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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.
The Daily Grind: How important is reserving your name on launch day?
By now, everyone with the Warhammer Online Collector's Edition and Standard Edition have reserved their character names, thanks to the special head-start promotions for each. Let's face it, besides the obvious allure of playing the game a few days early, that opportunity to grab the perfect name is why we pre-order and sign up for these head-starts in the first place. MMO bloggers from all across the blogosphere are discussing how happy they are to get their planned names, if they were lucky enough to get it.So we want to know how important it is to get that perfectly planned name. Were you able to get that holy grail name you've brought with you through your gaming career? More interestingly, if your name is taken on one server, will you switch servers just for that name?
WotLK Collector's Edition pre-orders are ready for your money
You've heard the details, now spend the money! Or don't, if you're not the type to pre-order. Maybe you just want to look at the page on Amazon and enjoy having the option to pre-order the Wrath of the Lich King Collector's Edition. If so, we're not here to judge your pretend time. For those of you who're totally into the whole online pre-ordering thing, it looks like Amazon and Gamestop are all ready to pre-accept your hard earned cash. You probably could have walked into a Gamestop and pre-ordered it yesterday, but then you'd have to deal with meat-world versions of pop-ups: pre-order sales pitches.Here's the bullet-point lowdown on the CE details, in case you missed it before: 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
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!
Wrath of the Lich King Collector's Edition detailed
Here's the thing: selling a Collector's Edition for a game made for collectors isn't fan service ... it's stealing. But if you're comfortable with that, and want to slip a crisp $70 bill into Joe Blizzard's overstuffed g-string, here's what he's offering in exchange: The Wrath of the Lich King expansion pack, helpfully jammed onto a DVD-ROM (take that, floppies!) A 208-page WotLK art book ... full of art Frosty, the baby frost wyrm – an exclusive in-game pet (what, no plushie?) A DVD jam-packed with dev interviews, intro cinematic (plus director's commentary) Soundtrack CD, featuring the #1 hit single: "Waltz of the Lich King" Mouse pad (adorned with a handy map of Northrend) Two starter decks for the collectible card game (see: collectors!) and two exclusive cards You can try to resist, collectophiles, but alas ... you can't. Blizzard will once again triumph over frugality, and your epic quest for debt-free living will end on November 13th. [Via WoW Insider]
Warhammer Online CE head start launches, revs up the buzz
The first day of the Warhammer Online head start is over and several servers are already full of players picking sides and clashing foreheads. Another thing that's already started is the reaction around the wider web. The buzz is strong with this one. Here's a round-up of news bits relating to Mythic's newest MMO that you may find a bit surprising: Something Awful's Goon Squad takes to Warhammer Online like Chaos flies to a smoldering pile of Orc poo. Is this a good or a bad sign? For the extreme completionists out there that need to know how to unlock everything in the Tome of Knowledge, you may want to check out the newest Allakhazam site. It should be interesting to see how/if Mythic evolves the ToK to compete with websites like these. If you bought the Collector's Edition and gotten your head start code, then you were part of the group who got in today. Wondering where that special racial head for your character is at and how you can get it? Mythic would like to tell you. The ever-vigilant Mythic community reps have posted a bit more information on the how and where of getting your CE quests, which come with special titles and other rewards. GOA sort of makes up for earlier slip-ups by getting EU players into their CE head start nice and smoothly. Let's hope this is the start of a pattern for the EU WAR service. Mark Jacobs writes letter of thanks and excitement to everyone involved in the official beginnings of WAR.
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.
Wrath Pre-orders on Blizzard site
As much as some Blizzard reps might have wanted to play coy on the official forums, the official World of Warcraft site leaked a link to Pre-order Wrath of the Lich King which will -- according to the page -- indeed come out on November 13, 2008. So while there has mysteriously been no big announcement on the Blizzard websites, this Pre-order page pretty much confirms what Wowhead and Thottbot unveiled earlier today.Participating retailers include Amazon, Best Buy, Circuit City, and GameStop. Interestingly enough, all the official links except for Best Buy peg the official release at November 3, a date leaked out in earlier reports. GameStop words it as "ships in 11/03/08" which could mean that the games will reach retailers over a week before the official release date. [EDIT: Or yeah, it could be that they haven't updated their sites yet. Good morning!] The details include both normal and Collector's Edition versions of the game. The official Blizzard site has, as of this writing, now been updated to reflect the official release date with a splash page.[UPDATE: GameStop has revised their release date to match the announced date of 11/13/08]
Warhammer CE head start to launch later with many extra servers
In just six hours (1pm ET) the first official retail servers for Warhammer Online will spring to life, starting the launch-life of players who pre-ordered the Collector's Edition of the game. That's a few hours later than was originally announced by the company, but there's good news to accompany the slight delay. Instead of the ten servers originally announced for the startup, there will be fifteen shards ready and waiting for new players. Mythic CEO Mark Jacobs also says that the company is ready with additional servers onhand to roll out as the initial group hits capacity. In a post to the Vault Network boards, he goes into detail about what the company plans to do in order to ensure that the first public Warhammer servers don't melt under consumer interest. He lays out their 'step up' population plan, which you can read in detail in the post. We wish you the best of luck getting your preferred name, CE players! 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!
A reminder from Mythic: Warhammer's head start begins this weekend
Mythic sent along a reminder that the headstart information we noted at the beginning of the month still applies: your very first chance to get onto Warhammer Online's launch servers is this weekend. Collector's edition preordering WAR-fans get in first at 7am EDT on Sunday the 14th. Everyone that preordered the regular edition gets in at 7am EDT on Tuesday the 16th. The game only went gold at the end of last month, after a beta period the developers have been running for more or less two years. This is the first time that players will be able to create characters that last longer than a few weeks; starting on Sunday September 14th, the world goes to war! The game launches 'proper' on September 18th. 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!
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...
Resistance 2 releasing Nov. 4, co-op beta starting early Oct.
Gun-toting xenophobes, rejoice! Sony has confirmed that Resistance 2, much like all games ever, will have its North American release in the alarmingly crowded month of November -- the 4th, to be exact. Insomniac's ambitious first-person shooter will also arrive in the company of a fancy, $79.99 collector's edition, complete with the usual making-of videos, art books and snarling statuettes. If you're the impatient type who simply can't wait to take some shots with at a digital Chimera, you'll be pleased to note that Sony has a multiplayer and co-operative public beta planned for early October. To gain "guaranteed access," you'll either have to pre-order Resistance 2 at Gamestop, purchase an annual subscription to the PSN's interactive magazine Qore, or simply purchase Qore Episode 3. There's a free option too -- register here -- but it does not guarantee entry to the beta. %Gallery-14773%
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!
Resistance 2 Collector's Edition to be simply irresistible
Do you feel confident in saying that you despise the chimera more than anyone else that you know? To be more specific, would you say you hate them twenty dollars more? You can prove your disdain for those yellow-eyed jerks by picking up the collector's edition for Resistance 2, recently unveiled by Amazon.com, which is quickly becoming one of the most comprehensive (if not somewhat unlikely) sources for video game news. Seriously. We're worried.Included in the bundle (which, for the mathematically challenged, is currently priced at $79.99) is a behind-the-scenes making-of documentary, video commentary from the game's developers, a "Twisted History" chronology video, an exclusive multiplayer character skin, a double-sided art book, and a preview of the heretofore unannounced Gathering Storm novel, which is based on the game. There's also a five and a half inch tall Chimera Hybrid action figure which, due to your unreasonable chimeric hatred, you'll probably just end up microwaving in effigy.[Via PS3 Fanboy]
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Resistance 2 Collector's Edition details appear on Amazon
So you've probably already voted for your favorite Resistance 2 Collector's Edition boxart (if not, you've probably missed the boat), but until now we've had no idea what the CE will actually contain. Enter, Amazon.com, stage left. If these details are to be believed (and they're a little too specific to be doubted, at this point) then the Resistance 2 special edition will be well worth the price for any fan of the franchise. The price, which is probably the most likely detail of the bunch to be changed down the line, is set at $79.99. For this, you'll get a bonus DVD with a behind the scenes documentary, video commentary by Insomniac and a "Twisted History" chronology video. You'll also nab yourself an exclusive multiplayer character skin, a double-sided Resistance art book and a sneak peek at the upcoming Resistance novel, "The Gathering Storm." Wait, there's an upcoming Resistance novel?Finally, the package is rounded out with a five and a half inch tall Chimera Hybrid action figure. With a Bullseye, naturally. That's quite a lot of swag, but is it worth the extra 30 dollars? Sorry, we couldn't hear your response to that question, we're too busy preording the Resistance 2 Collector's Edition.[Via MyResistance.net, thanks Zoibie]
The music of Wrath of the Lich King
Wrath of the Lich King is shaping up to be one hell of an expansion. It looks like Blizzard has pulled out all the stops with remarkable quest design, breathtaking landscapes, and even wonderful music that really sets the mood for adventuring in Northrend. Even though World of Warcraft allows players to access iTunes from within the game -- and I know a lot of players turn up their own music when playing -- I highly recommend playing Wrath with the music on and turned up when it finally hits retail. Music in World of Warcraft has always been a point of pride for Blizzard, with their work on Karazhan being widely praised for setting a great mood and being enjoyable overall. The music in Wrath continues that tradition with scores from Blizzard veterans Russell Brower, who composed the login screen theme for the new expansion. Brower was also behind the music for The Burning Crusade login screen as well as the affecting melodies of Eversong Woods and the Ghostlands (some co-written with New Age musician David Arkenstone and fellow Blizzard veteran Jason Hayes).
GC 2008: The Sims 3 hitting real and virtual shelves on Feb. 20, 2009
EA has announced that February 20, 2009, will mark the rather momentous occasion of stereotypical gamers finally venturing into the brightly lit outside world ... in the game. It's the day The Sims 3, the latest interactive simulation of an annoying, fickle, selfish and lazy race of creatures, will be distributed -- both physically and digitally -- to a bunch of annoying, fickle, selfish and lazy creatures. If you'd like to append "supercilious" to that list of adjectives, you should consider purchasing The Sims 3 Collector's Edition, which will include an exclusive in-game "Italian-style" sports car for you to maneuver through your envious neighborhood (no wonder those floating diamonds are green). Also included in the package will be a Sims Plumbob USB drive, a tips and hints guide, The Sims 3 Plumbob stickers and, oh yes, the game.%Gallery-18710%
Warner Bros. to launch Casablanca / Austin Powers Blu-ray box sets
Warner Bros. isn't content with just loosing The Polar Express on 3D Blu-ray -- oh no, it's got another pair of titles set for a holiday launch. Famed classic Casablanca will finally be getting the Blu-ray treatment it deserves this December 2nd when it arrives in Ultimate Collector's Edition form. The $64.99 package ($59.98 on DVD) is reportedly "elegantly boxed in an intricate laser-cut Moroccan design and will include such collectibles as replicas of actual props (Victor Laszlo's "Letter of Transit") as well as a number of Warner studio documents. Going from one of the greatest love stories of all time to one of the raunchiest comedies of the past, oh, score, Austin Powers Collection: Shagadelic Edition, Loaded With Extra Mojo will be uncomfortably landing alongside the aforementioned gem on the same day. The collection-only package will include the entire trilogy in Blu-ray high-def for $74.98.[Image courtesy of ValleyArts]Read - Casablanca releaseRead - Austin Powers release
