Special Warhammer Online Preorder Offer Now Available In Australia

Update: The offer is available at more retailers than I first thought! They have been added.

EA’s just sent word that Australian gamers can now preorder the Collector’s Edition of Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning. It weighs in at a chunky $129.95, which sounds darn expensive, but not horrible when you consider the preorder bonuses and the contents of the CE.

Preorder bonuses? Yes, I definitely said bonuses. I don’t have to make them up either – EA went ahead and included them in the press release. Thoughtful, don’t you think?

Okay, okay. Here they are:

• Access to Open Beta
• Special early access to the live game
• Bonus in-game items:
RITTENBACH’S PORTABLE CAMP: Rest your weary soul and heal your wounds between battles
SENTINEL’S AMBER BAND: Enhance your stats and cast “Touch of Earth,” increasing your chance of doing additional corporeal damage with each hit (Usable in PvE combat only)

Note the preorder offer is valid only at EB Games, JB Hi-Fi, Harvey Norman, Dick Smith, GAME, GamesMen, Games Warehouse and a number of independents. That’s a very healthy smattering of retailers.

If you’re keen, I wouldn’t recommend waiting. According to EA, only 6,000 copies of the Collector’s Edition are available in Oz.

The CE itself has its own delicious treats. They come in the form of a Games Workshop miniature of Grumlok and Gazbag (goblins, not Klingon warriors, as I first assumed going by the names); the graphic novel Prelude to War by Graham McNeill; the 224-page The Art of Warhammer Online; The Grindmonger Trilogy, an in-game item that allows you to earn experience at an increased rate; and bonus in-game content including quests, titles, rewards and character heads (for that unique look).

Hit the jump for a juicy, detail-filled press release.

EA ANNOUNCES WARHAMMER® ONLINE: AGE OF RECKONING™ COLLECTOR’S EDITION AVAILABLE IN AUSTRALIA

The Ultimate Warhammer Online Experience Includes Exclusive Miniature, Original Graphic Novel, Bonus Quests and Rewards, Art Book, and More

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Sydney, Australia, 29 May, 2008 – Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ: ERTS) today announced that the Warhammer® Online: Age of Reckoning™ (WAR) Collector’s Edition will be available through key Australian retailers, with pre-orders beginning today.

This Collector’s Edition of EA Mythic’s massively-multiplayer online role-playing game will be packed with bonus in-game content and unique collectibles unavailable elsewhere, including an exclusive Games Workshop miniature.

A limited number of 6,000 copies of the Collector’s Edition will be available in Australia and those who pre-order the product will receive additional exclusives including:
• Access to Open Beta
• Special early access to the live game
• Bonus in-game items:
o RITTENBACH’S PORTABLE CAMP: Rest your weary soul and heal your wounds between battles
o SENTINEL’S AMBER BAND: Enhance your stats and cast “Touch of Earth,” increasing your chance of doing additional corporeal damage with each hit (Usable in PvE combat only)

“Collecting has been a part of the Warhammer hobby experience for 25 years, and this special Collector’s Edition continues the tradition with exclusive offerings, including an official Games Workshop miniature,” said Mark Jacobs, VP and General Manager, EA Mythic. “We are bringing the quintessential elements of Warhammer – tabletop miniatures, incredible fantasy art, and delightfully grim fiction – along with exciting in-game bonus content, together in what is sure to be one of the premier Collector’s Editions of all time.”

The WAR Collector’s Edition with an RRP of $129.99 will be available for pre-order at EB Games, Harvey Norman, GAME, Dick Smith Electronics, JB Hi-Fi, GamesMen, Games Warehouse and select independent retailers.

The WAR Collector’s Edition will include:
EXCLUSIVE GAMES WORKSHOP MINIATURE – GRUMLOK AND GAZBAG
From the Age of Reckoning to your tabletop battle! Based on original characters from the MMORPG and designed by Games Workshop specifically for the Collector’s Edition, this official Warhammer metal miniature depicts the Greenskin warboss, GRUMLOK, and his shaman, GAZBAG, in rich detail. WAAAGH!

ORIGINAL GRAPHIC NOVEL – PRELUDE TO WAR
The forces of Order and Destruction collide under the red Chaos moon! Commissioned exclusively for the Collector’s Edition, PRELUDE TO WAR is a full-colour, 128-page hardcover graphic novel that sets the stage for the start of the game. Written by acclaimed Games Workshop writer Graham McNeill, the oversized book is richly illustrated by Chad Hardin, Joe Abraham, Rahsan Ekedal, Tony Parker, and Kevin Hopgood. Each of the graphic novel’s six chapters tells a unique story about the armies in the game, and together they detail the events leading up to the Age of Reckoning:

ART BOOK – THE ART OF WARHAMMER ONLINE
A stunning collection of art that gave birth to the Age of Reckoning! THE ART OF WARHAMMER ONLINE is a 224-page hardcover collection of original art from the game. Each of the glossy, full-colour pages showcases the talented work of our concept artists and offers a glimpse at a world in the making.

BONUS IN-GAME ITEM – THE GRINDMONGER TRILOGY
This is one Warhammer self-help book that is definitely worth the read. Readers of the Grindmonger Trilogy earn experience at 110% of normal levels for a limited time. The book can be read 3 times before losing its arcane powers. (+10% XP modifier for 60 minutes, 3 uses, 90 minute reuse timer.)

BONUS IN-GAME CONTENT – QUESTS, REWARDS, AND TITLES
New adventures and just rewards await players on the battlefields of WAR! Purchasers of the Collector’s Edition will begin their adventures in the Age of Reckoning with twelve (12) bonus quests awaiting them in their Tome of Knowledge. Each quest offers an exciting in-game reward, as well as a character title, to those that complete the challenges before them.

BONUS IN-GAME CONTENT – CHARACTER HEADS
Stand out in a crowd with a look unlike anyone else’s! The WAR Collector’s Edition includes twelve (12) bonus heads for additional character customization options. Each race gets a truly unique look (with male and female versions) that is sure to turn heads on the battlefields and be the envy of everyone in the army.

For more information about the Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning Collector’s Edition, visit
www.warhammeronline.com/collectorsedition/

For information about the Australian pre-order offer, visit
www.warhammeronline.com/aus_ce_preorder

Based on Games Workshop’s epic and longstanding tabletop fantasy war game, Warhammer Online features revolutionary Realm vs. Realm™ (RvR) gameplay that immerses players in a world of perpetual conflict. Warhammer Online is scheduled for launch on the PC in 2008.