World of Warcraft surpasses 10 million subscribers

Blizzard Entertainment announced today that subscribership for its World of Warcraft MMORPG recently passed the 10 million mark worldwide.

More than half of subscribers - approximately 5.5 million - are located in Asia, with more than 2 million in Europe and over 2.5 million in North America. Blizzard's subscriber figures includes those who have paid a subscription fee or own an active prepaid card as well as those within their first free month of access.

"It's very gratifying to see gamers around the world continuing to show such enthusiasm and support for World of Warcraft," said Blizzard CEO and cofounder Mike Morhaime.

"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."

World of Warcraft debuted in North America on November 23, 2004. It was the best-selling PC game of 2005 and 2006 on a worldwide basis. In 2007, WOW was the second best-selling PC game - behind World of Warcraft: The Burning Crusade, the first expansion pack for the game.

The Burning Crusade holds the record for fastest-selling PC game of all time, with nearly 2.4 million copies sold in its first 24 hours of availability and approximately 3.5 million in its first month according to Blizzard.

WOW is currently available in seven languages, with a Russian version in development and scheduled for release later this year. Development is also underway on a second expansion pack, Wrath of the Lich King.