Aussies line up for Burning Crusade

Hundreds flock to AU Burning Crusade midnight launch; EB Games says WOW expansion biggest PC game launch in Australian history.

Nick Burchell of Roseville, Sydney, was the first in line at last night's Aussie Burning Crusade launch.

Thousands around the world are already grinding their way to level 70 in The Burning Crusade, and last night it was the Aussies' turn to get their hands on the first expansion pack for World of Warcraft.

More than 400 eager gamers lined up last night at Vivendi Games' official midnight launch location at EB Games in Chatswood, Sydney, to grab their copy of The Burning Crusade. While the line was long--stretching out several hundred metres from the front of the store--the mood was upbeat, with several showing up in costume to celebrate the event.

Roseville's Nick Burchell was the first in line, having showed up at EB Games at 5 p.m. yesterday afternoon to start his vigil. "I've prepared for The Burning Crusade for the last two months. I'm going to go straight home, install, and go right to the Outland," he said.

EB Games Australia and New Zealand buying director Shane Stockwell says The Burning Crusade was the biggest PC game launch the retailer has had. "The vibe all night has been awesome--we're thinking that there are at least 300 to 400 people here tonight based on preorders we had in the store," he said.

The line outside EB Games in Chatswood stretched for several hundred metres.

Vivendi Games Australia product marketing manager Chris Davey says World of Warcraft's wide appeal to gamers of all types was the main factor behind the expansion's strong launch. "I think we've really grown past that male 18-to-35 demographic that everyone throws around in the games industry. And I think that's why the game has been so successful--it's touched on so many different types of people," he said. "For EB Games to come out and say it's the biggest launch and had the biggest preorders they've ever received is a great tick in the box for World of Warcraft."

More than 8 million people worldwide have subscribed to World of Warcraft since the game's release in 2004. The Burning Crusade is available in Australia for A$59.95 ($47), while the World of Warcraft game itself is available for A$29.95 ($23).

40 Comments

  • kerc_chaos

    Posted Jan 21, 2007 10:04 pm PT

    I love WoW... but i would never let it take control of my life... i play a couple hours a day... I don't raid... just quest and grind here and there... mess around with the battlegrounds... I would never want to line up and get the collectors edition... in my case i just ordered the game online... and waited for it to be shipped to me... Though i realize that it is easy to get caught up in WoW.

  • GANGSTA287

    Posted Jan 18, 2007 2:16 pm PT

    You have to be a total loser already to let this consume your life, but i'm not calling WOW players losers, cuz i know guys that just treat this like any other game...

    As for the Australia part.. I LOVE AUSSIES!!!!!!!!, well pretty much every part of the English Empire, except for Canada, which is welcome to take its cold weather front back anytime soon...

  • Kravyn81

    Posted Jan 17, 2007 3:43 pm PT

    "8 million subscribers"...Good God.

  • aus_pride

    Posted Jan 17, 2007 2:35 pm PT

    I think Greasemonkey(6 posts down) hit the nail on the head with this one!

  • GANGSTA287

    Posted Jan 17, 2007 12:55 pm PT

    OMG!!!!!

    My four favorite countries are consumed by WOW!!!!

    England, Austraila, and the USA!!!!!!!!

    .... Need to work on my spanish, or are they consumed tooo???

  • Conor_220

    Posted Jan 17, 2007 4:02 am PT

    Yeah worked at EB centrepoint, about 200 people managed to get through them in 45 mins. Wasn't that bad.

  • stunts1337

    Posted Jan 17, 2007 3:48 am PT

    I don't really understand why people were queuing up like this...
    I never pre-ordered my copy of BC and this morning I just drove into EB at Australia Fair, and got a copy and was out of there within a few minutes.

    meh, at least it got them outside for a few hours.

  • nemes1s3000

    Posted Jan 17, 2007 12:47 am PT

    lol, It'd be funny if a couple of years from now, people who'll still be playing this game will go "This is it?"

  • big_bad_byron

    Posted Jan 17, 2007 12:39 am PT

    lol. The expansion pack cost more than the game itself?

  • greasemonkey42

    Posted Jan 17, 2007 12:17 am PT

    Yeah, it's the same as the Halo 2 launch, but at least Halo 2 wasn't a game which robbed people of their money and their lives. I don't like Halo 2 btw, and I don't like what this MMO does to people. Its times like these where gaming really shows its sad darkside.

  • deanvog

    Posted Jan 16, 2007 11:16 pm PT

    Omg look! theres a WOMEN WITH A BABY!!!!! SERIOUS!

    In my opinion WoW is a load of rubbish, 1. cost too much 2. too many people play it 3. i can get a better graphics MMORPG then that.

    40 dollars for 2 months... ASIF U NEED LIKE 3yrs to play this out

  • matrixman2k

    Posted Jan 16, 2007 9:59 pm PT

    Hence the obesity epidemic...

    If nothing else, atleast this'll keep the pc as a gaming platform for a little longer.

    I remember all this talk of the pc being dead for gaming during all the hype of the cell and 360 etc... how wrong they were.

    Still anything can...

  • djape_boss

    Posted Jan 16, 2007 9:58 pm PT

    fkn crazy!!!

  • ketsuatama

    Posted Jan 16, 2007 9:05 pm PT

    Weather in Sydney yesterday and today, a beautiful 27C ; the sea temperature is around 20C; the parks are green and plentiful. The people lined up outside EB Games look like they all need some fresh air and excercise! Australians won't excel at sports if this keeps up!!!

  • RaiKageRyu

    Posted Jan 16, 2007 9:04 pm PT

    Wow, I guess it must be a nice change for them to actually step outside into the real world for a while. They won't come back out until the next expansion.

  • soulessblade

    Posted Jan 16, 2007 8:20 pm PT

    Hey world.

    This is no different to the Halo 2 and Wii lauches we had here in Australia. You'll find that in fact, these were people lineing to pick up their pre-orders. Just like I had to do at midnight, in the rain, with my pre-paid collectors edition of Halo 2 (a great expericence with heaps of giveaways from MS). I'm not into WoW, prefer City of Heros/Villians myself and only play maybe 4-6 hours a week, but I have friends who treat WoW as a second life. I also know a family split over 2 countries that use WoW as a family activity and a way to keep in touch. Now if you derive joy from 18+ hour WoW sessions, who are we to say otherwise? However serial WoW-heads need to be reminded occasionally that there is a world outside their PC too, and that showering/ brushing their teeth is courtesy unto others. Intrestingly enough, friends of mine that work on the helpline for Australia's largest broadband provider, received an email on the day prior to BC's release stating that the employer was aware that this WoW expansion was being released, and that staff taking tomorrow off would have to provide detailed medical evidence of their inability to attend work! Unbeleivable!

    Oh well, a sign of the times.

    Take care all.

  • chicken_123_pie

    Posted Jan 16, 2007 8:12 pm PT

    Which country had the most WoW fans lining up for it? It was probably USA but I think Australia would've been 2nd because there's more nerds over here than there are in the UK. That's just my opinion but it's probably true. However, your cricket team sucks, maybe that's because they play too much WoW. Australians, I think, are good at everything. Americans are good at computer games and nothing else. All their sporting teams suck. What I would like to know though, why is it that whenever there is a gaming tournament, it is only Americans who are allowed to participate? Well, I got into one but I wasn't allowed to win prizes. Maybe they know that at heart we really are better than them. Has anyone here, from Australia, played against an American, beaten them and been called a UKnoob though? I know I have.

  • Doolum

    Posted Jan 16, 2007 7:41 pm PT

    and you say gamer are not a crazy bunch.

  • bababooey1

    Posted Jan 16, 2007 7:40 pm PT

    this is sad you know its a game and of course their was another game that had this much hype h2, but come on its not a new console not that i waited for one at launch either. this nick guy i thought was a girl when i first looked at the picture i forgot those really hardcore gamers like having that really long girl hair dang hippies. Just think though you people sit there and pay $15 a month, while people who have lets say a 360 play games only for $50 a year, you get more to.

  • her0carn

    Posted Jan 16, 2007 7:33 pm PT

    Bertesk what about the people who work 9-5 and are miserable in their life should we start blaming their wrongs. Its just a computer game and MMorpgs dont last 50 years so dont expect it to Ruin your life.

  • 2w-sephiroth

    Posted Jan 16, 2007 7:28 pm PT

    I am not that desperate, I only got a lvl 20 priest, omg I seen a whole family waiting on the Q in a video to play the game. How sad is that! they were all fat too :S. Going to the gym now I hopefully got a life :S

  • Lord_Konda

    Posted Jan 16, 2007 7:26 pm PT

    dat nick dude has no life

  • TryMe01

    Posted Jan 16, 2007 7:12 pm PT

    it is so sad to see people depending on games for their lives...

  • NobuoMusicMaker

    Posted Jan 16, 2007 7:03 pm PT

    No other games had this much profile. WoW is truly a gem.

  • muscrat_01

    Posted Jan 16, 2007 6:42 pm PT

    to bertesk

    What bout the people who lined up for Halo 2, HL2 GTA ect...

    What about the loads of people who line up for video game consoles.

    Oh and your brother needs some self control...... Blaming the game is the Jack Thompson way...

    Hell I dont even like WoW that much...

  • raynimrod

    Posted Jan 16, 2007 6:40 pm PT

    "bertesk
    This is disgusting. To the person first in line, and to all the other people who's lives revolve around this game, go outside and ride a bike.

    This game ruined my brother's life, it's horrible to see so many people eager to throw away their social lives. "

    You shouldn't talk about yourself like that.

  • dagreatvegita

    Posted Jan 16, 2007 6:30 pm PT

    lol WoW rocks

  • bertesk

    Posted Jan 16, 2007 6:15 pm PT

    This is disgusting. To the person first in line, and to all the other people who's lives revolve around this game, go outside and ride a bike.

    This game ruined my brother's life, it's horrible to see so many people eager to throw away their social lives.

  • robotron333

    Posted Jan 16, 2007 6:09 pm PT

    i though the dude in the picture was a girl?!

  • her0carn

    Posted Jan 16, 2007 6:08 pm PT

    Actually read the quests and lore that is given to you dont blaster your way to 60 and go now raiding guild time. I think ive got the WoW lore figured out atm just gotta find out wtf the dark portal means ._.

  • Mechakucha

    Posted Jan 16, 2007 5:48 pm PT

    hmm. first Americans, then brits, now aussies. We get it gamespot, people wanna spend money too much money to get to level 70. One story was enough.

  • Re_ensurer

    Posted Jan 16, 2007 5:42 pm PT

    This is all I'm hearing about in the news.

  • Drewman419

    Posted Jan 16, 2007 5:38 pm PT

    Lol why dont they just preorder?
    WoW not for me.

  • Solaris222002

    Posted Jan 16, 2007 5:19 pm PT

    A few of my friends went to the midnight launch in my town lucky i kicked the WoW habit

  • SoulSlayer_

    Posted Jan 16, 2007 5:16 pm PT

    I honestly don't get why you would line up when you can just order the game online and recieve it a day before it's release...

  • blackngold29

    Posted Jan 16, 2007 5:11 pm PT

    Any game that sells well, and has a decent enough storyline to actually mean something to people is good in my book.

  • Zonelezz

    Posted Jan 16, 2007 5:03 pm PT

    wow that sinane lol thank god my BC collectors came in the mail hahha

  • PoopTete

    Posted Jan 16, 2007 4:58 pm PT

    they probably are preorders. when i preordered my copy of san andreas, i had to wait in line at midnight just like these people.

  • DELTAsnake

    Posted Jan 16, 2007 4:48 pm PT

    Havn't these people heard of preorders? All you have to do is preorder, then you don't have to look like a looser and line up at Midnight.

  • OfficialBed

    Posted Jan 16, 2007 4:47 pm PT

    neato

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