WORLD OF WARCRAFT® SETS NEW MILESTONE WITH 1.5 MILLION
SUBSCRIBERS WORLDWIDE
Blizzard’s MMORPG achieves unprecedented global success
Irvine, Calif. – March 17, 2005 –
Blizzard Entertainment® today
announced that World of Warcraft®, its massively multiplayer
online role-playing game (MMORPG), has surpassed the 1.5 million subscriber
mark*, underscoring the game’s continued success around the world. Building on
its record-breaking debuts in North America, Korea, and Europe, World of
Warcraft has reached global peak concurrency – the number of subscribers
playing at the same time in each market – of more than 500,000 players.
“All
of us at Blizzard are extremely gratified and amazed at the international demand
for World of Warcraft,” said Mike Morhaime, president of Blizzard
Entertainment. “From region to region, we’ve seen a phenomenal level of
enthusiasm for World of Warcraft, and we’re absolutely thrilled people
are enjoying the game so much.”
Since its debut in North America on November 23,
2004, World of Warcraft has launched to critical and commercial success
in Korea and Europe, exploding in popularity across the globe. In the span of a
few short months, World of Warcraft has achieved record-breaking
milestones, including:
Europe:
-
Over 290,000
account creations and 180,000 peak concurrency in its first weekend. -
Over 500,000
active subscribers, and 230,000 peak concurrency to date.
Korea:
-
The most
successful 100-day launch of any MMORPG in Korean history since its commercial
release on January 18, 2005. -
World of Warcraft
is currently played in 75% of Korean Internet Game Rooms (IGRs), the primary
venue for playing games in Korea. IGRs subscribe directly to MMORPGs and then
players buy blocks of time from the IGRs for game time.
North America:
-
Over 200,000
subscribers and 100,000 peak concurrency achieved in the game’s first 24
hours. -
Current subscriber
base of over 800,000 players.
Blizzard Entertainment is now
focused on preparing the game for launch in additional regions in Asia and
firming up service support in existing data centers. World of Warcraft is
scheduled to launch in China in 2005, where excitement for the game has already
reached a fevered pitch, as evidenced by the 100,000 applications for the
limited open beta in just the first hour of signups on February 28, 2005.
Launches in Taiwan and other regions are scheduled to follow closely thereafter.
About World of Warcraft
In World of Warcraft,
players assume the roles of legendary
heroes and interact with thousands of other players online as they explore and
adventure across a vast world. Whether journeying together or questing on their
own, players will engage in heroic battles, develop friendships, forge
alliances, and compete with enemies for power and glory. The game features
customizable character classes with thousands
of weapons, spells, and abilities. With an
innovative, easy-to-use interface, an action-packed combat system, and thousands
of quests that build an immersive storyline, World of Warcraft
offers a MMORPG experience that will appeal to both veteran and casual players
alike. For more information on the game, visit
www.worldofwarcraft.com.
About Blizzard Entertainment
Best known for blockbuster hits including the
Warcraft®, StarCraft®, and
Diablo® series, Blizzard Entertainment® (www.blizzard.com),
a division of Vivendi Universal Games, is a premier developer and publisher of
entertainment software renowned for creating many of the industry’s most
critically acclaimed games. Blizzard’s track record includes nine #1-selling
games and multiple Game of the Year awards. The company’s free Internet gaming
service Battle.net
reigns as the largest in the world, with millions of active users.
*Based on internal
company records and reports from key partners and retailers worldwide.
.
