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All of the latest Mists of Pandaria newsCataclysm digital upgrade now available for pre-order
by Robin Torres 
Oct 28th 2010 at 2:30PM
So it looks like I'll be installing my collector's edition while digital download people are dealing with rolling restarts and emergency maintenance. Oh yes, I went there.
The full Cataclysm digital pre-sale FAQ is after the break.
SlorkuzQ. When will my credit card (or other payment method) be charged?
A. You will be charged on the day that you place your pre-order for World of Warcraft: Cataclysm.
Q. Why do I need to log in to the game once after I've upgraded?
A. The first time you log in after pre-ordering, your account will become eligible to begin receiving the Cataclysm data when it's available. The data will automatically download in the background while you play World of Warcraft or while you have the Launcher window open.
Q. Can I pre-order a physical copy of Cataclysm and have it shipped?
A. Not from Blizzard Entertainment, but many retailers offer pre-orders of physical boxes and Collector's Editions.
Q. In what regions is the Cataclysm pre-sale available? What day/time is Cataclysm launching in my region?
A. The pre-sale is available in the following regions, with realms scheduled to launch at the following times:
Americas, Australia, New Zealand, and Southeast Asia - December 7 at 12:01 a.m. PST
Europe and Russia - December 7 at 12:01 a.m. CET
Q. Will a digital version of the Collector's Edition, with the exclusive pet, be available?
A. No. The World of Warcraft: Cataclysm Collector's Edition is exclusive to physical retail copies. The digital version consists of the standard edition.
A. You will be charged on the day that you place your pre-order for World of Warcraft: Cataclysm.
Q. Why do I need to log in to the game once after I've upgraded?
A. The first time you log in after pre-ordering, your account will become eligible to begin receiving the Cataclysm data when it's available. The data will automatically download in the background while you play World of Warcraft or while you have the Launcher window open.
Q. Can I pre-order a physical copy of Cataclysm and have it shipped?
A. Not from Blizzard Entertainment, but many retailers offer pre-orders of physical boxes and Collector's Editions.
Q. In what regions is the Cataclysm pre-sale available? What day/time is Cataclysm launching in my region?
A. The pre-sale is available in the following regions, with realms scheduled to launch at the following times:
Americas, Australia, New Zealand, and Southeast Asia - December 7 at 12:01 a.m. PST
Europe and Russia - December 7 at 12:01 a.m. CET
Q. Will a digital version of the Collector's Edition, with the exclusive pet, be available?
A. No. The World of Warcraft: Cataclysm Collector's Edition is exclusive to physical retail copies. The digital version consists of the standard edition.
Filed under: Blizzard, News items, Cataclysm
Reader Comments (Page 5 of 7)
kingoomieiii Oct 28th 2010 4:12PM
I'm really appreciating that for the trouble of spending extra on the collector's edition, I have the privilege of not having access to the pre-download.
What does blizzard lose, exactly, in letting every Wrath player access the downloader? It still won't work if you don't add a key. What the hell.
Namssob Nov 1st 2010 10:15AM
I agree. I can't decide if this is a mistake, or genius on Blizzard's part. After years in the reseller business, I grew to understand that anytime an OEM would circumvent their distribution channels to sell directly to consumers, it was basically spitting on the resellers/retail vendors. How much LESS money will Gamestop and Best Buy now make because of Blizzard's direct-to-consumer system?
it's a GREAT IDEA for the customers, but you can bet that the CEOs of the retailers are pissed at Blizzard right now.
Andrew Super Oct 28th 2010 4:28PM
Digital release purchased and downloading. This is a great idea and will save Blizzard money. I want to be the one of the first ones online for the END!
killer_tunes Oct 28th 2010 4:36PM
So for someone who is planning to go after server firsts would the digital download be better or worse than standing in line at Gamestop at midnight?
Cyno01 Oct 28th 2010 8:55PM
Probably depends on time zone.
Hardtarget Oct 28th 2010 4:35PM
if anybody is curious I only own Burning Crusade. When I follow the upgrade link it is telling me I need to upgarde to Lich King first BUT I can upgrade to Lich King and Cataclysm at the same time and save 15% for a total of $68 bucks. (so 34 per expansion)
hm i wonder if I should do it even though the highest level character i ever had was in the 20s. I wish i knew what cataclysm content is free for everything and what content isn't.
Robin Torres Oct 28th 2010 4:42PM
Making a goblin, worgen and the 80 to 85 content is Cataclysm only. Pretty much everything else is included in vanilla WoW. So the new quests and the changing world will be yours to experience without shelling out for the two expansions you don't have.
PistolPeet Oct 28th 2010 4:54PM
And old-world flying is cata only if I remember correctly.
Hardtarget Oct 28th 2010 5:09PM
huh in that case it doesn't really seem worth my $68 bucks to upgrade. I wonder if old world flying is cata only, that doesn't really makes sense to me.
Tri Oct 28th 2010 5:31PM
You can't fly till lvl 60 anyways, so you won't really miss out on the old world flying if you only play till the 20s ;)
Skarn Oct 29th 2010 12:08AM
Old World flying is definitely expansion-only. Partly, it's just a perk of buying the expansion, but there is also a more practical reason. They need to keep people out of the new zones like Hyjal and Twilight Highlands until they buy the expansion. If they allowed Old World flying to anyone, it would be a large pain to keep people from just flying into places they aren't supposed to be. Blizzard could throw up a bunch of invisible walls, but that's really annoying and a lot of unnecessary work. A much simpler and more elegant solution was simply to restrict flying to Cataclysm-only. Problem solved!
Artificial Oct 29th 2010 12:40AM
Much of the zone redesign and work that went into the expansion was done to enable old world flying. It makes a lot of sense that they wouldn't let you have that if you don't pay for the expansion they spent a lot of time and money to develop to make it possible. It makes as much sense as not giving you goblins or worgen, either, unless you buy the expansion.
Lee Oct 29th 2010 6:07AM
hmm, does that mean Warlock summons won't work in the new zones? Or maybe some level restriction eg
You can't summon a < lvl 80 into a new zone
Darkseid Oct 28th 2010 4:56PM
Not getting a Collectors Edition, but call me old fashion, I still just like to have the actual CD in my hand. So I'll stick with my retailer pre-order.
Bludstorm Oct 28th 2010 5:13PM
Odd, but I have never had a physical CD to install from. When I decided I wanted to play, I signed up for the Trial, made my main and started playing. All expansion packs were purchased and downloaded as and when I needed them. (This does end up being a PITA whenever i have to do a reinstall). Its gonna be the same way for cata too.
Artificial Oct 29th 2010 12:45AM
I hate the older games I have where I need to dig up some CD from somewhere just to reinstall it, hoping the ancient plastic disc still works. Especially when, once it's finally installed, I just end up practically redownloading the whole thing in a patch anyway, since the version of the CD is ancient. The sooner we can get rid of these silly discs entirely, the better.
Bossy Oct 28th 2010 5:14PM
Simple question:
When I download the client can I still (later) add the Collectors Edition to my account ?
Alan Falcon Oct 28th 2010 5:30PM
They have allowed this in the past. You don't get the original upgrade code back or anything, so some people would see it as a waste of $40.
Colleen Oct 28th 2010 5:35PM
We have to pay for it before we play it? All the other pre-orders charge you when they ship it. I guess it makes sense because you get to download it ahead of time, but I'd rather wait for my payment to go through when the game goes live.
Malia Oct 28th 2010 6:24PM
I agree with Colleen. I will leave my $40 in my bank account gaining interest (however tiny the amount) rather than letting Blizzard do the same with it. I will be waiting to buy the digital download until I actually have a product that can be used.