We're looking for new writers to join us!

1 Million Europeans plugged into WoW

by: Chuck -
More On: World of Warcraft
Blizzard announced today that they now have 1 million European subscribers for World of Warcraft, a increase of 400% since it launched in February of 2005.  This brings the total number of people plugged into the game up to 5.5 Million people.  If you figure in an average monthly fee of $15 that translates to $82.5 million a month in subscribers fees.  It's hard to knock WoW as they've managed to keep the game fresh with new content and have dropped the ban hammer on every cheater they have found.  I just hope that Blizzard takes some of that money and starts on Diablo III sometime soon.

WORLD OF WARCRAFT® REACHES MORE THAN

ONE MILLION CUSTOMERS IN EUROPE

 

Total worldwide population for Blizzard Entertainment®’s massively

multiplayer online game now more than 5.5 million customers

 

Irvine, California – 19 January, 2006 -- Blizzard Entertainment, Inc.’s World of Warcraft®, the world’s leading subscription-based massively multiplayer online role-playing game, has surpassed the one million customer milestone in Europe, more than quadrupling the previously estimated size of the entire European MMORPG market since its launch in February 2005. In addition, World of Warcraft topped the sales charts* for full-price PC games in Europe last year. Worldwide, the game has a growing audience of more than 5.5 million customers.

 

“It is extremely rewarding to see so many European players enjoying World of Warcraft,” said Mike Morhaime, president and cofounder of Blizzard Entertainment®. “The players have supported our belief in the European MMORPG market, and we thank them for helping us make World of Warcraft one of the most popular games in the world.”

 

Available in English, French, and German in Europe, World of Warcraft is operated by Blizzard’s local European office. Established in late 2003 and already comprising more than 400 employees and 22 different nationalities, Blizzard Europe – the second-largest Blizzard office in the world – has expanded rapidly to keep pace with the growth of World of Warcraft in Europe.

 

World of Warcraft has steadily grown in popularity around the world since its initial launch in North America, Australia, and New Zealand last November. Following successful launches in Korea, Europe, China and Singapore, World of Warcraft launched in the regions of Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau.


For more information on World of Warcraft, please visit the game’s official website at www.wow-europe.com.

 

World of Warcraft’s Customer Definition

World of Warcraft customers include individuals who have paid a subscription fee or purchased a prepaid card to play World of Warcraft, as well as those who have purchased the installation box bundled with one free month access. Internet Game Room players that have accessed the game over the last seven days are also counted as customers. The above definition excludes all players under free promotional subscriptions, expired or cancelled subscriptions, and expired pre-paid cards. Customers in licensees’ territories are defined along the same rules.

 

* Based on numbers from Media Control & GFK panels across Europe as well as internal studies and account data.

 

About Blizzard Entertainment, Inc.

Best known for blockbuster hits including the WarCraft®, StarCraft®, and Diablo® series, Blizzard Entertainment, Inc. (www.blizzard-europe.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.