GameStop, Blizzard Burning midnight oil

[UPDATE] Retailer will hold witching-hour launch parties for new World of Warcraft expansion at locations nationwide next week; developer-publisher hosting four California bashes.

As South Park hilariously illustrated last year, hardcore World of Warcraft addicts rarely leave the house. However, if there's one thing that will pry WOW junkies' wide, mashed-potato-textured posteriors away from their computers, it's the release of The Burning Crusade, the first expansion for the wildly popular massively multiplayer online role-playing game.

Warning: Not all Burning Crusade cosplayers look like this one.

Although collectors' editions are already fetching a pretty penny on eBay, The Burning Crusade won't arrive in stores until January 16--that is, next Tuesday. To help itself further profit from the frenzy, GameStop will be holding special WOW-themed events the night of Monday, January 15. The game will go on sale at midnight at locations across the contiguous 48 states as well as in Alaska and Hawaii, no doubt sparking an epidemic of fraudulent sick days nationwide. A list of participating locations can be found on the official GameStop site.

However, before cash registers start ringing, some GameStop locations will fete the WOWers with "optional events such as costume contests, card game tournaments, [and] screenshot character judging." No specific information about which locales would throw events was available as of press time.

[UPDATE] But while GameStop is keeping mum, Blizzard is inviting everyone to its Burning Crusade launch parties. In a press release sent out late Tuesday evening, the WOW publisher and Vivendi Games subsidiary revealed four official Blizzard Burning Crusade launch events across California. Members of the expansion's development team will sign copies of the game at Fry's Electronics locations in Anaheim, Fountain Valley, and Sunnyvale, as well as the Universal Citywalk GameStop/EB Games in Universal City.

Those itching to buy a signed copy of Burning Crusade can begin lining up at each location at 6 a.m. on January 15th; each will receive a wristband guaranteeing them a signed copy. More details on the event can be found on the official World of Warcraft Web site.

97 Comments

  • keinuveye

    Posted Jan 15, 2007 1:30 pm PT

    'don't you wish your girfriend was elf like me'

  • Alcotamaysees

    Posted Jan 12, 2007 6:45 pm PT

    The expansions to end all expansions...and a really beautiful girl.

  • Impostorzim

    Posted Jan 11, 2007 9:53 pm PT

    Wow I can´t get over how amazing she looks...how many people clicked on the window to enlarge it?...the picture I mean..

  • sonofashrub

    Posted Jan 10, 2007 3:05 pm PT

    hmm somethinjg about news?
    hot elf chick.

  • marioman50

    Posted Jan 10, 2007 1:14 pm PT

    A hot elfy chic

  • peeweeshift

    Posted Jan 10, 2007 12:56 pm PT

    burning crusade seems so far away even thought its only a week from now

  • necbone

    Posted Jan 10, 2007 11:00 am PT

    the one in baltimore is doing it, call for preorders.....the joppa road one...

  • chrisdojo

    Posted Jan 10, 2007 10:43 am PT

    hmm... i'll be skipping this party...

  • BurntToast

    Posted Jan 10, 2007 10:43 am PT

    In other news... my local GameStop has received their shipment of BC and they are currently sitting in their stock room. Too bad I can't purchase my Collector's Editions now... sigh. Would be nice to send those out to my auction winners early.

  • BurntToast

    Posted Jan 10, 2007 9:55 am PT

    The Southern California Fry's Electronics stores will be having devs come in to sign copies and stuff, probably other extra events. Anaheim, Fountain Valley, and Sunnyvale. The LA CityWalk EB Games will have devs as well.

    All Fry's will have 4500 copies of BC, EB Games will have 1500. No words on what the ratio between regular edition and Collector's is (though EB Games probably stopped doing pre-orders for the CE a long time ago like the rest of the EB Games/GameStop chain).

  • KuroriKenshin

    Posted Jan 10, 2007 9:54 am PT

    I just want to know who that cosplayer is and where that picture was taken. dayyumm

  • blackace

    Posted Jan 10, 2007 9:51 am PT

    I haven't played WoW faithfully for several months. Not that I don't like the game, I just got burned out on it. With the expansion I can start fresh again and level all my characters to L70. I'll be playing again on Tuesday morning that's for sure.

  • goddessakasha

    Posted Jan 10, 2007 9:46 am PT

    I'm so sick of hearing about WOW.... seriously.

    DIAF.

  • piecake

    Posted Jan 10, 2007 9:43 am PT

    lol

  • SpiderFreak

    Posted Jan 10, 2007 9:36 am PT

    "Yeah, she's pretty. Although it's sad that most companies (And it seems, Gamespot as well) must stoop to bringing out women to get a man's attention... But that's more of a byproduct of the male brain than aything else..."

    Well, I'd agree with you, except the only way to SEE that pic is to go to this article. Therefore, it's not so much to get a man's attention as it is just a picture of a hawt female geek...Or paid actress.

    SF

  • whiplash

    Posted Jan 10, 2007 9:33 am PT

    I don't play WoW (I prefer Guild Wars). I'm just here to check out the elfish babe... w00t!

  • Autolycus

    Posted Jan 10, 2007 9:31 am PT

    if you come to my store, i'll kill you. a lot of us use GS as a second job

  • blacktorn

    Posted Jan 10, 2007 9:05 am PT

    This expansion will be on the top of the pc charts in every region around the world for many months to come....yaye 0.o

  • Riverwolf007

    Posted Jan 10, 2007 8:41 am PT

    @ ShtickYoMama, Thats 12:01 pacific time, and i wasn't really talking about what time the servers would be up, but what time the servers will be up....then down....then up....then down....ect.ect.ect....and the fact that millions of people will all be trying to log in at 12:01 PST. I could mos def be wrong on this since some of the content has been released and is already live but i wouldn't bet on it.

  • DarqFlare

    Posted Jan 10, 2007 8:39 am PT

    lol @ ChitoKiryoku...

    Yeah, she's pretty. Although it's sad that most companies (And it seems, Gamespot as well) must stoop to bringing out women to get a man's attention... But that's more of a byproduct of the male brain than aything else...

  • zintarr

    Posted Jan 10, 2007 8:11 am PT

    AceCometh, you did not miss much. The South Park episode was a major snore fest. At least I thought so.

  • ChitoKiryoku

    Posted Jan 10, 2007 8:09 am PT

    Warning: Not all Burning Crusade cosplayers look like this one.

    Imagine if they did all look like that... *drools*

    Don't look at me like that, you're visiting a video game site, you're not one hair better than me! xD

  • AceCometh

    Posted Jan 10, 2007 7:53 am PT

    I missed the Southpark episode with WoW in it. It would be nice to see thatchick in the picture at a few different... angles.. in my opinion.

  • SugarWill

    Posted Jan 10, 2007 7:23 am PT

    Let me start by saying that I am a huge WOW fan, I play almost weekday night, and one thing that is pissing me off beyond belief is the 7 million people cant be worng bit. I dont know how many times it needs to be said, but wow does not have 7 million "players", it has 7 million accounts. 1 month free accounts, 10 day trial accounts, refer a friend accounts. There are not 7 million individual people playing the game. I myself have 4 accounts. I used to in a past, miserable, slit my wrists in the morning, kick a puppy, punch a baby, life work as a eb games store manager, and I got 3 free copies of the game. 1 of those copies was given to every gamestop and ebgames manager, and also at other retail outlets as well. What I am saying is that, its not 7 million, probably more like 6,943,223, but thats just a guess.

  • Jebril

    Posted Jan 10, 2007 6:33 am PT

    Most people who play WoW never go to Gamestop.com

    They start up their computer and play Wow. WHY ARE THEY POSTING THIS?

  • Oni

    Posted Jan 10, 2007 6:25 am PT

    This game is AWESOME, because you get to buy the game plus pay a monthly subscription fee so you can waist your life trying to make your cartoon persona look cool so that you can stand around Ironforge all day showing off to pre-teens with attitudes. Not only that but it lets millions of gender confused males "role-play" as skimpy dressed female Night/Blood Elves. 6 million gender confused males with no lives can't be wrong.

  • Sheiko

    Posted Jan 10, 2007 6:20 am PT

    I Really should get my camera and wait outside the stores and take shots of the little MMO slaves grudging back and fourth waiting to get a copy. Youtube parody's here i come!

  • KingofTrolls

    Posted Jan 10, 2007 4:24 am PT

    I just want to walk in get the damn game and walk out. Nuff Said.

  • abelmaestro

    Posted Jan 10, 2007 2:34 am PT

    I don`t like WoW but the girl on the pic looks HOT!!! XD

  • datniccah187

    Posted Jan 10, 2007 12:33 am PT

    Specail WOW themed events huh. Thats rediculous.

  • blueflamedino

    Posted Jan 9, 2007 11:57 pm PT

    uhh... I seriously doubt anyone who seriously looks like that is desperate for that game, they might play it but there is no way that they are fanatic enough to wrestle with thousands of disc hungry nerds to get that game

  • ShtickYoMama

    Posted Jan 9, 2007 11:53 pm PT

    Riverwolf007
    A midnight release for a game that will be impossible to log into for 24 hours, makes perfect sense.

    Sorry, not true riverwolf...I know from an e-mail I have read that WoW Burning Crusade servers will be up @ 12:01 AM on Tuesday the 16th

  • ssvegeta555

    Posted Jan 9, 2007 10:42 pm PT

    Holy **** she's hot!!!! I must know who she is, because right now I want to roleplay if you know what I mean.. *grins*

  • Sithlord

    Posted Jan 9, 2007 10:32 pm PT

    I like WoW because its easy to pick up and play. I can log on, farm or quest for 1-3 hours and log off. FFXI had a steep team curve to it, but I loved the game. Vanguard says it will pride itself on hardcore players. Let me ask this: if WoW is more for the non-hardcore, and it is, what... 4-6 million users strong, why come out with a hardcore MMO? Will it have the userbase to break even on operating costs? I am sure people will play it, and I wish them the best. But do you think the market can squeeze this in? After Guild Wars, WoW, FFXI, DAOC, EQ 1and 2.. not to mention the rest of the MMO's comming down the line, who's to say.

  • Rhubarb9

    Posted Jan 9, 2007 10:31 pm PT

    Riverwolf007
    A midnight release for a game that will be impossible to log into for 24 hours, makes perfect sense. Btw, Asian Blood Elf cosplay girl FTW!


    agree and AGREE!

  • cobrax80

    Posted Jan 9, 2007 9:47 pm PT

    cool

  • zintarr

    Posted Jan 9, 2007 9:44 pm PT

    Must NOT buy Burning Crusade.
    .
    Must fight the ADDICTION!!!

  • hoverboy

    Posted Jan 9, 2007 9:24 pm PT

    @Kainofury
    "...forget wow. if u want a real mmorpg, get vanguard. that game is going to smoke wow ..."

    I'm on the beta, and quite shocked at how poor Vanguard is at this point. As an apples to apples comparison: when WoW (and EQ2) was this close to shipping they were far, far, far more stable and playable. Vanguard has some promise, but it needs to stay in development for at least another six months. It's barely beta quality right now.

  • Chief_Kuuni

    Posted Jan 9, 2007 9:14 pm PT

    that's cool, I wish I played that game, looks like a good one

  • Riverwolf007

    Posted Jan 9, 2007 8:41 pm PT

    A midnight release for a game that will be impossible to log into for 24 hours, makes perfect sense. Btw, Asian Blood Elf cosplay girl FTW!

  • CheddarLimbo

    Posted Jan 9, 2007 8:40 pm PT

    People, people, PEOPLE - She's not going to be at your Gamestop. Calm the crap down and put your tongues back in your mouths.

  • CivicGSR

    Posted Jan 9, 2007 8:32 pm PT

    That is the hottest cosplay girl I've ever seen. I wish I was a bit nerdier so I could appreciate it more.

  • GANGSTA287

    Posted Jan 9, 2007 7:57 pm PT

    No comment...

  • paranoiasurviva

    Posted Jan 9, 2007 7:57 pm PT

    WTF. I'm not even done with the first game.... I can't even handle an expansion at this point. It looks crazy awesome.

  • Wolverine77

    Posted Jan 9, 2007 7:53 pm PT

    Times like this, im glad i work at the gamestop in the mall, we dont do any of that crazy midnight junk.

  • nero777

    Posted Jan 9, 2007 7:48 pm PT

    cosplay is just plain gross!

  • Impostorzim

    Posted Jan 9, 2007 7:38 pm PT

    I sure do love cosplay. ¨I prefer bunny girls though¨ . Oh yes, that is from .Hack....I´m a loser for bringing up an offline game based on an MMORPG. Anyway, I´m not sitting outside in the middle of night watching a bunch of fat people dressed like blood elves!!!! but I will get Burning Crusade XD

  • jojinko

    Posted Jan 9, 2007 7:29 pm PT

    Asian elf the next E-liberty


    if its one thing gamers like is hot cos play

  • Slash_out

    Posted Jan 9, 2007 7:10 pm PT

    TryMe01
    Warning: All comments below are sexist. I definately know what you guys want, that same that i do

    anyways, i doubt the midnight launch of an expansion will draw attention
    --------------------

    It defenitly will, especially if it's a game that draw more than 7 million users. more than the Wii, Xbox360, and PS3 launch combined drew.

    ps: the picture rox

  • comthitnuong

    Posted Jan 9, 2007 7:03 pm PT

    even though i hate wow i wouldnt mind going to its launch party. Theres usually fun stuff to do there... I actually kinda want to go...that elf is tempting...

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