"Pre-Order Now and Receive:

• Open Beta Access to experience the glory of battle and the thrill of WAR!
• Live Game Head Start in the Age of Reckoning before the raw recruits arrive.
• EXCLUSIVE In-Game items (Rittenbach’s Portable Camp & Sentinel’s Amber Band) to equip your characters’ journey to the frontlines. "

Anyone know when the beta and live game head start will be available ?

Originally posted by dmnd

"Pre-Order Now and Receive:

• Open Beta Access to experience the glory of battle and the thrill of WAR!
• Live Game Head Start in the Age of Reckoning before the raw recruits arrive.
• EXCLUSIVE In-Game items (Rittenbach’s Portable Camp & Sentinel’s Amber Band) to equip your characters’ journey to the frontlines. "

Anyone know when the beta and live game head start will be available ?

Nope, no one does, not even Mark Jacobs.

The most specific I can get is that the "open beta" phase ("open beta" meaning the NDA is lifted, which may actually occur during the guild beta phase, but I digress) will be the last beta phase before release, and that the head-start will likely be ~3 days before the release to the general public.

<p>Open beta will be the phase that follows guild beta.  Guild beta starts Monday.  Speculation is Guild Beta will be one to one and a half months.</p>
<p>Speculate from there :)</p>

Got to wait till open beta is announced, then you can be happy with your key. As for head start, that will be a few days before the release to a week.

I can tell you this about the pre-orders: if you don't already have your keys, your chances of finding a merchant with any left are slim. Most local retailers are already out, and at least one major online "official" CE pre-order merchant has stated they were almost out. That'll start a frenzy, and in almost no time at all they'll be gone.

Get one while they last, if you want into open beta/headstart...

Originally posted by Jaga-TAO

I can tell you this about the pre-orders: if you don't already have your keys, your chances of finding a merchant with any left are slim. Most local retailers are already out, and at least one major online "official" CE pre-order merchant has stated they were almost out. That'll start a frenzy, and in almost no time at all they'll be gone.

Get one while they last, if you want into open beta/headstart...

online is your bet now, bestbuy seems to have then, thats where i got mine last week. and the best part about it being online with the CE is even if you dont have the game right away you have a grace period with your head start so all is well.

Actually as far as the local retailers go I was informed that i will receive a phone call before open beta. They will tell me the code. You cannot use your beta character in the head start. You will be able to start a new character from three days before launch.

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Originally posted by jjo231
Actually as far as the local retailers go I was informed that i will receive a phone call before open beta. They will tell me the code. You cannot use your beta character in the head start. You will be able to start a new character from three days before launch.

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If you're depending on a local retailer to call you with the codes I would get my money back and order at Amazon immediately. You get all your codes in your account library immediately.

Originally posted by Tayah

If you're depending on a local retailer to call you with the codes I would get my money back and order at Amazon immediately. You get all your codes in your account library immediately.

Agreed. If you do not have your codes within one week from your retailer, either obtained in-store at purchase, or online or through e-mail if done through an online store, get a refund and go elsewhere.

I can recommend the EA Store, as it worked fine for me and I have all three of my codes ready to go. Amazon, which was not available to me as a Canadian, is superb as well, according to others.

Anyway, I would hate to see you screwed by a retailer who intends to call you. That just sounds like a tragedy waiting to happen.

 I ordered my pre-order today from bestbuy online. I wished I had gotten my beta key but I got an email that reads...

I hope you are doing great, and thank you for contacting us. Let me explain to you that the codes that are being advertised with this pre-order item, will be sent to you on the week on August 17th, vie email. That is how it was establish with the manufacturer.
 

so another month of waisting time on aoc..

Originally posted by Sornin

Originally posted by Tayah

If you're depending on a local retailer to call you with the codes I would get my money back and order at Amazon immediately. You get all your codes in your account library immediately.

 

Agreed. If you do not have your codes within one week from your retailer, either obtained in-store at purchase, or online or through e-mail if done through an online store, get a refund and go elsewhere.

I can recommend the EA Store, as it worked fine for me and I have all three of my codes ready to go. Amazon, which was not available to me as a Canadian, is superb as well, according to others.

Anyway, I would hate to see you screwed by a retailer who intends to call you. That just sounds like a tragedy waiting to happen.

yeah best buy isnt giving their codes till august, unless the date is changed or moved up ect, i guess to make sure everyone gets one.

I got my code from Amazon. But as for the open beta, I am getting nervous about this game making it in time for 2008. There has been zero news from Mythic about the game, unless I am mistaken.