Blizzard announces that fans who seeWorld of Warcraftin theatres will get a copy of the game, and those who play will get free movie-based content.
Blizzard is hoping the inclusion of a free copy ofWorld of Warcraftwill help give its upcomingWarcraftmovie an edge as the company prepares to compete in the box office. On top of the in-theatre promotion, users logging onto the game between May 25 and August 1 will also receive free in-game content for both the Horde and the Alliance.
The free copy of the game is for anyone in the United States who watches the film at Regal Cinemas, United Artists Theatres, and Edwards Theatres locations. Additionally, those who check outthe story of Andruin Lotharat Regal Cinemas will also be entered for a chance to win tickets to Blizzcon 2016.
That’s not to say international watchers are out of luck. Blizzard has confirmed several different promotional tie-ins beyond the border on its websitehere.
Here’s a glimpse at the aforementioned free content, which will be available to anyone regardless of whether they’ve seen the movie or not:
For the unaware, the above images contain the staff of the orc warlock Gul’dan himself, as well as a large horde axe, and an ornate sword and shield combination for those who fight for the Alliance. While it’s too bad that Alliance players don’t get a more unique weapon, it’s hard to complain about free content.
TheWarcraftmoviecertainly looks like it has plenty of potentialto be a box office hit, backed by astrong castthat includes the likes of Travis Fimmel (Vikings), Paula Patton (Mission Impossible - Ghost Protocol), and Ben Foster (3:10 to Yuma). The plot of the movie places Fimmel in the role of Lothar, a man who holds the Alliance above all else, and is called into action by the appearance of the brutal orcish horde. Of course, things get complicated with the arrival of half-orc, half-human hybrid Paula Patton, who is torn between both fighting forces.
Blizzard will certainly be hoping the digital codes for the game will helpjump-start a declining player base, as lately it seems like even the largest MMO of all time cannot escape the result of time itself. The movie looks to be sticking very closely to the source material, and may do well to bring in more fans of the franchise - provided, of course, that theWarcraftmovie doesn’t fall to themovies-based-on-a-game curse.
In any event, with bothWarcraftandAssassin’s Creedmaking cinematic waves, it’s an exciting time to be a gamer, and we hope both films do the industry proud in the box office.
TheWarcraftmovie is poised to released on May 30 in the UK, and June 10 in the United States.
