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WotLK will only be available on DVD
We discovered a little while back that Wrath was going to ship on DVD in both the collector's edition and the regular edition. This is great news for anyone with a DVD drive in their computer, because swapping discs is annoying. However, I'm sure there are still a few people playing WoW that don't have DVD drives; its system requirements are, after all, very forgiving. We haven't had any solid information thus far on whether the expansion will ship or be available on CD as well, like the BC collector's edition. It turns out the answer to that is no; Vaneras states quite clearly that WotLK will "only be available on DVDs, not CDs," for both the regular and the collector's edition. This implies that those of you who don't have DVD drives may well be out of luck on launch day. I say "on launch day" because I'm assuming the expansion will be available for digital download eventually, as both classic WoW and BC are. However, it may not happen right away; the digital download for BC didn't become available until about two weeks after launch. Now I'm curious: how many of you are going to be affected by this? %Poll-20165%
Unboxing the Collector's Edition of Warhammer Online
Ever since the announcement of the Warhammer Online collector's edition back in March, we've been dying to get our hands on this thing. The massive WAR CE not only offers up the usual in-game goods, it comes with top quality physical items as well. There's an art book, natch, but there's also a fantastic graphic novel that walks through the backstory of each player race. Want to know what the Greenskins are making Waagh? This edition of the game has a tome that will tell you. Read on through to our Unboxing the CE of WAR gallery to get a good look at this collector's item. We even peak inside, to give you as sense of what's beyond those impressive-looking covers. Check it out! Start with the outside >> %Gallery-21882%
Wrath CE sold out at Gamestop, Amazon
Gamestop employees got a memo yesterday that preorders of the Wrath of the Lich King Collector's Edition may have reached their limit, and we've just called and confirmed that -- the Collector's Edition is sold out already at Gamestop. Looks like Amazon also has also taken down their preorders, instead offering a signup to be notified "when this item becomes available." The thing has only been on sale for two days, and already it seems many retails have run out of their listed units -- in fact, Gamestop told their employees that they may not even have been able to fulfill all the orders taken so far.Of course, we're still talking preorders here -- just because they got reserved doesn't mean that they'll all be sold, so there's still a chance that you could get one at release (Gamestop, we believe, will hold reserves for 24-48 hours after release, and then sell them first-come, first-serve). And there's a chance that Blizzard could put a larger order in (since the game hasn't gone gold yet, the sets aren't even manufactured yet), which would mean more preorders would be available.But on the other hand, Blizzard has always wanted the Collector's Editions to be limited, and the guys at Gamestop assured us that there were still plenty of regular copies to reserve. It's hard to believe the CE could be completely sold out in just two days, two months ahead of the actual release, but it's clear that Wrath is going to be one of Blizzard's biggest releases ever.Update: And now, for some reason, it looks like preorders are back up. Either Blizzard decided to make more or Gamestop figured out how they could sell more, so if you want to get one, better order it quick.
WotLK: Collector's Edition available for pre-order today
The regular edition of World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King will be selling for $39.99, and for only $30 more (total of $69.99) you can get the Collector's Edition. You can now legitimately pre-order the Collector's Edition at many retailers across the country and online.My local GameStop up here in Fargo, ND has them available for pre-order as of this morning. However as is standard policy with them, you can only pre-order games by going into the store. It has been my experience that in general you cannot pre-order over the phone, but your mileage may vary.If you're interested in pre-ordering online, the two major sites that I found to have the C.E. listed are Amazon and GameStop. Other sites, such as Best Buy, don't have the C.E. up yet. Remember however, if you want to get the game at midnight you'll most likely need to deal with a local retailer.We covered the contents of the Collector's Edition yesterday, but just as a refresher, here are the major highlight: A 208-page LK art book Frosty, the baby frost wyrm (non-combat pet) A DVD with developer interviews, commentary on the cinematic, etc. Soundtrack CD Mouse pad with a map of Northrend Two starter decks for the CCG, and two exclusive cards All of the latest news can be found on our Wrath page. Also, Ask a Beta Tester answers all your burning questions, Lichborne will walk you through the Death Knight class, and in Skill Mastery we've been explaining each class's new spells and abilities one by one. Prepare yourself; this is going to be fun.
Hello Kitty Online Founder's Beta announced
Collector's Editions, in-game exclusives, and headstarts aren't limited to hotly-anticipated MMOs in the fantasy genre. More casual MMOs are now offering additional incentives and benefits to gamers who are devoted to their given IP. A case-in-point is Hello Kitty Online and their newly-announced Founder's offer. The Hello Kitty Online Founder's Beta will allow those selected to play the game ahead of launch while participating in special in-game events. Here's how to become a Founder in two easy steps:1. Sign up for a SanrioTown.com account.2. Using your SanrioTown account, send a BLANK email to hkofounder@hellokitty.com.That's it. Founders should have some new things to look forward to from Hello Kitty Online, according to the official site: "an improved interface, new monsters, new maps, new items, and the opening of London and Paris. The Founders' Beta will also introduce gameplay changes such as an improved skill system, pet systems and team-play oriented enhancements." If you're curious about this title, either for yourself or for one of the little people in your life, don't wait too long to become a Founder -- this stage of beta testing begins on October 8th. If you're thinking about giving it a shot, be sure to check out the full details in the Hello Kitty Online News and Update page. [Via MMORPG]
Wrath of the Lich King Collector's Edition details announced
The moment many have been waiting for is here. Blizzard has finally released the details on just what precisely the World of Warcraft Wrath of the Lich King Collector's Edition will hold. Of course, anyone who has ordered one of the previous Collector's Editions is undoubtedly none too surprised at what the contents of the box are. As with earlier editions, this CE will contain: DVD Installer for Wrath of the Lich King Art book Exclusive in-game pet: Frosty the baby frost wyrm Behind-the-scenes DVD Soundtrack CD Mouse pad with a map of Northrend Two March of the Legion TCG starter decks, as well as two exclusive TCG cards There's no mention of the buddy keys or CD installers that came with previous Collector's Editions, but we suspect they'll probably still include at least the buddy keys. (Of course, most savvy players will be using the recruit-a-friend option to hook them up with a Zhevra mount and faster leveling for both people anyway.) The other thing about this is that no stores (as of this posting) seem to be actually selling the Collector's Editions on pre-order as yet. The CE is projected to price out at $70 versus $40 for the regular version. That said, many stores like GameStop will allow you to upgrade your pre-order to the Collector's Edition if you pay the difference and get on their upgrade list. We're definitely glad to see the box details finally released. If you're looking for more details on what's coming in Wrath, be sure to check out our sister site, WoW Insider, too! They've got more Wrath news than you can shake a Blinkstrike at. One of Azeroth's millions of citizens? Check out our ongoing coverage of the World of Warcraft, and be sure to touch base with our sister site WoW Insider for all your Lich King needs!
WotLK collector's edition revealed
var digg_url = 'http://digg.com/pc_games/WoW_Wrath_expansion_Collector_s_Edition_contents_announced'; People have been asking after the collector's edition since the release date for Wrath of the Lich King broke last night. Blizzard has just updated their official site, confirming the November 13 release date and letting us know that there will be a CE (shock!), and what will be in it. The game on DVD-ROM [edit: the regular edition will have it on DVD as well] A 208-page LK art book Frosty, the baby frost wyrm (non-combat pet) A DVD with developer interviews, commentary on the cinematic, etc. Soundtrack CD Mouse pad with a map of Northrend Two starter decks for the CCG, and two exclusive cards This is more or less the same pack-in list as the BC CE had. The pricing will be $70 for the CE, as opposed to $40 for the regular edition (same as for BC, as far as I remember). Will you be buying the collector's edition? Gallery: What's new in Wrath of the Lich King All of the latest news can be found on our Wrath page. Also, Ask a Beta Tester answers all your burning questions, Lichborne will walk you through the Death Knight class, and in Skill Mastery we've been explaining each class's new spells and abilities one by one. Prepare yourself; this is going to be fun.
Exclusive WAR in-game item to be released with C&C: Red Alert 3
So you're one of the lucky few -- well one of 60,000 anyway -- who got your hands on the Warhammer Online Collector's Edition, and without any of the order snags people have been reporting. Well congratulations! You've got the Greenskin miniature, the graphic novel, the art book, the virtual items and the exclusive quests. So now you can sit back and relax, secure in the knowledge that you have the most badass collection of Warhammer Online gear ever assembled, both in-game and out.... right? Actually, wrong. For the Warhammer Online player who simply must have everything, there's one more step to go as it turns out. There's another exclusive in-game item called "Korssar's Helm" that allows you to transform into a bear. The catch? You need to order, or pre-order, Command & Conquer: Red Alert 3 to get the WAR item...
Warhammer Online access details for pre-orders and Collector's Edition
Warhammer Online fans, the promised day is almost here. Mythic has announced early access details for pre-order and Collector's Edition customers. Pre-orders get a headstart and will be invited to play as of September 15th; those who sprung for the Collector's Edition get to trump everyone else, gaining access to WAR on September 14th in addition to some of those other sweet extras that come with the CE. Still, not all Collector's Edition customers are happy about how CE customers are being treated. One Collector's Edition buyer named 'Micah' had a nightmare of a problem with his order from Electronic Arts (EA). A simple request to not have his CE shipped to an address he no longer lives at was met with a bizarre choice to be made -- either cancel the order and lose out on the sold-out CE, or let the order stand and have it shipped to the complete strangers living at Micah's former residence. Check out the entire correspondence between EA and Micah at The Consumerist. We hope this is an isolated incident, particularly given the cost and apparent rarity of the Collector's Edition. Did you enjoy this? Make sure to check out all of our previous Warhammer Online features, and don't miss any of our ongoing coverage as Massively goes to WAR!
WAR Europe's countdown not what we'd hoped
When an ominous countdown appeared on Warhammer Online's European site last Friday, speculation surged that the Mythic team might be on the verge a major announcement. Are we finally going to see a release date set in stone instead of mud? Are they going to announce the open beta that we've all been waiting for so long? Is the NDA finally going to be lifted? Left to their own devices, WAR fanatics are liable to start expecting all sorts of things.Unfortunately, the truth of the matter is far less exciting. No, as Mark Jacobs indicated in an overtly *hint hint* forum post, players should be able to read the writing on the wall and figure out what the countdown is for. To start, it's only on the European site, so it couldn't be something like a global release date or NDA lift. Second of all, photos of the European Collector's Edition were leaked last week. Third, developers have been talking rather openly about the content of the CE on fan forums. Without explicitly saying it, Jacobs indicated that the announcement would be the details of the Collector's Edition. Not as exciting as a release date, but what can you do?
The Daily Grind: Are you a collector?
I admit it. I'm one of those crazy people who went absolutely nuts for a World of Warcraft: Burning Crusade Collector's Edition and shelled out the extra cash. I read the book, watched the DVD, ripped the CD to my drive and then put it back on the shelf where it has been ever since. Now, I don't regret the purchase at all, but I'd also firmly class myself as a collector when it comes to certain geeky things. (Heck, if you look at my office, you can figure that out pretty quickly.) With all the great new games coming up this year -- Age of Conan, Warhammer Online and the rest -- it got us to wondering... Are you likely to pick up the Collector's Edition of some of these upcoming games? Are there any features in a CE that make you more interested in getting it? (For me with Burning Crusade it was the DVD install option, the nifty art book and soundtrack.) Do you like the idea of more useful items being included like the ring that gives a bonus to XP? Should getting a CE land you a spot in the late open beta, or do you prefer the pre-launch "level before everyone else gets here" idea? Should CE in-game items remain harmless like the special pets were for both World of Warcraft CEs?
Collector's Edition pet confusion in Patch 2.3.2
If you got the original Collector's Edition of WoW (not the Burning Crusade version), then you have a surprise in your mailbox. It's not a good surprise, it's a mistake. All Collector's Edition pet emails were sent out again in error.If you take the gift and click on it to start the quest, you will get the message that you have already completed the quest. So you are not getting a second pet. Nor can you send this to a friend according to Drysc who says, "You can enjoy the epic quest of clicking the delete button on it though?"This is really just an annoyance that causes no real in-game problems. Have you noticed any other issues with Patch 2.3.2?[Thanks Tommie!]
The "nani": Willcom gets another awesome Windows CE device
We're not sure why Willcom would feel the need to ever look beyond Sharp to supply it with badass Windows CE-based phone after badass Windows CE-based phone -- but now that we've seen the result, we're glad they did. The "nani" from Sophia Mobile (who?) rocks a glorious 800 x 480 WVGA display, WiFi, microSD expansion, a TV tuner (one-seg, we'd imagine), and Windows CE for Willcom's PHS network in Japan. We'll refrain from calling this one a hands-down winner until we see its user interface -- customized, we assume, since it's not using Windows Mobile proper -- but it ain't a bad effort, that's for sure. "Free Thinking & High Performance," indeed.[Via SCI FI Tech]
Razer teases Boomslang Collector's Edition 2007 mouse
Early adopters who hitched their wagon to Razer early on are likely to remember the elusive "First Edition" Boomslang mice, and if you've been clamoring for a practically identical replacement, Razer's got you covered. The Boomslang Collector's Edition 2007 will make its debut at this summer's DreamHack, will be limited to 10,000 units worldwide, and will be encased in a sleek titanium housing. Moreover, the mouse will glow green from underneath to add that final dash of 1337-ness at a dark LAN party, but there's no word yet on DPI nor price.[Via Electronista]
Panasonic's ToughBook CF-08: a 10.4-inch WinCE 5.0 tablet
Fancy yourself a tough guy? Then check the latest Panasonic ToughBook, the CF-08 tablet. No, not a Tablet PC, this slab goes Windows CE 5.0 for instant-on, near virus-free access and up to 14-hours off battery -- you know, just as long as you don't mind keeping the brightness to a min. The CF-08 brings a 1024 x 768 pixel, 10.4-inch touch-panel display capable of withstanding a fall from as high as 1.2-meters. It comes powered by a 312MHz PXA270 processor and packs USB 1.1 (for keyboard and mousing, presumably) with 802.11b/g WiFi, Bluetooth 1.2, and fixed Ethernet providing access to data. Thing is, even with a 267 × 208 × 36-mm footprint they only managed to squeeze in 64MB RAM / 64MB ROM -- come on Panny, how about SD expansion at the least? Hitting May 15th for an undisclosed price. Update: Sure enough, the US specs for the Touchbook-WirelessDisplay (as it's called locally) clearly identifies SD expansion -- same as the Japanese model shown above.[Via Impress]
5,000 sign petition, Bioshock CE possible
Bioshock fans are a vocal bunch and went as far as to demand 2K Games create a collector's edition for their underwater adventure. So, a fan created an online petition to rally support for a Bioshock CE and possibly ruffle a few of 2K Games' feathers in the process. The online petition didn't go unnoticed, because 2K Games posted a response on the Cult of Rapture website stating they'd create a collector's edition if the petition received 5,000 signatures. And we're proud to report that as of this posting the petition has just gone over the 5,000 signature mark! We still recommend signing the petition if your inner fanboy yearns for a Bioshock CE, because more signatures can only help. Now we just have to wait for Gamestop to put up a Bioshock CE preorder page. The ball is in your court 2K Games ... you did make a promise.
GameDaily gets a copy of the Collector's Edition
I won't be buying the Collector's Edition, because it's just not my sort of thing. However, the people at GameDaily have gotten ahold of one a bit early, and have posted a lovely series of pictures with the full contents, so cheap people like me can lust over the glory that is Blizzard ephemera. I do rather fancy the Outland map mouse pad, even though I usually play on my laptop's trackpad (I know, I know). And for those of you who will be getting a CE, here's what's in store.[via Joystiq]
The gooey center of Lost Planet CE
Lost Planet is almost here and what better way to ruin the excitement of opening the collector's edition box on launch day than taking a peak inside now? Over at Brian Dunn's blog he posted pictures of all the crap, erm, stuff you get in the Lost Planet Collector's Edition. A double DVD set, sexy metal box, bonus map redemption card, and a full color manual (FTW!) Make the jump for more pictures of the CE edition, that is if you're willing to spoil the surprise come launch day. Decisions, decisions ...[Thanks, Scott]
CEA to launch CES-like E3 replacement?
Since E3 decided to call it quits as the bespoke conference and reorg into something a little more intimate, a number of alternatives are starting to crop up in its place. The most promising prospect, however, comes from the CEA -- harbingers of the one true doombringer event, CES, and outspoken consumer advocates -- who have formed a committee to explore a CES-like event for games to take the place of E3. CE3, if you will. Of course, this does not mean they're committing to any such thing, but when your last event was attended by some 162,000 or so industry professionals and members of the media, let's just say that if they did decide to do a CE3 they'd have a helluva mailing list to work with.
Microsoft demos "FonePlus" OLPC killer
Proving that corporate agendas sometimes can't be put aside long enough to create a unified computing platform for the world's poor, Microsoft has unveiled "FonePlus," a concept device making good on its proposal to use smartphones as the basis for sending computers deep into emerging markets. Unfortunately we've been unable to dig up any eye candy, but FonePlus looks to follow Gates' formula pretty closely: you get a CE-based smartphone (likely watered down from the full Windows Mobile package) with TV out and an external keyboard connection. The logic behind FonePlus suggests that phones and televisions are pervasive even in some of the world's poorest regions, making the product an easy sell -- plus, Internet access is part and parcel with the phone, something OLPC doesn't provide out of the box. Whether FonePlus will see production remains to be seen, but Microsoft's studying the idea closely -- and when you get snubbed by OLPC in favor of Linux, well, it's no surprise to see them come out swinging.
