World of Warcraft Surpasses 9 Million Subscribers

World domination via the virtual world:

World of WarcraftÂ® Surpasses 9 Million Subscribers Worldwide
Blizzard EntertainmentÂ®’s Popular Subscription-Based Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Game Maintaining Steady Growth Ahead of Expansion’s Launch in Mainland China
IRVINE, Calif.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Blizzard Entertainment, Inc. announced today that World of WarcraftÂ®, its award-winning massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG), has reached a new milestone, with a player base now totaling more than 9 million subscribers worldwide. The company is currently working with its partner for World of Warcraft in China, The9, to prepare the game’s first expansion, World of Warcraft: The Burning Crusadeâ„¢, for launch in mainland China and anticipates an influx of new and returning subscribers in conjunction with that event.
(We’re thrilled that gamers around the world have continued to embrace World of Warcraft so enthusiastically,) said Mike Morhaime, president and cofounder of Blizzard EntertainmentÂ®. (We’ve worked hard to provide a compelling experience for our players, and we plan to continue updating the game with exciting new content for them to enjoy for many years to come.)
Since debuting in North America on November 23, 2004, World of Warcraft has become the most popular MMORPG around the world. It was the bestselling PC game of 2005 and 2006* and has remained at or near the top of the weekly PC-game sales charts for much of 2007 as well. Blizzard’s Burning Crusade expansion released to critical acclaim in several regions earlier this year and shattered PC-game sales records in North America and Europe, with nearly 2.4 million copies sold in its first 24 hours of release and approximately 3.5 million in its first month. World of Warcraft is available in seven different languages and, in addition to North America and Europe, is played in mainland China, Korea, Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia, and the regions of Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Macau.
For further information on World of Warcraft and The Burning Crusade, please visit the official website at www.worldofwarcraft.com. To keep pace with the continued growth of World of Warcraft as well as development on other Blizzard games, the company is currently hiring for numerous open positions — more information on available career opportunities at Blizzard can be found at http://jobs.blizzard.com.
World of Warcraft’s Subscriber Definition
World of Warcraft subscribers include individuals who have paid a subscription fee or have an active prepaid card to play World of Warcraft, as well as those who have purchased the game and are within their free month of access. Internet Game Room players who have accessed the game over the last thirty days are also counted as subscribers. The above definition excludes all players under free promotional subscriptions, expired or cancelled subscriptions, and expired prepaid cards. Subscribers in licensees’ territories are defined along the same rules.
About Blizzard Entertainment, Inc.
Best known for blockbuster hits including World of Warcraft and the WarcraftÂ®, StarCraftÂ®, and DiabloÂ® series, Blizzard Entertainment, Inc. (www.blizzard.com), a division of Vivendi Games, is a premier developer and publisher of entertainment software renowned for creating many of the industry’s most critically acclaimed games. Blizzard’s track record includes ten #1-selling games and multiple Game of the Year awards. The company’s online-gaming service, Battle.netÂ®, is one of the largest in the world, with millions of active users.
*Based on industry sell-through data, internal records, and reports from key distribution partners around the world.

Without counting the initial sale, these numbers mean that Blizzard is bringing in close to $135,000,000/month just in subscription fees. Someone is getting filthy, filthy rich.