10 million sign up to World of Warcraft

Blizzard Entertainment has announced the ten millionth gamer has signed up to its World of Warcraft online offering.

More than half of the game's subscribers are based in Asia, with 5.5 million members, compared to 2.5 million in Europe and a further two million in North America.

"It's very gratifying to see gamers around the world continuing to show such enthusiasm and support for World of Warcraft," said Blizzard chief executive Mike Morhaime.

"We are always pleased to welcome new players to the game, and we're looking forward to sharing the next major content update with the entire community in the months ahead."

Blizzard counts paid-up subscribers, those with active pre-pay cards and new gamers within their first three months of membership in the total.

A second expansion pack for the MMORPG title, called Wrath of the Lich King, is in development and is scheduled for release in the near future.