he Burning Legion's renewed assault on Azeroth begins Midnight, January 16th and the Blizzard development team will be on hand to celebrate the event while signing copies of the game at four California area retailers. For Orange County residents, the Fountain Valley Fry's will open up at midnight for signings, with a second location available in Anaheim. If you are in Los Angeles, you can check out a midnight opening at the Hollywood Citywalk Gamestop/EB Games retail store. Finally, for those in the San Francisco area, the Sunnyvale Fry's will open its doors to those interested in meeting the developers.

Here are the details for each event:

At each location, line-up begins at 6:00 AM PCT on January 15th. There are limited quantities available on a first-come, first-served basis. Wristbands will be issued at each event to guarantee signed copies, so make sure you are there in time to receive one.

If you don't live in California or can't make it to one of these four events, don't worry...There are a legion of retail locations across the country opening early to sell copies of The Burning Crusade. Best Buy and Gamestop/EB Games will have select locations open at Midnight, January 16th. For a full list of participating retail stores, check out the Web sites listed below:

• http://www.bestbuy.com
• http://www.ebgames.com
• http://www.gamestop.com

See you in Outland...

n our last issue of the World of Warcraft Insider, we gave you a brief glimpse of the content from the Burning Crusade Collector's Edition. Now, it's time to take you on a detailed Insider tour of all the goodies we're cramming into the limited-edition big green box.

Check out the Netherwhelp, one of the cutest things on either side of the Dark Portal, and the Insider exclusive first look at the extremely rare Burning Crusade Collector's Edition trading cards. Also, in a longstanding tradition for Blizzard commemorative releases, The Burning Crusade Collector's Edition comes with an exclusive CD soundtrack; with this issue of the World of Warcraft Insider, we're able to provide a complete version of one of its many memorable pieces - an MP3 of "Silvermoon City." Finally, we have a 60-second preview video of the Behind-the-Scenes DVD for your viewing pleasure.

Head over to our in-depth coverage of the Burning Crusade Collector's Edition now!

he World of Warcraft Trading Card Game allows you and your friends to dive into the fantasy of World of Warcraft wherever you go, and it's also a very engaging and challenging game in its own right. If you're not familiar with the game but would like to learn more about it, Upper Deck's detailed introduction to the basics of the game will pique your interest.

If you've probably already played a few matches - won some, lost others - then you've started putting together the first pieces of the puzzle of what separates a glorious victory from a disgraceful loss. You're also now ready for our Deckbuilding strategy guide, which is devoted to helping you make the all-important decisions that will shape your deck. How can you get the most out of your cards? How do you find the most powerful card combinations in your collection, and what ways are there to disrupt your opponent's strategy and to create an advantage for yourself? Find out the answers to these questions and more.

Read more

ot all battles are fought for a noble cause or a greater good; some hard-fought victories are earned in the name of sport. In Azeroth and Outland, you may be fighting to protect the weak, to avenge a comrade, or to achieve some other honorable goal. But in the arenas, you fight for one thing, and one thing alone: glory. How will you fare once the gates of the arena open before you?

Read our new Arena map profiles to learn more about all the ins and outs of the ultimate PvP proving grounds, the Circle of Blood and the Ring of Trials.

Read more

ur team of web goblins toils away in the Blizzard workshops daily to bring you the World of Warcraft news that shapes your world. Here are some of the past month's biggest stories:

• The Burning Crusade Cinematic Intro - On Wednesday, December 13, the official cinematic intro for The Burning Crusade debuted during the 2006 Video Game Awards on Spike TV. As a special treat, we've posted the intro on our website for your viewing pleasure. Grab some popcorn, and enjoy the show!
• Introduction to the Arenas - The arena system is a brand-new PVP system that is designed to reward player skill and teamwork - and it has its own set of impressive rewards. Our guide explains the basics of the system, including how to set up your teams, the conditions of the matches, and an overview of the first two arenas themselves.
• Game Statistics Page - The new Game Statistics page is your chance to discover, among other things, just how many hapless adventurers have lost their lives at the hands of Hogger and the Son of Arugal. The searchable page is updated daily and includes categories such as Heroes for Hire (most completed quests), Bestsellers (most auctioned items), and the Fiercest Creatures (most dangerous NPCs).
• World of Warcraft Encyclopedia - The World of Warcraft Encyclopedia is a searchable database of the official World of Warcraft lore, straight from the developers. Check back often for updates, as it is expanding constantly.
• The Burning Crusade Features Page - Two new races, three new cities, hundreds of new items, an all-new continent - the amount of new content in World of Warcraft's first expansion is truly unprecedented. Our Burning Crusade Features page details these additions in one convenient place.
• Eye of the Storm Battleground Preview - This all new 15-man battleground is located in the Outland zone of Netherstorm. Eye of the Storm's gameplay blends capture-and-hold and capture-the-flag elements into an innovative, fast-paced hybrid. Read about it in detail in our preview.

orces are now at work that will change the face of the world forever. In Azeroth and beyond, the powers that be are preparing for the coming of a new age of chaos, a catastrophe some foresaw but few believed would happen. New alliances are forged, while old hatreds persist - and beyond the Dark Portal, the Betrayer is gathering his dreaded armies to make his stand against all those foolish enough to challenge him in his own domain. Terrible battles, strife, and conflict lie ahead, but also a chance for new beginnings. Soon, the Burning Crusade will resume its march, and when it does, the fate of the world will rest in the hands of mortal heroes once again.

The time is almost upon us...