If you click on a link and make a purchase we may receive a small commission. Read our editorial policy.

Solid State Networks' Peer-To-Peer Solution Selected By Wizards Of The Coast

Popular Gaming Company Implements Solid P2P Technology to Help Reduce Costs and Enhance User Experience of Downloading Newest Version of Magic: The Gathering Online® to Consumers

TEMPE, Arizona - July 25, 2007 - Solid State Networks, developer of high-performance, low-cost distributed content delivery solutions, today announced that leading game developer Wizards of the Coast has selected Solid State's Branded Client solution for delivering the newest version of its popular online game, Magic: The Gathering Online®.

After testing numerous options, Wizards chose Solid State's solution to aid in the reduction of bandwidth costs, provide more reliable downloads for consumers and significantly enhance users' download experiences. The Branded Client is a download manager that combines reliable HTTP delivery with zero-cost P2P transfers using the proven BitTorrent Protocol, providing a simple user interface that allows content publishers to creatively impress their brand on the consumer during the download process. The result is lower per-unit delivery costs while maintaining reliability and quality of service, thus enabling a unique consumer experience.

"We're anticipating transferring a tremendous amount of data, hundreds of terabytes in just a few months, as we roll out our new game," said Jeremy Stoltz, Senior Systems Administrator with Wizards of the Coast. "Solid State has delivered on both the performance and cost benefits we anticipated, with initial tests showing a reduction in bandwidth costs compared to other solutions."

Stoltz said the new version of Magic: The Gathering Online has been radically redesigned with an entirely new user interface and expanded capabilities based on user input, and finding the right content delivery partner and solution was critical to ensuring an enhanced consumer experience from delivery of the game to highly active sessions with numerous simultaneous players.

"Wizards needed a highly scalable, reliable and cost-effective delivery solution that could handle the large installation files of Magic that would be downloaded by thousands of consumers simultaneously," said Rick Buonincontri, founder, president and CEO of Solid State Networks. "This is exactly the kind of high performance application we designed our P2P client solution to handle, and we are extremely excited to be working with Wizards of the Coast to help reduce their bandwidth costs and help ensure their customers have a superior gaming experience."

Over the past year, Solid State Networks has been steadily gaining recognition as a highly innovative company with reliable technology and solutions. This spring, Solid State was chosen by AlwaysOn as one of the OnHollywood 100. The OnHollywood 100 is a power list of the top private emerging technology companies in digital entertainment and media. Solid State Networks was handpicked by the AlwaysOn editorial team based on a set of five criteria: innovation, market potential, customer adoption, media buzz and investor value creation.

About Wizards of the Coast

Wizards of the Coast, Inc., a subsidiary of Hasbro, Inc. (NYSE:HAS), is a worldwide leader in the trading card game and tabletop role-playing game categories, and a leading developer and publisher of game-based entertainment products. The company holds an exclusive patent on trading card games (TCGs) and their method of play and produces the premier trading card game, Magic: The Gathering®, among many other trading card games and family card and board games. Wizards is also a leading publisher of role-playing games, such as Dungeons & Dragons®, and publisher of fantasy series fiction with numerous New York Times bestsellers. For more information, visit the Wizards of the Coast Web site at www.wizards.com. Wizards of the Coast, Magic: The Gathering, Magic: The Gathering Online, Magic, and Dungeons & Dragons are trademarks of Wizards of the Coast, Inc. in the U.S.A. and other countries.

Wizards of the Coast, Magic: The Gathering, Magic: The Gathering Online, Magic, and Dungeons & Dragons are trademarks of Wizards of the Coast, Inc. in the U.S.A. and other countries.

About Solid State Networks

Solid State Networks is a developer of high performance distributed content delivery solutions. Solid State's offerings are ideal for the distribution of high-demand, massive digital objects, including PC and console video games, high-resolution video including feature films and television programs, music and software programs. For more information, please visit www.solidstatenetworks.com.

BitTorrent is a trademark or registered trademark of BitTorrent, Inc., used under license.

Media Contacts

For Solid State Networks

Wayne Teats

Gonzo Communications

Ph: 949.459.2165 ext.2549

wayne@gonzocom.com

For Wizards of the Coast

Caitlin Roulston

Ph: 425-204-8035

caitlin.roulston@wizards.com

Author
GamesIndustry International avatar

GamesIndustry International

Contributor

GamesIndustry International is the world's leading games industry website, incorporating GamesIndustry.biz and IndustryGamers.com.