World of Warcraft Release
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Available 23rd November 04.
Thought blizzard slated it for 1st Quarter '05?
Besides, their open beta signups isn't even over and they're releasing it in < 20 days?!
'Gone Gold' phase not the trend anymore eh..
Press Release -
they seem to be in a hurry to release the game...
maybe it's because they haven't release any games this year. they desperately needed the money.
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competition wif EQ2 mah
if they delay for too long, those undecided betw EQ2 and WOW will chose the first one released (which is EQ2). -
It would not be unreasonable to say that each MMORPG has it's own faithfuls and that they would subscribe to their respective game no matter what. Especially since Warcraft is such an old trusty series. And all blizzard fans know they never release a game to beat a date till it's passed their great QC; no compromise, that's where they won lots of us over besides great gameplay. But this seems awfully rushed.
Anyone else been monitoring would know they've rescrambled their talent system and certain class skills not too long back. That's just two examples and one big booboo is the region locking. I haven't had time to check their update on this but last i read, you won't get to play with a North American server unless you have a NA copy of the game. So we're stuck playing with Koreans? I've had some great time playing with some korean buddies but if we have no gateway say then communication's gonna be a joke on the whole.
Wait and see hor? -
Errr should I buy from like Amazon to get the American version???
The last time I played Ultima Online I only played on the American servers because language was a HUGE problem on the asian servers -
personally i prefer to play with americans rather koreans. Not trying to be biased here but i got a few really bad experiences playing with them.
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Not only you.Originally posted by frOst^~^nOva:personally i prefer to play with americans rather koreans. Not trying to be biased here but i got a few really bad experiences playing with them.
The HKs and Taiwanese are still ok. I prefer the HKs though
But I still prefer playing the americans.
So does that mean I have to import from Amazon =\ -
Would that mean u would have to lag like crap to play with them too?Originally posted by elindra:Not only you.
The HKs and Taiwanese are still ok. I prefer the HKs though
But I still prefer playing the americans.
So does that mean I have to import from Amazon =\ -
Though latency issues may be a concern, i doubt it is THE factor behind forced gateways.
Here's the statement from their Community Manager regarding region locking.Why are you going with localized servers?
To provide the absolute best connectivity to our game servers, Blizzard has set up dedicated datacenters for World of Warcraft in multiple regions around the world. These local servers provide low-latency, high-speed access to ensure players have the best possible experience playing the game. In addition to providing local servers, Blizzard has established local teams, including game masters, community team members, and technical support staff, in each region in order to provide players with a high level of customer support in their native language. Because of these local teams, customers will be able to have their game-related concerns addressed promptly and efficiently by knowledgeable and helpful support representatives who understand local issues. All of these factors will contribute to providing players with the best possible gameplay experience when playing World of Warcraft on their regional servers.
Conversely, playing the game on servers in distant regions would significantly detract from the quality of the playerÂ’s connection and customer-support experiences. This level of service is inconsistent with BlizzardÂ’s quality standards for World of Warcraft and could result in negative gameplay experiences for players of a subscription-based game service.
Nevertheless, we do recognize that players from different regions will want to play together. Unfortunately, because of the current realities regarding local billing requirements, privacy of information across international boundaries, and the aforementioned issues with connection quality between regions, we will be unable to offer cross-regional services at the time of the North America/Korea launch. However, for those players who still wish to play on servers outside of their region, we will look into providing a specific solution that addresses their concerns after launch.
Are you aware how much this issue affects game choice for guilds?
Yes; we've been working with guilds very closely since the beginning of the closed beta test because we appreciate how much they contribute to the game and to the community. One of our top priorities is to ensure that all players enjoy the complete game experience that World of Warcraft provides, and this is why we are strongly recommending that players connect to their local servers when World of Warcraft launches in their region. Regarding guilds specifically, connecting to servers in a non-local region would ultimately result in an adverse gameplay experience for the guild member connecting from overseas, and we feel that this would also negatively impact the members of the guild who are playing locally.
What is the situation for those located in Asia? Will they be able to play on the US servers?
While we have currently only announced our plans for launching World of Warcraft in Korea and China, we can confirm that like players in Europe, players in Korea and China will be able to play on local servers and enjoy native-language customer support at launch. For those who wish to play on servers outside of their region, we will look into providing a specific solution that addresses their concerns after launch.
What servers will the Middle East and Australia utilize at launch?
We're still examining options for the Middle East and Australia and will release more information for these regions as soon as possible.
Will you be restricting North America based on region, also?
As with Europe and Asia, North American players will be restricted to North American servers. Because there are two locations to service players in North America, we will recommend that players there connect to the North American server that is closest to their particular home region for the optimum online experience.
I travel overseas for work/school/military purposes. Will I have problems playing the game?
You should be able to travel and play the game from overseas provided you have an account in your home region. However, network connectivity at such distances is not under BlizzardÂ’s control, and your play experience may vary as you travel, so we ask that you bear in mind that your connection and support experience will most likely not be optimal.
If you're stationed overseas for an extended period of time, we recommend that you subscribe to World of Warcraft in the region closest to you.
If I live in Europe or Asia and have preordered a US version of the game from an online retailer, will I be able to play the game when I receive it?
Players who do not use a method of payment accepted in North America and who do not have a North American billing address will not be able to play on US servers. Therefore, we highly recommend that players in other regions instead preorder the game for their local region and purchase their World of Warcraft subscription when the game launches locally to them. Doing so will ensure that they have the best possible World of Warcraft gameplay and support experience available. -
And the WoW Intro Trailer on the Apple Games site, don't miss it.
When are they gonna make that leap to big screen...
How about WoW aficionados here keep in touch ingame when it arrives? -
Well I dunno about the servers by Blizzard for WOWOriginally posted by nOrmalbOi:Would that mean u would have to lag like crap to play with them too?
But when I was playing Ultima Online, I played on the USA servers and surprisingly I have much better lag compared to the Japanese and Korean Servers. The only asian server that gives me better lag was the Taiwanese one. -
Oh damn and I wanna play on the USA server
The problem is that SG is soooo small
Native language??? I dont' even speak our official language
I speak english so I don't want customer service in korean or chinese
Haha
Anyway's I don't see what is the problem. I pay for other online games in USD and I don't have an American address. Its really dumb
This su.cks
Customer support? Its cheap to call the US. I did for my other games before too Why must they address it after release. I don't wanna play on an Australian server. Their connectivity always su.ck -
any ideas where i can download it to my hard drive. the apple website doesn't allow it.Originally posted by M:And the WoW Intro Trailer on the Apple Games site, don't miss it. 
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get Quicktime ProOriginally posted by Gordonator:any ideas where i can download it to my hard drive. the apple website doesn't allow it.
ok just got home, here's the downloader link -
elindra, guess it's necessary to wait and see how blizzard is gonna work around this issue or check with local game vendors about our options.
Besides, east asian release probably isn't concurrent with NA, China, Korea... It almost seems like it's China, Korea and the rest of asia to them. The silver lining to later game launch for us is the hope that some uncertainties be addresssed. -
after watching the trailer, i am lost for words...
it was AWESOME~!! So Cool~~!
especially the female night elf part.
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Oh man I do hope that you are rightOriginally posted by M:elindra, guess it's necessary to wait and see how blizzard is gonna work around this issue or check with local game vendors about our options.
Besides, east asian release probably isn't concurrent with NA, China, Korea... It almost seems like it's China, Korea and the rest of asia to them. The silver lining to later game launch for us is the hope that some uncertainties be addresssed.
But it is nice to get the game earlier though
Guess my Taiwanese and HK friends will be way ahead. Heheh maybe that means they can help me level up faster
But is really fun getting the game early. eg. I got my Ultima Onlin expansion set way ahead of my UO friends for additional land for housing. Got a sweet spot right smack outside town
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off topic.
don't think amazon sells game CDs to regions out of US right?
they only sell movies, books, and music CDs to regions out of US -
Ok maybe I did not make myself clear. I bought the game, sent it to my friend in the USA and he sent it over to me.Originally posted by sillyme:off topic.
don't think amazon sells game CDs to regions out of US right?
they only sell movies, books, and music CDs to regions out of US
Ya I know very boliao but that is what I did. -
okay after ploughing through their forums, here's a lil update.Originally posted by elindra:Oh man I do hope that you are right
But it is nice to get the game earlier though
Guess my Taiwanese and HK friends will be way ahead. Heheh maybe that means they can help me level up faster
But is really fun getting the game early. eg. I got my Ultima Onlin expansion set way ahead of my UO friends for additional land for housing. Got a sweet spot right smack outside town
Oz and NZac will join the North American release date of 23rd while the rest of the MMORPG world suck on their thumbs.
It's still unclear how east asia, excluding China, Korea and Japan will form up.
If you want to play on the US servers, the word is to get an american copy & billing address but it's not right to make the fans jump through such hoops. There are already 36 pages of 98% negative feedback and close to 8000 signatures regarding localized servers so hopefully Blizz might reconsider the undisputedly dumbest online gaming policy ever.
Yes it would be nice to get the game early, especially for the holiday season. -
Oh cool, where do I place my signature for this dumb policy.Originally posted by M:okay after ploughing through their forums, here's a lil update.
Oz and NZac will join the North American release date of 23rd while the rest of the MMORPG world suck on their thumbs.
It's still unclear how east asia, excluding China, Korea and Japan will form up.
If you want to play on the US servers, the word is to get an american copy & billing address but it's not right to make the fans jump through such hoops. There are already 36 pages of 98% negative feedback and close to 8000 signatures regarding localized servers so hopefully Blizz might reconsider the undisputedly dumbest online gaming policy ever.
Yes it would be nice to get the game early, especially for the holiday season.
I can easily get a US billing address or Oz billing address
But its dumb really -
Let kops21 knows when the pirate version is in the market...
No $$ enough lah....
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I dunno if t can work for you
Like Ultima Online
They don't care if they pirate the game since you still have to set up an account with them for you to play the game.
Since you have to subscribe to the game you need moola -
Here's the petition.Originally posted by elindra:Oh cool, where do I place my signature for this dumb policy.
I can easily get a US billing address or Oz billing address
But its dumb really
Don't think our region will see a copy till 2005. -
Pirates!Originally posted by kops21:Let kops21 knows when the pirate version is in the market...
No $$ enough lah.... 
u are better off buying a original cos i doubt u can play the game without an original CD-key.