StarCraft 2: Wings of Liberty Collector's Edition hands-on (and more StarCraft 2 stories)

While some of you may be waiting on line at this very moment, queued up for the midnight launch of the much-anticipated first installment of StarCraft 2, reading this post from your phone (or the Joystiq iPhone app?), your pals at Joystiq got our copy a little early. And not just any copy, but the truly fancy Collector's Edition.

Now, hold on, before you get angry let us explain! Sure, Blizzard sent us a copy so we could get some early time with the game, even if it is just a few hours. But instead of doing that, we spent the entire day photographing the box and all the included goodies – like the art book, the comic, the guest passes, the dog tag slash USB drive – and then painstakingly hand-assembling the below gallery, just for you. So while you're waiting on line, reading this post, you know just what it is you've got to look forward to. Still angry? We thought not.

Not waiting on line anywhere? No worries, we'll be giving this bad boy away soon enough. Check out some more StarCraft 2 links from Big Download after the break.

StarCraft 2 Collector's Edition (hands-on)

	StarCraft series retrospective StarCraft 2 has been many, many years in the pipe. We've been waiting a massive twelve years, and in only a few days, it will drop into our laps, resplendent in all its alien-destroying glory. Still, one should never forget to look at the original StarCraft series.
	StarCraft 2 – A timeline from the original to the sequel In March of 1998 Blizzard released StarCraft, its new RTS game. While many thought the game would be a sales hit no one predicted that the title would be a huge seller with millions of copies sold worldwide. No one predicted that the game would still be played even today.
	Interview with StarCraft Heaven's Devils author William C Dietz With the release later tonight of StarCraft 2, the fans of Blizzard's sci-fi RTS game will soon have a new part of the vast StarCraft lore to chew on. However fans of the game series have already had a number of expansions of the back story via a series of novels published by Simon and Schuster. The latest such novel is StarCraft Heaven's Devils by veteran sci-fi author William C. Dietz.
	StarCraft 2 Contest 1: Win one of three copies of the game We hinted last week that we would have some StarCraft 2 giveaways this week, and guess what? We are going to start things off with a bang. We have three copies of the standard edition of Blizzard's long awaited sci-fi RTS game that are just waiting to be one by three of our loyal Big Download readers.

Reader Comments (33)

Waiting in line? Bah. Gamestop didn't offer an "in-store pickup" option for the collector's edition. :(

Going to wal-mart to get mine. I didn't pre-order. but I called and apparently my town is lame and no one else is even in line yet. I got nothing to worry about.

Is it a regional thing that determines whether people say "Waiting on line" vs. "Waiting in line"?

@Drew327

i don't think so, i mean, you can't wait on line, online maybe? but that makes no sense.

i think it's a typo, i an o are right next to each other

@Drew327 yes it is a regional thing.

@Drew327 I noticed on the CAGcast that both Cheapy and Wombat also say they waited on line. It irritated me, but reading it again here makes me assume people also say it that way!

@Drew327 People from downstate NY/Long Island tend to say "on line." I've always said "in line," but I don't know if that's a my-parents-thing or an upstate-NY-thing.

@Drew327 Yeah, uneducated people say it that way.

I really want to get this, but i am boycotting Activision.

I see this boycott failing, Blizzard shouldn't pay for my hate of all things Activision.

@BrianH

But Blizzard games are good and filled with love. It's not like it's one of the game activision rushed for a money grab.

@BrianH
You know Activision owns about 0% of Blizzard, correct? That Activision was purchased by Vivendi with WoW money, right?

@ticklefist You do know what you just said is rubbish, right?

If I go to a midnight launch, do I need to have a reserved copy?

@Special Agent Steve

Nope. You can just walk in and buy it. As long as there isn't a line, at least. Then you have to wait.

@Xiegfried
Cool, there are a couple gamestops around me (within 5 miles). Should be able to pick it up pretty easily.

@Special Agent Steve

Even better shot at walmart. Not as many people got there for midnight releases.

I want that USB drive. :o

Waiting in line? It's sitting on my desk at home waiting for me to finish work! One good thing about living on the other side of the world (NZ), we're always a day ahead :)

...wait, what?

Sure, it's a pretty nice Collector's Edition, but carries a $40 premium (and that's $50 over a normal PC game). For basically the same amount of stuff (art book, DVD, soundtrack, fancy manual, plus lithographs instead of the comic book) carried a $15 premium over the normal. So, basically, it's $25 for the flash drive - which is pretty insane.

Plus, these big boxes SEEM nice, but trust me: one day your room starts getting a bit packed and you really wish it just came in a DVD case. Me, I had to to break down and get rid of my Warcraft III Collector's Box.

@Aerothorn wow, apparently I can't completely my sentences. Warcraft III CE carried the $15 premium.

@Aerothorn
Well, the flash drive does have the original Starcraft and Brood War in it. (http://us.blizzard.com/en-us/company/press/pressreleases.html?100408) The CE is still quite expensive, though.

@The Tofunator

Yeah but you can get the Battle Chest for $10 now and really the majority of people who are going to buy SC2 will already have both SC and Brood War anyway.

I'm patient enough to wait for my order from Amazon. Thanks for the heads up on what to look forward to though Chris!

@Misfit Toy I'm not! Why is it still shipping soon?! GAAAHHH!

Nah, I'll just wait for the Battle Chest edition with all the campaigns. Paying full price for 1/3 of the game is kinda silly.

@pika2000 I can't help but doubt that they'll actually release future campaigns as full sixty dollar packages.
It'd be nice if they did them as downloadable packs. Considering the full multiplayer experience is already set.

@pika2000

StarCraft = 10 missions for each race (30 missions) + multiplayer
SC Expansion = 10 missions for each race (30 missions) + multiplayer add-on's

StarCraft 2 = 30 missions for Terran + multiplayer
SC 2 Expansions = 30 missions for a single race + multiplayer add-on's

so what was your issue with the game again? If you think that SC2 is not a full game well that is one thing (an opinion, a very very naive opinion). If you think the game is not worth the money well again we don't even know what the price will be yet. although blizzard has said we will get our monies worth.

@Deschain
I'm not saying you should not buy the game. I'm just saying that I, me, would rather wait for the Battle Chest edition. Eg. I can probably buy all Command & Conquer games ever created including all the expansions, for less. Blizzard will get my money worth, with Battle Chests. :P

@pika2000

Yeah that's what I read too...you kinda got hated on...mostly.

@pika2000

But calling WoL 1/3rd of a game is kinda slighted. That is what I meant.

Is this how all games are being sold now?

I like it.

Just picked up the game. Not a big line maybe about 15-20 guys and i was 2nd in line. Installing it right now and sadly i only got the regular edition.

@comtar3xgmailcom

ready!..............................................................FIRE!