"Blizzard Entertainment has announced that its hugely popular MMO World of Warcraft (WoW) has reached yet another milestone. Since its debut in 2004, the game has gained 10 million subscribers across the globe. More than 2.5 million people have signed up to play the game in North America and two million have subscribed in Europe. "Interest in the game has remained high in all regions, with thousands of new and returning players signing up through the holiday season," Blizzard stated.
WoW's momentum incredibly just doesn't seem to slow down. The MMO was the bestselling PC game of both 2005 and 2006 worldwide, and finished second only to its own expansion pack The Burning Crusade in 2007.
"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."
Available in seven languages, with a Russian version in development (scheduled for release later this year), WoW's appeal is truly global. In addition to North America and Europe, the game is widely played in mainland China, Korea, Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia, and the regions of Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Macau. It's this dominant online presence in Asia, of course, that made the Activision Blizzard merger such an important deal for Activision.
Blizzard is currently working on the game's second expansion, Wrath of the Lich King, which is expected to hit the market later this year."Gamedaily..
This is some pretty crazy stuff. I've been flip flopping on and off World of Warcraft for a couple of years. I've quit a couple times and vowed not to go back. But I'm back again. I know it's insane, but I think being in World of Warcraft is actually a mark of progress on MMORPGs in general. So if you play WOW, you understand better the way things should or could be run smoothly. I find it helpful in comparing beta builds and working with developers on other MMOs.
I can't wait to see Age of Conan and The Agency. I also REALLY can't wait for Warhammer Online. All of these are coming at a minimum in May. So this year should be a good one for MMOs. Will it effect WoW? No, will Lich King increase subscribers? No, because Lich King is going to be ALL HIGH LEVEL CONTENT. If and when Blizzard does another expansion like Burning Crusade then there will be another subscriber boost.
I love WOW, but it's a love/hate relationship and even though sometimes those relationships are long lasting. Unfortunately they usually end in separation.
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