Diablo III seems to be a rather popular game of late, so much so that it set PC sales records.  According to Blizzard Entertainment, in the first 24 hours, the Action RPG sold more than 3.5 million copies. Keep in mind this doesn't include those World of Warcraft players that received a free copy of the game through the Annual Pass promotion.  Now that's a lot of Witch Doctors and Barbarians if you ask me.

“We’re definitely thrilled that so many people around the world were excited to pick up their copy of Diablo III and jump in the moment it went live,” said Mike Morhaime, CEO and cofounder of Blizzard Entertainment. “We also regret that our preparations were not enough to ensure everyone had a seamless experience when they did so. I want to reaffirm our commitment to make sure the millions of Diablo III players out there have a great experience with the game moving forward, and I also want to thank them for their ongoing support.”

“Regarding today’s announcement, we recognize that setting a new launch record is a big achievement,” Morhaime continued. “However, we’re especially proud of the gameplay feedback we’ve received from players worldwide. We’re pleased that Diablo III has lived up to players’ high expectations, and we’re looking forward to welcoming more players into Sanctuary in the days ahead. ”

So far estimates place the first week numbers somewhere within 6.3 million.  Diablo III debuted at over 8,000 retailers worldwide, and judging by the turn out at the Midnight Launch we attended, most of those copies were sold at events sponsored by Blizzard themselves.  While the game launch was less than perfect, and there are still kinks to work out in the game, knowing how many copies are in people's hands means that even with economic crisis on our doorsteps, people are still finding the money to buy the games they love.  They might not be able to eat, but they'll certainly take down the Lord of Terror.  How's that for priorities?