Irvine’s Blizzard Entertainment Inc., the world’s biggest maker of video games for computers, said its latest game release sold more than 3 million copies in the first day, making it the fastest-selling PC game of all time.
Blizzard’s massive multiplayer online game “World of Warcraft: Cataclysm,” which went on sale a week ago, broke all previous records for the company.
“Cataclysm” is what’s called an “expansion pack”—which tacks on new levels, lore and playtime to “World of Warcraft.”
Sales of “Cataclysm” eclipsed the previous record of more than 2.8 million copies sold in 24 hours, set in November 2008 by Blizzard’s second expansion pack, dubbed “Wrath of the Lich King.”
“World of Warcraft,” Blizzard’s flagship game, involves millions of players facing off in epic battles over the Internet. Blizzard’s customers pay roughly $15 a month to play the game, which has some 12 million players and counting.
In “World of Warcraft,” two fictional races fight for control of a fantasy world that pits armies of orcs, trolls and ogres against humans, dwarves and elves.
There’s big revenue to be made by Blizzard with expansion packs.
They help drive subscribers to the game and also lure back players who may have let their subscriptions lapse.
The game sells for $40. A collector’s edition goes for $80.
Blizzard, part of Santa Monica’s Activision Blizzard Inc., is Orange County’s biggest software maker with some $1.3 billion in yearly revenue.
Activision Blizzard, itself part of France’s Vivendi SA, is known for such titles as “Call of Duty,” “Tony Hawk” and “Guitar Hero.”
“Call of Duty: Black Ops,’” Activision’s latest in the war-themed franchise, recorded sales of 5.5 million copies in 24 hours when that game hit stores last month.
