Burning Crusade delayed, Beta extended

[Groblutsnak]

IRVINE, Calif. -- Blizzard Entertainment® today announced that the release date for World of Warcraft®: The Burning Crusade™, the highly anticipated expansion for World of Warcraft, will be in January 2007. By adding a few extra weeks to the development cycle beyond its original target date, Blizzard will be able to extend the closed beta test and further refine the new content that will ship with the game.

“We appreciate the enthusiasm surrounding World of Warcraft: The Burning Crusade, and we’re excited about putting the finishing touches on all of the new content,” said Mike Morhaime, president and cofounder of Blizzard Entertainment. “We feel confident that the extra time spent polishing the game will result in the high-quality experience that our players expect and deserve.”

Blizzard began the closed-beta phase of testing on World of Warcraft: The Burning Crusade earlier this month. The January 2007 release window will allow extra time for current beta testers to participate in the final stages of development and continue providing valuable feedback.

Further information on specific worldwide release dates, pricing, and other details will be announced in the near future.

[Silv]

Personally I'm glad of its delay.

[Starrain]

Blizzard tends to do this... I'm just happy it's only till Jan 2004... they will problably delay it again, but for a short period witch is good, considering it's blizzard :)

[Votan]

Eh? Jan 2004? :P

I see Diablo II deja vu.

[Pyroxian]

Better late than buggy ;)

Well... Better late than really buggy - it'll be a bit buggy. But hopefully not so buggy that it will drive you buggy 'cos that'd be a bit of a bugger.

Steve

[Nysteda]

Personally I'm glad of its delay.

Me too, more time to lvl up my tauren ftw, yaaay.

[Meistari]

From multiple online games I have played the initial release date has just about never been met. This is why the gaming companies nowadays never say when a game or new content will be released untill they are absolutly certain.

That Blizzard now announces the realse date this can mean 1 of 2 things. That they are pretty darn sure it will be january or they just did a huge booper. Knowing Presidents of any company or country I would put my money on the last option. If a lead developer had spoken then maybe I would felt more sure about it.

Unfortunatly many members of guilds thought otherwise and hoped for november, which has ruined alot fun for raiding guilds due to the "Expansion sickness" due to break untill expansion and demotivation due to the new supposedly superior items easily achiveable in the lower level 60is.

[Zefla]

For some time my colleagues have been pre-ordering BC against a promised release date of Dec. 8, 2006. It must hurt for Blizzard to miss the Xmas trade on BC.

The professional part of me is thinking how nice it is when management actually faces up to the fact that the originally stipulated deadline can't be met.

[Drazzil]

For some time my colleagues have been pre-ordering BC against a promised release date of Dec. 8, 2006. It must hurt for Blizzard to miss the Xmas trade on BC.

The professional part of me is thinking how nice it is when management actually faces up to the fact that the originally stipulated deadline can't be met.

Do you really think any of those would cancel their pre-order? - Actually it would make business-sense for Blizz to delay BC release as long as possible, so they have a better idea of how many copies they need to press :p

Also, naxx and aq40 is nowwhere near the pain-limit for farming until they need to add new content, i'd give that another 2-3 months .. (ofc the guilds that farms naxx now will get bored - but thats .. how many?? - and i guess thay could always throw in a new instance, or add an "hard" mode to naxx or aq with better loot ...)

And ... not to mention, theres not any game at all coming out the next 6 months that is likely to steal many players from wow ...

[Zefla]

Do you really think any of those would cancel their pre-order? No!

My point was, Blizz for once set a release date....

[Tampler]

I have no prob with that, maybe they will have enough time to add things like a place to cut hair or last names....

[Starrain]

http://games.slashdot.org/games/06/10/24/1212204.shtml


... While disappointing now, what will this mean for the yearly WoW expansions long term? As Blizzard COO Paul Sams revealed plans in August that 'Starting with The Burning Crusade, every year thereafter we plan on bringing out a new expansion set.' 2008, 2009, ad infinitum?"

[speeder]

Pretty happy with delay cause i can slow down with leveling my orc warrior.

[Eulanna]

Nah what'll happen is, after Christmas, everyone will take the crappy games they got as presents that were released around Christmas time, bring them back to the shop, and exchange them for TBC.

[Qrolixx]

Nah what'll happen is, after Christmas, everyone will take the crappy games they got as presents that were released around Christmas time, bring them back to the shop, and exchange them for TBC.

QFT. Blizzard r teh ebil.

[Silv]

Could have a pre-order and the money for it as a christmas present :p

[Desaan]

I cancelled my pre-order, rather have the money for Christmas/New Year than for something that 'might' be out in January.

[Commanderass]

Nah what'll happen is, after Christmas, everyone will take the crappy games they got as presents that were released around Christmas time, bring them back to the shop, and exchange them for TBC.

Not if it's NES Metroid.

:D