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All of the latest Mists of Pandaria newsBreakfast Topic: How are you buying Wrath of the Lich King?
by Robin Torres 
Nov 7th 2008 at 8:00AM
In less than a week, at 12:01 AM on 11/13/08, Wrath of the Lich King will be available and (hopefully) live on the servers. If you, like many of us, are planning to get the expansion immediately, how are you going to get it? After all, there are so many options:- Pre-Order for in-store pickup: You can pre-order your copy and then pick it up when it is available. This works great if you are going to a Midnight Launch or you just want to make sure it is available when you are able to get to the store.
- Pre-Order for delivery: You can pre-order your copy to be delivered to your door. Amazon even gives an option to have it delivered before midnight. Though if you want the Collector's Edition, you have to catch Amazon during one of the brief windows it is available.
- Midnight Launch: You can wait to buy it at any of a number of Midnight Launches. Many stores will have copies of both the regular and Collector's Edition available for people who show up at the event but have not pre-ordered. Even select 7-Eleven locations will be participating in the midnight events.
- Wait for the Digital Download: This may be the only option for many. Though Blizzard will offer a Digital Download eventually, it will not be available immediately. (Update: It seems it may be available launch day.)
- Shop after launch: Another option, particularly if you want the Collector's Edition, but have been unable to pre-order one, is to see what is available after the 13th. Burning Crusade Collector's Editions were available long after launch and it is likely Blizzard produced enough this time as well.
Filed under: Blizzard, Breakfast Topics, Expansions, Wrath of the Lich King
Reader Comments (Page 2 of 9)
Dremorack Nov 7th 2008 8:08AM
Pre-Ordered at game.co.uk, because I have always received my pre-orders the day before the release. So I'll for sure be ready at midnight!
Daxxo Nov 7th 2008 11:43AM
It sure would be nice to get it early as ordered from Game.co.uk aswell :)
Just a heads up if you ordered from amazon.co.uk, they will be sending your copy from Isle of Man so expect arrival on the 17th or later. Cancelled my order with them and went with the above option as one of the reviewers on Amazon suggested.
Arek Nov 7th 2008 8:15AM
With two fingers in my nose near a local gamestore where I pre-ordered it. I hope it does get delivered to the store on time (Holland)
DigitalMonitor Nov 7th 2008 8:09AM
Midnight Launch Pre-Order, then a race home to download any additional patches.
KenMo Nov 7th 2008 10:07AM
Blizzard said the shipped version is 3.0 so we will, at the very least, have to reapply up to 3.0.3.
If you have your patches still on your machine this will be easy.
JackOfAllGames Nov 7th 2008 8:09AM
I preordered the game at my local GameStop. I'll be going to the midnight opening to pick it up.
Adorialea Nov 7th 2008 8:10AM
I had a pre-order on Gamestop with regular ground shipping. $24.99 for overnight was too much for me. When the Amazon deal went up the other day I ran to a computer and pre-ordered it there with their release date delivery... and I'm actually saving 2 bucks over Gamestop. ^.^
Too bad I have to work Thursday. *cries*
timmy! Nov 7th 2008 8:10AM
Wal-Mart
Squelchy Nov 7th 2008 8:11AM
Pre-ordered on Amazon. Wish I had had the patience to wait for the CE to pop up, but oh well...
Mystical Parrot Nov 7th 2008 8:10AM
pre ordered for delivery, hope i get it on the day!
nbcaffeine Nov 7th 2008 8:10AM
Would like prizes
iBuryl Nov 7th 2008 8:12AM
Pre-Order for delivery
Monsoon Nov 7th 2008 8:15AM
I plan to just get up early and head to the local Wal-Mart to grab a couple copies of the regular edition. I've got a day job that has me waking up at 4:30 AM every day, so I can't change my sleep schedule so drastically for a midnight release event.
balino Nov 7th 2008 8:16AM
I am going to borrow my friend's DVD and write down all the 1's and 0's by hand. I will then take all the paper home and type it all into wordpad.
Joelock Nov 7th 2008 8:15AM
just like BC, I'll be in line @ gamestop, I pre-ordered, Just the regular tho, money's tight so no CE for me :|
Knyle Nov 7th 2008 8:15AM
Well delievery is dumb since u will get it 3 or 4 days after the rest of us with cars.
and Downloading it will be the slowest most cluttered server n mirror files and your going to ruin launch day for the rest of us with your horrible horrible latency.
Pre Ordering and pickup at midnight installed by 12:30 am
lvl 80 by monday morning.
Abbadon Nov 7th 2008 8:49AM
Haha... I guarantee you that absolutely NO ONE will be playing this game 30 minutes after launch!
The checkout process takes forever. Small stores like Gamestop only have one or two registers, and even Wal-Mart will likely make you purchase the game in the electronics department with limited registers as well.
Even if you pre-paid, you still have to wait in line. And they usually have some process that requires them to scan the receipt and go through a checkout... not just see your receipt, say, "Oh, you paid already!", hand you the game and off you go...
Then there's the drive back home...
The install process.
And then the patches... First it'll reload the 3.02 and 3.03 patches, and heaven help you if you have to re-download those!! And after that, it's almost certain there will be another patch or two of unknown size that will have to be downloaded and installed.
The installation and patches were the most time consuming parts of BC. And it will only get worse the further west you live... Those on the east coast will be first to hit the downloads, but by the time it gets to be midnight on the west coast, there will be three time zones ahead of you bogging down Blizz's servers.
ragecage Nov 7th 2008 8:16AM
I also pre-ordered my copy of the CE from Amazon. I was bummed at first because they said it would arrive on the 18th, but then I got a notice for launch-day arrival.
Borayar Nov 7th 2008 8:17AM
I initially put down a deposit during the summer for the CE at a local GameStop, which is 5 minutes walking distance from my office.
I returned later a month ago and paid up the rest.
Just confirmed yesterday that my CE will be there when I walk in at 10 a.m. on Thursday.
Biggest problem will be getting it past my wife.
Erik Sagen Nov 7th 2008 8:17AM
Not sure if I should pre-order from Amazon or just pick it up at Target or something.
Don't think I have the patience to wait for it to be delivered.