With the release date for the first installment of StarCraft II being revealed in the coming weeks, Blizzard shows off the StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty Collector's Edition, complete with art book, soundtrack CD, and in-game World of Warcraft pet.
Speaking as a World of Warcraft player who isn't very good at StarCraft, including a mini Thor in-game pet inside every copy of the StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty Collector's Edition just isn't fair.
It's bad enough the set contains The Art of StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty, a 176-page art book filled with illustrations and concept art that should make an excellent companion piece to the art books for the second and third installment.
I could probably resist the 2GB USB flash drive replica of Jim Raynor's dog tag loaded with the original StarCraft and the StarCraft: Brood War expansion, or the behind-the-scenes DVD, or even the 14-track soundtrack CD. I could even do without the special Battle.net downloadable content, as I have little use for character portraits, or unit customization details.
As a collector of art books and World of Warcraft in-game pets, however, I am pretty much locked in at $100. Well-played, Blizzard. Well played indeed.
Those who simply want to play the game will be able to pick up the normal edition of StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty for $60. Look for the official release date to be revealed in the coming weeks.