The forces of Sanctuary already stand more than 6.3-million strong
and growing
IRVINE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--
Blizzard Entertainment, Inc. today announced that as of the first 24
hours of Diablo® III's release,
more than 3.5 million copies had been sold, setting the new all-time
record for fastest-selling PC game.* That number does not
include the more than 1.2 million players who received Diablo III
as part of signing up for the World of Warcraft®
Annual Pass promotion. Altogether, more than 4.7 million gamers
around the world were poised to storm Sanctuary on day 1 of Diablo
III's release -- representing the biggest PC-game launch in history.
As of the first week of the game's availability, that number had already
grown to more than 6.3 million.* The above figures also do
not include players in Korean Internet game rooms, where Diablo III has
become the top-played game, achieving a record share of more than 39% as
of May 22.†
"We're definitely thrilled that so many people around the world were
excited to pick up their copy of Diablo III and jump in the
moment it went live," said Mike Morhaime, CEO and cofounder of Blizzard
Entertainment. "We also regret that our preparations were not enough to
ensure everyone had a seamless experience when they did so. I want to
reaffirm our commitment to make sure the millions of Diablo III players
out there have a great experience with the game moving forward, and I
also want to thank them for their ongoing support."
"Regarding today's announcement, we recognize that setting a new launch
record is a big achievement," Morhaime continued. "However, we're
especially proud of the gameplay feedback we've received from players
worldwide. We're pleased that Diablo III has lived up to players'
high expectations, and we're looking forward to welcoming more players
into Sanctuary in the days ahead."
Diablo III went live on May 15, with more than 8,000 retailers
throughout the U.S., Canada, Europe, South Korea, Southeast Asia,
Australia, New Zealand, and the regions of Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Macau
opening their doors to players at midnight or concurrently with the
local release time in celebration of the launch. In addition to being
able to buy the game at retail stores, gamers in the regions above as
well as in Mexico, Argentina, Chile, and Brazil are also able to
purchase Diablo III digitally via the official Diablo III website
(http://www.diablo3.com).
Commenting on the game's sales achievement, Bob McKenzie, senior vice
president of merchandising at GameStop, stated, "Diablo III was
one of our biggest PC launches ever and will help make this a record
year for Blizzard at GameStop."
According to John Love, director of video games at Amazon.com, "Not only
did Diablo III break the record for most preordered PC game of
all-time on Amazon.com, but it also shattered the record for best
day-one sales for any PC game ever on Amazon.com." Blizzard thanks its
retail partners around the world for their support and commitment to the
Diablo series.
Diablo III is available for Windows® XP/Windows Vista®/Windows®
7 and Macintosh® at a suggested price of $59.99 USD for both
the retail DVD-ROM version and the digital version sold directly from
Blizzard. The game has received a Mature rating from the ESRB.
Players in the Latin American countries listed above and in Russia will
be able to purchase Diablo III at local retail locations starting
June 7. Digital availability via http://www.diablo3.com
for the Russian version of the game will also begin June 7. In addition
to the English version, Diablo III is fully localized into Latin
American Spanish, Brazilian Portuguese, French, German, European
Spanish, Italian, Polish, Russian, Korean, and traditional Chinese.
Diablo III is the latest chapter in Blizzard's critically
acclaimed action—role-playing-game series. The game continues the epic Diablo
storyline, with players taking on the role of one of five heroic
characters -- barbarian, witch doctor, wizard, monk, or demon hunter --
and embarking on a perilous quest to save the world of Sanctuary from
the corrupting forces of the Burning Hells. As players adventure through
rich and varied settings, they'll engage in pulse-pounding combat with
hordes of monsters and challenging bosses, grow in experience and
ability, acquire artifacts of incredible power, and meet key characters
who'll join them in battle or aid them in other ways. Diablo
III features the intuitive interface, fast-paced action, and
visceral gameplay that Diablo players have come to expect and
enjoy.
Designed from the ground up to leverage the full functionality of the
Battle.net® platform, Diablo III also provides gamers
with industry-leading matchmaking and communication tools, allowing
adventurers to seamlessly join forces for cooperative play. Battle.net
also provides the infrastructure for the Diablo III auction
house, a feature-rich marketplace that Sanctuary's heroes can use to
trade their hard-earned treasures. To learn more about the auction house
and the other features of Diablo III, please visit the official
website at http://www.diablo3.com.
With multiple games in development, Blizzard Entertainment has numerous
positions currently available -- visit http://jobs.blizzard.com
for more information and to learn how to apply.
* Based on internal company records and reports from key distribution
partners.
† www.gametrics.com
About Blizzard Entertainment, Inc.
Best known for blockbuster hits including World of Warcraft®
and the Warcraft®, StarCraft®,
and Diablo® franchises, Blizzard Entertainment, Inc. (www.blizzard.com),
a division of Activision Blizzard (NASDAQ:ATVI), 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 fourteen #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 players.
Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-looking
Statements: Information in this press release that involves
Blizzard Entertainment's expectations, plans, intentions, or strategies
regarding the future, including statements about the expected release
date of Diablo III in certain regions, are forward-looking statements
that are not facts and involve a number of risks and uncertainties.
Factors that could cause Blizzard Entertainment's actual future results
to differ materially from those expressed in the forward-looking
statements set forth in this release include unanticipated product
delays and other factors identified in the risk factors sections of
Activision Blizzard's most recent annual report on Form 10-K and any
subsequent quarterly reports on Form 10-Q. The forward-looking
statements in this release are based upon information available to
Blizzard Entertainment and Activision Blizzard as of the date of this
release, and neither Blizzard Entertainment nor Activision Blizzard
assumes any obligation to update any such forward-looking statements.
Forward-looking statements believed to be true when made may ultimately
prove to be incorrect. These statements are not guarantees of the future
performance of Blizzard Entertainment or Activision Blizzard and are
subject to risks, uncertainties, and other factors, some of which are
beyond their control and may cause actual results to differ materially
from current expectations.
Blizzard Entertainment, Inc.
Lisa Jensen
Vice President,
Global Public Relations
949-854-6200 dir
949-854-7900 fax
ljensen@blizzard.com
or
Rob
Hilburger
PR Director
949-242-8404 dir
949-854-7900 fax
rhilburger@blizzard.com
or
Che'von
Slaughter
PR Manager
949-955-1380 x14338 dir
949-854-7900
fax
cslaughter@blizzard.com
Source: Blizzard Entertainment, Inc.
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