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The Collector is Edition
We take a look inside this handsome package.
By Miguel Lopez | Nov. 24, 2004
The release of a big-name PC game could cause
harrowing doubts as to one's identity, mainly: "am
I, or am I not, a collector?" "Will a fine cloth map
fill a void in my soul?" Well, if you're an MMO
aficionado, be prepared to deal with these
existential quandaries. Blizzard is known to go all
out with its collector's sets, and World of Warcraft
is no exception. The World of Warcraft Collector's
Edition is handsome, chockfull of finely-wrought
goodies, and retails for a comparatively low price
of $79.99. For this, you get both CD and DVD
versions of the game; a hardcover art book; a
soundtrack CD; a behind-the-scenes DVD; a "signed"
manual, exclusive to the edition; an in-game pet,
that's both adorable, and harmless; and last, but
not certainly not least, a cloth map.
Two sets of registration codes come packaged with
the software, one of which is a free 10-day pass
designed to give to a friend, along with the copy of
the game that you don't use. The real-deal reg code
-- which includes a 30 day subscription to the game
-- is located on the front of the collector's
edition manual, on whose rear cover are printed
autographs of the development team. They didn't take
felt pens and mark up every single collector's
manual they shipped, mind you. That probably would
have taken forever, and as you know, the developers
have better things to do -- like increasing the
population counts on the West Coast PvP servers, for
instance.
The 208-page art book that comes included within is
simply beautiful. It has a glossy hardcover, and
it's packed to the gills with all manner of concept
art, ranging from early sketches, to colored
compositions. The contents are broken down into
separate chapters: Races, Monsters, Environments,
Structures and Weapons, Cinematics, and Promotional.
Of particular note are the comps detailing the
process of creating the game's intro cinematic; it's
interesting to see the metamorphosis that the
characters went through from early drafts, to
intricate wireframe models, to the incredibly
lifelike digital actors that bring the intro to
life.
It's easy to get excited about the behind-the-scenes
DVD, and the fact that its primary feature is a
chaptered-up version of the game's intro movie is a
bit misleading. The brunt of its meat comes in the
form of the extra features, which are basically a
series of commentary on the part of the developers,
detailing the game's development. I'll stop there,
though, as we have a full-review of the DVD itself
going up today. The audio CD is composed of 30
separate tracks, which are presumably designed to
keep you in the World of Warcraft long after you log
off. It features four exclusive tracks, each
clocking in at around two minutes. If for any reason
you feel that your everyday existence isn't informed
with enough of a high-fantasy mood, then this
soundtrack CD could be a brilliant remedy. Or if you
simply want a soundtrack by which to host your
Warcraft-themed D&D campaign, this will fit the
bill. ..
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