Lich King Arrive

World Of Warcraft players have torn themselves away from their infatuation to limp, blinking and mewling, out into the harsh light of the real world. Yet their quest was clear, they were going to grind their way down to the shops to pick up a new expansion pack to feed their insatiable craving for adventure in the lands of Azeroth and beyond. At the end of last month Blizzard Entertainment announced that there would be midnight openings of stores in order for Warcrack addicts to queue up and get the Wrath Of The Lich King as soon as possible.

An Oxford Street shop in London saw a queue of more than 2,000 fans, many of them dressed in cardboard armour and brandishing magical staffs fashioned from their mum's broom handles, waiting outside to collect a copy of the add-on. Many queued up from around 11.30pm but some extreme fans were waiting from as early as 6am in order to be the first to get the game.

The expansion will give players the chance to take a whole new character, the Death Knight, up to the new level cap at 80, as well as exploring a special continent for higher level players. The usual host of new enemies, equipment and spells will also be available. The WOW Forums were a buzz of excitement last night as fans returned online to share their queuing experiences while the new data installed. ( www.theinquirer.net )