WORLD OF WARCRAFT DOMINATES HOLIDAY SALES IN NORTH AMERICA: Game News

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WORLD OF WARCRAFT DOMINATES
HOLIDAY SALES IN NORTH AMERICA

(Press Release)

Record-breaking massively multiplayer online RPG garners unprecedented number of concurrent users in North America

IRVINE, Calif. - January 10, 2005 –Blizzard Entertainment® today announced that World of Warcraft® has sold through more than 600,000* units to customers in North America, Australia, and New Zealand. The fastest-growing massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) has also shattered all previous concurrency records in North America, achieving over 200,000 simultaneous players during the holiday period.

"The public’s response to World of Warcraft has been simply amazing," said Mike Morhaime, president of Blizzard Entertainment. "We are very proud and excited to see such an overwhelming demand for the game, and we hope that the enthusiasm continues to build as we further enhance our online service."

Over this holiday season, demand for World of Warcraft was so great that retailers estimate that nearly all remaining supplies of the game sold out across North America, Australia, and New Zealand. To accommodate the increasing number of players eager to join World of Warcraft, Blizzard will be bringing several new servers online. After a short and successful testing period to ensure server stability, the company also plans to release additional units to retail outlets nationwide.

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To support the growing population in World of Warcraft with regular content updates, Blizzard Entertainment is aggressively introducing new features on an ongoing basis. These updates will keep the game fresh and exciting, rewarding continuing subscribers with new experiences and enticing prospective players to join in even greater adventures.

Several features have already been introduced since the game's launch just over a month ago, and many more are

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planned for the lifetime of the game. In the near future, the promised Player-versus-Player (PvP) Battlegrounds, which will pit Alliance and Horde players against each other in a hotly-contested battlefield, as well as the PvP Reward System, will be revealed.

About World of Warcraft
In World of Warcraft, players assume the roles of legendary heroes and interact with thousands of other players online as they explore and adventure across a vast world. Whether journeying together or questing on their own, players will engage in heroic battles, develop friendships, forge alliances, and compete with enemies for power and glory. The game features customizable character classes with thousands of weapons, spells, and abilities. With an innovative, easy-to-use interface, an action-packed combat system, and thousands of quests that build an immersive storyline, World of Warcraft offers a MMORPG experience that will appeal to both veteran and casual players alike. For more information on the game, visit www.worldofwarcraft.com.

About Blizzard Entertainment
Best known for blockbuster hits including the Warcraft®, StarCraft®, and Diablo® series, Blizzard Entertainment® (www.blizzard.com), a division of Vivendi Universal 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 nine #1-selling games and multiple Game of the Year awards. The company’s free Internet gaming service Battle.netâ reigns as the largest in the world, with millions of active users.

*Based on internal company records and reports from key distribution partners in North America.