WRUP: Cataclysm -- The game show
Every week, just at the start of the weekend, we catch up with the WoW Insider staff and ask them, "What are you playing this week?" -- otherwise known as: WRUP. Join us to see what we're up to in and out of game -- and catch us in the comments to let us know what you're playing, too!
Ladies and gentlemen, let me share a secret with you all. Some kids dreamed of being a doctor, or an astronaut, or even president. Not Fox Van Allen. I wanted to be ... a game show host.
I'm not sure what the allure was, exactly. I wanted to be the one to say, "Be sure to hit your plunger, because that's what stops the clock." I wanted to be the one to explain, with a modicum of non-biased concern, "You want to be careful about picking up a third whammy in round one." It wasn't just the brand new cars, though, oh no -- I wanted to be there to watch cruel, cruel defeat be snatched from the jaws of victory.
I've never quite gotten to live the dream. Never, that is ... until Monday night.
See, this Tuesday is the midnight release of Cataclysm. It's a major event to be sure. And I'll be there, at a Gamestop in Boston (near the Park Street T station, to be exact), armed with something. Loot codes. Prizes. I will live my dream. And if you're in the neighborhood, you should swing by and win some.
So, a Gamestop in Boston -- that's where I'll be getting my copy of Cataclysm. As for my fellow bloggers ... well, that's the subject of this week's WRUP question: How are you getting your copy?
Allison Robert (@AllisonRobert): Regrettably, probably not much play time this weekend. I've got a family obligation on Sunday and have to catch up on a lot of writing. With any luck, I'll get more 5-man time with a few friends. As for the Cataclysm release, I'll be doing the digital download.
Anne Stickney (@Shadesogrey): Not really planning on playing too much this weekend. Headed to a midnight release at the local Gamestop for Cataclysm -- and I really hope it's not too cold outside! Brr!
Basil Berntsen (@outdps): This weekend, I'm actually going to try to finish getting my DK profession alt to 80. I ordered Cataclysm the boring way -- I went to Battle.net and paid for it there. Boxes take room, are environmentally unfriendly, and have absolutely no value to me. Not knocking anyone else's box collection fetish, but it's not my thing. :P
Chase Christian (@madsushi): I am going to be working on overclocking my new gaming PC, and hopefully not breaking anything in the process. I have been testing out running multiple copies of WoW because I'm thinking of multiboxing my characters to level them faster. I ordered my copies of Cataclysm via digital download, and my wife's CE is coming in via Amazon.
Colby Moore (@TheArenaGuy): I'm studying like crazy this weekend (sadly, no games for me), but I'll be hitting up a midnight release at a nearby Harrisburg Gamestop. I've never been to one before, but I've heard numbers of 50-100+ people coming out, so it should be interesting for sure.
Dan O'Halloran: Working furiously on my new obsession, a currently level 30 dwarf enhancement shaman, before he gets shuttered when the post-80 content becomes available on Tuesday. I also need to get a Christmas tree up this weekend while attending two basketball games, a soccer game, a soccer game party, a Cub Scout mistletoe fundraising event and my father-in-law's 75th birthday party. For the release, I already went digital download.
Elizabeth Wachowski (@leeatwaterlives): Probably leveling my troll druid. I'm most likely going to play her and a gob hunter during Cata -- I'm a lot more interested in leveling new characters than going 80-85 on my pally. I'm working Monday day shift, so I'll likely pick up Cataclysm Tuesday afternoon after I wake up at Best Buy or something. Yeah, yeah, I'm lazy.
Fox Van Allen (@foxvanallen): I am totally addicted to leveling my new Forsaken shadow priest. I did every single quest in Silverpine -- incredible. And now I'm on to Hillsbrad -- just as incredible. I can't wait to keep going into the Plaguelands, so I'll be chaining quests all weekend long. As for getting Cataclysm -- I'll be at a midnight release here in Boston. I just need that feeling of having a box in my hand.
Gregg Reece (@undeadfish): I'm going to be leveling my bank alt up to 75 so that he can grab the Cataclysm recipes for enchanting and inscription when they come out. Otherwise, I'll be messing about on my alts and trying to decide if I'm going to stay with my currently planned Worgen names or switching to something else. As for the Cataclysm release? I'll be at the local Gamestop awaiting my Collector's Edition copy. I'm in the Central timezone, so I've got plenty of leeway for mucking about and then getting home to play.
Joe Perez (@Lodurzj): I'll be spending my weekend playing mad scientist. I would share the details, but if I did, I would have to kill you! I've got some pre-Cata raiding planned for this weekend as well, so that should be fun. I'm going to a midnight release at the local Walmart here, and making an appearance at a Gamestop to hang with friends in a show of kinship while they wait for their copies. Going to be one hell of a fun night! And then ... as soon as servers are up I'm going to start my quest for server first 85 shaman ...
Kelly Aarons (@Cadistra): I am not playing anything, for I'm out of town for the next few days to see my family for Hanukkah! As for my precious, precious Cataclysm CE, I'm waiting in the outdoor lineup at my local EB Games like everyone else. I'm Canadian; I can take the cold.
Lisa Poisso (@emused): Flipping through the last few days of my pre-Cata character and agonizing over a name for my new worgen priest ... Mostly trying to grab some rest while keeping up with the outpouring of guides and launch posts. And digital download all the way -- down with boxes and trash!
Mathew McCurley (@gomatgo): Lots of Cataclysm prep. Lots of pre-launch writing. Very tired. Much work. I'll be walking a few blocks over to Gamestop at midnight. Other than that, I may be going into Manhattan beforehand for a get-together.
Robin Torres (@cosmiclaurel): I bought a bunch of games during the Steam sale, but all I want to play is WoW. And because I must have the CE, it will be midnight for me as well.
Sarah Nichol (@mentalshaman): I'll be levelling a tauren shaman, elemental of course, to experience horde lore in Kalimdor. I'm also hoping to get a grip on low level shaman PvP! My Cataclysm will be a digital download, although we also have two boxes coming in the post courtesy of Amazon UK. I was hoping to attend the Leicester Square midnight release in London, but circumstances are against me. Considering the weather, I'm pretty happy to be tucked up inside at this time of year. I'm a wimpish English person, I just don't have the cold weather clothes!
Tyler Caraway (@murmursofadrid): (Again, Tyler failed to respond to a WRUP, thus letting me schedule his weekend for him: cat massage.)
Zach Yonzon (@battlemasters): Not much playing this weekend, sadly. Hopefully, I'll get enough time to fix all my characters to ready myself for Cataclysm. Since midnight release is actually early afternoon on my side of the pond, I'll be kicking back at home with milk tea in my hand waiting for a friend to send me the serial number of a Collector's Edition I ordered from a Gamestop in the bay area. That's as exciting and social as it gets for me on launch day.
The weekend is the perfect time to kick back, relax and enjoy some game time. Are you an achievement junkie? Can't get enough raiding? Rolling a new alt? Considering taking the leap into roleplaying? Whatever your favorite way to play World of Warcraft, let us know in the comments what you're playing this weekend!
