WoW reaches the 10 million mark

[Istros]

Grats Blizz!

Blizzard Entertainment - Press Release

WORLD OF WARCRAFT® REACHES NEW MILESTONE: 10 MILLION SUBSCRIBERS

Subscriber base for Blizzard Entertainment®'s massively multiplayer online role-playing game now exceeds 2.5 million in North America, while Europe passes the 2 million mark

IRVINE, Calif. -- January 22, 2008 -- Blizzard Entertainment, Inc. announced today that subscribership for World of Warcraft®, its award-winning massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG), has continued to climb, recently passing 10 million worldwide. Interest in the game has remained high in all regions, with thousands of new and returning players signing up through the holiday season. World of Warcraft now hosts more than 2 million subscribers in Europe, more than 2.5 million in North America, and approximately 5.5 million in Asia.

"It's very gratifying to see gamers around the world continuing to show such enthusiasm and support for World of Warcraft," said Mike Morhaime, CEO and cofounder of Blizzard Entertainment. "We're always pleased to welcome new players to the game, and we're looking forward to sharing the next major content update with the entire community in the months ahead."

Since debuting in North America on November 23, 2004, World of Warcraft has become the most popular MMORPG around the world. It was the bestselling PC game of 2005 and 2006 worldwide, and finished behind only World of Warcraft: The Burning Crusade®, the first expansion pack for the game, in 2007.* In addition to being the bestselling PC game of 2007 in both North America and Europe, The Burning Crusade holds the record for fastest-selling PC game of all time, with nearly 2.4 million copies sold in its first 24 hours of availability and approximately 3.5 million in its first month.* Development is underway on World of Warcraft's second expansion, Wrath of the Lich King™, which was unveiled at the company's BlizzCon™ gaming festival in August 2007.

World of Warcraft is currently available in seven languages, with a Russian version in development and scheduled for release later this year. In addition to North America and Europe, World of Warcraft is played in mainland China, Korea, Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia, and the regions of Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Macau.

For further information on World of Warcraft, The Burning Crusade, and Wrath of the Lich King, please visit the official website at World of Warcraft Community Site. To keep pace with the continued growth of World of Warcraft as well as development on other Blizzard Entertainment games, the company is currently hiring for numerous open positions -- more information on available career opportunities at Blizzard Entertainment can be found at Blizzard Entertainment - Employment Opportunities.

World of Warcraft's Subscriber Definition
World of Warcraft subscribers include individuals who have paid a subscription fee or have an active prepaid card to play World of Warcraft, as well as those who have purchased the game and are within their free month of access. Internet Game Room players who have accessed the game over the last thirty days are also counted as subscribers. The above definition excludes all players under free promotional subscriptions, expired or cancelled subscriptions, and expired prepaid cards. Subscribers in licensees' territories are defined along the same rules.

About Blizzard Entertainment, Inc.
Best known for blockbuster hits including World of Warcraft and the Warcraft®, StarCraft®, and Diablo® series, Blizzard Entertainment, Inc. (www.blizzard.com), a division of Vivendi Games, is a premier developer and publisher of entertainment software renowned for creating some of the industry's most critically acclaimed games. Blizzard Entertainment's track record includes ten #1-selling games and multiple Game of the Year awards. The company's online-gaming service, Battle.net®, is one of the largest in the world, with millions of active users.

[Cowbell]

It's the Verne Troyer effect.

[Kolle]

what mmorpg is gonna match 10 mil?

I know blizzard is making a 2nd one. If it's SC or diablo in some form maybe it will have a chance, but I dunno.

[Scorp]

Now minus the amount of people that bought it just because it had the Blizzard logo and the word "Warcraft" on it.

[Locithon]

You'd think by now they could pump out content faster. I mean from what I've read RoK was a good expansion and it only took them....10 months? Have they just not expanded the team enough? Is it the dev tools? Just seems strange to take more than a year for 10 levels of new content.

[Gaereth]

Originally Posted by Scorp

Now minus the amount of people that bought it just because it had the Blizzard logo and the word "Warcraft" on it.

Its not boxes sold it is active subscribers. Boxes sold would be a much larger number.

[Lefazz]

With all that revenue coming in why are they so fucking sloooow with releasing expansions? Jesus Christ, man...

[Gecko]

How many of those are North American accounts, versus the much lower revenue generating Asian ones?

I doubt they have 5 million American subscribers.

[Mageling]

Originally Posted by Lefazz

With all that revenue coming in why are they so fucking sloooow with releasing expansions? Jesus Christ, man...

C'mon now. Metzen can only come up with so much convoluted bullshit storyline in a period of time.

Mageling receives Empty Vial of Eternity...

FUCKING TRASH DROPS!

[Daezuel]

Ok just running simple math 4.5 mil (na+europe) x $15 per x 12 you get $810,000,000 a year...So add in the rest of the world and you're probably over a Billion a year just in subscriber fee's.

And yet there are still only 4 battlegrounds (2 of which are total crap) and less than a handful of arenas.

I mean, WOW.

[Mageling]

Originally Posted by Gecko

How many of those are North American accounts, versus the much lower revenue generating Asian ones?

I doubt they have 5 million American subscribers.

Answer...

...more than 2.5 million in North America...

[Twobit Whore]

Originally Posted by Gecko

How many of those are North American accounts, versus the much lower revenue generating Asian ones?

I doubt they have 5 million American subscribers.

Did you not take 30 seconds to read?

It says explicitly (in the 3rd fucking sentence even) where they are all from.

Here let me summarize for the attention-span deficient:



World of Warcraft now hosts more than 2 million subscribers in Europe, more than 2.5 million in North America, and approximately 5.5 million in Asia.

[Sharmai]

Originally Posted by Locithon

You'd think by now they could pump out content faster. I mean from what I've read RoK was a good expansion and it only took them....10 months? Have they just not expanded the team enough? Is it the dev tools? Just seems strange to take more than a year for 10 levels of new content.

As much as I agree with you and I really REALLY agree with you. Why fix what isn't broken?

Every time I get to a point where I'm dead tired on the game and unsubscribe, I start to believe lots of others are unsubscribed to and then another press release comes out saying they hit another milestone. I honestly couldn't believe they were still selling boxes till I went into EB last week and some kid walks in and asks to buy WoW and BC to try it out... I'm like wtf what are you one of 2 people left in the world who hasn't played it?

[Menahem]

Originally Posted by Gecko

How many of those are North American accounts, versus the much lower revenue generating Asian ones?

I doubt they have 5 million American subscribers.

Are you that lazy? Did you even read anythign but the topic?

BREAKING NEWS:Blizzard reach the 10 million mark in sub's.

BREAKING NEWS:Ford introduce the automobile. Hot off the press.

BREAKING NEWS:Women (that thing in the kitchen) can now vote!

Edit: God twobit.. you stole my limelight, damn you all to hell.

[Braen]

Now granted I haven't been playing WoW as my mian MMO for very long... But they do seem to release free content all the time... Nothing like an expansion but just when I started last there was A'G with patch 2.3 and now in 2.4 they are adding Sunwell.

I also remember TBC being very polished from a gameplay standpoint. If they can keep 10 million people playing and release a new box ever 2 years, along with free content ever 2-3 months or so, Sounds like it works.