beta Weekend to its readers. During the Beta Weekend ‘The Secret World’ featured as the most popular game overall on the site, and as of today the game has a higher number of active followers on GameSpot than any other massively multiplayer online game in development.

“The results from the first Beta Weekend are very encouraging,” says Funcom CEO Trond Arne Aas. “The majority of the feedback we have received from players is very positive, and also looking at it from a development perspective the Beta Weekend was undoubtedly a major success for the company.”

The international gaming press has also been playing ‘The Secret World’ for the past week, and many of them have provided their impressions. Leading gaming site GamesRadar says in their preview that they have “…just started to scratch the surface of ‘The Secret World’, and already, we’re awfully impressed.” Leading MMO site ZAM says in their preview that “… ‘The Secret World’ is a tremendously immersive experience that will invite you in to stay.”

You can find a list of coverage on the official site.

‘The Secret World’ is developed by Funcom and co-published by EA Partners, a division of Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ: EA). Funcom has previously reported that over 1,000,000 gamers are registered for the ongoing beta test for ‘The Secret World’. For more information about the game or how to register for the beta, please visit www.thesecretworld.com. Media assets can be found at ftp.funcom.com/press.  

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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 twenty released games. Recent titles include ‘Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures’, ‘The Longest Journey', 'Anarchy Online' and 'Dreamfall: The Longest Journey'. For corporate information please 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.

Durham, USA – May 10^th, 2012 – Funcom is thrilled to announce that one million gamers are now registered for ‘The Secret World’ beta tests. This impressive number confirms the game’s position as one of the most highly anticipated massively multiplayer online games in the world, and the number is also significantly higher than what Funcom’s previous MMO ‘Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures’ saw at the same time in its pre-launch development phase.   

“Shattering our previous beta records gives us great hope for The Secret World’s launch and its future,” says Funcom SVP of Sales & Marketing, Morten Larssen. “Combining this positive number with the excellent feedback we have received from both beta testers and the press that have played the game, make us very optimistic for a successful launch of The Secret World.”

In addition to these impressive beta registration numbers, Funcom can also share that in just over a month nearly two million unique visitors have come to Funcom’s ‘The Secret World’ websites. Interest has also grown tremendously on the back of ‘The Secret War’ social media experience that has seen almost 250,000 users register to take active part in the interactive pre-launch community initiative, and the experience has been visited almost two million times in just three weeks.

This coming Friday, May 11^th, Funcom will be kicking off the first of several Beta Weekends where gamers get to sample parts of the content and gameplay that will be featured in ‘The Secret World’ when it launches on June 19^th this year. Everyone pre-ordering the game will get to play each of these Beta Weekends, and more content is added from one weekend to the next leading up to launch.

Funcom has also teamed up with world-leading gaming website GameSpot who are giving out 100,000 keys to gamers in the US, UK and Australia this week on this giveaway page. GameSpot has also posted a video preview of ‘The Secret World’ and will be following up with exclusive coverage later this week.

In the first Beta Weekend, named ‘Kingsmouth Calling’, players will get to join the Templar secret society starting out in London, before they get to visit parts of Solomon Island to investigate the mysterious events that have occurred there. Players will get to play around with the groundbreaking progression system that is free of restrictions such as classes and levels, and will have the chance to experience the unique storyline that ‘The Secret World’ offers. More details on the event can be found on our website.

‘The Secret World’ is developed by Funcom and co-published by EA Partners, a division of Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ: EA). For more information about ‘The Secret World’ or how to register for the beta, please visit www.thesecretworld.com. Media assets can be found at ftp.funcom.com/press.  

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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 twenty released games. Recent titles include ‘Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures’, ‘The Longest Journey', 'Anarchy Online' and 'Dreamfall: The Longest Journey'. For corporate information please 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.

Contacts

Erling Ellingsen Director of Communications Funcom +47 48867107 erling@funcom.com

 

ONE MILLION GAMERS NOW REGISTERED FOR THE SECRET WORLD BETA

– First Public Beta Weekend kicks off May 11^th, Funcom teams up with world-leading gaming website Gamespot to give away 100,000 keys to gamers in the US, UK and Australia –

Durham, USA – May 10^th, 2012 – Funcom is thrilled to announce that one million gamers are now registered for ‘The Secret World’ beta tests. This impressive number confirms the game’s position as one of the most highly anticipated massively multiplayer online games in the world, and the number is also significantly higher than what Funcom’s previous MMO ‘Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures’ saw at the same time in its pre-launch development phase.   

“Shattering our previous beta records gives us great hope for The Secret World’s launch and its future,” says Funcom SVP of Sales & Marketing, Morten Larssen. “Combining this positive number with the excellent feedback we have received from both beta testers and the press that have played the game, make us very optimistic for a successful launch of The Secret World.”

In addition to these impressive beta registration numbers, Funcom can also share that in just over a month nearly two million unique visitors have come to Funcom’s ‘The Secret World’ websites. Interest has also grown tremendously on the back of ‘The Secret War’ social media experience that has seen almost 250,000 users register to take active part in the interactive pre-launch community initiative, and the experience has been visited almost two million times in just three weeks.

This coming Friday, May 11^th, Funcom will be kicking off the first of several Beta Weekends where gamers get to sample parts of the content and gameplay that will be featured in ‘The Secret World’ when it launches on June 19^th this year. Everyone pre-ordering the game will get to play each of these Beta Weekends, and more content is added from one weekend to the next leading up to launch.

Funcom has also teamed up with world-leading gaming website GameSpot who are giving out 100,000 keys to gamers in the US, UK and Australia this week on this giveaway page. GameSpot has also posted a video preview of ‘The Secret World’ and will be following up with exclusive coverage later this week.

In the first Beta Weekend, named ‘Kingsmouth Calling’, players will get to join the Templar secret society starting out in London, before they get to visit parts of Solomon Island to investigate the mysterious events that have occurred there. Players will get to play around with the groundbreaking progression system that is free of restrictions such as classes and levels, and will have the chance to experience the unique storyline that ‘The Secret World’ offers. More details on the event can be found on our website.

‘The Secret World’ is developed by Funcom and co-published by EA Partners, a division of Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ: EA). For more information about ‘The Secret World’ or how to register for the beta, please visit www.thesecretworld.com. Media assets can be found at ftp.funcom.com/press.  

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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 twenty released games. Recent titles include ‘Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures’, ‘The Longest Journey', 'Anarchy Online' and 'Dreamfall: The Longest Journey'. For corporate information please 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.

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Best Regards

	Erling Ellingsen Director of Communications Funcom Oslo AS. Drammensveien 167, 0277 Oslo , Norway Phone: (+47) 229 25 944, Cell: (+47) 488 67 107
The Secret World |  Age of Conan |  Anarchy Online |  Dreamfall

Durham, USA – May 3^rd, 2012 – Funcom is excited to share that 200,000 participants are now engaged in battle through ‘The Secret War’, a unique browser-based social experience that draws upon the conflict between the three secret societies in Funcom’s upcoming massively multiplayer online game‘The Secret World’. Launching on June 19^th, 2012, ‘The Secret World’ MMO pitches players against each other as they fight for the power to control the world for their secret society, and through ‘The Secret War’ social experience, participants can get a taste of the epic conflict that hits on June 19^th.

CLICK HERE TO PLAY ‘THE SECRET WAR’

In this unique social experience participants recruit their friends to join the battle and use them as agents on a world map to spread influence for one of the three secret societies: the Illuminati, the Dragon or the Templar. While doing so they unlock items that can be used in ‘The Secret World’ MMO at launch, items such as clothing, weapons, elixirs and even in-game titles. Through this social experience, participants get to engage themselves deeper in the conflict that they will get to play in ‘The Secret World’ MMO. They can also win a trip to the Funcom studio and even the chance to have their name in the game world.

‘The Secret War’ has now been raging for two weeks. Here are some interesting stats so far:

• Over 200,000 gamers have registered and become participants in the war
• The experience has had over 1.2 million visits in total
• Each participant spends 20 minutes on average playing at each visit
• Over 50 million agents have been deployed by the 200,000 participants
   

Since launch on April 18^th additional strategic layers have been added to the experience and participants must now work together toward a common goal every week. The secret society that performs best by the end of each week will see all their members be rewarded with unique items that can be used in‘The Secret World’ MMO. This week the factions battle for the Heart of Africa health-boosting talisman.

“The success of ‘The Secret War’ shows that the conflict between the world’s secret societies has universal appeal,” says Funcom SVP of Sales & Marketing Morten Larssen. “This conflict has always been a key driver for activity in our own community, and we are excited to see that more and more people are coming in to join the conflict from outside the community as well. The conflict between the three secret societies adds a whole new dimension to MMO gameplay and we are excited to be able to have gamers take part in that conflict even before the launch of ‘The Secret World’.”

‘The Secret World’ is consistently mentioned as one of the most anticipated online games in development, and Funcom reported in February that over 750,000 gamers had registered for the ongoing beta testing by then. ‘The Secret World’ breaks 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 by Funcom and co-published by EA Partners, a division of Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ: EA). For more information about ‘The Secret World’ or how to register for the beta, please visit www.thesecretworld.com. Media assets can be found at ftp.funcom.com/press.  

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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 twenty released games. Recent titles include ‘Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures’, ‘The Longest Journey', 'Anarchy Online' and 'Dreamfall: The Longest Journey'. For corporate information please 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.

Durham, USA – April 18th, 2012 – Funcom is excited to announce the launch of ‘The Secret War’, a browser-based online social experience inspired by the conflict between the secret societies in Funcom’s upcoming massively multiplayer online role-playing game ‘The Secret World’. Starting today ‘The Secret War’ will run as a campaign where players get to actively spread the influence of their secret society in a highly interactive experience that tracks each secret society’s level of power in the world.

CLICK HERE TO PLAY ‘THE SECRET WAR’

Players start by taking a unique personality to determine what secret society they belong to. After joining a secret society, players are immediately placed in the middle of the secret war and can start recruiting agents to their cause through their Facebook friends list. Players will have to deploy agents to different countries to increase the influence of their secret society in those regions.

As you assist your secret society in their bid for world domination, you will climb their ranks and unlock a wealth of exclusive rewards that can be used in ‘The Secret World’ MMO at launch, such as clothes, weapons, elixirs and more. Players can also unlock guaranteed access to the upcoming Beta Weekends, and can win a trip to Montreal to meet the developers of ‘The Secret World’. One of the more exclusive prizes is the opportunity to have your name embedded into the game at launch.

“One of the most interesting features of ‘The Secret World’ is the three profoundly different secret societies that players can join,” says Funcom SVP of Sales & Marketing Morten Larssen. “Since we first announced the game we have gradually revealed more details about them, and what we have seen is that hundreds of thousands of gamers in our community have come to identify with them and form a loyal bond to other community members belonging to the same society. With ‘The Secret War’ experience we are excited about the prospect of allowing for even more community interaction and engagement.”

‘The Secret World’ is consistently mentioned as one of the most anticipated online games in development, and over 750,000 gamers are now registered for the ongoing beta testing. Feedback from media who have experienced the game themselves has been very positive, and the latest demonstrations at GDC 2012 in San Francisco resulted in another round of glowing previews (see the full list here). ‘The Secret World’ breaks 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 by Funcom and co-published by EA Partners, a division of Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ: EA). For more information about ‘The Secret World’ or how to register for the beta, please visit www.thesecretworld.com. Media assets can be found at ftp.funcom.com/press. 

 
Pre-ordering grants access to every Beta Weekend leading up to launch 

Redwood City, California and Durham, North Carolina – April 3, 2012 – Award-winning independent developer and publisher of online games Funcom, and EA Partners, a division of Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ: EA), are thrilled to announce that the pre-order campaign for the upcoming modern-day massively multiplayer online (MMO) game, The Secret World is now live. Everyone who pre-orders will be guaranteed access to all Beta Weekends beginning May 11, 2012 running most weekends up until the game’s launch on June 19, 2012 on PC. Players can pre-order the game that PC Gamer credits for “taking bold steps to revolutionize the MMO” now at www.thesecretworld.com. 

Download the brand new pre-order trailer from our FTP, or embed it from YouTube.

The Secret World puts players into a modern-day world where every myth, legend and conspiracy theory is true, and where secret societies pull the strings of entire governments from the shadows. Players get to travel the world – from New York to London and from Egypt to Transylvania – as they fight the evil that has infiltrated myths and folklore for centuries.

Gamers who pre-order The Secret World will receive:

• Guaranteed access to all Beta Weekends starting May 11, with the ability to carry over their characters to every subsequent event
• Guaranteed Early Access to the game, up to four days prior to the game’s official launch
• An exclusive in-game item providing an experience boost to progression
• An exclusive in-game t-shirt featuring a unique monster design
• A powerful pet (Ferocious Wolf, Egyptian Cat or Loyal Hound) to support the player in combat
• A head start on character naming before the game launches

During the Beta Weekends, players will be immersed in a revolutionary MMO experience that breaks free from the confinements of character classes and levels. With each event, more content such as locations and missions will be added to The Secret World universe, creating an ever-evolving experience from one event to the next. Access to the Beta Weekends will be available through limited giveaways or by pre-ordering. Gamers that pre-order The Secret World will be guaranteed access to every event.

“The Beta Weekends are a fantastic opportunity for players to familiarize themselves with the game,” says Funcom SVP of Sales & Marketing Morten Larssen. “With guaranteed access to every single one of these weekends, our pre-order players will have the unique opportunity to truly immerse themselves in the universe that surrounds The Secret World – starting six weeks before launch!”

Recently Funcom announced that over 750,000 gamers are now registered for the ongoing beta testing.

For more information about ‘The Secret World’, please go to www.thesecretworld.com. Press assets for The Secret World are available at www.info.ea.com.

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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 twenty released games. Recent titles include ‘Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures’, ‘The Longest Journey', 'Anarchy Online' and 'Dreamfall: The Longest Journey'. For corporate information please 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 Electronic Arts

Electronic Arts (NASDAQ:EA) is a global leader in digital interactive entertainment. The Company’s game franchises are offered as both packaged goods products and online services delivered through Internet-connected consoles, personal computers, mobile phones and tablets. EA has more than 100 million registered players and operates in 75 countries.

In fiscal 2011, EA posted GAAP net revenue of $3.6 billion. Headquartered in Redwood City, California, EA is recognized for critically acclaimed, high-quality blockbuster franchises such as The Sims™, Madden NFL, FIFA Soccer, Need for Speed™, Battlefield, and Mass Effect™. More information about EA is available at http://info.ea.com.

The Sims and Need for Speed are trademarks of Electronic Arts Inc. John Madden, NFL and FIFA are the property of their respective owners and used with permission.  “The Secret World”™ is a registered trademark of Funcom Gmbh 2011.

All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

Durham, USA – March 22^nd, 2012 – Funcom is excited to announce that the company is heading to PAX EAST on April 6^th and will be bringing the upcoming, modern-day, massively multiplayer online game ‘The Secret World’ to the show floor for public hands-on. For first time, fans of ‘The Secret World’ outside of the press and the closed beta get to play the game, and those heading to PAX can experience the full Templar starter experience in addition to the haunted town of Kingsmouth.

Funcom will be located at Booth 260 on the show floor. With ‘The Secret World’ playable on over 25 computers, Funcom will also be doing regular stage presentations of the game and giving away 10,000 Illuminati, Templar and Dragon dog tags. Along with each dog tag will be an exclusive key code that grants guaranteed access to the first of several upcoming public beta weekends. Details on the upcoming public beta will be announced later.

During the show, which runs from April 6^th to April 8^th, Funcom will be engaging with the online community surrounding ‘The Secret World’ through the official Twitter, Facebook and YouTube channels, and will be releasing daily video podcasts giving a glimpse into ‘The Secret World’ and life at the Funcom booth.

“Bringing the game to PAX and giving gamers there the opportunity to try it for themselves is something we are incredibly excited about,” says Senior Producer and Creative Director Ragnar Tørnquist. “Having members of the Funcom team at PAX East, engaging with players on the show floor and seeing first hand their reactions from playing the game will be very valuable. We are having a ton of fun playing the game these days, and we look forward to sharing that experience with gamers at PAX!”

‘The Secret World’ is consistently mentioned as one of the most anticipated MMOs in development. Feedback from media who have experienced the game themselves has been very positive, and the latest demonstrations at GDC 2012 in San Francisco resulted in another round of glowing previews (see the full list here). ‘The Secret World’ breaks 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.

 Recently Funcom announced that over 750,000 gamers are now registered for the ongoing beta testing. ‘The Secret World’ is published by Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ: EA) and will ship on June 19^th, 2012.

Those looking to join the beta test can sign up via the official site at www.thesecretworld.com.

Durham, USA – March 1^st, 2012 – Funcom is both humbled and excited to share the positive reactions from the gaming press following their recent extensive play testing of the upcoming modern-day massively multiplayer online game ‘The Secret World’. Journalists from the US, Canada, UK, Germany, France, Spain, Russia, Norway, Sweden, Denmark and other countries all over the world were recently invited to visit Funcom’s offices in both Oslo and in Montreal to spend an entire day playing the game.

This time around journalists got to play the Illuminati starter experience in New York, adventure through the land of Egypt and brave the depths of Hell itself. Highly immersive environments, freeform character progression with synergistic combat, and unique mission gameplay are consistently mentioned as high points in the experience, along with the engaging storytelling and modern themes. Funcom is proud to see that the development team’s hard work at creating innovation is recognized, with sites such as ZAM saying the game is “… going to be one of the most important MMORPGs of our time.”

“We are very happy to see that the press continues to enjoy their time with ‘The Secret World’ and that the feedback from the latest previews remain as positive as last year’s,” says Funcom CEO Trond Arne Aas. “This combined with the positive feedback from our beta testers reinforces our confidence in the game’s potential, and needless to say we are very much looking forward to the upcoming public beta initiatives where hundreds of thousands of gamers will get to play ‘The Secret World’.”

Coming up next, ‘The Secret World’ will be shown behind closed doors at GDC 2012 where Funcom will present locations, storylines and gameplay features never shown before. Hands-on is also offered.

Selection of quotes from the latest hands-on previews:

Along with the numerous online previews, print coverage will also start appearing around the world in the coming weeks and months.

‘The Secret World’ 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. Recently Funcom announced that over 750,000 gamers are now registered for the ongoing beta testing. ‘The Secret World’ is published by Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ: EA) and will ship on June 19^th, 2012.

Those looking to join the beta test can sign up via the official site at www.thesecretworld.com.

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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 twenty released games. Recent titles include ‘Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures’, ‘The Longest Journey', 'Anarchy Online' and 'Dreamfall: The Longest Journey'. For corporate information please visit www.funcom.com. For information about Funcom games visit www.anarchy-online.comwww.dreamfall.com, www.thesecretworld.com or www.ageofconan.com. Funcom is listed on the Oslo Stock Exchange under the ticker FUNCOM.

Durham, USA – February 21^st, 2012 –Independent developer and publisher of online games, Funcom, today announced that the highly anticipated massively multiplayer online role-playing game ‘The Secret World’ will launch on June 19^th, 2012. Originally slated for an April launch, Funcom has decided to invest more development time into the title in order to apply even more polish before launch.

Feedback from hands-on press events and beta testing has proven very positive, and Funcom intends to spend the additional development time focusing on polish and tweaking to maximize the potential of the game. The beta feedback so far is showing very positive reactions to core game features such as the role-playing systems, combat, missions, dungeons, story and immersion. Among the beta testers surveyed, almost 9 out of 10 say they will play the game at launch.

More than 750,000 gamers are now registered as beta testers, which is significantly higher than Funcom’s previous MMO ‘Age of Conan’ had at the same point in development. 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.

“Allowing for even more time to polish the game really shows just how much faith Funcom as a company has in ‘The Secret World’ and how committed we are to making it the best it can be,” says Creative Director and Senior Producer Ragnar Tørnquist. “The additional time will also allow us to carry out even more quality beta testing, and soon we will also be announcing several public beta events where hundreds of thousands of gamers will get to test the game prior to launch.”

‘The Secret World’ is consistently mentioned as one of the most anticipated MMO’s in development. Mainstream publications such as Forbes and The Guardian have both listed‘The Secret World’ as a game to watch out for in 2012, and the game has also been singled out as one of the most anticipated games of 2012 by gaming sites such as G4TV, VideoGamer, and RockPaperShotgun. Leading technology website VentureBeat highlighted ‘The Secret World’ as one of the top new game brands of 2012, and over at MMORPG.com the game was given the ‘Rising Star’ in the site’s Reader’s Choice Awards.

Following the first hands-on press event last year, ‘The Secret World’ was heralded as “one of the most distinctive MMO’s of the last 10 years” (Videogamer) and MMORPG.com went on to predict that “The Secret World is going to take the world by storm and set new standards in excellence in gameplay.” This month, Funcom is doing another extensive round of hands-on sessions with select press, showcasing all new content and mechanics. New press previews are expected to hit later this week following the hands-on events held throughout February where journalists from over 50 outlets worldwide attended. 

’The Secret World’ is published by Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ: EA).  Those looking to join the ongoing beta test can sign up via the official site at www.thesecretworld.com.

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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 twenty released games. Recent titles include ‘Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures’, ‘The Longest Journey', 'Anarchy Online' and 'Dreamfall: The Longest Journey'. For corporate information please visitwww.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.

Durham, USA – January 26^th, 2012 – Funcom has released a new location video for ‘The Secret World’, the company’s upcoming modern-day massively multiplayer online game. Catch a glimpse of ‘Blue Mountain’, a foreboding place haunted a terrifying past, where players will stand face to face with the rising darkness threatening to destroy our world.

Download the video from Funcom's Press FTP

Check out the video on Funcom's Youtube channel

Funcom has also released six new screenshots from the Blue Mountain location, offering a unique look into the environments and the monsters players will encounter.

Download the screenshots from Funcom's Press FTP

‘The Secret World’ 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. Last year Funcom announced that over 500,000 gamers are now registered for the ongoing beta testing. ’The Secret World’ is published by Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ: ERTS) and will ship in April this year.

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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 twenty released games. Recent titles include ‘Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures’, ‘The Longest Journey', 'Anarchy Online' and 'Dreamfall: The Longest Journey'. For corporate information please 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.

Durham, USA – January 17th, 2012 – Funcom is excited to announce the successful launch of ‘House of Crom', a free update for Funcom’s massively multiplayer online game ‘Age of Conan: Unchained’. This massive content update is available to both Premium players and those enjoying the free-to-play offering, giving everyone the opportunity to explore the ancient halls of The House of Crom, a location that stretches over two huge in-game dungeons.

“We are very excited to see such a great reaction from the players,” says Game Director Craig Morrison. “’The House of Crom adds a large number of new encounters and content for our veteran players. With a truly epic location, and amazing atmosphere thanks to the phenomenal lighting advances possible with the DreamWorld engine, we genuinely feel that there are few that can match ‘Age of Conan: Unchained’ when it comes to this type of content update.”

Reception from the player-base to the content update has been extremely positive. In the update, players are embarking on exciting adventures to explore what remains of the temple created by the ancient Atlanteans. Here they must discover for themselves the true nature of the evil curses that beset the ancient race thousands of years ago. House of Crom comprises two vast dungeons, one social, and one instanced. The social dungeon supports multiple groups at the same time, allowing players to experience an open and shared MMO experience that harks back to the early days of MMO exploration, where players must co-operate in order to succeed. These areas are the largest indoor dungeons yet created for the game, and provide a fantastically epic, and massive, backdrop to the player's latest adventures.

Launching in May 2008 ‘Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures’ quickly became a smash hit in retail, shipping over 1.4 million copies around the world. Soon after going free-to-play last year, ‘Age of Conan: Unchained’ hit the impressive milestone of over two million players having experienced the online world of Hyboria. The game is now available in English, French, and German, and is also operating in Korea.

To download the client and play the game for free, please visit the official website. Download the latest artworks, screenshots and videos at ftp.funcom.com/press.

Durham, USA – January 9^th, 2012 – Today Funcom kicks off the Week of the Illuminati, a full week of focus on the most secret of the three secret societies that players can join in the upcoming modern-day massively multiplayer online game ‘The Secret World’. Throughout the week Funcom will be serving information, artworks, screenshots, a video, and a developer Q&A on Facebook.

Which secret society are you? Find out by taking the initiation test!

The Illuminati are invisible puppet-masters and corporate manipulators, and they crave power and wealth by any means necessary. They may have ancient roots, but they remain forever young and hungry. The Illuminati’s golden agents enjoy power, money and glamour – but the real power they offer you goes beyond that: Information worked from every civilian, government and clandestine organization in the world.

To kick off the week, Funcom has released a batch of new Illuminati themed artworks that can be found on the official website and on our press FTP. For the developer Q&A that will be held on Facebook on January 15^th, gamers everywhere can already start submitting their questions today via the ‘Questions & Answers’ app on the page.

'The Secret World' 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. Last year Funcom announced that over 500,000 gamers are now registered for the ongoing beta testing. 'The Secret World' is published by Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ: ERTS) and will ship in April 2012.

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 twenty released games. Recent titles include ‘Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures’, ‘The Longest Journey', 'Anarchy Online' and 'Dreamfall: The Longest Journey'. For corporate information please 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.

Durham, USA - November 23^nd, 2011-Funcom is both humbled and excited about the positive reactions from the gaming press following the first press hands-on play testing for the upcoming modern-day massively multiplayer online game 'The Secret World'. Gaming journalists from all over the world were invited to play 'The Secret World' last month, experiencing content such as London, the town of Kingsmouth, the Polaris dungeon, as well as player vs. player combat in Eldorado.

"The glowing reception from the gaming press is truly a testament to the game's quality and potential," says Funcom SVP of Sales & Marketing, Morten Larssen. "It is a humbling experience having some of the most experienced gamers in the world play testing your game for a full day, but also a tremendously rewarding one when we see that so many of them walked away from it with excitement. Their feedback is also valuable in our ongoing efforts to further improve and enhance 'The Secret World'."

In addition to the numerous online previews surfacing this week, a total of 14 print magazines from all over the world will also be running their hands-on previews. This includes the upcoming issue of PC Gamer US, and Funcom announced last week that 'The Secret World' dominates the cover of this issue.

'The Secret World' 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. Recently Funcom announced that over 500,000 gamers are now registered for the ongoing beta testing.'The Secret World' is published by Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ: ERTS) and will ship in April 2012.

Those looking to join the beta test can sign up via the official site at www.thesecretworld.com.

Durham, USA – November 16^th, 2011 – Funcom is proud to announce that the company’s upcoming modern-day massively multiplayer online game, ‘The Secret World’, dominates the cover of PC Gamer’s holiday issue that hits subscribers on November 17^th. Following his full-day, extensive hands-on experience with the game, PC Gamer’s Nathan Grayson writes that “Funcom had to drag me away kicking and screaming”, and that “The Secret World is taking bold steps to revolutionize  the MMO.”

“We are thrilled to see ‘The Secret World’ on the cover of what is undoubtedly the world’s most prestigious PC gaming magazine,” said Funcom CEO Trond Arne Aas. “This is a solid indication of the quality of ‘The Secret World’ as well as the expectations for the title among gamers and the press.”

‘The Secret World’ 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. Recently Funcom announced that over 500,000 gamers are now registered for the ongoing beta testing. ‘The Secret World’ is published by Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ: ERTS) and will ship in April 2012.

Those looking to join the beta test can sign up via the official site at www.thesecretworld.com.

Durham, USA – October 25th, 2011 – World-leading independent game developer Funcom is pleased to announce that over half a million people have registered to participate in the ongoing beta testing of ‘The Secret World’. ‘The Secret World’ is being published by Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ: ERTS).

Almost everyone joining the community has chosen to affiliate themselves with one of the game’s three secret societies – the Illuminati, the Dragon, and the Templars – fueling the conflict that is already emerging on forums and social media channels everywhere.

“We are thrilled to see the amount of interest ‘The Secret World’ is generating among gamers and the press, and exceeding half a million beta registrations six months before release is definitely something we are proud of,” says Funcom CEO Trond Arne Aas. “The gamer interest in ‘The Secret World’ and the community size for the game is even greater than we experienced with ‘Age of Conan’ at the same stage of development.  We expect the community size to keep on expanding at an ever faster pace in the coming months as we approach Open Beta and launch.”

‘Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures’ proved to be a major sales success for Funcom, with over one million copies sold in the first twelve months after release in May, 2008. This made ‘Age of Conan’ one of the best-selling PC games of 2008, and the game has now sold over 1.4 million copies worldwide.

Crowned the ‘Most Anticipated MMO’ at PAX 2011 by genre-leading website MMORPG.com, ‘The Secret World’ is scheduled to launch for the PC in April 2012 and is currently undergoing thorough beta testing in parallel with development. Funcom continues to invite more testers over time, and will be initiating several different phases of beta leading up to release in order to secure the smoothest possible launch. Beta testers are actively contributing to the development of the game by providing input on game design, mechanics, balance and more. 

‘The Secret World’ invites players into a modern-day, real-world setting where secret societies pull the strings of kings and presidents, and where the player will break free from the confinements of classes and levels using a freeform progression system. The game is being brought to life by the experienced MMO developers at Funcom, led by the award-winning game designer Ragnar Tørnquist.

Tørnquist has previously led the development of other Funcom titles such as ‘The Longest Journey’ and ‘Dreamfall’, both of which have won several key industry awards.

Those looking to join the beta test can sign up via the official site at www.thesecretworld.com.

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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 twenty released games. Recent titles include ‘Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures’, ‘The Longest Journey', 'Anarchy Online' and 'Dreamfall: The Longest Journey'. For corporate information please visit www.funcom.com. For information about Funcom games visit www.anarchy-online.com, www.dreamfall.com, www.darkdaysarecoming.com or www.ageofconan.com. Funcom is listed on the Oslo Stock Exchange under the ticker FUNCOM.

ABOUT ELECTRONIC ARTS - Electronic Arts (NASDAQ:ERTS) is a global leader in digital interactive entertainment. The Company's game franchises are offered as both packaged goods products and online services delivered through Internet-connected consoles, personal computers, mobile phones and tablets. EA has more than 100 million registered players and operates in 75 countries.
In fiscal 2011, EA posted GAAP net revenue of $3.6 billion. Headquartered in Redwood City, California, EA is recognized for critically acclaimed, high-quality blockbuster franchises such as The Sims™, Madden NFL, FIFA Soccer, Need for Speed™, Battlefield, and Mass Effect™. More information about EA is available at http://info.ea.com.

 Durham, USA – October 17, 2011 – Today Funcom kicks off Week of the Dragon; a full week of focus on the Dragon secret society. Throughout the week, all eyes will be on the chaotic and secretive Dragon society, one of three secret societies represented in the upcoming, modern-day MMO ‘The Secret World’.

Which secret society are you? Sign up for the beta and join a secret society by taking the initiation test on www.thesecretworld.com!

The Dragon is perhaps the most mysterious of the three in-game secret societies; based in Seoul, the focus of the Dragon is to orchestrate change through chaos. Throughout the week Funcom will reveal something new about the Dragon secret society, ranging from articles, artwork, screenshots, video and an exclusive Q&A session hosted on the official ‘The Secret World’ Facebook page. These exclusive items will be available on select media sites, as well as on ‘The Secret World’ official website.

“Revealing new things about the Dragon is exciting for us, as the very nature of the Dragon is to stay hidden and create chaos behind the scenes to reach their ultimate goal,” Says Ragnar Tørnquist, Senior Producer and Director for ‘The Secret World’. “Not only is this a great opportunity to shed some light on the Dragon, but for a huge number of people who have already joined the Dragon through our initiation test, it’s an opportunity to find out more about their chosen secret society.”

Funcom kicks off the Week of the Dragon by releasing six new exclusive screenshots. The can be found on the Funcom FTP and on the website.

 You can follow Dragon Week on www.thesecretworld.com. For all the latest images, videos and artwork go toftp.funcom.com/press, which will be updated throughout the week with new assets. 

Durham, USA – September 9th, 2011 – Funcom is excited to announce the release of ‘The Savage Coast of Turan’, a new and exciting Adventure Pack for ‘Age of Conan: Unchained’. Players will meet both characters and monsters from the recent Conan the Barbarian movie, and explore the epic locations and storyline around the Persian influenced areas of Ardashir in several new dungeons and world regions. Players can purchase access to the Adventure Pack through the in-game store available to both Premium members and free players.

“Not only have we created this fantastic world for players to explore, but we have combined it with known storylines from Robert E. Howard as well as connecting it to the recent release of the film Conan the Barbarian,” says Game Director Craig Morrison. “’The Savage Coast of Turan’ will offer great challenges to players, but with great challenges comes great rewards. This adventure pack continues our tradition of continually improving the game and adding new content, and ‘The Savage Coast of Turan’ does a great job showcasing that ‘Age of Conan’ is still one of the most visually stunning MMO’s out there.”

In ‘The Savage Coast of Turan’, players are sent to the coastal city of Ardashir to unravel murderous plots and explore the surrounding areas and islands. As with most stories in the ‘Age of Conan’ universe, things are not always what they seem and players will face great dangers from enemies new and old. In addition to the adventure pack, the in-game store now offers several new packs, including the Jewel of Turan. Here players will find exclusive items such as the Camel mount and the fighting pet Sand Demon from the movie.

‘Age of Conan’ launched in 2008 to raving reviews and player acclaim. The game became the best-selling new MMO of the year as it topped the sales chart in over 17 different countries simultaneously, and the game recently hit the impressive milestone of over two million players having experienced the world of Hyboria.

To download the client and play the game for free, please visit the new official Age of Conan website.

Download the latest artworks, screenshots and videos at ftp.funcom.com/press

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ABOUT CONAN PROPERTIES INTERNATIONAL - Conan Properties International LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Paradox Entertainment Inc., controls rights to Conan, many associated characters and the Hyborian world, as created by Robert E. Howard and various rights expanded upon by many acclaimed authors and artists.  Many consider Conan the world's best-known fantasy character.  For more information about Conan Properties International LLC, visit www.conan.com.  For information about Paradox Entertainment Inc., visit www.paradox-entertainment.com.

The names of actual companies and products mentioned herein may be the trademarks of their respective owners.

Pre-order today and receive early access

Durham, USA – September 1^st, 2011 – Funcom has opened up early access to, as well as preorders of the new adventure pack to ‘Age of Conan: Unchained’, called ‘Savage Coast of Turan’. The new content links directly to the recent Conan the Barbarian movie, picking up 20 years after the events of the movie has taken place. Players will meet both characters and monsters from the movie, and explore the epic locations around the Persian influenced areas of Ardashir.

"Creating this adventure pack, which took inspiration from both the recent movie and the original Conan stories has been a fantastic experience," says Game Director Craig Morrison. "The Savage Coast of Turan’ continues our efforts to continually add new and interesting content to the game. This new addition will provide players with great new challenges, rewards and experiences. Again, we are striving to capture the raw and brutal essence of Robert E Howard's original world, where evil and darkness can dwell behind even the most majestic of facades. Don't be fooled by the wondrous architecture and epic landscape, evil dwells in Turan that the players must face!"

Players who want early access to the game can purchase the Early Access Bonus pack from the in-game store, which allows access to all the new content, including the early access period which runs from September 1^st to September 8^th. The pack also includes an additional level 50 character upgrade for the account, as well as an additional character slot. In addition there are adventure bundles that give players that little extra such as the Camel Mount and the fighting pet the Sand Demon, as seen in the Conan the Barbarian movie.

 ‘Age of Conan’ launched in 2008 to raving reviews and player acclaim. The game became the best-selling new MMO of the year as it topped the sales chart in over 17 different countries simultaneously, and the game recently hit the impressive milestone of over two million players having experienced the world of Hyboria.

To download the client and play the game for free, please visit the new official Age of Conan website

Download the latest artworks, screenshots and videos at ftp.funcom.com/press

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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 twenty released games. Recent titles include ‘Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures’, ‘The Longest Journey', 'Anarchy Online' and 'Dreamfall: The Longest Journey'. For corporate information please visit www.funcom.com. For information about Funcom games visit www.anarchy-online.com www.dreamfall.com, www.fashionworldlive.com, www.thesecretworld.com or www.ageofconan.com. Funcom is listed on the Oslo Stock Exchange under the ticker FUNCOM.

ABOUT CONAN PROPERTIES INTERNATIONAL - Conan Properties International LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Paradox Entertainment Inc., controls rights to Conan, many associated characters and the Hyborian world, as created by Robert E. Howard and various rights expanded upon by many acclaimed authors and artists.  Many consider Conan the world's best-known fantasy character.  For more information about Conan Properties International LLC, visit www.conan.com.  For information about Paradox Entertainment Inc., visit www.paradox-entertainment.com.

The names of actual companies and products mentioned herein may be the trademarks of their respective owners.

– Second phase will allow gamers to unlock guaranteed beta access, achievements, exclusive in-game items, and even win a Funcom studio tour – 

Durham, USA – August 29^th, 2011 – Funcom today opened the official beta registration for ‘The Secret World’, the highly anticipated upcoming massively multiplayer online game set in our own, modern-day world. Gamers can now register to be evaluated for participation in the upcoming phases of beta that will be running up to the launch of the game in April 2012. During the next months Funcom will be increasing the number of beta participants gradually.

The launch of the beta registration also signals the start of the first phase ‘The Secret War’, an interactive online experience that engages community members in the conflict between the Templars, the Illuminati, and the Dragon – the three factions in ‘The Secret World’ – even before the game is released.

REGISTER FOR THE BETA HERE

“One of the most interesting features of ‘The Secret World’ is the three profoundly different secret societies that players can join,” says Funcom SVP of Sales & Marketing, Morten Larssen. “Since we first announced the game we have gradually revealed more details about them, and what we have seen is that thousands of gamers in our community have come to identify with them and form a loyal bond to other community members belonging to the same society. With ‘The Secret War’ experience we are excited about the prospect of allowing for even more community interaction and engagement.”

The first phase of the experience allows users to take a unique personality test to determine which secret society they belong to and then choose which society to join. After making the ultimate choice the user is automatically registered as a beta candidate for ‘The Secret World’ and will also be eligible to take part in the upcoming second phase of ‘The Secret War’ interactive online experience.

The second phase of the experience will allow users to expand the influence of their secret society through a social media connected, web-based game. Here users can recruit friends and deploy them as agents for their cause, scoring points for themselves and their secret society. Users can also share assets from and information about ‘The Secret World’ to score more points, allowing them to climb through the ranks of their secret society and unlock achievements, exclusive in-game equipment and weaponry, in-game titles, and even the coveted guaranteed beta access reward.  

Through ‘The Secret War’ interactive online experience users will also take part in weekly sweepstakes where they can win a trip to the Funcom Montreal studio, signed collector’s editions of the game, and even the opportunity to have their name integrated into ‘The Secret World´ game.

‘The Secret World’ is being developed by world-leading independent game developer. The game is set to release on PC in April 2012. For more information, visit the official website at www.thesecretworld.com.

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Durham, USA- August 24^th, 2011 - Funcom and Innova Systems are pleased to announce the signing of a publishing agreement for a Russian language version of 'Bloodline Champions'. According to the agreement, Innova Systems will fully localize and operate 'Bloodline Champions' in Russia and all Russian speaking territories, while Funcom and Stunlock Studios will manage the back-end technology and the ongoing development of new content and gameplay to the game.

"Innova Systems has an impressive track record with online games, and they have done excellent publishing and localization work on other great titles. We believe we have found the perfect publishing partner for 'Bloodline Champions', and we truly look forward to expanding the reach of the game into new markets", said Lawrence Poe, Funcom's Director of Publishing.

"'Bloodline Champions' expands the breadth of the multiplayer arena genre, by combining unique, competitive gameplay with dynamic, action-driven combat. Having helped the e-sports gaming scene in Russia grow, we are happy to provide our players with even more ways to enjoy their favorite experience”, said Gevork Sarkisyan, CEO of Innova Systems. "The combination of Funcom's industry-leading technology and the willingness to bring new experiences to gamers worldwide, as well as our own publishing expertise, will raise the bar for quality and sophistication in competitive online gaming"

'Bloodline Champions' launched to great critical acclaim, with both press and players hailing the frenetic and easy-to-learn combat system as a unique and refreshing take on the arena genre. The game pits players into competitive and fast-paced player vs. player battles, where skill and team work are two vital factors for success. More than 700,000 gamers have played the game since the launch in January 2011, and it has also been picked up by several professional e-sport teams.

For more information about the game please visit www.funcom.com or www.bloodlinechampions.com

ABOUT STUNLOCK STUDIOS – Stunlock Studios was born as the result of a games project at the University of Skövde, Sweden in 2008. Consisting of a small team of likeminded developers, Stunlock brought their first game, Bloodline Champions, from the initial idea in 2008, to launch in 2011. For more information on Stunlock Studios and Bloodline Champions, please visit www.bloodlinechampions.com

ABOUT INNOVA SYSTEMS - Originally, the pioneer in the Russian online entertainment industry, Innova has taken an active role in developing the domestic MMO games market to the level of leading world trends by bringing high quality services and AAA titles. The company's portfolio includes several established games such as Aion, Lineage 2, Atlantica Online and other well-known titles enjoyed by players all over the world. Innova provides a full range of game publishing services, from a unified community platform, with over two million active users, to a self-developed anti-hack shield called Frost. With a talented team of nearly two hundred employees, the company aims to bring the Russian online entertainment industry to a new level of quality and to always be one step ahead of expectations.

– Server activity quadrupled, game revenues more than doubled during launch month –

–       Two million players have experienced the virtual Hyboria  –

Durham, USA – August 11^th, 2011 – This month the greatest fantasy hero of all time is truly making his triumphant return to the spotlight. Not only is the premiere of the upcoming Hollywood revival, ‘Conan the Barbarian’, less than two weeks away, Conan is also breaking new grounds in the massively multiplayer online gaming universe. After going free-to-play roughly a month ago, over 300,000 new players have now charged the fields of Hyboria in ‘Age of Conan: Unchained’.

“The launch of the hybrid business model has been very successful so far,” says Funcom CEO Trond Arne Aas. “The activity levels on the servers are booming with a fourfold increase in players during July, we more than doubled the revenue generated from the game, and we have experienced a positive development in subscriber numbers. This definitely gives us great hope for the game’s future.”

‘Age of Conan’ launched in 2008 to raving reviews and player acclaim. The game became the best-selling new MMO of the year as it topped the sales chart in over 17 different countries simultaneously, and the game recently hit the impressive milestone of over two million players having experienced the world of Hyboria.

"We are delighted to see the success of ‘Age of Conan: Unchained’”, says Executive Producer and Game Director Craig Morrison. "We have been working hard to show that we are one of the best, and most unique, MMO experiences on the market. Our focus now is to deliver even more content and new experiences to players, starting with the movie tie-in Adventure Pack that is launching in the near future!”

To celebrate the revival of Conan the Barbarian on the silver screen, the ‘Age of Conan: Unchained’ development team are hard at work creating a unique, movie tie-in Adventure Pack titled ‘Savage Coast of Turan’. The adventure pack will introduce all new world areas, as well as monsters, characters and player equipment that audiences can experience in the movie as it hits theatres on August 18^th.

To download the client and play the game for free, please visit the new official Age of Conan website 

Download the latest artworks, screenshots and videos at ftp.funcom.com/press

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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 twenty released games. Recent titles include ‘Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures’, ‘The Longest Journey', 'Anarchy Online' and 'Dreamfall: The Longest Journey'. For corporate information please visit www.funcom.com. For information about Funcom games visit www.anarchy-online.com www.dreamfall.com, www.fashionworldlive.com, www.thesecretworld.com or www.ageofconan.com. Funcom is listed on the Oslo Stock Exchange under the ticker FUNCOM.

ABOUT CONAN PROPERTIES INTERNATIONAL - Conan Properties International LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Paradox Entertainment Inc., controls rights to Conan, many associated characters and the Hyborian world, as created by Robert E. Howard and various rights expanded upon by many acclaimed authors and artists.  Many consider Conan the world's best-known fantasy character.  For more information about Conan Properties International LLC, visit www.conan.com.  For information about Paradox Entertainment Inc., visit www.paradox-entertainment.com.

The names of actual companies and products mentioned herein may be the trademarks of their respective owners.

- The best-selling and critically acclaimed MMO based on the world of Conan the Barbarian is now FREE-TO-PLAY around the world -

Durham, USA – July 1^st, 2011 – “No man should live in chains,” proclaims Conan the Barbarian in the new, upcoming Hollywood production set to release later this year. With the words of the most legendary fantasy hero of all time in mind, Funcom today released an all-new, free-to-play version of its critically acclaimed massively multiplayer online game titled ‘Age of Conan: Unchained’. The new version replaces the existing version of the game, and players everywhere will now be able to freely explore the sexy, savage, and brutal world of Hyboria with their friends – and enemies.

“After 1.4 million copies sold, having experienced fantastic critical acclaim, and still to this day going strong with a large active player base embarking on thousands of daily adventures, there is no doubt that ‘Age of Conan’ has made a significant impact on the online gaming genre,” says Senior Vice President of Sales & Marketing Morten Larssen. “The great potential provided by the hybrid business model, and with the ever growing interest for free-to-play games, bringing ‘Age of Conan’ into this market is undoubtedly the logical next step for the title.”

Players now get to choose whether they want to experience the free offering, or become a Premium member with access to even more game content. An in-game store also allows both free players and Premium members to purchase in-game goods such as weaponry and mounts. For more detail about the differences between the free and Premium offering, visit the new ‘Age of Conan: Unchained’ website.

Download – Age of Conan: Unchained Trailer

Youtube - Age of Conan: Unchained Trailer

“For the team working on the game, going free-to-play is great because it opens up this great fantasy world to an even larger audience,” says Creative Director and Executive Producer Craig Morrison. “Not only can players now enjoy the content for free, we will continue to add new gameplay features and new content and make improvements to the game. ‘Age of Conan: Unchained’ will offer a fantastic experience for both new customers and players who have already roamed the online world of Hyboria. An engrossing story, brutal combat and savage world is waiting for those who dare explore the lands of Hyboria.”

Since the game launched three years ago, ‘Age of Conan’ has undergone several changes and a huge amount of new content has been added. Funcom is already in the process of developing new locations, monsters, equipment and storylines for ‘Age of Conan: Unchained’. This includes the movie tie-in adventure that will introduce content and characters from the upcoming ‘Conan the Barbarian’ movie.

To download the client and play the game for free, please visit the new official Age of Conan website.

Download the latest artworks, screenshots and videos at ftp.funcom.com/press

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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 twenty released games. Recent titles include ‘Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures’, ‘The Longest Journey', 'Anarchy Online' and 'Dreamfall: The Longest Journey'. For corporate information please visit www.funcom.com. For information about Funcom games visit www.anarchy-online.com www.dreamfall.com, www.fashionworldlive.com, www.thesecretworld.com or www.ageofconan.com. Funcom is listed on the Oslo Stock Exchange under the ticker FUNCOM.    

ABOUT CONAN PROPERTIES INTERNATIONAL - Conan Properties International LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Paradox Entertainment Inc., controls rights to Conan, many associated characters and the Hyborian world, as created by Robert E. Howard and various rights expanded upon by many acclaimed authors and artists.  Many consider Conan the world's best-known fantasy character.  For more information about Conan Properties International LLC, visit www.conan.com.  For information about Paradox Entertainment Inc., visit www.paradox-entertainment.com.
The names of actual companies and products mentioned herein may be the trademarks of their respective owners.

Durham, USA – June 23, 2011 – This month Funcom is celebrating the ten year anniversary for ‘Anarchy Online’! On the 27th of June 2001 the world’s first science fiction- based massively multiplayer online game launched, and now, a decade later, thousands of players still call the world of Rubi-ka their home.

The history of ’Anarchy Online’ is one of innovation and pioneer work. The development started as early as 1995, in an age when the Internet was reserved for hardcore adopters. The initial design document even questioned whether the Internet had a future, and the stated hope was to get at least 2500 players. For Funcom, ‘Anarchy Online’ has always been a proving ground for new and exciting ideas, both in terms of gameplay, technology and business models. Instancing, massive player vs. player combat, digital download of games, in-game advertisement, virtual world radio, concerts, virtual items, ‘freemium’ business models - the list goes on. These are but some of the areas where ’Anarchy Online’ has served as an initiator and innovator.

Now, millions of gamers and many innovations later, Funcom are ready to throw down the biggest party on Rubi-Ka to date.

“When Anarchy Online launched ten years ago nobody would have predicted where it would go, and that we would even see this day are all thanks to the dedication of our players and our community”, says Colin Cragg, Game Director on Anarchy Online. “I have so many fond memories from the years with Anarchy Online, and there are so many people to thank. The span of time and the way our world has touched the lives of so many is something we will always cherish. The fact that the kids of couples who met in AO are now playing our game says it all. I feel incredibly grateful to have been a part of Anarchy Online, and can't wait to see what the future holds in store for us all.”

As a part of the celebration Funcom is adding new content to boost the festivities. Ranging from an all new birthday raid to new vehicles, clothes, gear, action figures and pets, players will have tons of new content to play around with. Players who choose to re-subscribe during the festivities will even get a special "Heckler of Celebration" social pet, and many other benefits. The Heckler is known as one of the most notorious monsters in ’Anarchy Online’, and it comes complete with a rocky personality and a 10th anniversary Birthday Hat.

And of course, no celebration would be complete without a grand party, and we’re featuring music from the founders of the world’s first virtual game radio. The combined efforts of Funcom, in-game volunteers and Gridstream Productions is going to bring it to you live with one of the biggest AO parties ever. Running over three days on two dimensions, this is the Anarchy event of the decade. The party starts this Friday, and a complete list of times can be found on the official site.

We hope you will join us for the party, and if you have not been to Rubi-Ka for a while we are certain that you have a lot of exciting new content to catch up on.
See you on Rubi-Ka! 
 
Note: if you have uninstalled the game, or want to try Anarchy Online for the first time, please go to http://www.anarchy-online.com/download

Durham, USA – May 25^th, 2011 – Funcom is excited to announce that the award-winning and critically acclaimed massively multiplayer online game ‘Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures’ will receive a digital re-launch this summer under the new name ‘Age of Conan: Unrated’. As well as reaffirming its position as the sexiest and most savage MMO in the world, ‘Age of Conan: Unrated’ will also feature a hybrid business model allowing anyone to freely roam the vast lands of Hyboria either as free players or premium subscribers with access to extra content.

“With over 1.4 million copies sold, glowing reviews for both the core game as well as the expansion, and a healthy player base ever since launch in 2008, there is no doubt that ‘Age of Conan’ has been a true success story for Funcom,” says SVP of Sales & Marketing Morten Larssen. “Now we turn to another chapter in this story as we thrust ‘Age of Conan: Unrated’ into the world of free-to-play games, a gaming space that is becoming rapidly more popular and profitable across the board.”

The new business model will give players the opportunity to choose whether they want to play for free or become premium subscribers, and Funcom is also introducing an in-game store to the game where both free players and premium subscribers can purchase exclusive content such as weaponry and mounts. For a full overview of what differs from the free and premium offerings, please view the Frequently Asked Questions now available on ‘Age of Conan’ community website.

‘Age of Conan’ has always been a Mature gaming experience, but going Unrated gives the development team freedom to stay even more true to the original works of Conan author Robert E. Howard, and use even more of the barbaric, brutal and sexy setting that is Howard's Hyboria. Funcom is already in the process of developing new locations, monsters, equipment and storylines for ‘Age of Conan: Unrated’. This includes the movie tie-in adventure pack announced yesterday, that will introduce content and characters from the upcoming ‘Conan the Barbarian’ movie.

“Everyone on the team is excited about opening up our world to an even larger audience,” says Creative Director and Executive Producer Craig Morrison. “The online world of Hyboria is constantly expanding as we continue to introduce new gameplay features and new content, and we truly believe that ‘Age of Conan: Unrated’ will offer something truly new and unique to both new players and to those have already experienced the brutal online world of Conan the Barbarian.”

Launching in May 2008 ‘Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures’ quickly became a smash hit in retail, shipping over 1.4 million copies around the world. In the weeks after launch ‘Age of Conan’ simultaneously topped the charts in 17 countries, and the game received critical acclaim from gaming press across the globe. ‘Age of Conan’ is now available in English, French, German, Spanish, Russian and Polish localized versions, and has also launched in Korea.

Download the latest artworks, screenshots and videos at ftp.funcom.com/press

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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 twenty released games. Recent titles include ‘Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures’, ‘The Longest Journey', 'Anarchy Online' and 'Dreamfall: The Longest Journey'. For corporate information please visit www.funcom.com. For information about Funcom games visit www.anarchy-online.com www.dreamfall.com, www.fashionworldlive.com, www.thesecretworld.com or www.ageofconan.com. Funcom is listed on the Oslo Stock Exchange under the ticker FUNCOM.

ABOUT CONAN PROPERTIES INTERNATIONAL - Conan Properties International LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Paradox Entertainment Inc., controls rights to Conan, many associated characters and the Hyborian world, as created by Robert E. Howard and various rights expanded upon by many acclaimed authors and artists.  Many consider Conan the world's best-known fantasy character.  For more information about Conan Properties International LLC, visit www.conan.com.  For information about Paradox Entertainment Inc., visit www.paradox-entertainment.com.

The names of actual companies and products mentioned herein may be the trademarks of their respective owners.

Durham, USA – May 24th, 2011 – Funcom is proud to announce the new content to ‘Age of Conan’ that will tie together the game and the upcoming movie, ‘Conan the Barbarian’. Set 20 years after the movie storyline, an epic new adventure pack – The Savage Coast of Turan finds players being sent by Conan, now King of Aquilonia, to aid his old ally Artus. The new adventure pack includes but is not limited to content from the movie, and allows players to follow epic storylines in Conan’s realm.

"We have worked closely with the Funcom creative team since 2003 and carefully crafted a unique look and feel for Conan's world," says Conan the Barbarian Producer and Paradox CEO Fredrik Malmberg. "Many of the concepts, locations and designs from the game development were utilized by the film team for consistency, and we are thrilled that many elements of the film, distributed by Lionsgate in the US and UK, will feel familiar to the Age of Conan players."

Slated for an August release, ‘Conan the Barbarian’ tells the tale of Conan and his adventures across Hyboria. The new adventure pack launches players on exciting adventures, as they help Artus unravel the conspiracy and plots surrounding the city of Ardashir in Turan. The pack adds all new encounters, the massive new area of Ardashir, new dungeons and raids as well as new armor sets and monsters that moviegoers can already observe in the recently released theatrical movie trailer.

 "We're excited to see the movie and the game combined in this brand new content," says Executive Producer for Age of Conan, Craig Morrison. "Being able to draw upon the characters, storylines, weapons, and monsters from the movie is tremendously exciting, and it will definitely compliment the wealth of content that already exists within the 'Age of Conan' game world."

‘Conan the Barbarian’ is set for a wide release on August 19th. The film will be released in 3D and is set to star Jason Momoa in the lead role, being supported by Rose McGowan, Stephen Lang, Ron Perlman, Bob Sapp and Rachel Nichols, with Marcus Nispel directing.

Launching in May 2008 ‘Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures’ quickly became a smash hit in retail, shipping over 1.2 million copies around the world. In the weeks after launch ‘Age of Conan’ simultaneously topped the charts in 17 countries, and the game received critical acclaim from gaming press across the globe. ‘Age of Conan’ is now available in English, French, German, Spanish, Russian and Polish localized versions, and has also launched in Korea.

You can download concept art from The Savage Coast of Turan by Clicking Here

Download the latest artworks, screenshots and videos at ftp.funcom.com/press

Go to www.ageofconan.com for more information such as a complete list of features.

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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 twenty released games. Recent titles include ‘Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures’, ‘The Longest Journey', 'Anarchy Online' and 'Dreamfall: The Longest Journey'. For corporate information please visit www.funcom.com. For information about Funcom games visit www.anarchy-online.com www.dreamfall.com, www.darkdaysarecoming.com or www.ageofconan.com. Funcom is listed on the Oslo Stock Exchange under the ticker FUNCOM.

ABOUT CONAN PROPERTIES INTERNATIONAL - Conan Properties International LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Paradox Entertainment Inc., controls rights to Conan, many associated characters and the Hyborian world, as created by Robert E. Howard and various rights expanded upon by many acclaimed authors and artists.  Many consider Conan the world's best-known fantasy character.  For more information about Conan Properties International LLC, visit www.conan.com.  For information about Paradox Entertainment Inc., visit www.paradox-entertainment.com.

ABOUT PARADOX ENTERTAINMENT INC. - PEI and its subsidiaries own, develop and license mainly character-based properties. The companies control the rights to stories and characters created by pulp author Robert E. Howard, including Conan, Kull, Bran Mak Morn and Solomon Kane. Industries exploiting the company property portfolio include film/TV, publishing, comics, videogame, Internet/mobile/wireless, toys, apparel, and more. PEI is based in Beverly Hills, California and is owned by Paradox Entertainment AB, a Swedish public company traded on the NASDAQ OMX-run First North Premier list (PDXE, SE0000598054).

ABOUT LIONSGATE - Lionsgate is a leading global entertainment company with a strong and diversified presence in motion picture production and distribution, television programming and syndication, home entertainment, family entertainment, digital distribution and new channel platforms. The Company has built a strong television presence in production of prime time cable and broadcast network series, distribution and syndication of programming through Debmar-Mercury and an array of channel assets.
The names of actual companies and products mentioned herein may be the trademarks of their respective owners.

Durham, USA – May 18^th, 2011 – The Supervisory Board of Funcom is pleased to present Mr. Gerhard Florin for election as Chairman of the Board for Funcom NV. (See Convening Notice for General Assembly on June 27^th). The Supervisory Board is of the opinion that Mr. Florin will contribute significantly to extending Funcom's strategic and business competence in the gaming segment and that he will make important contributions to the future development of the Company both in strategy, operations, marketing and sales.

Mr. Gerhard Florin held the position as Executive Vice President of Publishing for Electronic Arts (EA) from 2006 until the end of 2010. In this position, Mr. Florin led and supervised all of EA's publishing activities and was also part of EA's top management group.

From 2000 to 2006, Mr. Florin served as Senior Vice President, responsible for Electronic Arts’ European international publishing business, based in London. From 1996 to 2000 he served as Vice President and General Manager for the German-speaking region of Electronic Arts’ business, based in Cologne. Prior to joining Electronic Arts, he held various positions at BMG, the global music division of Bertelsmann AG, and served as a Consultant of McKinsey.

Mr. Florin holds Master's and Ph.D. degrees in Economics from the University of Augsburg, Germany. Mr. Florin presently does not hold any shares in the capital of Funcom N.V.

The term of appointment of the new Supervisory Director (commissaries) shall expire at the end of the annual general meeting of Funcom N.V. to be held in the year 2013.

Long-term Supervisory Board member Frank Sagnier will at the same time get a broader role in the company and transfer to the Management Board, where his insight and competence from many years as head of EA online publishing in EU will contribute to reaching the strategic goals of the company. Mr. Sagnier will focus primarily on the Free-to-Play initiatives of the Company.

The current Chairman of the Supervisory Board, Torleif Ahlsand, will continue his work for Funcom in the capacity as Vice President of the Supervisory Board.

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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 twenty released games. Recent titles include ‘Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures’, ‘The Longest Journey', 'Anarchy Online' and 'Dreamfall: The Longest Journey'. For corporate information please 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.

The names of actual companies and products mentioned herein may be the trademarks of their respective owners.

New website for ‘The Secret World’ available at www.thesecretworld.com 

Durham, USA – March 10th, 2011 – Funcom, a world-leading game developer and publisher of online games, is excited to unveil a brand new trailer video as well as a new website for the upcoming, modern-day massively multiplayer online game ‘The Secret World’. The new video offers gamers a unique glimpse into the world, the monsters, the myths, and the gameplay of the much anticipated online game. In ‘The Secret World’ players get to play the character they want to play without being limited to classes or levels, as they adventure through modern-day, real-world locations.

Download the new trailer video from the Funcom press FTP

Watch the video on Funcom’s YouTube channel

“It is truly exciting for us to show gamers just how much freedom they will be able to enjoy in ‘The Secret World’,” says Director and Producer Ragnar Tørnquist. “The video perfectly encompasses the four important pillars of ‘The Secret World’: the modern-day setting, the freeform character progression, the dramatic storyline, and the unique secret society conflict. It feels great to reveal new details on the ‘The Secret World’ as we continue to make strides in the development of the game.”

Funcom today also launched a brand new website at www.thesecretworld.com, which offers both newcomers and veteran community members new and exciting material. Funcom will continue to update the site with news, information and media as the development of the game progress.

“We are very pleased with the current state of the game,” says CEO Trond Arne Aas. “We had the opportunity to show the game live to the press at last week’s Game Developers Conference, and we look forward to start testing the game with an external audience in the next couple of months.”

‘The Secret World’ is Funcom’s third massively multiplayer game, having previously developed the award-winning ‘Anarchy Online’ and the best selling new MMO of 2008 ‘Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures’. No release date has been announced. The game is being co-published together with EA Partners, a division of Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ:ERTS).

For more information, visit the official website at www.thesecretworld.com.

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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 twenty released games. Recent titles include ‘Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures’, ‘The Longest Journey', 'Anarchy Online' and 'Dreamfall: The Longest Journey'. For corporate information please 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 ELECTRONIC ARTS - Electronic Arts Inc. (EA), headquartered in Redwood City, California, is the world's leading interactive entertainment software company. Founded in 1982, the Company develops, publishes, and distributes interactive software worldwide for video game systems, personal computers, cellular handsets and the Internet. Electronic Arts markets its products under four brand names: EA SPORTS™, EA™, EA Mobile™ and POGO™.  In fiscal 2010, EA posted GAAP net revenue of $3.7 billion and had 27 titles that sold more than one million units. EA's homepage and online game site is www.ea.com. More information about EA's products and full text of press releases can be found on the Internet at http://info.ea.com.
EA, EA SPORTS, EA Mobile and POGO are trademarks of Electronic Arts Inc. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

Durham, USA – February 17th, 2011 – Funcom is excited to announce that the company is joining forces with global publisher of interactive entertainment 505 Games, global  fashion, entertainment, and media company IMG, and Creative Director Pat McGrath to create the first interactive online entertainment platform for fashion lovers. Due to launch in September 2011, ‘Fashion World Live’ will premiere the first virtual fashion universe to exist in the social media space.

“We are very excited to be working with industry leaders such as IMG, 505 Games and Pat McGrath,” said Funcom CEO Trond Arne Aas. “Funcom is bringing our experience, our creative talent and our technological expertise as a world-leading developer of online games to the project. ‘Fashion World Live’ is an important next step for us as we continue to expand our focus into social gaming.”

‘Fashion World Live’ will initially be available on Facebook, and will eventually allow users to create and collaborate across all facets of the fashion industry – from design, styling, modeling, makeup artistry, photography, show production and more. Within the ‘Fashion World Live’ community users will explore and activate their own individual talents, collaborate and network with each other to create and build various dimensions of the fashion industry, and rise to fame with each challenge and success.

“’Fashion World Live’ harnesses the established global community and reach of Facebook to enable millions of users to become part of the fashion industry,” said Aas. “’Fashion World Live’ is visually and functionally engaging and creates a unique online space for innovation.”

For more information, please visit www.fashionworldlive.com

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ABOUT IMG - IMG Fashion is dedicated to facilitating a gateway to the fashion world - from creation to consumer.  We offer solutions that seamlessly connect and associate fashion’s key constituents and corporate brands using IMG’s global resources, influence and expertise.  Within the fashion industry IMG represents the world’s top models, leading designers and the most influential photographers, art directors and stylists.  The division produces the leading fashion events around the globe and represents many of the industry’s top organizations and federations.

ABOUT 505 GAMES LTD. - 505 Games is a multi-platform interactive entertainment company that publishes across the globe. Founded in 2006, 505 Games has offices across seven territories around the world, with six in Europe and one in the United States. 505 Games is headquartered in Milton Keynes, UK and is dedicated to the publishing and distribution of interactive entertainment on all home console, handheld and personal computer systems and across all regions (North America, EMEA and Asia/Pacific). 

ABOUT PAT MCGRATH - Pat McGrath is the leading, most influential make-up artist in the fashion industry.  Pat works with designers such as Prada, Dolce & Gabanna and John Galliano.  She is the Global Creative Director for P&G, where she is in charge of Max Factor and Cover Girl Cosmetics.

Editors’ Note: Pat McGrath created the initial concept, which has developed into Fashion World Live, with Noel Gordon.

Durham, USA — January 18, 2011 — Vivox, Inc. (www.vivox.com), the number one integrated voice platform for the Social Web, today announced that Funcom's Bloodline Champions, the free-to-play online player vs. player (PvP) arena game, has selected Vivox’s high-definition (HD) voice solution for in-game communications. Voice is available as of launch.

Developed by Stunlock Studios, Bloodline Champions is a fast-paced, pure PvP team game where players choose from a variety of characters and battle against other teams’ heroes. Within the game, players work to aim and fire at opponents while avoiding projectiles. Bloodline Champions is unique in that it is 100% skill-based; players can essentially go from nothing to champion simply by becoming great at playing the game. As a collaborative game, voice functionality is critical for players to communicate clearly with teammates and execute strategy quickly.

“In creating a PvP arena game, it was important for us to provide our players with the tools to establish camaraderie and plan battle tactics effectively,” said Tau Peterssen, CEO of Stunlock Studios. “Partnering with Vivox was an easy choice, as they provide a cutting-edge voice solution that has proven to  engage and excite online communities. Thanks to Vivox we were able to quickly and easily integrate features into Bloodline Champions that we never imagined possible.”

Published by Funcom, Bloodline Champions always considered voice communications between players a requirement to support the fast-moving, team-oriented play that is involved in the game. With Vivox, players can discuss strategy and attack plans in-game and during battles, increasing the opportunities for victory. Additionally, Vivox is providing players with 3D voice capabilities, which means they will experience in-game conversations similar to how they occur in real life. Players will sound like they are speaking nearby or farther away depending on their proximity within the game, creating an even more immersive environment for team-based play.

“With the introduction of Bloodline Champions to the online gaming world, Stunlock Studios has been able to create a completely unique, high-action gameplay experience,” said Rob Seaver, founder and CEO of Vivox. “As a player-centric game, the ability to chat with teammates is not only convenient- it’s necessary. We are excited to provide 3D, high definition voice to Stunlock and are eager to help players become the best champions they can be.”

Available now, Bloodline Champions can be found at: http://www.bloodlinechampions.com

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About Vivox
Vivox is the number one integrated voice platform for the Social Web. With over 35 million users in 180+ countries exchanging more than 3 billion voice minutes each month, the Vivox Network is a proven and scalable way for social and game publishers to bring their users’ experience to the next level. Through innovation and unique features, Vivox’s partners, who currently include CCP Games, Linden Lab, Nexon, Sony Online Entertainment, Wizards of the Coast and others, are able to quickly excite, engage and monetize users while letting them talk online -- wherever, whenever. For more information, visit: www.vivox.com

- One of the most anticipated Player vs Player games of the year is now live!
- More than 200,000 participated in the Beta, play for free today!

Durham, USA – January 13, 2011 – Funcom and Stunlock Studios are proud to announce the launch of ‘Bloodline Champions’; a new and exciting free-to-play arena PvP game. ‘Bloodline Champions’ pits players in epic and fast-paced PVP battles, where skill is one of the most deciding factors in who comes out on top.

“Launching a game is always a special time for us here at Funcom,” says Morten Larssen, Vice President of Sales and Marketing at Funcom. “‘Bloodline Champions’ is unique in its approach to the PVP genre, and it really shows that it is made by a devoted team with true love for gaming. This game demonstrates the exceptional results you can achieve with a relatively small but dedicated team like the great people working at Stunlock Studios.”

‘Bloodline Champions’ enjoyed great success during the beta period, with more than 200,000 players enjoying the game, and Stunlock have added a substantial amount of assets to the game for launch. Updates to the launch client include an in-game store, hundreds of achievements, and updated graphics engine, in-game voice support and more.

“We started working on this game as a student project during our time at university, and it is fantastic to sit here today and see our game launching worldwide to the general public,” says the CEO of Stunlock Studios, Tau Petersson. “We are very proud of what we have achieved, and would not have done so without the support of our brilliant beta testers. The game now stands as a testament to all our hard work and we are very happy with the result. We are very excited to keep supporting and growing the game even further.”

The game has already received praise from both press and players. Recipients of the Game of the year and Winner XNA in the Swedish Game Awards, ‘Bloodline Champions’ was also awarded Best PVP Game of 2010 by The Examiner. ‘Bloodline Champions’ is free-to-play, and gamers have the options of purchasing different packs of the game, containing several or all available bloodlines, as well as purchasing gear in the store using Funcom-points. The ultimate version of the game includes all 20 bloodlines, as well as a lifetime discount in the in-game store and free access to all future bloodlines.

‘‘Bloodline Champions’’ represents the next generation of arena-based multiplayer games. Offering fun and fast-paced action for both casual and hardcore gamer, ‘‘Bloodline Champions’’ will push your skill to the absolute limit.  Battle it out with thousands of players around the world and master your bloodlines in the quest to become the ultimate champion!

For the latest videos, screenshots and artworks for Bloodline Champions, Click Here

For more information, and to play the game for free, visit www.bloodlinechampions.com

ABOUT STUNLOCK STUDIOS – Stunlock Studios was born as the result of a games project at the University of Skövde, Sweden in 2008. Consisting of a small team of likeminded developers, Stunlock brought their first game, Bloodline Champions, from the initial idea in 2008, to launch in 2011. For more information on Stunlock Studios and Bloodline Champions, please visit www.bloodlinechampions.com

The names of actual companies and products mentioned herein may be the trademarks of their respective owners.

Join more than 200,000 players in the beta
Pre-order the game today and get exclusive rewards including four new bloodlines

Durham, USA – December 16th, 2010 – Funcom and Stunlock Studios are proud to announce the open beta test of ‘Bloodline Champions’, a player vs. player arena game that has already been embraced by gamers and the gaming press alike. The open beta phase means that anyone can now immediately join the game.

Launching in mid January, gamers can now pre-order the game in order to get exclusive pre-launch rewards, including four new bloodlines that were just added to the game. These new bloodlines are now available to play for anyone who preorders the Titan edition or the Bloodlust upgrade of the Champion Edition. Through open beta, players will also earn Bloodcoins, which they can use to purchase exclusive in-game items and even new bloodlines.

“Bringing the game out of closed beta and into open beta is very exciting,” says Tau Petersson, CEO of Stunlock Studios. “We have been very fortunate to have had so many players testing the game through closed beta, and we are looking forward to a wave of new players coming in to help us perfect the game before launch in mid-January. As developers we are thrilled to see the great support we have received from our players, and we look forward to supporting our players through the open beta and far beyond launch.”

‘Bloodline Champions’ sees players charging into battle using any of the game’s 20 different bloodlines, each with their own unique powers. Through a variety of quick, but intense battles players must defeat the other team by skillfully using their bloodline’s abilities while at the same time trying to predict their opponent’s moves.

“’Bloodline Champions’ has already established itself as a fantastic game with a huge potential,” says VP of Sales and Marketing at Funcom, Morten Larssen. "Over 200,000 players have played and enjoyed the beta, and we’re thrilled to now let everyone find out what makes ‘Bloodline Champions’ such a great experience. Stunlock have developed a wonderful game with endless potential, and we’re excited to continue working with them in the future.”

‘Bloodline Champions’ has been in development since 2008, and the original idea for the game started out as a student project put together by the original founders of Stunlock Studios. Over time, the project grew in scope and when Funcom signed on as a publisher in 2010 the talented developers at Stunlock Studios were able to devote all their time and effort into realizing the true potential of ‘Bloodline Champions’. The free-to-play game is set for release mid January, 2011.

For more information, visit www.bloodlinechampions.com.

Durham, USA – November 16, 2010 – Funcom and Stunlock Studios are proud to announce the availability of pre-orders for ‘Bloodline Champions’; a new and exciting free-to-play arena player vs. player game that has already attracted over 150,000 beta players. ‘Bloodline Champions’ pits players in epic and fast-paced PVP battles, where skill is one of the most deciding factors in who comes out on top. Pre-order for the game is now available and offer exclusive rewards.

“We are very excited to finally offer pre-orders of ‘Bloodline Champions’ to the public,” says Morten Larssen, Vice President of Sales and Marketing at Funcom. “‘Bloodline Champions’ offers something for all players, both competitive and casual. Stunlock Studios have developed a great game; one we hope will win the hearts of gamers around the world as much as it did ours.”

Download the latest ‘Bloodline Champions’ trailer here.
Embed the latest trailer directly from YouTube here.

Customers who pre-order now will receive rewards in the form of 16 unique weapon skins, 16 avatars (portraits) and the exclusive in-game title “Dawnbreaker”. In addition to this anyone pre-ordering will be given immediate access to the game which is currently in closed beta. The game will move to Open Beta on December 15th.

The game is made available in two core versions; the entry level product is priced at $29.99 and contains 16 bloodlines (classes) with an optional $9.99 upgrade for 4 additional bloodlines. The ultimate version of the game is priced at $89.99 and includes all 20 bloodlines, as well as a lifetime VIP membership to the game and lifetime discount in the in-game store, and more. Gamers will also be able to test their skills in a free-to-play version of the game that has a limited number of bloodlines available in rotation.

“We first started working on this game while we were still at university, and it’s amazing to see how far we’ve come with the game now in a pre-order state,” says the CEO of Stunlock Studios, Tau Petersson. “With more than 150,000 players enjoying the beta, we’re excited to offer players a unique chance to get in early and reap the rewards of the pre-order.”

‘Bloodline Champions’ is a free-to-play game supported by micro transactions, and is set to release in late 2010/early 2011. From December 15th onwards the game will enter Open Beta at which point there will be a selection of four bloodlines available for free play on a weekly rotation basis. Anyone who pre-orders will be able to play their characters without the limitation of the rotation. You can sign up to the currently ongoing closed beta here.

‘‘Bloodline Champions’’ represents the next generation of arena-based multiplayer games. Offering fun and fast-paced action for both casual and hardcore gamer, ‘‘Bloodline Champions’’ will push your skill to the absolute limit.  Battle it out with thousands of players around the world and master your bloodlines in the quest to become the ultimate champion!  Currently in public beta testing, ‘‘Bloodline Champions’’ has already been embraced by more than 150,000 gamers and has quickly gained momentum amongst the online gaming communities.

For more information, visit www.bloodlinechampions.com.

Durham, USA – November 12th, 2010 – Funcom and Stunlock Studios today released an all-new video trailer for the upcoming online player vs. player arena game ‘Bloodline Champions’. The video gives a unique glimpse into the ferocious, action-oriented gameplay as key developers explain the nuts and bolts of the game. ‘Bloodline Champions’ continues to build momentum: last week Funcom announced that 100,000 players had joined the beta, and Funcom can now announce that this number has soared to over 150,000 in just a matter of days.

‘Bloodline Champions’ is currently in beta, and gamers wanting to give the game a try can go to this page on the official website to learn where and how to get a beta key.

Download the new ‘This Is Bloodline Champions’ video trailer from the FTP here.

Embed the new ‘This is Bloodline Champions’ video trailer from YouTube here.

“We are absolutely thrilled to see so many gamers showing interest in the game,” says Stunlock Studios CEO Tau Petersson. “With the game increasing in popularity and with more and more gamers discovering the game, we realized we had to come up with something that immediately explained the game to all these new arrivals. So we put together this video that explains exactly just what ‘Bloodline Champions’ is all about, and we hope that this will inspire even more players to join us in the beta in the time to come.”

‘Bloodline Champions’ has been in development since 2008, when it started out as a student project put together by the original founders of Stunlock Studios. Over time, the project grew in scope and when Funcom signed on as a publisher in 2010 the talented developers at Stunlock Studios were able to devote all their time and effort into realizing the true potential of ‘Bloodline Champions’. The free-to-play game is set for release in late 2010/early 2011.

‘Bloodline Champions’ represents the next generation of arena-based multiplayer games. Offering fun and fast-paced action for both casual and hardcore gamer, ‘Bloodline Champions’ will push your skill to the absolute limit.  Battle it out with thousands of players around the world and master your bloodlines in the quest to become the ultimate champion!  Currently in public beta testing, ‘Bloodline Champions’ has already been embraced by thousands of gamers and has quickly gained momentum amongst the online gaming communities.

For more information, visit www.bloodlinechampions.com.

Durham, USA – November 8th, 2010 -  From the 11th to the 15th November, participants at Multiplay i41 will have a chance to play ‘Bloodline Champions’ at the Team Dignitas booth. Stunlock Studios and Funcom invite all gamers to play the new arena-based PVP game and walk away with a beta key. You will also get a chance to play with or against Team Dignitas Professional Gamers, Ryan 'Hydra' Van Buiten and Chris 'Kalimist' Ioannou. For those who want to test their gaming skills, Team Dignitas will be holding daily walk-in ‘Bloodline Champions’ tournaments where you get a chance to win Bigfoot 2100 Network cards.

“Multiplay i41 is a fantastic opportunity for us to reach out to gamers,” says Tau Petersson, CEO of Stunlock Studios. “By teaming up with Team Dignitas and Bigfoot Networks we show our dedication to our core audience. With over 100,000 beta players, Bloodline Champions has certainly showed its popularity, and we hope even more gamers will be exposed to the game’s competitive nature during Multiplay i41.”

“We are looking forward to i41 and again we will exhibit giving our fans and i-series attendees the chance to play and meet our players. This time of course our booth is even bigger as we welcome Bloodline Champions on board. So come along and play with Hydra and Kalimist for the chance to win Bigfoot 2100 cards and more.” said Michael 'ODEE' O'Dell Team Dignitas Managing Director.

‘Bloodline Champions’ represents the next generation of arena-based multiplayer games. Offering fun and fast-paced action for both casual and hardcore gamer, ‘Bloodline Champions’ will push your skill to the absolute limit.  Battle it out with thousands of players around the world and master your bloodlines in the quest to become the ultimate champion!  Currently in public beta testing, ‘Bloodline Champions’ has already been embraced by thousands of gamers and has quickly gained momentum amongst the online gaming communities.

For more information, visit http://www.bloodlinechampions.com/

The offer will be available to everyone, including those without a Fileplanet membership, sometime during Wednesday October 20th.

"We are very excited to be launching this beta initiative with IGN/FilePlanet," says Tau Petersson, CEO of Stunlock Studios. "After having worked on this game night and day for such a long time now, it feels great finally being able to invite the masses into the experience that we have created. The beta process is an important phase in the development of the game, and we look forward to going through every bit of player feedback that we receive. But perhaps most of all we look forward to meeting the players face-to-face on the battlefield!"

The IGN/FilePlanet offer is available exclusively for a limited-time only.  As an added bonus, gamers claiming a key through the website will also get an ‘IGNiter’ title that will be displayed in-game.  Take advantage of the offer by visiting the beta page on IGN/FilePlanet today!

Bloodline Champions represents the next generation of arena-based multiplayer games. Offering fun and fast-paced action for both casual and hardcore gamer, Bloodline Champions will push your skill to the absolute limit.  Battle it out with thousands of players around the world and master your bloodlines in the quest to become the ultimate champion!  Currently in public beta testing, Bloodline Champions has already been embraced by thousands of gamers and has quickly gained momentum amongst the online gaming communities.

For more information, visit www.bloodlinechampions.com.

New videos detail the first four Bloodlines in Stunlock Studios’ upcoming online PvP game “Bloodline Champions”

As announced earlier this year, developer Stunlock Studios and publisher Funcom are currently working diligently towards the release of the online arena-based PvP game “Bloodline Champions”. Here players will be able to take control over a multitude of different characters, or Bloodlines, and engage in intense battles with other players either in teams or solo. Easy to master and challenging to master, “Bloodline Champions” combine deep gameplay with great graphics and a powerful matchmaking system to become a true next-generation PvP game.

Today Funcom and Stunlock Studios released four new videos, giving a unique look into some of the many Bloodlines that will be available in the game. Sixteen Bloodlines have been announced for the game so far, and Funcom/Stunlock will be releasing more videos soon. Today’s videos showcase the Alchemist, Gunner, Spear Master and Thorn Bloodlines.

For more information please see www.bloodlinechampions.com.
The game is currently in beta, and is set for a late 2010 release.

Feel free to download and share the new videos found here:

Bloodline Campions video profile: THE ALCHEMIST
Bloodline Champions video profile: THE GUNNER
Bloodline Champions video profile: THE SPEAR MASTER
Bloodline Champions video profile: THE THORN

You can also embed the videos directly from YouTube:

The Alchemist – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mQVfkBya4fw
The Gunner – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SyiRF5g32DY
The Spear Master – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dbbgk07Z-qk
The Thorn – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9nOtdijDQf4

You will find the latest screenshots and artworks here:

ftp.funcom.com/press/BLOODLINE_CHAMPIONS/

If you would like to give “Bloodline Champions” a try yourself, please get in touch with the press contact listed below. The game is currently in closed beta, and we invite all members of the press to check it out. There are no NDA’s in place for the beta test.

Press Contacts:

Jan Birkeland
janb@funcom.com

Embed directly from YouTube here: http://www.youtube.com/user/Funcom#p/u/6/C9I0UwV5vec
Download from the Funcom press FTP here: ftp.funcom.com/press

“It feels great being able to show the world some of the exciting stuff that we are working on,” says Senior Producer and Game Director Ragnar Tørnquist. “It might only be scratching the surface of the vast universe of ‘The Secret World’, but this video gives a unique glimpse into what Templar players will experience when they first enter the game. We look forward to revealing even more soon, not only about the Illuminati and Dragon secret societies, but the game and the world as a whole.”

Funcom attended this year’s GamesCom in Cologne, Germany, where Mr. Tørnquist and Mr. Bruusgaard presented all new content and gameplay to the media. The embargo for this presentation is lifted today, and those interested in ‘The Secret World’ can look forward to new information and visuals hitting the web during the next few days.  Press can download new screenshots, artworks and video material from the official press FTP at ftp.funcom.com/press.

‘The Secret World’ is Funcom’s third massively multiplayer game, having previously developed the award-winning ‘Anarchy Online’ and the best selling new MMO of 2008 ‘Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures’. The game features a modern-day, real world setting where every myth, conspiracy theory and urban legend is true, and where thousands of players from all over the world must join one of three secret societies in the fight against darkness – and each other. For more information visit the official website. ‘The Secret World’ is currently in development and no release date has been announced.

Download the latest artworks, screenshots and videos at ftp.funcom.com/press

Download the latest artworks, screenshots and videos at ftp.funcom.com/press

To learn more about ‘Age of Conan: Rise of the Godslayer’ visit http://www.ageofconan.com

Funcom has produced a behind the scenes video from the making of the soundtrack.
The video includes interviews and footage from the recordings, and can be downloaded from Funcom’s press FTP.

The delectable Far Eastern score, deemed “exceptional” by popular gaming website IGN in their recent review, features the renowned Prague Philharmonic Orchestra, a huge taiko-drum ensemble and world-class ethnic soloists renowned for their contributions on films such as ‘Titanic’, ‘The Mission’, ‘Braveheart’, ‘Troy’, ‘The Mummy’, ‘Mulan’ and many others classics. 

“This soundtrack carries on Funcom’s proud tradition of creating excellent and in-depth music for our games,” says Craig Morrison, Executive Producer and Game Director at Funcom. “Music in games is becoming increasingly important, and our use of the Prague Philharmonic Orchestra underlines our dedication to continue to produce award-winning titles with the best music.”

In addition to the soundtrack CD, the exclusive soundtrack package includes a DVD with the original 5.1 surround mix of the music – including bonus tracks – playable on home theatre- or other surround systems. Each track of the surround score is accompanied by a slideshow, featuring original concept art from Rise of the Godslayer. Most of this material has never been shown before.

Additionally, the package includes MP3 versions of all tracks, a unique Bone Flute virtual item for use in-game, selected videos and trial client installers for the ‘Age of Conan’ PC-game.

Find out where to purchase the soundtrack on www.grappa.no/ageofconan.

To learn more about ‘Age of Conan: Rise of the Godslayer’ visit http://www.ageofconan.com.

“Khitai is visually striking […] The alternate advancement system is looking like a fantastic way to add more diversification and individuality to your character…”
MMORPG.com

“My time with ‘Rise of the Godslayer’ has essentially confirmed what Funcom has been saying for weeks. It is a labor of love, and the effort shows in everything from the amount of new content, to the considered and varied advancement options, to the high production values…”
Massively.com

“… ‘Rise of the Godslayer’ rounds out the ‘Age of Conan’ experience in an incredible way […] Funcom is definitely taking a huge step in the right direction with ‘Rise of the Godslayer’…”
ZAM.com

‘Age of Conan: Rise of the Godslayer’ is being distributed through retail by CompuExpert in the US and by Deep Silver in the European markets, and is available as an all-new combined package that includes both the original game and the expansion so that even new players who might not own a previous copy of the game can easily get started on their adventures through the new lands of Khitai. It is also possible to upgrade an existing copy of ‘Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures’ to the expansion through the Funcom account management system, or by purchasing the game in retail and upgrading with the key enclosed in the box.

“We are very proud to be launching the expansion for Age of Conan,” says Executive Producer and Game Director Craig Morrison. “This is the culmination of a lot of hard work from the development team, and I think they have created a wonderfully engaging experience for our players. We are really looking forward to welcoming our players to Khitai!”

Launching in May 2008 ‘Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures’ quickly became a smash hit in retail, shipping over 1.2 million copies around the world. In North America, the most prominent online gaming market in the west, ‘Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures’ became the third best-selling PC title of the year in 2008. In the weeks after launch ‘Age of Conan’ simultaneously topped the charts in 17 countries, and the game received critical acclaim from gaming press across the globe. ‘Age of Conan’ is now available in English, French, German, Spanish, Russian and Polish localized versions, and is being prepared for launch in Korea as well.

Download the latest artworks, screenshots and videos at ftp.funcom.com/press
 
Go to www.ageofconan.com for more information such as a complete list of features.

The trailer is available in English, German, French, Spanish, Russian and Polish and can be downloaded from the Funcom press FTP.
 
You can also find the video on Funcom’s YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/funcom. 

“We are getting close to the launch date for ‘Age of Conan: Rise of the Godslayer’, and we are very excited to bring this expansion to life,” says Game Director and Executive Producer Craig Morrison. “This trailer gives but a tiny glimpse of all the amazing content and gameplay that we are offering in the expansion, as Khitai is a massive land filled with new experiences.”

The expansion, set in the eastern empire of Khitai, builds on an already extensive Conan universe. ‘Rise of the Godslayer’ expands on an already massive game world, and will also introduce entirely new and exciting gameplay mechanics. Launching on May 11th, the expansion will be available both through retail and as a digital download. In retail the expansion will come in an all-new packaging that includes both the expansion and the original game, allowing new players to quickly get up to speed with all the new content and gameplay.

Launching in May 2008 ‘Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures’ quickly became a smash hit in retail, shipping over 1.2 million copies around the world. In North America, the most prominent online gaming market in the west, ‘Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures’ became the third best-selling PC title of the year in 2008. In the weeks after launch ‘Age of Conan’ simultaneously topped the charts in 17 countries, and the game received critical acclaim from gaming press across the globe. ‘Age of Conan’ is now available in English, French, German, Spanish, Russian and Polish localized versions, and is being prepared for launch in Korea as well.

Go to www.ageofconan.com for more information such as a complete list of features.

Go to www.ageofconan.com for more information such as a complete list of features.
Visit ftp.funcom.com/press to download screenshots, artworks, videos and more.

You can download the new video from the Funcom FTP.

‘The Secret World’ is Funcom’s third massively multiplayer game, having previously developed the award-winning ‘Anarchy Online’ and the best selling new MMO of 2008 ‘Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures’. The game features a modern-day, real world setting where every myth, conspiracy theory and urban legend is true, and where thousands of players from all over the world must join one of three secret societies in the fight against darkness – and each other. For more information visit the official website. ‘The Secret World’ is currently in development and no release date has been announced.

You can download the new assets from the Funcom FTP: ftp.funcom.com/press

‘The Secret World’ is Funcom’s third massively multiplayer game, having previously developed the award-winning ‘Anarchy Online’ and the best selling new MMO of 2008 ‘Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures’. The game features a modern-day, real world setting where every myth, conspiracy theory and urban legend is true, and where thousands of players from all over the world must join one of three secret societies in the fight against darkness – and each other. For more information visit the official website.

Download the video (100mb) from the Funcom press FTP.

"There are darker and far more terrifying things in Kingsmouth than the walking dead," says Senior Producer and Director Ragnar Tørnquist. "The video simply scratches the surface and reveals only a tiny glimpse of what this location is all about. Kingsmouth harbors ancient secrets and dark conspiracies that players have to work together to uncover - along with a menagerie of evil, including creatures from myth and legend, and horrors from the sea. A mysterious mist has enshrouded the entire Solomon Island, and it will be up to the players to figure out what's happened and to stop this terror from spreading further."

Earlier this month Funcom executed an elaborate ARG (alternate reality game) initiative where the 250.000 members strong community surrounding the game were given clues that helped them discover the www.kingsmouth.com website – the online presence for the New England town. This provided them with a unique insight into the location that is featured in the game. Blood covered postcards featuring a ‘Greetings from Kingsmouth’ message were also mailed out to journalists all over the world. This initiative is now reaching its climax with the release of the Kingsmouth location video footage.

 “The video consists entirely of in-game footage, except for the obvious color modifications and distortion effects,” says Erling Ellingsen, Director of Communications at Funcom. “One of the reasons why we have chosen to reveal the footage in this unique way is because we are saving the undistorted, full color in-game footage for the Game Developer Conference in March. Our plan right now is to showcase actual gameplay for the first time ever to the media at GDC, as well as releasing all-new footage to the public at the same time. Of course, much can happen before March and some of the gamers out there might want to keep their tin foil hats on and their eyes keenly open for more mysterious clues to appear.”

‘The Secret World’ is Funcom’s third massively multiplayer game, having previously developed the award-winning ‘Anarchy Online’ and the best selling new MMO of 2008 ‘Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures’. The game features a modern-day, real world setting where every myth, conspiracy theory and urban legend is true, and where thousands of players from all over the world must join one of three secret societies in the fight against darkness – and each other. For more information visit the official website.

For a full overview of additions and enhancements, please visit the ‘Age of Conan’ updates website.

“Everyone on the team is very proud of how ‘Age of Conan’ has grown and matured since launch,” says Game Director and Executive Producer Craig Morrison. “One of the great joys of working on a massively multiplayer online game is being able to add new content and new features even after launch and by working closely with our community of players we have been able to do exactly that.”

Launching in May last year ‘Age of Conan’ quickly became a smash hit in retail, shipping over 1.2 million copies around the world. In North America, the most prominent online gaming market in the west, ‘Age of Conan’ became the third best-selling PC title of the year in 2008. In the weeks after launch ‘Age of Conan’ simultaneously topped the charts in 17 countries, and the game received critical acclaim from gaming press across the globe. ‘Age of Conan’ is now available in English, French, German, Spanish, Russian and Polish localized versions, and is being prepared for launch in Korea as well.

For more information and how to purchase ‘Age of Conan’ please visit www.ageofconan.com. ‘Age of Conan’ is also available as a free trial for players wanting to try their luck in Hyboria.

WHAT:  Official announcement of appointment of first CEO for Funcom Games Canada Inc. and business objectives
WHEN:  Thursday, January 7, 2010, 10:30 a.m.
WHERE:
Salle du conseil
Montréal International                              
380 Saint-Antoine West, suite 8000                              
Montreal

Unlimited Free Trial of the first 20 levels in Age of Conan now available.

Durham, USA – December 14th, 2009 – Funcom is delighted to announce a unique holiday offer for its massively multiplayer online game ‘Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures’. Anyone who downloads, registers, and starts playing the trial before January 1st 2010 will be able to enjoy all of level one to twenty – the entire Island of Tortage experience – without ever having to upgrade to a full account or pay a subscription fee. This unique Unlimited Free Trial campaign is only available until January 1st as a special holiday offer to anyone who wishes to experience the sexy and savage world of Conan.

“Our original seven day trial has been very successful so far,” says Morten Larssen, Vice President of Sales and Marketing at Funcom. “But with the holiday season coming up this is the perfect time to shake up our trial offer a bit and try out something new. So everyone who downloads the trial before January 1st will be able to play the first part of the game for free, forever. We are confident that many of those taking advantage of this offer will choose to become permanent players, allowing them to experience all of what the game has to offer including all the additions and improvements introduced since launch.”

Celebrate the holiday season by downloading the trial today, and experience ‘Age of Conan’ in all its savage, sexy and brutal glory. Go to www.ageofconan.com/trial to download the client and start your barbaric adventures today. Players can level up as many characters as they want before choosing to move on and explore the rest of the game. Players will be able to enjoy all of what Tortage Island has to offer, complete with player vs. environment and player vs. player gameplay. Users must take advantage of this offer before January 1st, and will need to log in to the game for the offer to take effect.

Launching in May last year ‘Age of Conan’ quickly became a smash hit in retail, shipping over 1.2 million copies around the world. In North America, the most prominent online gaming market in the west, ‘Age of Conan’ became the third best-selling PC title of the year in 2008. In the weeks after launch ‘Age of Conan’ simultaneously topped the charts in 17 countries, and the game received critical acclaim from gaming press across the globe. ‘Age of Conan’ is now available in English, French, German, Spanish, Russian and Polish localized versions, and is being prepared for launch in Korea as well.

For more information and how to purchase ‘Age of Conan’ please visit www.ageofconan.com

Sweet Robot to publish upcoming social online game 'Pets vs. Monsters'

Durham, USA - December 11th, 2009 - Funcom today announced the establishment of a new subsidiary, Sweet Robot, who will be publishing Funcom's ventures into the social and casual MMO-gaming markets. The first project to be made available through Sweet Robot is the upcoming MMO-game 'Pets vs. Monsters' which will go into public beta testing later this month. The game is a massively multiplayer online game aimed at a younger demographic, specifically children aged eight to twelve.

"Sweet Robot will be focusing on publishing games outside the traditional high-end MMO-segment which Funcom has been focusing on the last years," says Funcom CEO Trond Arne Aas. "This will allow us to explore new market opportunities that differ from what we have been doing before while still retaining Funcom's familiar profile. This definitely marks a new and exciting direction for us."

A team of fifteen people have been working on 'Pets vs. Monsters' for almost two years, during which time the team has also focused on developing a highly flexible game engine that can easily be customized to work with multiple concepts. 'Pets vs. Monsters' is the company's first venture into the more casual, social gaming segment, and Sweet Robot will use this as an opportunity to experiment with different concepts, gameplay mechanisms and business models. No release date has been set for 'Pets vs. Monsters', and the upcoming public beta is intended to help the developers gather early, but valuable feedback from the target audience that will prove important to the game's direction and development.

"Our passion and dedication for high-end online games remains the same, and 'Age of Conan' and 'The Secret World' are still our primary focus", says Aas. "But we are also eager to explore new opportunities within the industry, and it felt natural for us to step into the social gaming segment especially considering our outstanding experience with making online worlds and communities. 'Pets vs. Monsters' is very much an exciting project for us, our first attempt at creating an online game for a younger target audience with gameplay mechanics and production values that differ from what we have done before. The fact that these productions require significantly lower budgets and smaller teams to develop is very attractive to us, as it allows us to try out several concepts instead of placing all our resources into one single bet."

'Pets vs. Monsters' is a massively multiplayer online game intended for children between eight and twelve years of age. The user is treated to a quick download and will be logged in and playing in no time due to the game's streaming technology. Players will adventure through numerous different 'worlds' - from deserts to jungles - accompanied by their trusted pet which they ride into exciting battles. It is also possible to chat and play with other players from all over the world, and the game employs typical role-playing mechanics such as statistics, equipment and loot to incentivize progress.

For more information on 'Pets vs. Monsters' please visit the game's official website.

Visit the press FTP to download 'Pets vs. Monsters' screenshots, a logo and a gameplay video.

Developer to present one hour gameplay session live on Xfire next week

Durham, USA - December 3rd, 2009 - Funcom and Xfire are proud to announce a unique live gameplay demonstration of 'Rise of the Godslayer' - the upcoming expansion for the massively multiplayer online role-playing game 'Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures'. Set to air on Monday December 7th at 12pm PST / 3pm EST, the live demo will be streamed directly onto the Xfire.com website and will include new and never-before-seen content and gameplay played and presented by the developers themselves.

"We have been working on the expansion for 'Age of Conan' for quite some time now, and everyone on the team is eager to lift the veil and include the public in what we are trying to bring to life," says Game Director and Executive Producer Craig Morrison who will be hosting the live gameplay demonstration together with expansion Lead Designer Joel Bylos. "Development is coming together nicely, and we are really excited to see the empire of Khitai coming to life! Doing a live demo on Xfire is a brilliant way for us to reach out to a broad audience and show just what they can expect from 'Rise of the Godslayer' as we continue to move closer and closer to launch."

The one-hour live session - where the developers will be playing through parts of the content that will be available in the expansion - will be streamed live to Xfire.com where it will be freely available for everyone to access. During the live session, the developers will be talking about the expansion in general as well as describing what is happening on-screen as the developers fight their way through the world.

"We are incredibly excited to see the Funcom team taking advantage of Xfire's Live Broadcast technology," said Matthew Gilman, VP of Marketing at Xfire. "Using Xfire will allow the Age of Conan team to reach our audience of almost 15 million gamers in a way not possible just months ago. Their broadcast of never-seen-before content will make for a truly unique and interactive experience for both Xfire and non-Xfire users alike."

Funcom announced 'Rise of the Godslayer' at the GamesCom show in Germany earlier this year. The expansion introduces the player to the lands of Khitai with several new world regions filled with new dungeons, quests and rewards. 'Rise of the Godslayer' will also introduce new gameplay such as alternate advancement, factions and even new mounts that plays an integral part of the storyline. The release date for the expansion is currently set to first half of 2010, and is progressing according to plan.

Launching in May last year 'Age of Conan' quickly became a smash hit in retail, shipping over 1.2 million copies around the world. In the weeks after launch 'Age of Conan' simultaneously topped the charts in 17 countries, and the game received critical acclaim from gaming press across the globe. 'Age of Conan' is now available in English, French, German, Spanish, Russian and Polish localized versions, and is being prepared for launch Korea. The live development team is currently working on the next free update for the game which will introduce major improvements and enhancements to 'Age of Conan's' guild gameplay.

Subscribing for 1 month gives 7 days extra game time for no additional cost

Subscribing for 3 months also guarantees a spot in open beta for The Secret World

Subscribing for 6 months also gives a level 40 helmet with a 10% XP modifier

Subscribing for 12 months also gives a free copy of the Rise of the Godslayer expansion

In addition, the rewards for the lower tier subscriptions are also included in the higher tier subscription, which means that you will get all these exclusive rewards if you choose to subscribe for 12 months. This is a time-limited offer only, and is also available to current players. Players who have signed up for these subscription plans in October have already secured their respective reward. The Secret World beta reward includes access to the later stages of the closed beta, and a date for access will be announced later. The free download of the expansion will become available when the expansion launches.

New players are also encouraged to take advantage of these offers. New players who purchase the game now and signs up for one of these subscription plans will also have secured their respective rewards.

Since launching last year, 'Age of Conan' has seen a vast number of improvements, new content and new features. In fact, the game has received such a significant make-over that Funcom decided to create a new website that introduces both former players and everyone else about how the game has grown. Previous players will find new content such as the adventure region of Ymir’s Pass, new dungeons such as The Iron Tower, and new features such as the player vs. player notoriety system and a complete re-design of the items and character statistics mechanics of the game. The technology platform has also been vastly improved, allowing for better performance across a wide range of computer systems.

Read more about what's happened to 'Age of Conan' since launch on the new website!

Embargo on the PAX presentations lifted, new details on «The Secret World» emerges
Over 50.000 gamers have signed up to become initiates of the secret societies

Durham, USA – September 10th, 2009 – After a series of media-only presentations held at the Penny Arcade Expo 2009 in Seattle last weekend, Funcom today lifted the press embargo allowing gaming sites everywhere to reveal new details on «The Secret World», Funcom's upcoming modern-day massively multiplayer online game. As a part of the new reveals of the game, Funcom today also released the first ever official screenshots of the real-world MMO on its official website. The website has also been updated with a list of features that provides an overview of the game.

The screenshots show locations, monsters, characters and equipment that will figure in the game.

«We are very pleased with what we were able to show the press at the Penny Arcade Expo, such as the very first actual in-game footage,» says Funcom CEO Trond Arne Aas. «For the time being we will keep that exclusive to the press that was there, and we look forward to reading up on their impressions. We are also very happy about the tremendous interest «The Secret World» have received among gamers, something that really shows when looking at the tens of thousands of people that have become members of the game's official community over the last few days.»

Last week Funcom revealed three secret societies – the Illuminati, the Dragon and the Templars – all of which play an integral role in the game. Gamers everywhere were also urged to visit the official website at www.darkdaysarecoming.com to take the Initiation test – a personality test that determined what secret society they were most suited to join. Afterwards, gamers had the opportunity to enroll as an initiate in that secret society and thus join the official community for «The Secret World». Membership offers several exclusive rewards, such as an initiate kit, updates on the game's development, and the chance to win access to the future beta test of the game. Funcom is pleased to announce that the initiation test has been very successful, with over 50.000 gamers actively signing up to become initiates of the secret societies over the course of a few days.

By joining one of the three secret societies now, gamers can already start preparing for the choice they will have to make once the game launches. Through the official discussion forums, initiates can also discuss the game and their secret society with other gamers from around the world. Eager to see where you might belong? Go to the official website and take the Initiation test today!

To download a press kit with all the latest assets for «The Secret World», please visit:
ftp.funcom.com/media

For more information about the game, forums and the initiation test, please visit:
www.darkdaysarecoming.com

«The Secret World» features a unique, modern-day setting where players get to explore real-world locations such as New York, Seoul and London as they battle the forces of darkness together with thousands of other players from around the globe. Featuring class-less and level-less content, «The Secret World» will allow gamers to customize their characters as they see fit and play the game the way they want to play it thanks to several unique, freeform game-play mechanics.

Durham, USA – September 1st, 2009 – Funcom is pleased to announce the establishment of a new development studio in Montréal, Canada, where it will build a strong and competent development team that will work on several games in the Funcom portfolio. Besides tapping into the excellent talent pool available in the region, Funcom will also move a certain number of key personnel over to the new studio.

“Montréal has established itself as one of the world’s most important locations for video game production, and we are looking forward to taking part in that success,” says Funcom CEO Trond Arne Aas. “In addition to strengthening our North American presence, the new studio will take advantage of the great incentive programs offered by the Québec region, incentives that makes Montréal one of the most cost effective locations in the world for developing MMO games. This will in turn allow us to better balance our costs, making it possible for us to continue to expand our investments into the MMO segment.”

Funcom is one of the most multi-cultural game developers in the business, with over 320 employees from all corners of the world employed at the company’s offices in Norway, the US, China, and Switzerland. The company is responsible for the best-selling MMO ‘Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures’ that shipped over 1.2 million copies to retail in 2008, as well as the pioneering sci-fi MMO ‘Anarchy Online’. The company has developed more than 20 titles since its founding in 1993; including the critically acclaimed ‘The Longest Journey’ and ‘Dreamfall’ adventure games. Funcom is currently working on the expansion pack for ‘Age of Conan’ called ‘Rise of the Godslayer’ as well as its new MMO ‘The Secret World’. Developers at the Montréal studio will play an important role in the development of both of these games.

“It has been a pleasure for us to work with Investissement Québec in setting up our Montréal studio and we are very thankful for the strong support they have given us throughout this process,” says Ole Schreiner, CEO of Funcom’s new Montréal studio. “We are excited about the opportunity that Montréal represents to our company, not only because of the great incentives offered by Québec, but also the authorities’ strong commitment to training qualified video games personnel and building a video games cluster in Montreal and Quebec.”

Go to www.riseofthegodslayer.com for more information such as a complete list of features.
Visit ftp.funcom.com/media to download a press kit containing screenshots, artworks, a video and more.

Players will discover vast new locations in ‘Rise of the Godslayer’, such as the far-stretching Northern Grasslands, the deceptively serene Chosain Province and the magnificent Pillars of Heaven. Adventurers will find that the new regions are torn apart by conflict between its inhabitants, and you will be able to take part in these conflicts by joining up with many of the warring factions. Faction gameplay plays a large role in ‘Rise of the Godslayer’, presenting the player with choices that earn them both allies and enemies in Khitai. Through questing and adventure players can advance through faction ranks, rewarding them with incredible treasures such as epic new armor and weapons. Players can choose to continue their adventures with existing characters, acquiring new combat abilities and spells through a robust alternate advancement system, or start over again as a Khitan – an all-new culture. No matter what the choice may be, adventurers will find a wealth of new high-level content, but also low-level content in Khitai available immediately after leaving Tortage Island. The expansion also introduces new mounts such as the Tiger, and through adventure players will see them grow from a weak cub into a ferocious fighting companion.

“Development on ‘Rise of the Godslayer’ is progressing very well, something gamers can see and experience for themselves this week,” says Funcom CEO Trond Arne Aas. “We have the game up and running on the showfloor at GamesCom, and we encourage everyone there to come visit us and give the expansion a try. We believe ‘Rise of the Godslayer’ will be a strong addition to the ‘Age of Conan’ brand.”

GamesCom is one of the world’s biggest gaming shows, and runs from August 19th to August 23rd in Cologne, Germany. Visitors can find ‘Age of Conan: Rise of the Godslayer’ in Hall 9 all days of the show.

Launching in May last year ‘Age of Conan’ quickly became a smash hit in retail, shipping over 1.2 million copies around the world. In North America, the most prominent online gaming market in the west, ‘Age of Conan’ became the third best-selling PC title of the year only beaten by ‘Spore’ and ‘World of Warcraft’. In the weeks after launch ‘Age of Conan’ simultaneously topped the charts in 17 countries, and the game received critical acclaim from gaming press across the globe. ‘Age of Conan’ is now available in English, French, German, Spanish, Russian and Polish, and is being prepared for launch in Korea as well.

For an exclusive insight into the expansion pack, please visit IGN (US), Eurogamer (UK), Meristation (Spain), JeuxVideo (France) Buffed (Germany) or Multiplayer (Italy) for details and developer interviews.

Convening Notice AGM

Download the Convening Notice AGM

Download the Draft deed of amendment of the AoA of Funcom NV unofficial English translation

Download the Draft deed of Amendment of the Articles of Association of Funcom NV (Dutch)

Funcom Annual Report for 2008

Funcom N.V. (the "Company") publishes its 2008 annual report, including complete annual accounts with notes and relevant other information associated therewith (the "Annual Report")

Download Annual Report (PDF, 6.75MB)

New artworks, information, trailer video and updated website now available

Durham, USA – April 7th, 2009 – Dark days are coming. The words are now everywhere. After deciding to make the development its next massively multiplayer online game a little less secret, Funcom have now released information, artworks and the first ever trailer video for 'The Secret World'. Journalists across the world recently had the chance to sit down and talk to game director Ragnar Tørnquist about the new game and hear his vision, thus generating reports on websites everywhere such as Eurogamer, GameTrailers, and MMORPG.com.

"It is great to finally be able to talk about The Secret World, after several years in the dark," says senior producer and director Ragnar Tørnquist. "The real world is such a rich and fascinating setting for an MMO, and we are able to draw inspiration from ancient history, stories of lost cities and forgotten civilizations, folktales, urban legends, conspiracy theories and pop culture. We are building a game that mixes modern day Earth with terrifying monsters, dark and occult magic, cool weapons and awesome powers - and it's unlike anything you have ever seen before in an MMO."

'The Secret World' takes place in our own, modern-day world. Players can explore locations such as New York, London, and Seoul, as they unravel the mysteries, legends and myths that make up our world and its history. But the real and realistic will clash with the unreal and fantastical, as the darkness of the secret world approaches. Not only will 'The Secret World' offer a setting never before experienced in an MMO, Funcom is also expanding on the genre standards by introducing gameplay that is not based on classes or levels. Players will have the freedom to become whatever they want to be and play however they want to play, allowing them to explore the world at will and master anything from voodoo and black magic to martial arts and modern firearms.

Download trailer video, artworks and a fact sheet here

By following this link you can download a fact sheet, artworks, and the first ever trailer video for 'The Secret World'. These assets are meant to capture the spirit and vision of the game and its world, giving the viewer a small, but significant glimpse into what can be expected when the game is launched. Funcom have also made updates to the official website - www.darkdaysarecoming.com - and gamers are now invited to leave their name and e-mail. In the future, exclusive information will be provided to those who choose to sign up.

The best-selling new MMO of 2008 now available as a free trial

Durham, USA – April 2nd, 2009 – Funcom is proud to announce that 'Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures' is now available as a free trial. Funcom, Fileplanet and Ausgamers have teamed up to provide gamers everywhere with the opportunity to download and play 'Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures' for free for a period of seven to fourteen days. This is the chance to experience the brutal, savage and sexy world of Conan where you can live, fight and explore in the world of Hyboria together with thousands of people from across the globe.

"The time has finally come for us to open the flood gates," says Morten Larssen, Vice President of Sales and Marketing at Funcom. "There is a world of gamers out there who have never played 'Age of Conan' and we want them to experience what hundreds of thousands of gamers have before them. The game has matured tremendously since launch, and we feel confident that this is the time to launch a trial. 'Age of Conan' is simply bigger and better than it ever was, and we want both new and previous players alike to experience that!"

All you have to do to start playing 'Age of Conan' today is visit the www.ageofconan.com/trial website, download the game and off you go. Funcom has also teamed up with Fileplanet and Ausgamers, and depending on which source you download from you will receive between seven to fourteen days free play time and a host of special rewards. Various websites across the world will also be doing exclusive give-aways where gamers can receive a special key that will unlock rare virtual items in addition to the free trial play time.

Since launching last year, the development team has made significant updates to the game. Too many to list at once, here are a few highlights of what has been done in the past few months: 

NEW CONTENT! Experience countless hours of more content and adventure through new areas such as the expansive Ymir's Pass and the massive Xibaluku dungeon. Embark on new quests, face new challenges and experience entirely revamped dungeons and gameplay!

ENHANCED PVP! The world of Conan is now more brutal than ever before. Increase your player vs. player level and reap the exclusive rewards as you slaughter enemy players, but be ready to face the violent consequences should you engage in criminal activities!

BETTER SIEGES! The entire siege warfare experience has been improved, making sieges more fun and easier to get into. Warfare between guilds is now even more dramatic with specific resources that must be fought over in order to build and maintain battlekeeps!

ENHANCED PERFORMANCE! Major updates have been made to technical stability and performance, allowing for a much smoother gameplay experience across a wider range of computer systems - even with higher levels of graphical detail enabled!

... AND MORE! Many more improvements and additions have been made to Age of Conan since launch. More voice overs, more travel options, a new friend interface, new GUI options, easier access to PvP mini-games, better tradeskills and much, much more!

Launching in May last year 'Age of Conan' quickly became a smash hit in retail, shipping over 1.2 million copies around the world. In North America, the most prominent online gaming market in the west, 'Age of Conan' became the third best-selling PC title of the year only beaten by 'Spore' and 'World of Warcraft'. In the weeks after launch 'Age of Conan' simultaneously topped the charts in 17 countries, and the game received critical acclaim from gaming press across the globe. 'Age of Conan' is now available in English, French, German, Spanish, Russian and Polish, and is being prepared for launch in Korea as well.

With a constant stream of new updates and improvements, Funcom continues to push the game forward and the development team is now working on a new expansion as well as a series of free updates that will take the game to even greater heights in the months ahead.

For more information on the trial campaign, please visit http://www.ageofconan.com/trial

Age of Conan launches in Russia and Poland. The third best-selling US PC title of 2008 now available in six languages, with Korea to come!

Durham, USA – February 23, 2009 – Funcom is proud to announce that Age of Conan has launched in Russia, and Poland. As the game gets ready for full service in two new languages, Funcom has seen a clear trend towards strengthened feedback from the current player community, which praises the many improvements to the game. The Russian and Polish versions of Age of Conan mark the first time Funcom works directly with an external publisher who take care of all service aspects related to the running of a MMO. The partners 1C and CD Projekt are responsible for localization, customer service, community management, as well as sales and marketing.

"Eastern Europe is quickly becoming one of the most important markets for massive online games, and it will be a continued focus for Funcom to strengthen our presence there. Together with our partners we will therefore focus on making the game a success for many years to come," says Morten Larssen, Vice President of Sales and Marketing at Funcom. "Since we launched Age of Conan last year, the game has taken large strides. This means that all new customers get a fuller Conan experience and nothing pleases us more."

Launching in May last year, ‘Age of Conan’ quickly became a smash hit in retail, shipping over 1,2 million copies around the world. In North America, the most prominent online gaming market in the west, Age of Conan became the third best-selling PC title of 2008, only beaten by ‘World of Warcraft’ and ‘Spore’. In the weeks after launch, Age of Conan simultaneously topped the charts in 17 countries, even in some all-format lists. This showed the enormous marked demand for brutal, barbaric MMO fun. This was further highlighted by the 15 million unique visitors to the Age of Conan website during 2008.

After having a lower customer retention than anticipated in 2008, Funcom is now seeing a distinct turn of events when it comes to Age of Conan. Not only have the company seen a significant improvement in subscription retention, the trend is also that the players spends more time in-game. As a result Funcom continues to invest heavily in the game, and currently more than 120 people are working on adding new content.

Funcom sees that the challenges from 2008 are now turning into positive opportunities going forward, and the many content updates since launch has resulted in a better gaming experience. This is evident not only from the feedback in Eastern Europe, but also through the current word of mouth among the many active players of the game.

With launch in new markets, an upcoming expansion pack, consistent content updates and numerous marketing initiatives Funcom is excited about the outlook for Age of Conan.

For more information on the local Russian version of 'Age of Conan' please visit http://ageofconan.1c.ru/
For more information on the local Polish version of 'Age of Conan' please visit http://www.aoc2009.pl/

New end-game content pack soon to be released for seasoned ‘Anarchy Online’ veterans
In-game virtual item, the Hoverchair, included in the booster as a time-limited launch offer!

Durham, USA – February 13th, 2009 – Funcom is proud to unveil ‘Legacy of the Xan’ – the new booster pack for the massively multiplayer online game ‘Anarchy Online’. The new booster pack features end-game content tailored specifically for seasoned ‘Anarchy Online’ veterans, opening up new areas of the world, introducing new items and bringing hundreds of new missions to challenge players. This content upgrade is the latest in a series of expansions and booster packs that have been released for the classic sci-fi MMO that launched 7 years ago.

“The ‘Legacy of the Xan’ booster pack introduces new content for those who have reached the ‘Anarchy Online’ end-game, by introducing areas, items, enemies and missions relating to the mysterious civilization of the Xan and their history on planet Rubi-ka,” says game director Colin Cragg. “We are thrilled by the fact that ‘Anarchy Online’ continues to capture the imagination of gamers even after seven years of operation, and we greatly look forward to be bringing players even more challenges, content and improvements to the game in the time ahead!”

The booster pack will be available on February 19th, but pre-order has already started. The booster is available for 19.99 US dollars or for a combined purchase using paid points and currency. Included in the purchase is an in-game virtual item known as The Phasefront Hoverchair – a unique, time-limited launch offering that allows you to cruise around on Rubi-ka in style! For those new to ‘Anarchy Online’ it is also possible to purchase a complete package that contains the core game as well as all expansions and boosters previously released. ‘Legacy of the Xan’ pre-order and the Phasefront Hoverchair is included in this complete package.

For more information on the booster and how to get it, visit http://www.anarchy-online.com/Xan/

Launching back in 2001, ‘Anarchy Online’ has enjoyed over seven years of operation and two million explorers have set foot on Rubi-ka in that time. Over six million avatars have been created, and over 200 million hours of entertainment has been served, or more than eight million days of playtime. ‘Anarchy Online’ features a unique science fiction setting on the planet Rubi-ka almost thirty thousand years into the future, where players must complete dangerous missions and explore a strange, mysterious world as they master an arsenal of futuristic weaponry. Players can partake in the dramatic story-line that unfolds as they reach deeper into the mysteries of Rubi-Ka. Anarchy Online is also available in a fully free to play version.

Has it been a while since you asked a friend to explore a new and challenging sci-fi world?

New update introduces new land area, a new dungeon, new quests and hours of more adventure

Durham, USA – November 14th, 2008 – This week Funcom updated the ‘Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures’ live servers with the largest gameplay content addition since launch. By visiting the vast, new outdoor area of Ymir’s Pass players will now be able to find new quests to solve, new characters to meet, new monsters to slay and a dramatic new storyline to unravel. The update also includes a new dungeon – The Amphitheater – that holds one of the most epic and memorable monster encounters ever created for the game.

Click here to download the Ymir’s Pass teaser video (720p)

Click here to download the new Ymir’s Pass screenshots

“This is an important update that opens up a lot of new gameplay content for players who have already passed the level fifty mark,” says Game Director Craig Morrison. “In the months ahead we will introduce even more new content, and coming up soon are two exciting new high-level dungeons intended for players who have reached the maximum level. At this stage adding more content and keeping people entertained is very important to us!”

This free update is available to all ‘Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures’ subscribers and the content will be downloaded automatically when launching the game. In the months following the launch of the game, Funcom has addressed several of the key concerns voiced by the players and have also added a series of new content and features. Recently the live servers received a major update to the player-versus-player part of the game, allowing players to become criminals based on their actions when battling other players. New armor, weapons and other content have also been added, and from a technical perspective the game has also seen major improvements in terms of stability and performance. Funcom remains determined to keep updating and improving the game, and will keep players posted on the updates that are planned in the months ahead.

‘Age of Conan’ launched in May this year and immediately topped sales charts around the world. It has received more than thirty magazine covers and more than fifteen major awards, including numerous "Best MMO of E3" awards and the "Best Online Game of Show" award at GC 2007. The game has received numerous glowing reviews, including a 9.4 score from US website GameZone. ‘Age of Conan’ is a key title in Microsoft's Games for Windows line-up, as well as a showcase title for nVidia thanks to its jaw-dropping graphics.

For more information on the game and to order your copy today, visit www.ageofconan.com.

Neowiz Games to publish localized version of Funcom’s highly acclaimed online game

Durham, USA – November 12th, 2008 – Funcom is proud to announce that 'Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures' will be launching in Korea. Online media publisher Neowiz Games will be responsible for publishing the highly acclaimed massively multiplayer online game, and will be working closely with Funcom in producing an adapted and fully localized Korean version. Neowiz Games will act as a full service provider, handling everything from distribution to customer service and community management.

"Bringing 'Age of Conan' to Korea is something we have wanted to do for a long time now," says Funcom CEO Trond Arne Aas. "This is a very exciting and highly dynamic market, and we know that Korean gamers are amongst the most active online gamers in the world. With their solid legacy in online gaming, Neowiz Games is one of the most successful and knowledgeable companies in the market and we are very pleased to be working with them."

"We are very excited to introduce the world class large scale MMORPG, 'Age of Conan' with it’s popularity and great reputation in the industry" says Neowiz Games CEO Choi, Gwan-ho. "This will be the first large scale MMORPG for Neowiz Games and both companies will also work tightly together to adapt and implement a fully localized game for Korean users"

The Korean release of 'Age of Conan' will include all updates and content added to the game after the US and European launch. It is also important for both Funcom and Neowiz Games to adapt the game to the local market, and the two companies will work closely together in making sure 'Age of Conan' meets gamers’ expectations. A release date for the Korean version of 'Age of Conan' has not yet been finalized.

'Age of Conan' launched in May this year and immediately topped sales charts around the world. It has received more than thirty magazine covers and more than fifteen major awards, including numerous "Best MMO of E3" awards and the "Best Online Game of Show" award at GC 2007. The game has received numerous glowing reviews, including a 9.4 score from US website GameZone. 'Age of Conan' is a key title in Microsoft's Games for Windows line-up, as well as a showcase title for nVidia thanks to its jaw-dropping graphics.

For more information on the game and instructions on how to order your copy today, visit www.ageofconan.com.

1C Company to run and operate a fully localized version in partnership with Funcom

Durham, USA – July 31, 2008 – Funcom and 1C Company announces the signing of a Service Partnership Agreement for a Russian version of Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures. According to the agreement 1C will fully localize voice and text and operate local customer service, communities, websites and in-game support for Age of Conan in Russian, while Funcom takes care of back-end technology, server infrastructure and continuous development of the game. A dedicated Russian realm is to be created, giving the Russian community an opportunity to stay together and communicate with each other in their native language.

The agreement shows Funcom and 1C Company’s full dedication to the growing Eastern European market, and is another important step in ensuring long-term success for Age of Conan through-out numerous languages and regions.

“1C Company is a clear leader in the Russian speaking regions, and we are confident we have found the perfect partner,” said Trond Arne Aas, CEO of Funcom. “We have already shipped a substantial amount of English boxes into Russia, Ukraine and Belarus, but we know that the real key to success is achieved through localized servers and services. Together with 1C Company we will do our uttermost to make Age of Conan a success for many years to come.” 

“We are happy working together with Funcom on bringing Age of Conan to Russia. The game has already gained success here, reaching top places in many retail charts. With an already established fan base in Russia I’m sure it will become even bigger after the localized version appears on the market,” said Nikolay Baryshnikov, International Sales Director of 1C Company. “Age of Conan is a great mix of action, RPG elements and adventure. I believe that the game has potential to become a big hit in Russia.”      

Age of Conan launched this spring, and instantly became one of the fastest selling PC Games of all times, topping the charts in more than 17 countries. The unique mix of real-time action combat, incredible graphics and mature MMO content turned it into a massive success. Russian gamers will get access to the same version, and all updates and additions to the game will be released in Russian at the same time as other languages. The final release date for the Russian version is still to be set, but the game will come out during Q4 2008. 

Russian will be the sixth language Age of Conan becomes available in, and launch in additional languages and territories is actively pursued by Funcom. For more information or to order Age of Conan – either in English, German, French or Spanish – visit the official website at www.ageofconan.com where you also can access the respective community websites.

More than 200 million hours of entertainment delivered to date - Massive new celebration video now available

Durham, USA – July 1, 2008 – 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 Online has proven its immense durability, and this unique labor of love has delivered an amazing amount of entertainment. Soon two 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 Online 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 Online. "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."

The seven year anniversary naturally bring along great offers for both new, former and existing players. People who have previously played Anarchy Online should check their mail-box for special offers, while all free players can upgrade to the full game experience for only $7/€. Active Anarchy Online players will receive seven special guest passes, as well as 700 paid points for free. These can be used on whatever in-game items they want, ranging from jet bikes and hover boards to luxury apartments, pets and social clothes.  All the special offers are only available until July 7th, so be sure not to miss out and join us in celebrating the wonderful history of Anarchy Online! For more information on the offers, or to try the free version of AO, please visit www.anarchy-online.com
 
As a part of the celebration Funcom has put together a video where former luminaries like Gaute Godager, Ragnar Tørnquist and Morten Byom speak about their time with Anarchy Online, while current Lead Designer Colin Cragg and Game Director Craig Morrison join in to speak about the current state of the game. It’s a great trip down memory lane for everyone who has enjoyed Anarchy Online, while showing some of the tremendous evolutions the game has gone through since its inception. You can find the video at www.anarchy-online.com

The best selling PC game of May continues to hold the #1 spot in most markets.
More than 700.000 gamers have registered an Age of Conan account so far.

Durham, USA – June 30, 2008 – Funcom is proud to announce that Age of Conan continues to dominate the PC sales charts in all markets where the game is available. Over the last few weeks it has remained the overall #1 PC game in most European markets, while also performing tremendously well on several all-format charts. In the US, Age of Conan impressively conquered the #1 PC spot for the first two weeks of available NPD data. Due to the amazing interest surrounding the game, more than 700.000 gamers have now signed up for an Age of Conan account. In the second month after release it is also clear that Age of Conan has taken the position as the undisputed #2 subscription MMO in the western world. 

When Age of Conan stormed into retail stores as the most pre-ordered original PC game in history, it instantly became the best selling PC game of May. The pace at which Age of Conan sold made it one of the fastest selling PC games of all times, and Funcom is therefore very satisfied to see the positive sales trend continue. As all countries report sales differently, it is not possible to get a complete overview of the exact box sales at the time of writing, but Age of Conan remains the top selling PC game in most all released markets. This includes being the #1 overall PC game in June in the Nordic countries, Oceania, Germany, France and Spain, as well a top three contender in all other markets where the game is out. No substantial sales data for June is yet available from the US market, but Age of Conan was the #1 PC game in the latest official NPD update.

“That Age of Conan remains #1 in retail stores several weeks after release is of incredible importance to us, and proves that the game has a large potential beyond the early adopters,” said Morten Larssen, VP of Sales & Marketing in Funcom. “With more than 700.000 accounts created so far we have a fantastic platform to build from, and we will continue our marketing spend to further drive numbers in the months to come. It also means that Funcom can dedicate significant development resources on evolving the game even further, naturally giving us a great hope for the future of Age of Conan.”

“We are incredibly pleased to see Age of Conan turning into an MMO phenomena,” said Gaute Godager, Game Director on Age of Conan. “As a MMO company we know that a good start is but the beginning for a virtual world. All we care about now is to make Age of Conan into an even better game, and we have extensive plans to ensure that Age of Conan remains a top MMO alternative for many years to come.”

For more information about the game or to sign up for the community, please visit www.ageofconan.com

Special cooperation with Scandinavian punk rock legends Turbonegro leads to brand new Conan song - Launch event RED video now available – CD 1 already for sale on iTunes

Durham, USA – June 11, 2008 – In the wake of the wildly successful Age of Conan launch, Funcom is proud to announce the release of a special Age of Conan soundtrack CD. Published by Grappa Music and composed by Knut Avenstroup Haugen, the 2CD soundtrack sends the listener on a spellbinding musical journey throughout Hyboria, while diving into the darkest, deepest dungeons of Vanaheim along the way.

The first CD focus on the in-game orchestral music, and the captivating score delivers something for all moods, ranging from the lush and serene to the primal and decadent. These are the very best tracks from the game, as selected and produced by composer Knut Avenstroup Haugen. Several great musicians have contributed to the score, among others the amazing Helene Bøksle and a large choir including members of the Norwegian State Opera Choir and other prominent musicians and singers. This allows for tremendous variation in the musical experience, and will soon be available at music retailers across the western hemisphere. "It has been a great honor to create the score for Age of Conan. To provide musical content for a universe that is so vast, so varied and so rich has been a huge undertaking, but an experience that never ceased to be immensely enjoyable,” said Knut Avenstroup Haugen, producer and composer on the Age of Conan soundtrack. As an added treat the soundtrack also comes with a special bonus CD, which includes eight more orchestral songs from the game. Not only that, it features no less than three songs by infamous rockers Turbonegro. After their legendary performance at the Age of Conan launch event, Turbonegro shifted into creative high gear and recorded a brand new song dedicated to their favorite barbarian, appropriately entitled "Destroy All Monsters”. With lead singer Hank Von Helvete claiming to have read "every Conan comic”, it’s clear that the creative partnership goes well beyond the ordinary, the result being a rock-anthem of Imotephian evil, capable of kicking any ancient Hyborian beast out of their thousand year long beauty sleep. Turbo-connoisseur's should also note that this is the very first recording the band does with their new drummer Tomas Dahl, hence the thunderous drum rolls opening the song. In addition to brand new "Destroy All Monsters”, the bonus CD also includes two additional songs from Turbonegro.

"It’s just perfect that Age of Conan is supported with a song from Turbonegro – the two hardest rocking pieces of entertainment to ever come out of Norway,” said Hank Von Helvete, lead singer of Turbonegro. "As a huge Conan fan, I am proud to be part of this statement against modern life boredom and common life impotency. Heads must and shall roll.”

During the last few years, Turbonegro has significantly increased their public appeal, and their fan-club now boasts more than 2600 world-wide chapters! The band has been featured in numerous feature films and TV-series, most notably CSI, Jackass (MTV-series + both feature movies), Wildboyz (title song), Viva La Bam and Dirty Sanchez, as well as the game Rock Band II. As a result of their incredible music and independent attitude, two tribute albums have been made, where bands like HIM, Queens Of The Stone Age, Therapy, Satyricon and others have given tribute.

You can already purchase CD1 of the soundtrack on itunes, while CD2 will become available during June. The physical version of the soundtrack CD will become available across Europe in June, and is expected to be released in North America shortly after. Please visit www.ageofconan.com for more info about the game.

Should you wish to hear an excerpt from the orchestral part of the soundtrack, you can now download the official trailer from the Conan launch event. The video was made using multiple RED cameras, thereby utilizing the best available camera technology. You can download the video from the media section at http://community.ageofconan.com

Standard edition sold out in numerous territories, hundreds of thousands additional copies now shipping - Officially number one on the charts in all major markets

Durham, USA – June 6th, 2008 – Funcom is proud to announce that Age of Conan will pass the astounding "One Million Copies Shipped” milestone, in less than three weeks after the launch of the game. Due to overwhelming demand Funcom’s retail partner is now re-supplying retail boxes rapidly while also including new markets to the mix. As a result of the tremendous interest from gamers, Age of Conan has for the past few weeks been claiming number one spots on the sales charts across the western world – including the US, Germany, France and the UK – while receiving glowing review scores from gaming media.

"Sales data shows that Age of Conan is the biggest MMO launch since World of Warcraft,” says Funcom Vice President of Sales and Marketing, Morten Larssen. "The numbers are very promising, and we are very proud to be one of the fastest selling PC games ever in a launch month and the biggest simultaneous Europe/US MMO launch in history.”

In the US, Age of Conan has a strong # 1 chart position and is now moving past the 500.000 shipped mark. Meanwhile the attention for the game is growing across the globe, with over 8 million unique visitors from over 200 countries to the Age of Conan websites so far in 2008. The community surrounding the game is also growing fast, with over 800,000 signing up as members of the Clan of Conan fan club.

Age of Conan was launched May 20th in the US and May 23rd in Europe, receiving critical acclaim from media across the globe. "Age of Conan has raised the bar,” wrote US gaming website Gamezone, giving the game a score of 94 out of 100. Gamespot, one of the world’s leading gaming websites, rewarded Age of Conan a 8,5 score calling it "one of the finest online RPGs available”. The game is also receiving acclaim in Europe, where a broad range of early reviews gave an average score of over 90 percent. Funcom is committed to continue to expand and improve on the game by adding more content, features and fixes in order to make Hyboria a favorite place for gamers across the globe, and players can expect some exciting news in the weeks and months ahead.

More information about the game can be found on www.ageofconan.com

Normal edition sold out in numerous outlets - Number 1 on the official charts in Germany, UK, Australia, Italy, Sweden, Norway and Spain.

Durham, USA – June 2, 2008 – Funcom is proud to announce that Age of Conan rises to number 1 on the PC charts, and the game even competes very well on the all-format lists. The normal edition is now sold out in many outlets due to the initial success of the game, and Funcom aims to resupply new boxes as fast as possible. With more than half a million customers, Age of Conan is already one of the biggest ever western MMO games, and this happens just a week after launch.

In Germany, Age of Conan is #1 on all-format and PC, while the console-orientated UK market has Conan as #2 on the all-format charts, only beaten by the GTA 4 juggernaut. The game is the biggest launch for a PC title this year in the UK with a firm # 1 placement on the PC charts, and the game had the biggest ever MMO launch - outside of the World of Warcraft franchise. In Sweden and Norway, Age of Conan storms in as #1 on both PC and all-formats, while contributing to making it the biggest week for PC games in 2008. In Spain and Italy, Age of Conan reigns the PC chart, while the Australians sends the game to #1 on PC and #2 on all-formats. That Age of Conan had a chance of conquering PC charts were known, that it competes in the all-format charts come as a pleasant surprise.

While only seven countries have released official lists so far, Funcom confirms that the sales indications are similar in other markets. Age of Conan looks to have been one of the most successful PC title launches in North America, and while no official US lists are aggregated a week after launch the initial results bodes well for the game’s future.

"The current momentum and sales are simply awe-inspiring, and it’s great that so many gamers and retailers are helping us to make Age of Conan the MMO sensation of the year," said Morten Larssen, VP of Sales and Marketing at Funcom. "As more charts and figures come in from additional markets, we expect to see a similar trend there too," he adds.

More than 8 million unique visitors from over 200 countries have visited the Age of Conan websites so far this year. Since the launch of the game, Age of Conan has already also gone through multiple improvements. The entire development team is now busy evolving the game, and further expanding what reviewers are already hailing as the best MMO game of recent times. More information can be found on www.ageofconan.com

Details on the Level 1-20 Experience – Details, maps and key quests will give players the inside edge on the pirate island of Tortage
Totem of Origins Virtual Item – This unique item allows players to be magically transported back to their starting city once every 24 hours. Exclusive to PC Gamer readers!
Age of Conan Gaming Machine – One lucky reader can win state of the art gaming rig from nVidia and Coolermaster, with an Age of Conan case mod
Information on the End Game Content – Bosses and dungeons from the level 80 experience will be revealed for the first time
King Conan’s Role – Conan’s role will finally be revealed, and PC Gamer readers will be the first to gaze upon his mighty palace

Age of Conan is consistently mentioned as one of the most anticipated PC games in development. At launch the game will have received more than thirty covers on high-profile gaming magazines across the globe and more than fifteen major awards, including numerous "Best MMO of E3" awards and the official "Best Online Game" award at the Games Convention 2007. Age of Conan is a key title in Microsoft's Games for Windows line-up, and a showcase title for nVidia. Age of Conan launches 20th of May in North America / Oceania and 23rd of May in Europe.

For more information on Age of Conan visit the official website at www.ageofconan.com

Durham, USA – April 17th, 2008 – Funcom, Eidos and IGN are proud to announce that Open Beta for Age of Conan will start on May 1. The Open Beta will be hosted exclusively by IGN’s popular game download site, FilePlanet.com, as well as being offered through partner IGN sites such as Gamespy.com, Tentonhammer.com and Warcry.com. The application pages at FilePlanet.com are now open for registrations, and gamers from across the world can sign up. As 50.000 gamers prepare their Hyborian assault, rivers of blood are about to flow, and it’s exclusively available through FilePlanet and IGN partner sites.

“When we started development of Age of Conan four and a half years ago we truly wanted to move away from the standards of the MMO genre. We wanted to bring something new, exciting and fresh to the gamers,” said Gaute Godager, Game Director on Age of Conan. “As we get ready to show everyone what Conan’s savage world is all about, we need final stress testing. Teaming up with the Beta Masters at IGN was a perfect opportunity for us! We simply couldn’t ask for a better partner for this crucial stage of our Beta.”

“The IGN and FilePlanet audience has consistently told us that Age of Conan is one of their most anticipated games of the year, and we are very pleased to partner with Funcom and Eidos on the Open Beta,” says Senior Vice President of Consumer Products at IGN, Jamie Berger. “The Funcom team has developed a truly unique, visceral gaming experience that players will have to see to believe.”

Funcom would like to point out that the primary function of the Open Beta is to stress test Age of Conan prior to launch. This means that Funcom will not make the entire game available to the Open Beta testers, and a level 13 cap will be applied. The Beta experience will still give hours and hours of entertainment, and complete class and culture variety, while at the same time giving Funcom the needed focus for an Open Beta.

You are required to be a FilePlanet member in order to sign up for the Open Beta. Preloading of the client will start prior to the launch of the Open Beta, and applicants will receive more information should they receive a beta key. The Open Beta will start on the 1st of May at 1500 GMT / 0900 EST.

Age of Conan is consistently mentioned as one of the most anticipated PC games in development. It has received more than twenty-five covers on high-profile gaming magazines across the globe and more than fifteen major awards, including numerous "Best MMO of E3" awards and the official "Best Online Game" award at the Games Convention 2007. Age of Conan is a key title in Microsoft's Games for Windows line-up, and a showcase title for nVidia. The game is set to launch in several territories on May 20th, 2008.

For more information on Age of Conan – either in English, German, French or Spanish – visit the official website at www.ageofconan.com where you also can access the respective community websites.

* The early access program is only available with certain retailers. A participant list can be found on the official Age of Conan websites. The early access is entirely voluntary, and opens up on the 17th of May for Oceanic and North American gamers, and on the 20th of May for European gamers. Pre-loading of the client will commence in advance. You need to pay a nominal 5 USD / EUR fee to take advantage of the offer, which includes client download and 10 days of subscription. When the early access offer expires you must enter the physical retail box gamekey to continue playing.

Ring of Acheron (Exclusive In-Game Item) – The Ring of Acheronia is an exclusive in-game item which will only ever be available in the Collectors Edition. Stemming from the ancient civilization of Acheron, the ring offers special XP and stamina enhancements for players, making it a powerful companion on the brutal journey through Hyboria.  
Hand-Finished Collectors Edition Box –  A true piece of art, the metalay-embossed box comes with the royal emblem of King Conan. Naturally it comes in a larger-than-life box, with inlay page and individually numbered holographic sticker.
Hyborian World Faux Leather Map – Made with a unique finish and designed by celebrated cartographer Clayton Bunce, this 14" x 20" faux leather map gives players an authentic overview of the vast Hyborian world.
Unique Bonus DVD –   The bonus DVD is filled to the brim with visual entertainment, and includes trailers, a greeting from the game director, behind-the-scenes videos, developer diaries and artwork.
Official Age of Conan Soundtrack – The official game soundtrack CD features a hand-picked selection of the best music from the game. Composed by Knut Avenstroup Haugen, the official Age of Conan soundtrack delivers an incredible and powerful musical journey.
Age of Conan Art Book – With hundreds of art pieces hand-picked by the Art Director, this 128-page  book delivers a stunning visual experience. Featuring never-before-seen pieces, it fully depicts the incredible amounts of art which went into the creation of the savage world of Hyboria
The Drinking Cape (Bonus In-game Item) – As fitting for a mature MMO game, the Drinking Cape gives you access to free drinks in all the taverns of Hyboria. This dream-come-true outfit will never be available after the game launches, and with it you can impress friends down the road by proving your status as a pioneer player.
Five Free Guest Passes  – Online games are all about having fun with your friends, and only in the Collectors Edition will you get five special guest passes to Hyboria. With the guest pass you can invite five selected friends, allowing them to play together with you, at no cost, for a limited time period.

“We are very proud to present such a striking and distinctive Collectors Edition for the countless Conan and MMO fans,” said Robert Lindsey, Executive Vice President of Sales and Marketing at Eidos Inc. “Those fortunate enough to secure this limited edition pack will find many authentically crafted Conan mementos to treasure for years to come.”

“At Funcom we are all gamers, and we know how much gaming fans treasure unique editions,” said Morten Larssen, Vice President of Sales and Marketing at Funcom. “Together with Eidos we have therefore put a substantial amount of work into this Collectors Edition, ensuring that every single piece is of the highest possible quality. This is surely the be-all, end- all edition of Age of Conan, and we hope that our players will cherish what we have created for them.”

Age of Conan is consistently mentioned as one of the most anticipated PC games in development. It has received close to twenty magazine covers and more than fifteen major awards, including numerous "Best MMO of E3" awards and the official "Best Online Game of Show" award at the GC convention 2007. Age of Conan is a key title in Microsoft's Games for Windows line-up, as well as a showcase title for nVidia.

For more information about the game or to join the thriving community please visit www.ageofconan.com

Contacts:

Oonagh Morgan                                 Jørgen Tharaldsen
Eidos Inc.                                          Funcom
(650) 421-7648                                 +47 41 33 41 47 
omorgan@eidos.com                          jtt@funcom.com