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Massively's launch guide to Guild Wars 2
Oh, 2007: Those heady days when Guild Wars 2 was set to feature a beta in... 2008! It took a few more years than initially expected, but the wait was worth it because now, it's ready -- Guild Wars 2 officially launches tonight at midnight PDT! But how ready are you? Jump past the break (jumping joke!), where we've organized Massively's many years of GW2 coverage to help catch you up on the game, its systems and features, its races and classes, and its lore. Excelsior! %Gallery-159080%
Where to buy an iPad on Friday
If you missed the launch day pre-orders and want to get an iPad on Friday, you should start planning your strategy now. Like any good consumer, you'll need to decide which store will have the most iPads and the smallest line so you can maximize your chances of getting the model that you want. In the past, customers have lined up in advance and waited at least overnight to get their hands on the latest iPad. This year, it's all up for grabs because Apple had an ample supply of pre-order tablets that'll be delivered on launch day. A lot of people who wanted an iPad already pre-ordered one and will have one in their hands on Friday. If you plan on hustling down to a store on Friday, here is a list of retailers that'll have a limited supply of iPads on sale. A few pro tips: be sure to call ahead to make sure the store will be selling the iPad, get there early as sales are first come, first-served and ask about any procedures if there happens to be a line. Apple retail stores Apple confirmed today that its retail stores will open at 8 am on Friday for the big iPad launch. Lines tend to be longer at Apple Stores because that's where most people go. Apple Stores usually have the most inventory and racks of accessories for the tablet device. It's also the first retailer to open so you can always wait there first and then head to another retailer if you walk away empty-handed. Wireless carriers If you want a 4G iPad, then you might want to start at your local wireless carrier. The carrier's retail stores can sell you the device and get you setup with a data plan at the same time. Both Verizon Wireless and AT&T Wireless in the US will be carrying the iPad at launch. Best Buy Best Buy is a popular spot for customers to grab an iPad. The electronics chain carries a variety of Apple devices and will likely have an assortment of accessories as well. There's no indication that Best Buy will be opening early, so I would make plans to be there during normal store hours. In the past, Best Buy has used a voucher system so early comers can get a number and leave. This way they don't have to wait in line for hours. Radio Shack Radio Shack was the only third-party retailer to accept pre-orders for the iPad last week. You could buy a $50 in-store gift card to lock in a device and return on Friday to claim it. Radio Shack won't have the same stock as the Apple Stores, but it is less traveled. If you didn't pre-order, you still should call ahead to make sure they have iPads in stock. Sam's Club Sam's Club will open at 10 am on Friday and offer the new iPad to members on a first-come, first-served basis. Only select stores (store list) will carry the iPad so you'll want to call ahead and find out which stores will have available inventory. Limit one per Membership. Target Target is a another well-known retailer that'll sell the iPad on Friday, but not many people realize the store sells Apple devices. Last year, my local store still had inventory a week after launch when every other retailer was sold out. You can even trade in a working iPad and receive up to $350 in Target store credit (64GB 3G+Wi-Fi iPad 2 version). This money can be used towards the purchase of the new iPad, or any item at Target purchase. Target REDCard users will receive 5 percent savings on the purchase of the new iPad as well. Depending on where you live, finding an iPad in your local Target may be hit or miss so be sure to check ahead before trekking down to the store. Stores will be open regular hours. Walmart When you think of Apple, you don't often think of Walmart but the retailer is an authorized Apple reseller just like Target, Radio Shack and Sam's CLub. Walmart carries several of Apple's mobile and music devices and will have the new iPad on Friday. Walmart will also keep its normal store hours and will have inventory on a first-come, first-served basis. You can use the store locator to find a Walmart in your area that'll have the iPad on Friday.
Sony reveals new 3G/WiFi PS Vita bundles: free data, PSN games and memory cards for everyone
Sony's PlayStation Vita hasn't exactly sold like hotcakes over in Japan, so the company has sweetened the pot for the portable's potential Stateside buyers. Those who placed pre-orders will get a couple of extra goodies for their $350. To go with the previously promised limited edition case, 4GB memory card and copy of Little Deviants, you'll also receive 250MB of data from AT&T and a PlayStation Network game gratis as soon as you activate 3G on the device. Furthermore, folks buying a Vita on launch day can look forward to the same free data and PSN game, plus an 8GB memory card in exchange for their $300. So, that enough to get you on the handheld's bandwagon? Sound off in the comments below.
Get your Kinect launch coverage at Joystiq!
It's less than an hour away until Kinect drops in Times Square, as the motion-sensing peripheral is set to make its debut to a throng of freezing buyers. You know what that means -- our brothers-from-other-mothers at Joystiq are on the scene, chatting with folks that have sat for over two days waiting for the camera-equipped controller. Head on over for the full scoop!
Samsung Captivate now shipping from AT&T, right on cue
Sure, the Samsung Vibrant came out three days earlier, but you don't care if T-Mobile customers beat you to the Galaxy S punch -- you're on AT&T, and it's about time you had (another) high-end Android smartphone to call your own. Our recent hands-on showed it was a bit sluggish, so you might want to wait for our full review, but if your heart's set on that 4-inch Super AMOLED screen and 1GHz Hummingbird core, you're only two clicks away from adding the Android 2.1 handset to your virtual shopping cart. Click one is our source link, immediately below. [Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
Samsung Vibrant launching today, awaits new owners in T-Mobile's online store
A tiny bit of uncertainty has been cleared away thanks to good old Twitter, where T-Mobile has made July 15 (aka, today!) the official launch date for its Galaxy S derivative, the Vibrant. The original Tweet seems to have disappeared into the ether apart from that screenshot above, but T-Mo has reiterated the statement in subsequent missives, telling its followers that the Vibrant will be on sale today. We imagine the typical $199.99 price point will remain unaltered, so all you'll really need to do now is decide whether this is the Super AMOLED handset for you, or whether you can wait the extra few days until Sprint et al intro their offerings. Decisions, decisions. [Thanks, Alex] Update: And it's now available to buy directly from T-Mobile's online store [Thanks, Volaris].
Droid X available to buy now
Yes, the Droid X has joined the Kin... in being available to buy on Verizon's online Wireless store. No shock or awe here, it's a cent under two Benjamins with a two-year deal and you can give it the shopping basket treatment right now. Either that or wait in line overnight like a lovesick puppy, it's up to you. [Thanks, Nick]
iPhone 4 launch day at AT&T stores: 7AM opening, awesome t-shirts confirmed
What you're looking at here, folks, is the extreme wardrobe you can expect to see when you waltz into a corporate-owned AT&T retail location on the iPhone 4's launch day later this month -- and even better, casual pants and footwear may be worn if approved! On a more serious note, though, this launch packet we've received confirms that stores will be opening on 7AM on the 24th and that new AT&T customers will be restricted to a maximum of one device (the same restriction applies to the new 8GB 3GS) and current customers will only be able to buy one phone per active line of service. Oh, and if you're going to a store that sells U-verse service, expect a pitch. Don't say we didn't warn you. %Gallery-94997%
HTC EVO 4G overtakes Palm Pre for best-selling launch day on Sprint
Considering the lackluster career that Palm's inaugural webOS duo ultimately endured on Sprint, it's wild to think back to those heady days when the Pre was the carrier's best launch day performer in history -- but alas, no longer. As you might've expected, the mighty EVO 4G has shown the Pre the door to take its own place in the record books, a mark we're not surprised to see considering the activation issues many customers saw on Friday as Sprint's systems buckled under the load. Sprint isn't quoting figures, but it proudly boasts of "temporary shortages of the device at some of the 22,000 sales locations across the United States" that are in the process of being replenished with daily deliveries. Now, the next hurdle is to see whether Sprint's shared WiMAX infrastructure can stand up to the load of its first wildly-successful 4G consumer product, eh? Follow the break for the carrier's press release.
HTC EVO 4G launch day line watch
You've had the day circled on your calendar for nearly a month, you've seen its insides, you've seen it rooted, and you've even witnessed Froyo running on its massive 4.3-inch screen. Now the time has finally come to actually own the EVO. As is our time-honored tradition with galactically significant product launches, we're starting up a little photo essay here showing the progression of lines outside Sprint stores through this most auspicious of days. Only the trick here is that you'll be doing our writing for us, a thousand words at a time. Join us after the break for the pictures and don't forget -- a lot of stores will be opening early to sate demand.
LG's $100 Ally crashing Verizon stores on May 20th, pre-orders start tomorrow (update: now with specs)
We had a hunch that LG's Android 2.1-based Ally would see its first customers on May 20th, and Verizon Wireless has finally opened up and confirmed as much this morning. The Iron Man 2-infused smartphone -- which we spent some time with yesterday -- will be available in all VZW stores beginning May 20th, with pre-orders going live for phone and web customers tomorrow. We've already given you the rundown when it comes to specs (they're after the break for those with memories shorter than their shoelaces), but now we're able to confirm that it'll sell for $99.99 after a $100 mail-in rebate and a new two-year contract. A well-specced Android smartphone for under a Benjamin? Not bad, LG. Update: Nothing in particular to write home about, but LG has just unveiled the Ally's nearly complete spec sheet. [Thanks, Rey E.]
The Daily Grind: Launch day blues
We here at Massively have seen a lot of MMORPG launch days, some good, some not so good, and some nearly unplayable. As we waited patiently for Age of Conan's servers to come up and wisk us away to the wild lands of Khitai and Rise of the Godslayer earlier this week, it seemed as good a time as any to wax nostalgic about some of our most memorable launch day experiences. For my part, I always like to start with the bad news and wash it down with the good. The worst launch day offender in my book was SOE's Star Wars Galaxies. June 26, 2003: a date that will live in infamy....ok maybe it wasn't that dire, but I distinctly remember taking the day off from work, purchasing the retail client at nine in the morning, and finally making it to character creation and the dust-caked streets of Mos Espa around eleven that night. In between, there was much swearing and spamming of the account login launcher, and even more Starsider server lag when I finally managed to jack in. On a more positive note, recent MMORPG releases seem to be improving in terms of both stability and performance. My opening day experiences with both Lord of the Rings Online and Warhammer Online were completely free of login and stability issues. What about you, dear readers? Care to share your launch day horror stories or happy endings?
Leaked image says iPad lands at Best Buy... on launch day
We'd heard buzzing for some time now around the internet that Apple planned to sell its iPad in more than just its own stores, and usually the name Best Buy was mentioned in the same breath... but now we've got some photographic evidence. The above shot comes from what looks to be an internal memo from the big box retailer, not only stating that the stores will be getting the iPad, but that they'll be getting the iPad on launch day. Now, there's no way for us to confirm that is 100 percent the real deal, but we speculated this could be coming back in mid-February, and there's lots of corroborating evidence to suggest this is no joke (such as COO Tim Cook explicitly mentioning the device would be sold at Best Buy) -- we just didn't expect to see it day one. We're digging for more info on this story, so stay tuned. Update: Best Buy's iPad playbook is certainly looking legit at this point. Our tipster sent us another two screenshots (they're after the break) showing off BB's new retail display which includes the iPad. Interestingly, they also tell us that the iPads are set to be delivered to stores on the night of April 2nd, and that quantities will be limited to about five of each model on launch. TUAW has also just published more of the playbook if you want to head over there and check it out.
Why weren't you in line this morning?
We don't want to imply that the iPhone 3G S launch was a dud. There's reports out that the 3G S may have sold more units than the 3G on opening day, but even more reports are coming in that the lines and general mayhem at Apple and AT&T stores were much more subdued this year than in previous years. There's a lot of speculation as to why, but we at TUAW figured we'd go straight to the source and ask our dear readers. Why weren't you in line this morning? %Poll-31179%
Palm Pre goes on sale nationwide, line forms on the right
Oh, hey, look at that: you can buy a Pre now! As of 8:00AM on the East Coast, the phone went on sale at Sprint stores, with Best Buy, Radio Shack and Wal-Mart also retailing the phone today as Saturday dawns across the country. After Sprint's invite only pre-Pre launch event last night, we still saw plenty of folks lined up outside Sprint's "flagship" New York store in the Flatiron Building before the doors opened. Apparently people started queuing around 5:00AM, with Chris Lee and Randy Williams the first through the door -- replacing a Treo Pro and a HTC Mogul, respectively. Like last night, the process took about 40 minutes, but a lot of that is spent waiting for a small pit crew of Sprint employees to swap over your address book, so if you forgo that we'd say you can be in and out in 30, which should still be plenty of time to savor the moment. Word is that the Flatiron store has about 100 units, but it's clear that inventory varies widely between locations and retailers -- Touchstones seem to be a much rarer commodity. We'll be checking out some other launches across the country, so stay tuned, and be sure to send in your own pictures and impressions! Some word from the wilds: Tipster Brad says that his Best Buy store in Orlando has only 9 Pres available, and they're giving them out one by one on an appointment basis -- he was fourth in line, so he'll be going back at 12:15PM to pick his up. Unfortunately, their Touchstone stock is zero. Kevin C. Tofel was fourth in line at his local Sprint store, which purportedly had 30 phones in stock, but he picked up the last of the Touchstones. We just checked in at the Bryant Park Sprint store in New York City, and while Pre inventory is cool, they are all out of Touchstones. We're starting to think the supply of those is quite limited. We also hear that at least one tenacious gentleman got in line at 6:00PM yesterday, and spent the night outside the store in order to get his first.
Nokia 5800 XpressMusic launch dubbed 'stunning success;' 120 Russians can't be wrong
We love covering the antics of gadget-crazed buyers on launch day as much as anyone, whether it be die-hard gamers waiting for a PS3 or international fanatics clamoring for Apple's latest. Sometimes, though, these big launch sellouts feel a bit... contrived. Such is the case with Nokia's 5800 XpressMusic, dropped first in Russia on Wednesday ahead of its worldwide release yesterday. An internal memo (conveniently posted onto the Mobile-Review forums by a Nokia employee) talks up the usual release day shenanigans: buyers camping for days, bribery attempts for spots in line, inventory disappearing in minutes, and an inevitable prediction that this thing will be bigger than the iPhone. However, while the memo liberally quotes from the LiveJournal musings of Mobile-Review editor Eldar Murtazin, it skips over one choice bit of information he provided: a measly 120 phones were available at this "flagship" location in Moscow. [Thanks, pops]
T-Mobile G1 launch day roundup
Sure, our front page got stacked with news on the launch of the world's first Android phone -- the G1 -- but if you missed any of the action (and there was quite a bit), we've put together this helpful roundup. Below you'll find an easy-to-use guide to all the goings-on about the T-Mobile device, complete with galleries and videos that will delight and enthrall any healthy viewer. Keep an eye on this post as we'll be updating with a few other bits and pieces today that you'll most definitely want a look at.Update: We've added a link to our initial impressions, a more detailed look at the device and software.The liveblog:Live from T-Mobile's Android event in New York CityHands-on coverage:T-Mobile G1 first hands-on (updated)Video: Android walkthrough on T-Mobile G1Product announcement:The T-Mobile G1In-depth / details:T-Mobile's CTO on G1 unlocking and tethering -- plus a few details you might have missedT-Mobile soft capping 3G data at 1GB per monthConfirmed: T-Mobile G1 has no 3.5mm headphone jackT-Mobile G1 site goes live for real, first ad appearsT-Mobile G1 has push Gmail with Google Talk presenceT-Mobile G1 impressions: what we love, what we don't
AT&T announces iPhone 3G pricing plans
Finally, a piece of news we can actually do something with. AT&T today announced its pricing structure for the next iteration of Apple's iPhone -- which you can plunk down money for come 8 am, July 11th. There's not much that's surprising here -- new customers and those eligible for an upgrade will be able to nab the phone for $199 (8GB) or $299 (16GB), while "early upgraders" will have to fork over $399 or $499, all with a two year contract and $18 upgrade fee, of course. The telco says a no-commitment version of the phone will be available for $599 and $699, though it looks like that will come after the initial launch. AT&T appears to be leaning pretty heavily towards the all-in unlimited plans, but there are options if you don't want to go that route. We've sorted out the basics after the break, and included AT&T's "iReady" video -- certainly good for a few chuckles.
Leopard Day in Knoxville
It's finally here: Leopard launch day! So I headed down to my local Apple store in Knoxville to join in the fun (and pick up shirt along with a nice new 24" iMac). I thought I'd take you along for the ride. As per usual with the Apple Store, things were run to near perfection. By 6pm the line was well down that wing of the Mall, and when the doors opened they just started handing out shirts to everyone in line. I got there a little late and so was standing in line for about 20 minutes before I got my shirt. They even sent out an Apple Store employee with a cart full of bottled water to hand out to folks in line. There was an impressive number of Apple Store employees, some of them apparently on the store floor for the first time that night.Once in the store, we entered another rapidly moving line. We were met at the head of the line by an Apple Store employee who asked what we wanted, then scurried off to get the iMac. They came back, took our credit card with their little PDA-like devices and we were off. As you can see in the gallery, many other folks were playing with the display Macs, talking to Apple Store employees, and generally enjoying the up-beat vibe of the Leopard launch.As I said before, I was absolutely impressed by how well run the entire thing was. Even though there were hundreds of people there, we were back in the car and headed home by 6:45pm with our precious new iMac. My biggest surprise is that they weren't hawking external hard drives more. Sure enough when I opened the box of the iMac there was fresh copy of Leopard waiting to be installed.%Gallery-9229%
Further iPhone launch day details unearthed
Alright, you already knew what day the thing was launching, then you discovered the time, and finally, you realized that you wouldn't even have to get off work early on the left coast thanks to all sales happening in local time zones. For those still obsessing over what will go down just a fortnight from now, BGR has discovered that "all AT&T stores will be closing up at 4:30PM" while employees set up those cutesy iPhone displays, toss back a few Red Bulls, and hopefully receive their shipments from the (potentially armored) trucks. At 6:00PM, either the doors will open back up or the fanatics will force their way in, and the outlets could stay open "as late as midnight" to satisfy the demand. Oh, and make sure you bring some spare change along -- word on the street is that a bevy of typical accessories (chargers, cases, etc.) will be tempting you as you wade through the checkout line.[Image courtesy of Seattle Post-Intelligencer]
