Here’s some great news coming from the fine people at Blizzard. It seems the World of Warcraft servers have been getting some upgrades, and have come up with a way to dispose of their old hardware: Offering it up for a good cause. Namely the St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, a hospital dedicated to the research and treatment of children with cancer and other life-threatening diseases. All proceeds from the auctions, aside from some fees associated with listing, selling and shipping the item, will go to the research hospital. And don’t think Blizzard is just throwing some burnt out hardware into a box! No, these blades have been repurposed into quite the collector’s items. Here’s a list of what any winning bidder will get for their money:
- Display is approximately 28” x 10.3” x 1.7” and weighs 18lbs.
- Each case is exactly the same for all of the servers.
- Plaques will show the Realm Name and Mo/Yr of start and end date.
- The copy on the plaque reads: Blizzard Entertainment has carefully preserved and archived our retired server blades, releasing only a limited number for a noble cause. To us, this server blade is more than just hardware: within the circuits and hard drive, a world of magic, adventure, and friendship thrived. From fishing in quiet lakes to defeating Arthas in Icecrown Citadel, this blade was home to thousands of immersive experiences across the world of Azeroth and beyond. We thank you for the safekeeping of this important part of history.
- The signatures are printed on the plaque not original and include the World of Warcraft team.
If you want to get in on acquiring a piece of gaming history like this, head on over to the eBay auction page for Blizzard’s seller. Frankly, I can’t think of a better way to get rid of old hardware than this.
Victor Grunn has been a gamer since the days of single-button joysticks and the Atari 800XL. When not lamenting the loss of the Ultima series or setting people on fire in Team Fortress 2, he's an aspiring indie game developer and freelance writer.
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