AfterDawn: News

WoW expansion becomes fastest selling PC title ever

Blizzard Entertainment has announced that the much anticipated World of Warcraft expansion pack, Wrath of the Lich King, has sold over 2.8 million copies on its launch date, making it the fastest selling PC game in history.

The previous record holder was WoW expansion pack The Burning Crusade, which sold 2.4 million copies on its first day.

"We're grateful for the incredible support that players around the world have continued to show for World of Warcraft," said Mike Morhaime, CEO and cofounder of Blizzard Entertainment.

"Wrath of the Lich King contains some of the best content we've created for the game so far, and we look forward to seeing even more players log in to experience it in the days ahead."

Written by: Andre Yoskowitz @ 21 Nov 2008 23:23

• Previous article

• Blu-ray player, HDTV sales to underperform, says Sony

• Next article

• Sony guilty of copyright infringement

• 19 comments

• Mik3h

  I'm a semi-hardcore player, and I'm not surprised. I queued up for this with over 100 people at my local store at midnight, love this game.

  21.11.2008 23:28 #1

• Leningrad

  Blizzard... holds the record for bot Diablo II expansion and this games as the fastest selling games.. congrats to them

  21.11.2008 23:43 #2

• arcanix

  We'll see how fast diablo 3 will sell. Probably not this fast though.

  22.11.2008 03:52 #3

• Jansku07

  I see typo in the headline - it should be the fastest selling not fast selling.

  22.11.2008 05:10 #4

• JOHNSTARR

  I'd love to know the stats of people being fired from there jobs or couples getting divorced cause of this game. This game is definitely ruining many peoples lives in my area.
  
  
  
  
  

  -------> I once beat Dragons Lair blindfolded

  22.11.2008 07:10 #5

• varnull

  I can't believe that people would stand in line in the middle of the night in November to get some addon pack for a game..
  
  Really.. get a life.
  

  
  
  Free open source software = made by end users who want an application to work. The flower of carnage-shura no hana..
  10th International Transgender Day of Remembrance 20/11/08

  22.11.2008 07:37 #6

• Leningrad

  Originally posted by varnull: I can't believe that people would stand in line in the middle of the night in November to get some addon pack for a game..
  
  Really.. get a life.I agree, i think that wasting even a day of your precious life is not worth it for some add-on simulation. Waiting on mid-night? God go to sleep no just wander outside damn it.

  22.11.2008 08:49 #7

• Mik3h

  It's a lot more than just an addon pack, it's more liike a completely new game. Much like gears of war 2 is to gears of war 1.
  
  As for the ruining lives.. I disagree completely. It's the people who lack the self-control that get themselves in such a state. I'm sure there's a lot of people who browse the forums who don't work or study and are living on benefits for no real reason other than laziness. I play WoW, and I've progressed really far in the game, but I also maintain a full-time education at college, a part-time job and a social life. Anyone who lacks the self-control to pull themselves from a game to do something more important only have themselves to blame.

  22.11.2008 14:57 #8

• JOHNSTARR

  Originally posted by Mik3h: It's a lot more than just an addon pack, it's more liike a completely new game. Much like gears of war 2 is to gears of war 1.
  
  As for the ruining lives.. I disagree completely. It's the people who lack the self-control that get themselves in such a state. I'm sure there's a lot of people who browse the forums who don't work or study and are living on benefits for no real reason other than laziness. I play WoW, and I've progressed really far in the game, but I also maintain a full-time education at college, a part-time job and a social life. Anyone who lacks the self-control to pull themselves from a game to do something more important only have themselves to blame.Don't be in WOW-denial like all the peeps at my work and friends in my area that I barely hang out with anymore because of this game . I never said EVERY person that plays the game has a problem but majority do and you know that is factual.
  
  However, I'm glad to hear that you are balancing your life pretty well and please don't take what I'm saying as a personal attack on you.

  22.11.2008 17:27 #9

• cyprusrom

  LOL, I love how suddenly many become Dr.Phukin'Phil and give free useless advice about life! Blaming the game (gaming companies) for ruining one's life, for taking the food from his kids' table and for making his wife sleep with the mail man, is like blaming McDonalds for making a lard arse out of them, or making the tobacco companies responsible for giving them cancer!

  22.11.2008 21:50 #10

• varnull

  Yeah.. but standing in line in the freezing winter in the dark... that's just sad.
  
  Cows come to the farm in the morning and evening to get milked.. they get full and it's uncomfortable so they seek relief... what are WOW gamers full of to feel the need to stand outside a store for hours in the middle of the night? What time did the shops open 9am?.. could have been all snuggled up in bed nice and warm and gone out at 8 and got it...
  

  
  
  Free open source software = made by end users who want an application to work. The flower of carnage-shura no hana..
  10th International Transgender Day of Remembrance 20/11/08

  22.11.2008 22:03 #11

• Leningrad

  Originally posted by varnull: Yeah.. but standing in line in the freezing winter in the dark... that's just sad.
  
  Cows come to the farm in the morning and evening to get milked.. they get full and it's uncomfortable so they seek relief... what are WOW gamers full of to feel the need to stand outside a store for hours in the middle of the night? What time did the shops open 9am?.. could have been all snuggled up in bed nice and warm and gone out at 8 and got it...People have no patience unfortunately.

  22.11.2008 22:16 #12

• ktulu14

  the nephew is a WOW gamer. I call him Elflord (yes i watch NCIS), and constantly take the piss. I like games don;'t get me wrong, but standing in a crowd or hours on end to get a new "patch" well f**k me sideways. Some people need to get a life.
  
  Games are games ffs, just so u can say "i got WOW SP15000" B4 u did" is not something to brag about, it just shows how shallow a person u really are, /me apt-gets installs a life
  

  
  
  Free the West Memphis 3 --- http://www.wm3.org

  22.11.2008 22:18 #13

• cyprusrom

  Originally posted by varnull: Yeah.. but standing in line in the freezing winter in the dark... that's just sad.
  ...People have no patience unfortunately.
  I totally agree with that one! I doubt it has anything to do with being "shallow"??, like someone suggested!
  As for freezing their arses in the dark in the middle of the winter, that reminds me of my "hunter" friends up here. They get up at 4:00AM or so just to spend the entire morning suspended up,in a tree,in a freezing snow, and come home really excited because they "drew hair off the back of that massive buck they spotted" :)! And oh, boy, is that fun! They'll do it again next morning, maybe shoot it down, maybe not!
  Some might find that ridiculous, while for others is exhilarating. I guess whatever makes one's brain jiggle is what it matters...

  22.11.2008 22:41 #14

• Mik3h

  The main reason why I decided to get it at that time, was because I start college at 9am and finish at 4, then start work at 4:30 and finish at 10pm :) meaning there was no possible way for me to buy it during the week unless I bought it at midnight.
  
  Do most of you work or receive education?

  23.11.2008 08:40 #15

• cyprusrom

  Receive and give education-work :)!

  23.11.2008 09:28 #16

• chaos_zzz

  Originally posted by varnull: Yeah.. but standing in line in the freezing winter in the dark... that's just sad.
  
  Cows come to the farm in the morning and evening to get milked.. they get full and it's uncomfortable so they seek relief... what are WOW gamers full of to feel the need to stand outside a store for hours in the middle of the night? What time did the shops open 9am?.. could have been all snuggled up in bed nice and warm and gone out at 8 and got it...when u wait in line for a game .. nerd alert when you wait in line for an iphone or ipod cool dj's? .. just wrong man, land of the free, wanna play all day do it, wanna sleep all day do it just don't make the other feel sad cuz ur are sad, i drift in and out afterdawn posts seems lately they only post about lawsuits wich isn't that interesting anymore and posts like this are just wrong
  
  pd: diablo 3 omg that day will be a day to remeber

  23.11.2008 22:38 #17

• hikaricor

  for the whored!

  24.11.2008 07:17 #18

• lawndog

  It's not the game thats ruinning peoples relationships with others. It's the persons own fault. People need to quit blameing objects for their troubles. The game,drug, alchol, or any other object does not force you to use it. It does not hold a gun to your head. The people make a chioce to play this game.
  people makes choices, quit blameing innadimate objects for the worlds problems. And for those that wanna argue it, just remember that this lies with the same argueement as people playing Grand Theft Auto then going out and robbing and killing folks cause they did it in a game. How does a game make you do things??
  It's a choice
  Just my thoughts
  LD

  26.11.2008 09:20 #19