Diablo III: Reaper of Souls Sells 2.7 Million Copies in Its First Week

[Steven Bogos]

Diablo III: Reaper of Souls Sells 2.7 Million Copies in Its First Week

Falling shy of Diablo III's 3.5 million copies in 24 hours, Reaper of Souls still sold a respectable number.

Diablo III: Reaper of Souls was released the other week to generally favorable reviews [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/articles/view/editorials/reviews/11206-Diablo-III-Reaper-of-Souls-Review-Death-Becomes-It], and now Blizzard has announced that it hasn't sold too shabbily either. As of the first week of the expansion's availability, more than 2.7 million copies have sold, through online and at retailers worldwide.

Despite Maltheal's claims that no-one could stop Death, it turns out Diablo III players are quite good at stopping him. Players completed the game's story mode more than 1.5 million times and counting. On the game's launch day, total Diablo III views on Twitch on launch day alone exceeding 2.4 million.

"With Reaper of Souls, we wanted to emphasize all the things that Diablo gamers have always loved about the series, from the dark gothic setting to the piles and piles of epic loot," said Mike Morhaime, CEO and cofounder of Blizzard Entertainment in a press release. "We're excited to see that players are enjoying the changes we've made to the game, and we look forward to achieving our Paragon levels alongside everyone else in the weeks and months ahead."

While falling a little shy of the original game's record breaking 3.5 million copies in 24 hours, it's still a respectable number that Blizzard has to be happy with - especially considering some of the backlash Diablo III faced over its (now removed) Auction House and always-online requirement.

If you have been playing a Crusader, check out our tips on how to play him like a Superhero [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/articles/view/video-games/features/11215-8-Reaper-of-Souls-Tips-to-Make-Your-Crusader-a-Superhero].

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[RJ 17]

Good, now port that bastard to the 360, damnit!

Seriously, I've got a bit of a "thing" about getting to fight Death in games. He's always been my favorite boss in any Castlevania that he's been featured in. I picked up D3 for my 360 to play it with some friends who already have it and I'm really hoping they bring this to the 360.

 

[wulfy42]

There must be something wrong with me.

I WANT to like D3.

I've TRIED to like D3.

I just can't like it

I loved D2, Titan Quest...heck even Sacred 2 was a blast. I love Path of Exile, and enjoyed tons of other AARPGs.

But D3 just put me to sleep...literally. I have booted it back up multiple times. Then I rented it for my ps3 to try and see if the console version would be more fun. Nope. I just can't get into it. I can't even play more then a few hours anymore without throwing my hands up and moving on to another game.

Obviously millions of people are really enjoying it. I don't understand what has happened to me. I was so in love with D2...I though I could play it forever...and I just about did (year after year coming back to it).

Maybe i'm just getting to old and jaded to enjoy games anymore

 

[Kameburger]

Now that there is no auction house, whats the explanation for the always on requirement? It's more fun that way? Can i decide for myself? No? ok...


I bought D3, which was ruined by the online requirement (i.e. my computer can run much stronger games even plays them alright online). the occasional hiccup in D3 makes lag frequent and often renders the game choppy and sometimes wholly unplayable.

When it was playable the auction house was awful but that wasn't the only thing. The character trees were ridiculous and awkwardly dumb like the game play from deus ex 2 felt, and the story felt like it was written by George Lucas on the side as he was directing the phantom menace.

I'm glad they fixed some things and made what sounds like is a clearly better game, but now Blizzard, just like EA or who I am convinced is its own venom like symbiot, Activision. They think that its ok to release garbage based on good IP and then if anything goes wrong just fix it later and pretend like nothing happened.

But even worse is Blizzard reps claiming that they would have made Diablo 2 like that if they could have, completely ruined that company and both of those games for me.

 

[BanicRhys]

Is that poopy pants always online requirement still there? Yes? Well, I'm gonna go give this lots of 1s on Metacritic because fight the power!

On a less serious note, this game deserves to be a GOTY contender, too bad it won't be.

 

[fenrizz]

I'm not surprised, RoS is really, really good.

Fixed almost everything that was wrong with Diablo 3, and the new Adventure mode is really fun.
It is still always online, but I'm not bothered.

 

[Charli]

I'm not surprised, RoS is really, really good.

Fixed almost everything that was wrong with Diablo 3, and the new Adventure mode is really fun.
It is still always online, but I'm not bothered.

Except always onliiiinnneee uuuugh. I mean I Want the game (can't right now, poor) but nnnnghhhh.

 

[elvor0]

I'm just here to see how many people start claiming D3 is the worst thing since Hitler.

Yeah alright you didn't like it. No need to announce that it's the WORST GAME EVAR every time a news post comes up like you never played any actually shit games.

 

[suitepee7]

I'm not surprised, RoS is really, really good.

Fixed almost everything that was wrong with Diablo 3, and the new Adventure mode is really fun.
It is still always online, but I'm not bothered.

Except always onliiiinnneee uuuugh. I mean I Want the game (can't right now, poor) but nnnnghhhh.

as much as i'd rather it wasn't always online, i can't say it's ever had an effect on my gameplay. overall, i'd deinitely put up with it because the game with the expansion is pretty awesome

 

[Hagi]

God...

What's the world come to? I'm actually getting tempted to buy this...

With Path of Exile basically getting worse every patch as well as Grim Dawn and Sacred 3 still at least half a year away from being released RoS is starting to look better and better.

 

[Kenjitsuka]

Wow, tons of people still complaining about the always online?
I've hated that for all games for quite some time, but since I always want to play this with my best friend whenever he's got the time it's just making it very easy to accomplish that.

Still VERY fucked up you cannot enjoy your game without THEIR shitty servers, but those have been behaving lately.
Still remember fondly the days when we would play DIABLO uno via IPX-SPX and NetBUI!!!
God, that was a disaster to get working at first

Anyway, so far this hasn't added anything to the game for me. Still working on that campaign-addition.
But the core was always rock solid, so I am having fun with Loot 2.0 !!!

 

[Charli]

I'm not surprised, RoS is really, really good.

Fixed almost everything that was wrong with Diablo 3, and the new Adventure mode is really fun.
It is still always online, but I'm not bothered.

Except always onliiiinnneee uuuugh. I mean I Want the game (can't right now, poor) but nnnnghhhh.

as much as i'd rather it wasn't always online, i can't say it's ever had an effect on my gameplay. overall, i'd deinitely put up with it because the game with the expansion is pretty awesome

My internet isn't that good. I literally could not do hardcore mode because I'd be fucked over by rubber banding and disconnects.

Yet somehow World of Warcraft doesn't come with this issue. And it's so much more frustrating on diablo with the elite packs that you need to move out of that very second or you're finished, and if rubberbanded, nope, you never moved out of that puddle on the floor and now you are dead.

So...I can't, it ruins the gameplay for me, because it's not my actions that are causing death and failure. It's external factors. And that's horrible to put up with.

 

[suitepee7]

-snip-

My internet isn't that good. I literally could not do hardcore mode because I'd be fucked over by rubber banding and disconnects.

Yet somehow World of Warcraft doesn't come with this issue. And it's so much more frustrating on diablo with the elite packs that you need to move out of that very second or you're finished, and if rubberbanded, nope, you never moved out of that puddle on the floor and now you are dead.

So...I can't, it ruins the gameplay for me, because it's not my actions that are causing death and failure. It's external factors. And that's horrible to put up with.

ah, yes i forgot to mention this when i posted. which is unusual of me really, i usually remember to say that. if you have a bad internet connection, yeahhh i totally get it. i've played round a friends before living i student halls where the connection is shared, and i just couldn't put up with it.

it is a real shame, and one of the reasons i would still prefer it to be offline. maybe they're planning an offline mode if they do another expansion (after all, they got rid of the awful auction house with this one, and online only was the other big gripe for the majority), and i really hope they are. there is little more i would consider frustrating than not being able to play a game because of factors completely out of your control, when i lived in my old place with shite connection i had it all the time with any online game, and i do sympathise

 

[Jeroenr]

Now that there is no auction house, whats the explanation for the always on requirement? It's more fun that way? Can i decide for myself? No? ok...


I bought D3, which was ruined by the online requirement (i.e. my computer can run much stronger games even plays them alright online). the occasional hiccup in D3 makes lag frequent and often renders the game choppy and sometimes wholly unplayable.

When it was playable the auction house was awful but that wasn't the only thing. The character trees were ridiculous and awkwardly dumb like the game play from deus ex 2 felt, and the story felt like it was written by George Lucas on the side as he was directing the phantom menace.

Although i do think always online isn't the best thing ever.
I do see what they wanted to do here.


Blizzard thinks of this game as a co-op multiplayer game, to them an offline mode makes about as much sense here as in WOW.
They want an easy drop in/drop out co-op multiplayer experience, and so do most gamers.
So the benefits for that outweigh the drawbacks for them.

And lets be honest, piracy is a lot less of a problem for them now.

I'm glad they fixed some things and made what sounds like is a clearly better game, but now Blizzard, just like EA or who I am convinced is its own venom like symbiot, Activision. They think that its ok to release garbage based on good IP and then if anything goes wrong just fix it later and pretend like nothing happened.

Wel at least they were trying something new here.

There was a demand for a way to off load unwanted equipment.
Blizzard then came up with the gold auction house, which was in my opinion not a bad idea.
But then came the real money auction house, and people started asking/paying grazy prices for gear.
As a direct result inflaiting the gold AH to crazy heights.

At least they said: Ok, sorry this was a bad idea and we will fix it.

But even worse is Blizzard reps claiming that they would have made Diablo 2 like that if they could have, completely ruined that company and both of those games for me.

They would have, but didn't.
So nothing ruined there.


But how is the game?
It goes for about 30? around here, but i do find that a bit steap for an expansion.

 

[SinisterGehe]

Is anyone surprised? Is the worth of news really. We ALL knew this would happen. Blizzard can release turd with a chips and side order of slightly off mayonnaise and nit would still sell (metaphorically).

But what I have heard and seen it is good, better, worth it. But sadly I have lost my interest towards dungeon crawling, loot whoring and grinding. I been lot more to DotA and grand strategy games. Maybe I am just getting older and can't be arsed to focus any other games. Maybe it is the depression - fuck like I know. BUt I wish I would have the same drive I had as 16-18 year old.

 

[fenrizz]

But how is the game?
It goes for about 30? around here, but i do find that a bit steap for an expansion.

I think it's pretty damn good.
A new chapter was really refreshing, although I can't say how I'll feel about it when repleyd a lot.
My first impression is that the levels are larger and more varied than chapter 1-4 though.

Adventure mode is the real gem (for me at least) here.
Fun, varied and with more and bigger packs of monsters.
The rift's I found brutally punishing, rife with challenge.

All in all I'm pretty pleased and feel I've gotten good value for my money.

 

[Ubiquitous Duck]

I have to say that 'I' ... bought one of those 2.7 million copies.

I know, I'm sad too... What did I do?!?

Why couldn't I resist?!??! It's so overpriced for what you get!!

 

[TheSYLOH]

Alot of people brought up the always online again.
Here's the thing, Blizzard already tried that.
It was called Diablo II's Open Battlenet.
That was a down right joke, it was packed to the gills with hackers duping items. And that's not even counting the literally broken items, like the +256 Charged Bolt skill stuff, that causes the sorceress to replace the entire screen with lightning.
Borderlands has similar problems.
Once you got a local save file, anyone can break it.
Thus your economy goes out the window.

I've seen alot of people say "Don't put a half-assed feature, just omit it entirely", BF3's single player for example.
I think blizzard took that to heart and are paying for it.

 

[shintakie10]

I'm down with this news. RoS has been a blast for me and my friends. Heck, the amount of people I know who had the annual pass and got D3 for free, but quit because it wasn't their cup of tea who came back and bought RoS because of the 2.0 patch is kind of ridiculous, but awesome.

As for the always online requirement, meh? The fact that I don't have to fuss with single player/multi-player restrictions and can jump into a friends game (or a clan members game) with literally just a single click and can do so whenever I please is extremely fun since playing a dungeon crawler alone is probably the most boring thing I've ever done.

 

[Smertnik]

It goes for about 30? around here, but i do find that a bit steep for an expansion.

Eh, with the new act, new class, ten extra levels and the adventure mode that's at least another fifty hours of playtime, which isn't too shabby at all. Especially the adventure mode adds greatly to the replayability since it lets you do things other than replaying the terrible story over and over again. Now that I've had RoS for over a week I can't even imagine playing the game without the adventure mode.