WoW: Burning Crusade digital distribution

by Alexander Sliwinski { Feb 3rd 2007 at 1:30PM }

Well, this explains why Blizzard kept stalling on answering our distribution questions. Blizzard began very quietly offering World of Warcraft: Burning Crusade through digital distribution this week.

The offer is made every time you start up WoW, so it's not like players who decided to ignore the launch have that option anymore. The expansion costs $39.99 online, the same as in the the stores, preventing the need for pesky poisonous outdoor air to enter one's lungs.

The digital distribution question about WoW has been floating around since The Burning Crusade was announced. Guess it was nice for Blizzard to give the brick and mortar stores a chance before they totally cut them off and made their use in Burning Crusade distribution obsolete. Other than those who need the box to feel complete, what's the point of getting the Burning Crusade in a store now? Not to mention that this shows Blizzard will use a similar tactic in future expansions.

Tags: burning crusade, digital distribution, world of warcraft, wow

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

panzerjedi @ Feb 3rd 2007 1:47PM

WoW has been available via digital distribution for almost a year now.
http://www.direct2drive.com/6/878/product/Buy-World-of-Warcraft-Download

Dan @ Feb 3rd 2007 1:48PM

I'll still buy my copy in a store. Unless it was 10+ dollars cheaper online. I like having the CD so I have a nice physical backup just in case.
And what, like it's more convenient to pull out your credit card and type in all your information than it is to buy it while your at Walmart/Target?

lucky644 @ Feb 3rd 2007 2:08PM

This is exactly what I was waiting for, except a friend gave me his key for free already :p

PoliticalGamer @ Feb 3rd 2007 2:10PM

As I posted in the WoWInsider article, it takes much less time total to get Burning Crusade at the store and install via a CD vs. downloading. When I downloaded the original WoW for the 10-day trial, it took nine hours for the file to come down. And that was last fall; I don't want to know what the download times will be if you're going for it when everyone else is as well.

Pyronite @ Feb 3rd 2007 2:18PM

Err, yeah. I'm one of those who likes the box and the CD. I don't buy many games, and I'd buy even less without the manual and all the goodies that come with it.

Seriously, why is this the same price? I suppose it's because people will pay it, but it hardly seems equivalent to all you can get by walking into a store.

Zaidyn @ Feb 3rd 2007 2:25PM

The stores can counter this by simply lowering their prices by $5. I know it's a new release, so they won't do that yet, but it will happen.

Night Elve @ Feb 3rd 2007 3:05PM

Exactly! I prefer to buy my games on a store, I need to physically have the game (CD, Manual, Goodies, Etc).

If i have the choice to buy it online and in a store, i will always choice the store.

s256 @ Feb 3rd 2007 3:39PM

I bought it online through a store that offered free shipping. It's in another province too, so I didn't have to pay provincial tax. My credit card calculates the exchange rate and I'm pretty sure it would have exceeded $50 CAD, so I probably saved a couple bucks getting it from the store. NCIX.com is my very favourite online store!

I like having the box; I shouldn't have "activated" my original WoW subscription account online. It was cheaper at the time, though. Now I can get it for $19.99 in stores, which is nothing.

RogueJedi86 @ Feb 3rd 2007 4:01PM

I did the online download last night, after a bad experience from buying the box online elsewhere. I used a site (CD WOW! USA) that had free shipping. Then when I got it, they had sent me the European release of BC, which doesn't work. They don't sell the version compatible with the US WoW(Ironic, I know), so I have to send it in for a refund.

At least buying it online, I'm guaranteed to have the right version. And it only took about 4 hours, which I did last night. I love manuals and all that, but I like the futuristic feel of downloading it. It may cost the same, but that $40 is pure profit to Blizzard. No extra money going to the retailers, game box manufacturers, etc. So the downloading option is more profitable to Blizzard.

Sonicandtails @ Feb 3rd 2007 5:20PM

@1
Congratulations. You did not read anything did you? This is about BC.

kyou @ Feb 3rd 2007 5:40PM

Damn it Sonicandtails, you beat me to it.

And yeah... digital distribution is great for those of us who don't live in the states and for Europeans that play the American version. What I'd like to know is why did they wait so long? People were asking -- demmanding digital distribution in the forums and beta forums before BC was launched. WoW just ignored us.

Oh, and BC's box is... well... pretty crappy. The CDs don't even have plastic cases and the manual is in black and white (and also contains useless crap). It also takes longer to install 4 CDs than an exe in your HD. So the only thing worth of some attention would be the box -- the cardboard box. The one you will either throw away or just store it with the other crap you don't need or want but you still have.

Lonin @ Feb 3rd 2007 8:13PM

I'm surprised that this wasn't an option right away. SOE has been doing digital distribution with EQ expansions for probably 4 years now. It's pretty standard practice within the industry these days.

Severran @ Feb 3rd 2007 11:20PM

Frankly, digital distribution for me feels a lot like franchising; no longer do you own a game by buying it, rather, you own a 'license' to play the game on your machine and maybe transport it to a new machine once or twice. Call me old fashioned, but while I appreciate the convenience of digital distribution, I like having a tangible, shiny object to call my own in exchange for my $50 bucks.

Goober @ Feb 4th 2007 11:30AM

I really don't have a problem with digital distribution as long as a full retail copy is still available. What I DO have a problem with is the downloadable version costing as much as the retail copy. Digital Distribution eliminates many of the expenses associated with releasing a game and the customer should get at least a little price break because of it.

jojo29 @ Feb 5th 2007 8:19AM

Yeah im in the same boat in needing to have the physical media. I dont know why, but it feels like a "hollow victory" type of thing when it comes to downloading games/movies/cds/magazines/etc..

I'd rather have the physical media of whatever it is im buying for various reasons.

Magazines: I'd much rather have the physical magazines, just because i can read it anywhere, at the breakfast table, in the shitter, while im playing WoW, etc..

CDs/DVDs/Games/etc..: I'd much rather have the physical media of these because 1) I love having the manuals as well as the cool box art, hey i paid for the darn box and manual, might as well enjoy them..which leads me to believe since the digital version is the same price, i feel bad for those people, hey at least i get a book and nice box for my trouble of going to the store, and hey ill swing by Mckie D's/Jack in the Crack/Carl's/W/E tickles your fancy while im at it, and 2) Computers crash, Hard Drives fuck up, i would HATE to have to RE Download those games again, or, what if you can't REdownload them because they are too old and the company doesnt offer that download anymore?