Warcraft will have bonuses for gamers in DVD and Blu-ray editions
The Warcraft movie that released earlier this summer was unusual for many reasons. Critics found the plot hard to follow, but praised the innovative tech that made the non-human characters lifelike and sympathetic. Perhaps the strangest thing about this movie is that despite poor box office numbers in its home country, Warcraft was a runaway success in China, guaranteeing a sequel.
I’ve spoken to several World of Warcraft fans, some who have been playing since the game’s release over 10 years ago, and less than half had seen the movie in theaters. It’s possible that they were just waiting for the film’s release on home video, which will happen September 27. Apparently, their reticence will be rewarded, as Blizzard will provide those who buy physical copies of the movie with several digital bonuses that can be claimed through a Battle.net account.
Included inside the Warcraft DVD and Blu-ray will be digital keys that can be redeemed for the following:
- Digital copy of World of Warcraft including 30 days of free game time. This includes all expansions up to Warlords of Draenor, meaning it has everything except the recent Legion expansion, which will still cost $49.99 purchased separately.
- Medivh character portrait in Hearthstone. It’s unclear whether this is the same Medivh portrait that could be purchased for $9.99, or whether it might be based on the new model as seen in the One Night in Karazhan expansion.
- Gul’dan Hero in Heroes of the Storm. Chris wrote up what he thought of the risky assassin a couple of months ago.
These extras may differ in regions outside the U.S. and Canada. Of the three, the digital copy of World of Warcraft seems like the best incentive, since that game and its expansions will still cost $19.99 if purchased separately. I could easily see people buying the movie just to gain access to an alternate account for a little while. You can pre-order the movie and get the digital stuff at Amazon, if you’re so inclined.
