Confirmed: Blizzard press releases Wrath of the Lich King street date, CE detailed

Blizzard just officially confirmed that World of Warcraft expansion Wrath of the Lich King is to release in the UK - in both standard and Collector's Editions - on November 13.

The game will hit North America, Europe, Mexico, Argentina, Chile, and Russia on November 13; November 14 in Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Malaysia, and Thailand; and Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Macau on November 18.

The Collector's Edition will contain:

• The Art of World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King, a 208-page book featuring never-before-seen images from the game.
• An exclusive in-game pet: Frosty, the baby frost wyrm.
• A behind-the-scenes DVD containing over an hour of developer interviews, the Wrath of the Lich King intro cinematic with director’s commentary, and more.
• The official soundtrack CD, containing 21 epic tracks from the game, along with exclusive bonus tracks.
• A mouse pad featuring a map of the newly opened continent of Northrend.
• Two World of Warcraft Trading Card Game March of the Legion™ starter decks, along with two exclusive cards available only in the Collector’s Edition.

Make no mistake: this will be one of the biggest games industry launches this year. The Burning Crusade launch in London was stupidly over-subscribed, and made the Wii and PS3 launches of the same period look puny by comparison. Don't say we didn't warn you.

Full thing after the break.

WORLD OF WARCRAFT: WRATH OF THE LICH KING
IN STORES STARTING NOVEMBER 13, 2008

Second expansion to Blizzard Entertainment®’s massively multiplayer online role-playing game will be available in standard and special collector’s editions

PARIS, France. – September 15, 2008 – Blizzard Entertainment, Inc. announced today that World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King, the second expansion for its award-winning subscription-based massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG), will arrive in stores on November 13 in North America, Europe, Mexico, Argentina, Chile, and Russia, and November 14 in Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Malaysia, and Thailand. The expansion will be available in Korea and the regions of Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Macau on November 18. Details regarding the launch of Wrath of the Lich King in mainland China will be announced at a later date.

“We’re looking forward to launching Wrath of the Lich King and finally giving World of Warcraft players a chance to take on Arthas and his minions,” said Mike Morhaime, CEO and cofounder of Blizzard Entertainment. “Until then, we’ll continue to refine and playtest the expansion content to make sure it provides a highly polished and entertaining experience.”

World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King sends players to the cold, forbidding continent of Northrend, where the fearsome Lich King Arthas Menethil, last seen in Warcraft® III: The Frozen Throne®, works from his secluded citadel to bring all of Azeroth under his twisted dominion. Players will battle the Lich King’s undead army from the shores of Howling Fjord and Borean Tundra to the seat of his unholy power in Icecrown Glacier. In addition, players will be able to advance characters to level 80 and gain powerful new abilities while exploring several new zones and dungeons. The expansion also introduces a number of exciting new features, including an achievement system, expanded player-vs.-player combat options such as siege weapons and destructible buildings, and the game’s first Hero class -- the necromantic death knight.
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World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King will be available on DVD-ROM for Windows® XP/Windows Vista® and Macintosh® in two packages: a standard edition and a special Collector’s Edition (in select regions). The limited Collector’s Edition package will contain:
• The Art of World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King, a 208-page book featuring never-before-seen images from the game.
• An exclusive in-game pet: Frosty, the baby frost wyrm.
• A behind-the-scenes DVD containing over an hour of developer interviews, the Wrath of the Lich King intro cinematic with director’s commentary, and more.
• The official soundtrack CD, containing 21 epic tracks from the game, along with exclusive bonus tracks.
• A mouse pad featuring a map of the newly opened continent of Northrend.
• Two World of Warcraft Trading Card Game March of the Legion™ starter decks, along with two exclusive cards available only in the Collector’s Edition.

The Wrath of the Lich King expansion requires the original World of Warcraft game, along with World of Warcraft: The Burning Crusade. These two products are combined in the World of Warcraft Battle Chest®. World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King has received a 12 + rating from PEGI.

Since launching in November 2004, World of Warcraft has become the world’s most popular MMORPG, with more than 10.9 million subscribers. The game’s first expansion, The Burning Crusade, broke PC-game sales records in North America and Europe by selling nearly 2.4 million copies in its first 24 hours of availability and approximately 3.5 million copies in its first month.

For more information on World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King, visit the official website at www.wow-europe.com/wrath. With multiple games in development, Blizzard Entertainment has numerous positions currently available. Visit eu.blizzard.com/en/jobs/ for more information and to learn how to apply.

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World of Warcraft’s Subscriber Definition
World of Warcraft subscribers include individuals who have paid a subscription fee or have an active
prepaid card to play World of Warcraft, as well as those who have purchased the game and are within their free month of access. Internet Game Room players who have accessed the game over the last thirty days are also counted as subscribers. The above definition excludes all players under free promotional subscriptions, expired or cancelled subscriptions, and expired prepaid cards. Subscribers in licensees’ territories are defined along the same rules.

About Blizzard Entertainment, Inc.
Best known for blockbuster hits including World of Warcraft and the Warcraft, StarCraft®, and Diablo® series, Blizzard Entertainment, Inc. (eu.blizzard.com/en/), a division of Activision Blizzard (NASDAQ: ATVI), is a premier developer and publisher of entertainment software renowned for creating some of the industry’s most critically acclaimed games. Blizzard Entertainment’s track record includes ten #1-selling games and multiple Game of the Year awards. The company’s online-gaming service, Battle.net®, is one of the largest in the world, with millions of active users.