Regarding the expan retail pre-order

[Opheylia]

<p>According to the website, if you pre-ordered the retail version you're supposed to be able to play approx a week before release. which would indicate the advance play would begin today. I was wondering how you would get flagged to do this as gamestop gave no tangible item on the pre-order, just a receipt. So there is no code to enter to.. unlock i guess... the pre-play. Does anybody know anything about this?</p>

[C3d3r]

<p>If you read carefully you will notice that advanced play STARTS the 16th.. Everyone else gets to play at the 23rd</p>

[Saihung23]

<p><cite>C3d3r wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p>If you read carefully you will notice that advanced play STARTS the 16th.. Everyone else gets to play at the 23rd</p></blockquote><p>quoted for truthiness</p>

[MaCloud1032]

Preplay starts next week from what I understand release is the 23rd

[Deveryn]

<p><cite>Darksavanna@Venekor wrote:</cite></p><blockquote>Preplay starts next week from what I understand release is the 23rd</blockquote><p>Yes. Retail box access is the 16th. Digital download is the 23rd.</p>

[Saev]

<p><cite>Deveryn wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p><cite>Darksavanna@Venekor wrote:</cite></p><blockquote>Preplay starts next week from what I understand release is the 23rd</blockquote><p>Yes. Retail box access is the 16th <em>for the continental US</em>. Digital download is the 23rd, <em>or the 16th if you live in a designated international area, i.e. not Canada</em>.</p></blockquote><p>Fixed it. <img src="/eq2/images/smilies/8a80c6485cd926be453217d59a84a888.gif" border="0" /></p>

[Opheylia]

<p>Ahh thanks guys. Seems there's going to be a ton of disappointed people then, because i've seen many talking about expansion dropping next week.</p>

[Eveningsong]

<p>Well the game update will be happening next week for everyone, whether they have access to all the new content yet or not <img src="/smilies/3b63d1616c5dfcf29f8a7a031aaa7cad.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" />.  Those who have to wait for a box to arrive or until the 23rd for DD to go to the new zones will still get the new AA trees, UI changes, battlegrounds, etc. on the 16th.</p>

[Geothe]

<p><cite>Eveningsong wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p>Well the game update will be happening next week for everyone, whether they have access to all the new content yet or not <img src="/eq2/images/smilies/3b63d1616c5dfcf29f8a7a031aaa7cad.gif" border="0" />.  Those who have to wait for a box to arrive or until the 23rd for DD to go to the new zones will still get the new AA trees, UI changes, battlegrounds, etc. on the 16th.</p></blockquote><p>True,  however, those without the expansion will not be able to advance beyond lvl 80, beyond 200 AAs, nor make use of any of the new AAs as they require you to be lvl 81 to start to put points into them.</p><p>Battlegrounds are part of the live update, so yes, even without the expansion, people can participate in that.</p>

[woolf2k]

<p>basically if you've pre-ordered it already then you're starting on the 16th. </p><p>(this was limited to USA only but it's my understanding that outside the USA you'll be able to pre-ordered it too now, although i haven't seen any details about it)</p><p>if you can't pre-ordered it then you're stuck waiting till the 23rd when it appears as a digital download from the sony store.</p><p>Outside the Expansion , people will get the GU on the 16th and whatever that entitles you to.</p>

[Obadiah]

<p><cite>Jaine@Nagafen wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p>basically if you've pre-ordered it already then you're starting on the 16th. </p><p>(this was limited to USA only but it's my understanding that outside the USA you'll be able to pre-ordered it too now, although i haven't seen any details about it)</p><p>if you can't pre-ordered it then you're stuck waiting till the 23rd when it appears as a digital download from the sony store.</p><p>Outside the Expansion , people will get the GU on the 16th and whatever that entitles you to.</p></blockquote><p>You don't have to pre-order at all. The 16th is for retail - whether pre-ordered or just picked up. The only reason to pre-order is if you aren't certain it will be in your local store on 2/16.</p>

[woolf2k]

<p><cite>Kurgan@Everfrost wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p><cite>Jaine@Nagafen wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p>basically if you've pre-ordered it already then you're starting on the 16th. </p><p>(this was limited to USA only but it's my understanding that outside the USA you'll be able to pre-ordered it too now, although i haven't seen any details about it)</p><p>if you can't pre-ordered it then you're stuck waiting till the 23rd when it appears as a digital download from the sony store.</p><p>Outside the Expansion , people will get the GU on the 16th and whatever that entitles you to.</p></blockquote><p>You don't have to pre-order at all. The 16th is for retail - whether pre-ordered or just picked up. The only reason to pre-order is if you aren't certain it will be in your local store on 2/16.</p></blockquote><p>don't be an [Removed for Content]. the product doesn't comeout till the 23rd so any purchase before then is a preorder whether it's sitting on a shelve or not. And I highly doubt you'll find find it on any shelf after the 16th,  most likely will need to order it from your brick and mortar establishment to "walk in" and get it.</p>

[Obadiah]

<p><cite>Jaine@Nagafen wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p>don't be an [Removed for Content]. the product doesn't comeout till the 23rd so any purchase before then is a preorder whether it's sitting on a shelve or not. And I highly doubt you'll find find it on any shelf after the 16th,  most likely will need to order it from your brick and mortar establishment to "walk in" and get it.</p></blockquote><p>lol. I'm not - at least not intentionally. There's a difference. It will be on shelves in stores on 2/16. That is the release date. If I got into a store and buy it on 2/16 it's not a pre-order. It's walking in and buying it on release date. If I go into a store today and pre-order it, and then go pick it up next Tuesday, that's a pre-order.</p><p>EDIT: The whole purpose behind shafting DD people was to increase retail presence. One would hope given the amount of ill-will generated by the whole fiasco that it would actually work. Here ya go:</p><p><a href="http://forums.station.sony.com/eq2/posts/list.m?start=750&topic_id=462534" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">http://forums.station.sony.com/eq2/...topic_id=462534</a></p><p><cite>Kiara wrote:</cite></p> <blockquote><p><span >Any retail version, whether purchased now or on the 18th, or 20th of February will have the headstart.  Obviously if you walk into a store and buy it on the 20th, you'll only get three days, but the bonuses are not depedent on pre-order status.</span></p></blockquote>

[woolf2k]

<p>then the so called "headstart" is bogus. there is no "headstart". since the release date has been changed to the 16th. </p><p>They've simply pushed back the digital download to the 23rd. </p><p>it WAS scheduled to be "released" on the 23rd, however you can buy it retail for a 7 day "headstart" . </p><p>essentially its all the same dates just re-marketed differently .</p><p>Probably because of the negative impression they've left on people with previous so called headstarts. they never were cause retailers specially online retailers didn't release the product on time for the headstart to mean anything.</p>

[mikbove]

<p>Personally I'm getting a little more than just sick of this fiasco now.  Officially 6 days left now until non usa members can preorder via digital download and still no information on it.</p><p>I think SOE seems to forget that for many of us the recession is hitting hard and have to budget even for games.  Still no news of how much is going to cost or even where we can get it from.  I'm beginning to think there will be no digital download or if there is the price is going to be sky high.</p><p>Its about time SOE pulled their fingers out and gave us the information they claim to have.  They say they have already got confirmation on who is going to supply the downloads, if thats the case when do they plan on telling us, 24 hours before its due to come out?</p><p>The customer service on this front is more than a little slack and no doubt this thread will be locked because SOE appear to suddenly not like paying members airing their concerns and criticisims.</p>

[Kiara]

<p>No, it is a headstart.</p><p>Yes, I know it's close to the 16th and people want to know who the international DD distributors will be.</p><p>We will post the information as soon as we are able.</p>