Wrath of the Lich King Release Date

[Maticus]

When do you think we'll see WotLK in the stores? First guesses put the date around Summer time, but lately it's shifted more towards the end of the year. Would Blizzard let the release of Warhammer go completely unchallenged by delaying Wrath for months? Surely that would be asking for trouble... What do you think?

Will we see WotLK in the Summer, towards the end of this year or even next year?

[PlayThemAll]

Hopefully later in my case, I just rerolled a Lock after taking some time off and need time to get up to speed.

[Xlorep DarkHelm]

I'm optimistic at heart. I say Summer 2008. In all likelihood, it will be late 2008, and might end up getting delayed (typical of Blizzard) until 2009.

[rgirty]

I think its going to come a lot sooner than people realize.

June at the latest imo.

[piscene]

I anticipate a July 4th release, just like the big summer movies.

[Caderbery]

Im hopping for a mid year release, give me chance to get the last few chars i want up to 70.

[det]

Wow..aren't we bored? A poll on an estimated release date.

I say.."When it's done"

[Ablach]

Wow..aren't we bored? A poll on an estimated release date.

I say.."When it's done"

QFT!

There needs to be a 4th option of when its done. I have enough to do now that as excited as i am for WotLK to come out, its not like I'm bored or *NEED* it.

[Valas Azuviir]

Have to agree, poll needed a 4th option. Something like, it'll be released prior to Duke Nukem Forever. :grin:

[piscene]

Wow..aren't we bored? A poll on an estimated release date.


Of course we're bored. It's 14 degrees F. out, and I don't want to do any work. So I happily welcome a poll with no meaning or bearing on anything. :grin:

[mesonm]

I think its going to come a lot sooner than people realize.

June at the latest imo.

what are you willing to wager on that date? ;)

[Baboon]

I think it's either summer or earlier. 2.4 is the last patch, I don't think they can wait for 6 months after that.

[Naolin]

Summer probably or earlier, like Baboon said 2.4 is the last patch they won't wait long after that or at least I hope.

[Wintrow]

Summer probably or earlier, like Baboon said 2.4 is the last patch they won't wait long after that or at least I hope.

2.4 is the last patch before WotLK that has a raid dungeon in it. Doesn't mean they won't have a 2.5, 6, 7, ...

[dgrampa]

If we see it before 2009 I will be amazed.

[Naolin]

2.4 is the last patch before WotLK that has a raid dungeon in it. Doesn't mean they won't have a 2.5, 6, 7, ...

oh I thought they said it was the last content patch before WOTLK

[Maticus]

Can anyone remember how long the Burning Crusade was available on Beta testing? I ask this because there's no hint of a beta being ready, even in the early stages yet, so I still think it's going to be a long way off.

And in regards to a gap between 2.4 (Sunwell) and the expansion, how long was Naxxramas, which was the Sunwell equivalent pre TBC, open to players before TBC was released? A few months I think.

[rgirty]

what are you willing to wager on that date? ;)

A wager wouldn't mean anything and even my friends that work at blizzard don't have any kind of firm handle.

But from the people I talk to and my own thoughts lead me to believe that it will be on, near or around the release of warhammer.

I don't think blizz wants to let warhammer go uncontested, and with 2.4 being the last content patch it would have been 3-4 months since blizz introduced any new content into the game to keep people going.

I don't know about anyone else but za failed for me. I was seriously underwhelmed.

Maybe its just the fact that I dislike trolls, outdoor zones and what seems like a few gimmick or stack the group fights.

[mesonm]

A wager wouldn't mean anything and even my friends that work at blizzard don't have any kind of firm handle.

But from the people I talk to and my own thoughts lead me to believe that it will be on, near or around the release of warhammer.

I don't think blizz wants to let warhammer go uncontested, and with 2.4 being the last content patch it would have been 3-4 months since blizz introduced any new content into the game to keep people going.

I don't know about anyone else but za failed for me. I was seriously underwhelmed.

Maybe its just the fact that I dislike trolls, outdoor zones and what seems like a few gimmick or stack the group fights.

If your friends at blizz don't know, that is one indication that it won't likely be soon.

I think Blizz will make sure Warhammer is released prior to their expansion, to make sure that people can have something new to choose....

No way will the expansion be out by this coming June.

[rgirty]

If your friends at blizz don't know, that is one indication that it won't likely be soon.

I think Blizz will make sure Warhammer is released prior to their expansion, to make sure that people can have something new to choose....

No way will the expansion be out by this coming June.

Meh, we'll see.

I predicted 2.3 to the very day more than 6 weeks before it was released.

Maybe i'm all wrong, but june is my guess.

I honestly hope I am, i want to see black temple.

[TPMdm]

WotLK isn't aimed at the same audience as Warhammer. It's aimed mostly at keeping existing customers. Current customers will probably fall into a few general categories:

1. Gonna try Warhammer, like it, but then come back to their true love.
2. Gonna try Warhammer, like it more than WoW and ditch wow
3. Warhammer? Who Drops Warhammer? Is it T6? Can you dual wield Warhammer?
4. Try Warhammer, and hate it.

With that in mind Blizzard doesn't need to "go toe to toe" with Warhammer. WotLK only needs to come around Warhammer to give #1 something to hang their hats on and #3 something to spend their money on. They can't do anything about #2. So, I'd vote "when it's ready" but I'll go with ends of summer

[rgirty]

so, what your saying is that the:

1. Addition of the arena
2. Changes to the pvp system
3. the pvp wide ZONE that is coming in WotlK with siege weapons and attackable structures (the zone the size of westfall).

Aren't aimed toward the same player base that warhammer is trying to get?

Warhammer = pvp

Blizzard installing more PvP options (such as the zone) into wotlK. Coincidence? I don't think so. Again.. i could be wrong.

[mesonm]

Meh, we'll see.

I predicted 2.3 to the very day more than 6 weeks before it was released.


"more than six weeks".....but was your prediction six months prior? Or was it more like six weeks and a day? :grin:

As we know, accuracy falls off greatly as more time is available between the prediction and the predicted date.

I would welcome your prediction coming true, but doubt it very much.

Blizz said for nearly two years that they were on course for an expansion...and even announced it at blizzcon, and it took more than 18 months (more like 21-22, IIRC) after that to deliver it.

how long did that beta last? Has this one gone beta? :cool:

[rgirty]

I've found that beta does not matter.

However, I will have a beta key the moment they are available and intend to create thread on these very forums detailing the journey of my char from 70-80, the new inscription profession and tailoring from 375-450.

Upon reaching 80 I will begin my deathknight info.

Will there be other information out there? yeah probably quite a bit, but I intend to deliver what I can with screenshots and the like.

The only thing I probably won't post much about is paladins, they don't like me much around here so i'm not inclined to go out of my way for them.

[TPMdm]

I was thinking mroe along the lines of style and genre rather than warhammer = pvp and wow = carebear.

If you want to unsheath a sword or cast a spell WoW
If you want to pew pew then warhammer

[Shellar]

Note the difference between WoW's and WHO's hardware requirements. That's another chunk of Blizzard's playerbase that ain't going away.

[Maticus]

Eeeek, the number of people who think we won't see Wrath until the end of the year have overtaken the Summer voters!

[Gormidan]

I'll predict sometime around summer of 2008.

[rottentomato]

in all actuality, id place WotLK around late fall early winter of 2008...gaming companies and console companies think alike... maximize profit and maintain strict outflow to ensure stable profits on a release...id say they release in november aprox 1 million units, and december up it to around 2 million, thus making sure that some subscribers are even downloading releases for it...

it would be a smart marketing scheme to NOT release during a dead sales time.

[Leviathonlx]

in all actuality, id place WotLK around late fall early winter of 2008...gaming companies and console companies think alike... maximize profit and maintain strict outflow to ensure stable profits on a release...id say they release in november aprox 1 million units, and december up it to around 2 million, thus making sure that some subscribers are even downloading releases for it...

it would be a smart marketing scheme to NOT release during a dead sales time.

Game companies have learned in recent years that if there game is good it doesn't matter when they release it. Hence why you see a lot of games not worry about being out before x-mas anymore.

Now as for when WotLK would be out I am guessing fall/winter of this year with the alpha beginning in August/September. Course this is with the info we have been given so far. Future news from interviews such as tomorrows Blizzcast may show the game is progressing quite well.

[piscene]

it would be a smart marketing scheme to NOT release during a dead sales time.

I wonder how much this comes into play for an expansion of a current game. It's not as though lots of people are going to run out and buy WoW and TBC for the first time just because WotLK comes out...at least, I wouldn't think so.

They're pretty much marketing to their existing customer base, so the time of the release may not matter much.

[Shellar]

When you're selling the digital equivalent of legalized cocaine, you don't have to worry about the calendar. There are millions of people out there who will buy WotLK as soon as it hits the shelves, regardless of whether it happens in January or June.

No, the real challenge is to make this expansion good enough to ensure that all these addicted throngs will continue to shell out subscription fees for another couple of years. That's why I placed my vote for a late release date.

[Naolin]

When you're selling the digital equivalent of legalized cocaine, you don't have to worry about the calendar. There are millions of people out there who will buy WotLK as soon as it hits the shelves, regardless of whether it happens in January or June.

No, the real challenge is to make this expansion good enough to ensure that all these addicted throngs will continue to shell out subscription fees for another couple of years. That's why I placed my vote for a late release date.

True I would buy the expansion even if its released in the middle of summer, sure I'll play less but I'll still buy it :p

[Ankh]

I have been collecting release time guesstimates from a huge amount of sources now, and then taken the average (I did this many weeks ago, but now the number of guesstimates are higher). When the amount of guesstimates is large, the average is expected to be pretty close to the real value.

If I round to the nearest 2 weeks, the Wrath of the Lich King will be released...wait for it...drums...

October 15th 2008.

...and Blizzard probably doesn't know it yet...;-)

[Maticus]

I have been collecting release time guesstimates from a huge amount of sources now, and then taken the average (I did this many weeks ago, but now the number of guesstimates are higher). When the amount of guesstimates is large, the average is expected to be pretty close to the real value.

If I round to the nearest 2 weeks, the Wrath of the Lich King will be released...wait for it...drums...

October 15th 2008.

...and Blizzard probably doesn't know it yet...;-)

That's very interesting, thanks Ankh :thumbsup:

[piscene]

the digital equivalent of legalized cocaine

That's too funny. :thumbsup:

[Xlorep DarkHelm]

When you're selling the digital equivalent of legalized cocaine, you don't have to worry about the calendar. There are millions of people out there who will buy WotLK as soon as it hits the shelves, regardless of whether it happens in January or June.

No, the real challenge is to make this expansion good enough to ensure that all these addicted throngs will continue to shell out subscription fees for another couple of years. That's why I placed my vote for a late release date.

But Blizzard has a history of never bothering with release dates until they are good and ready. Even long before WoW was on the block.