Blizzard Auctions World Of Warcraft Server Blades For Charity

Posted 01/26/2012 at 11:39am | by Brad Chacos

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While Blizzard may taketh away with one hand, it giveth away with the other: disappointed Blizzcon fans are still smarting from news of the convention's 2012 cancellation, but hardcore WoW-heads now have reason to rejoice. Through the 30th, Blizzard is auctioning off hundreds of server blades used to house World of Warcraft in its infancy. All of the proceeds will be donated to the St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital.

Blizzard waxed poetic in its description of the server blades: For a time, these servers were doorways into a universe of magic, mystery, and unlimited adventure. People vanquished mighty foes, they formed bonds of friendship, and some even found love in the game worlds that ran on these servers. If you listen closely on a starry night, you can still hear the ghosts of the past running through their circuit boards, recounting tales of epic conquest.

You're even be able to pick out which familiar ghosts you're hearing, as Blizzard is identifying which realm the servers housed. If you have strong memories of your posse rolling five deep to stop Al'Akir, you can pick up an Al'Akir server. The vast majority of the 347 blades being auctioned seem to come from Europe or Russia rather than U.S. data centers, but hey, this is still super cool.

Details from the product listings:

• 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.

Go check out the server listings at eBay if you have a couple hundred bucks to spare. It's for a good cause!