Massively http://massively.joystiq.com Massively http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/http://massively.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif Massively http://massively.joystiq.com en-us Copyright 2012 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/<![CDATA[Wrath of the Lich King breaks all previous records at GameStop]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/12/02/wrath-of-the-lich-king-breaks-all-previous-records-at-gamestop/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/12/02/wrath-of-the-lich-king-breaks-all-previous-records-at-gamestop/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/12/02/wrath-of-the-lich-king-breaks-all-previous-records-at-gamestop/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

We weren't kidding when we said Wrath of the Lich King would be the biggest MMO expansion the industry has ever seen. This is reaffirmed in a recent article at Ars Technica written by Ben Kuchera, who writes, "This isn't a game as much as it's a juggernaut of money-making power..." Kuchera sources info from Massively's sister site WoW Insider, who got their hands on a leaked internal email from EB Games detailing just how significant Wrath has been, from a business standpoint at GameStop. Kuchera breaks down a few of the highlights:

  • The week of the game's launch was the biggest sales week of the year.
  • It was also the biggest sales week ever, outside of the previous year's Christmas sales.
  • The Wrath launch was the biggest launch in GameStop's history.
  • Wrath of the Lich King set a new record for presales.
  • Wrath day-one sales exceed that of any game they've ever sold.
See Kuchera's piece over at ArsTechnica for more on the record-breaking World of Warcraft expansion, and Mike Schramm's article at WoW Insider about Wrath of the Lich King's retail success.
One of Azeroth's millions of citizens? Check out our ongoing coverage of the World of Warcraft, and be sure to touch base with our sister site WoW Insider for all your Lich King needs!

MassivelyWrath of the Lich King breaks all previous records at GameStop originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 02 Dec 2008 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The promise of what virtual spaces can bring us is significant -- erasing geographic limitations on interaction with others while fostering an exchange of cultures, beliefs, and languages. To this high-minded end, millions of dollars have been spent and many thousands of hours of work have been invested into creating rich graphical settings coupled with immersive environmental soundscapes. Crisp digital communication at its finest, right?

Much like the promise of the the eradication of artificial barriers to meaningful communication through the Internet, virtual worlds and online spaces in general have fallen short of expectations. It's generally not the fault of the companies or the service providers though. The fault lies with us, the users.

Continue reading With persistent worlds comes persistent racism

MassivelyWith persistent worlds comes persistent racism originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 12 Sep 2008 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>academicars-technicaarstechnicacultureethnicitygriefgriefingmmo-industryprejudiceraceracismreal-lifereligionsocial-influencestherevirtual-worldsFri, 12 Sep 2008 19:00:00 EST