[UPDATED] Online upgrades to Wrath now available
by Zach Yonzon 
Nov 15th 2008 at 12:00PM
This is great news for players unable to secure the game through regular channels, as some stores in other countries have reported trouble stocking the game. The direct online upgrade is also an affordable option as it does away with any shipping costs or related sales taxes by area -- for the most part, anyway, as some states will still get charged a tax. For exactly $39.99 and a roughly 1.7Gb download (if your account is already upgraded to The Burning Crusade), you too can be joining your friends in the cold of Northrend.
This is also a welcome move from Blizzard, who made online upgrades to vanilla and The Burning Crusade comparatively late after those games launched. That the direct online upgrade appears mere days after the game's launch is somewhat surprising but progressive, indicating that Blizzard only wanted to ensure attendance during the worldwide events. I reckon that if this option had been available on launch day, we'd have had pretty empty stores. Now, where'd I put my credit card...
[UPDATE: Please note that some readers have sent in feedback that using the online upgrade service results in an error, so we'd advise to proceed with caution for the meantime. You can learn more about the errors on this thread at the official forums.]
Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, Blizzard, News items, Wrath of the Lich King
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Paka Nov 15th 2008 12:08PM
About the Direct Upgrade on the worldofwarcraft website that people keep getting error 202 or this service is unavalible. Most of us have tried multiple times and our credit card have been charged each time we tried, but our accounts has not been upgraded.
I'm waiting a blue post on forums about that, but one appeared so far, we would like some answer about that please
Phillip Nov 15th 2008 12:59PM
Our cards have been charged for each time we've tried?
I've tried about 4 times so does that mean I just wasted over 100+ dollars on this?
apoxic Nov 15th 2008 1:18PM
I've been trying to upgrade my account from Trial to Retail for several days now getting the legendary Error 202, I've contacted blizzard about this but they - as usual - redirected me towards their hotline instead.
It would've been so simply for me to get this working.. instead I have to get my friend in the US to run to stores for me, as I'm currently living in Japan :/
Seems like Blizzard knows just about as much about this error as the rest of us..
Calybos Nov 15th 2008 3:08PM
So what happens if you buy WotLK and you DON'T have Burning Crusade installed?
Osi Nov 15th 2008 4:25PM
I am both glad and sad I ordered from Amazon.
I am glad because the downloader Blizzard provides is still in alpha testing. It has not been tested with Vista and errors out every single time.
However, that isnt a bad thing, because we are all still paying $15 a month to be a tester on this game...
I am sad, because Amazon screwed up the whole wotlk shipping and pretty much every customer has to wait until Monday, when they should of had the game last wednesday.
Jamesisgreat Nov 15th 2008 12:21PM
Some sort of advance warning of this by Blizzard would have been useful for those of us that ordered Wrath and are waiting for it to be shipped the thousands of miles to where we live......
yazan Nov 15th 2008 1:08PM
Would have saved me shipping costs!!!!!! Blizzard just sucks
Terrevil Nov 15th 2008 12:24PM
just upgraded my account. would be nice if blizzard let me download the content now ¬¬. still getting the same internet error like all this people
http://gizmodo.com/ccs?id=8936577&cs=9079844eb59bac2db260c78d144ee08b
Terrevil Nov 15th 2008 12:26PM
i´m such an idiot: correct link
http://forums.worldofwarcraft.com/thread.html?topicId=7376331653&sid=1
Jay Nov 15th 2008 12:25PM
It costs £29.99 / €34.99 for those in the EU.
Rather outrageous considering you can buy it in shops for less than £17.99 :(
soccerdude7 Nov 16th 2008 2:45AM
SWEET IVE BEEN WAITING SUCH A LONG TIME!!!!!!!!!!!
Sakerin Nov 15th 2008 2:00PM
All of three days?
Ragnarok Nov 15th 2008 2:18PM
Stupid blizzard, IVE UPGRADED MY account and now i cant donwload the content and cant play my old version neither
........................
zanzibarr Nov 15th 2008 2:26PM
Is the direct online purchase working or is it stillgiving the error and charging ur cc ?
Sunniva Nov 15th 2008 2:55PM
yep i want to know too =(
flyingsquirrel Nov 15th 2008 3:06PM
I was able to upgrade 2 accounts from BC to WOTLK on 2 different computers by downloading from Blizz. on Thursday. No problems or errors at all.
Silvann Nov 15th 2008 3:20PM
The 'online upgrade' is not officially available:
http://forums.worldofwarcraft.com/thread.html?topicId=12661340309&sid=1
chris Nov 16th 2008 6:00AM
if you have had problems with the online upgrade follow this thread
http://forums.worldofwarcraft.com/thread.html?topicId=12661600406&postId=126602102496&sid=1#7
Blizzard are authorised to upgrade over the phone, i have done it, im in Northrend and have a DK.
As a side note, if you got burned like me, your bank took the money, not Blizz they rejected the payment. You just need to wait for the merchants to sort themselves out. I feel for anyone who gets charge OD fees for this, thats something to take up with Blizz for making a useless site active i guess :)
izaerian Nov 15th 2008 4:37PM
WTF! I am tired of all these publishers offering DD games/xpacks, and charging the same or MORE for them as they do the in store equivalent. Yes devs need money, but shouldn't it be a bit cheaper if I get NO printed box/dvd/booklet/whatever?!?!?! $39.99 yet it sits on the shelf at Gamestop here for 36.99 and it's a tangible object.
RogueJedi86 Nov 15th 2008 9:13PM
Seconded. Considering the direct download means we don't get access to the paper maps or mousepads or disks or any of that, they really should lower the price. At least $5 cheaper, if they're just that frugal.