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Diablo
II: Lord of Destruction Shatters Sales Records Worldwide With Over 1
Million Copies Sold |
IRVINE, Calif. - AUGUST 29,
2001 - Blizzard Entertainment(R) announced today that Diablo(R) II:
Lord of Destruction(TM) has surpassed 1 million units sold worldwide,
according to NPD INTELECT* and key retail accounts from around the
world. Over two million units of the game have been shipped to
retail to satisfy demand for the fastest selling expansion set in PC
game history*.
Following in the tradition of other Blizzard titles, Diablo II: Lord
of Destruction becomes not only the sixth Blizzard product to sell 1
million copies, but also to reach #1 in U.S. sales. The expansion,
which shipped on June 29, is topping most PC sales charts in North
America, Europe and Asia. In its first week alone, the game captured a
record 17.7 % percent of total U.S. PC game market share, also
according to NPD INTELECT*.
"We are very pleased by the worldwide demand for Diablo II: Lord
of Destruction," stated Mike Morhaime, Blizzard Entertainment
president and co-founder. "We worked very hard on increasing the
gameplay and depth of Diablo II and the expansion's popularity is
confirmation that our long hours and hard work have paid off."
"Diablo II: Lord of Destruction has enjoyed a stellar debut at
retail," stated Bob McKenzie, Director of Merchandising for
Babbages, Software Etc. & GameStop.com. "Sales of the
expansion have rivaled those of the Diablo II and based on our
experiences with the previous Diablo products, we expect Diablo II:
Lord of Destruction to remain a top seller throughout the year,"
added McKenzie.
In Diablo II: Lord of Destruction, players travel to the Barbarian
Highlands of the North in pursuit of Baal, the last surviving Prime
Evil. Traveling with a horrific army of demonic minions, Baal plots to
corrupt the powerful Worldstone that protects the whole of the mortal
plane from the forces of Hell, thus damning the world for all
eternity.
Key features of the expansion include two new character classes, the
Assassin and the Druid, each equipped with 30 unique skills and
spells. Players will also enjoy the opportunity to take their
veteran Diablo II characters on the new quests found in Diablo II:
Lord of Destruction. A new Act set in the Barbarian
Highlands, complete with 6 new quests and hours of further challenges,
unfolds as players strive to stop Baal and his followers from
destroying the world. Diablo II: Lord of Destruction also
features support for 800x600 resolution, giving the player a larger
field of view and superlative graphic detail.
Debuting in June, 2000 Diablo II has dominated PC game charts with
sales of 4 million copies worldwide according to NPD INTELECT* and key
retail accounts around the world. The game has also been awarded
several accolades including the prestigious Computer Game of the Year,
Computer Role Playing Game of the Year and Game of the Year for 2001
by the Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences.
When the original Diablo released in 1997, it was considered a
critical success and reached number one on NPD INTELECT* during its
first month in stores. The game has sold in excess of 2.5 million
copies worldwide and was honored as the number-one selling computer
role-playing game in 1997 as well as being named Game of the Year by
Computer Gaming World.
* NPD INTELECT - June 24, 2001 - June 30, 2001Release |
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