It's a bad day for demons . . .
IRVINE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--
Blizzard Entertainment, Inc. today announced that Diablo®
III, the highly anticipated next chapter in its award-winning
action—role-playing-game series, is now available in retail stores
throughout the U.S., Canada, Europe, South Korea, Southeast Asia,
Australia, New Zealand, and the regions of Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Macau.
Gamers in the regions above as well as in Mexico, Argentina, Chile, and
Brazil are also able to purchase Diablo III digitally via the
game's official website (http://www.diablo3.com).
In the wake of a Blizzard record of more than 2 million preorders*,
and following more than 8,000 midnight launch events earlier today at
retail stores worldwide, gamers across the planet are now
storming Sanctuary in hot pursuit of the Lord of Terror.
"This launch is a culmination of many years of hard work by our
development team, and many years of passionate, dedicated support from
gamers around the world," said Mike Morhaime, CEO and cofounder of
Blizzard Entertainment. "We're grateful for the enthusiasm of our
players, and for the help of our beta testers in getting the game ready
for release. Now that Diablo III is live, we hope everyone's
ready to have a hellishly good time slaying demons and collecting loot
in Sanctuary."
Diablo III is available for Windows® XP/Windows Vista®/Windows®
7 and Macintosh® at a suggested price of $59.99 USD for both
the retail DVD-ROM version and the digital version sold directly from
Blizzard. A special alabaster-white Collector's Edition, sold
exclusively in retail stores while supplies last at a suggested price of
$99.99 USD, includes the game on DVD-ROM, a behind-the-scenes
Blu-ray/DVD two-disc set, the Diablo III soundtrack CD, a
208-page Art of Diablo III book, and a 4 GB USB soulstone
(including full versions of Diablo II and Diablo II: Lord of
Destruction®) and corresponding Diablo
skull base, as well as exclusive in-game content for Diablo III,
World of Warcraft®, and StarCraft®
II: Wings of Liberty®. Diablo III has
received a Mature rating from the ESRB.
Players in the Latin American countries listed above and in Russia will
be able to purchase Diablo III at local retail locations starting
June 7. Digital availability via http://www.diablo3.com
for the Russian version of the game will also begin June 7. In addition
to the English version, Diablo III is fully localized into Latin
American Spanish, Brazilian Portuguese, French, German, European
Spanish, Italian, Polish, Russian, Korean, and traditional Chinese.
Diablo III continues the epic Diablo storyline, with
players taking on the role of one of five heroic characters --
barbarian, witch doctor, wizard, monk, or demon hunter -- and embarking
on an epic quest to save the world of Sanctuary from the corrupting
forces of the Burning Hells. As players adventure through rich and
varied settings, they'll engage in pulse-pounding combat with hordes of
monsters and challenging bosses, grow in experience and ability, acquire
artifacts of incredible power, and meet key characters who'll join them
in battle or aid them in other ways. The game features the
intuitive interface, fast-paced action, and visceral gameplay that Diablo
players have come to expect and enjoy.
Designed from the ground up to leverage the full functionality of the
Battle.net® platform, Diablo III also provides gamers
with industry-leading matchmaking and communication tools, allowing
adventurers to seamlessly join forces for cooperative play. Battle.net
also provides the infrastructure for the Diablo III auction
house, a feature-rich marketplace that Sanctuary's heroes can use to
trade their hard-earned treasures. To learn more about the auction house
and the other features of Diablo III, please visit the official
website at http://www.diablo3.com.
With multiple games in development, Blizzard Entertainment has numerous
positions currently available -- visit http://jobs.blizzard.com
for more information and to learn how to apply.
* Includes units preordered as part of World of Warcraft Annual
Pass promotion, as well as retail and digital preorders.
About Blizzard Entertainment, Inc.
Best known for blockbuster hits including World of Warcraft®
and the Warcraft®, StarCraft®,
and Diablo® franchises, Blizzard Entertainment, Inc. (www.blizzard.com),
a division of Activision Blizzard (NASDAQ: ATVI), is a premier developer
and publisher of entertainment software renowned for creating some of
the industry's most critically acclaimed games. Blizzard Entertainment's
track record includes thirteen #1-selling games and multiple Game of the
Year awards. The company's online-gaming service, Battle.net®,
is one of the largest in the world, with millions of active players.
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Blizzard Entertainment
Lisa Jensen
Vice President, Global
Public Relations
949-854-6200 dir
949-854-7900 fax
ljensen@blizzard.com
or
Rob
Hilburger
PR Director
949-242-8404 dir
949-854-7900 fax
rhilburger@blizzard.com
or
Che'von
Slaughter
PR Manager
949-955-1380 x14338 dir
949-854-7900
fax
cslaughter@blizzard.com
Source: Blizzard Entertainment, Inc.
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