Diablo 3 released May 15 - nine days ago - and it is already breaking records, selling 6.3 million copies and becoming the fastest-selling PC game ever. That’s despite server downtime and reports of accounts being hacked.
Twenty four hours following release, the game sold 3.5 million copies - the fastest-selling PC game ever. That number doesn't include the 1.2 million players who bought an Annual Pass for Blizzard's MMORPG, World of Warcraft, which gave players a year-long subscription and Diablo 3 for free. In total, 4.7 million players logged in to Diablo 3 on May 15. That's the biggest PC game launch ever.
After the first week on sale, the game amassed 6.3 million players.
"The ... figure does not include players in Korean Internet game rooms, where Diablo III has become the top-played game, achieving a record share of more than 39 percent as of May 22," Blizzard's press release revealed.
"We're definitely thrilled that so many people around the world were excited to pick up their copy of Diablo 3 and jump in the moment it went live. We also regret that our preparations were not enough to ensure everyone had a seamless experience when they did so. I want to reaffirm our commitment to make sure these millions of Diablo III players out there have a great experience with the game moving forward, and I also want to thank them for their ongoing support.
"Regarding today's announcement, we recognize that setting a new launch record is a big achievement. However, we're especially proud of the gameplay feedback we've received from players worldwide," Mike Morhaime, founder and CEO of Blizzard, said.
Blizzard also revealed over 8,000 retailers held the game worldwide. Players in Mexico, Brazil, Argentina and Chile can buy the game via diablo3.com.
GameStop senior VP of merchandising - Bob McKenzie - said Diablo 3 was the biggest PC launch ever. John Love, director of video games at Amazon.com, said the game was the most pre-ordered PC game of all time on the Web site, and set news records for best day-one sales of a PC game.
Diablo 3 is available now for PC and Mac.
