Why US launch is later than EU?

[Deleted]

Or simply because the game releases on the 13th and not the 12th?

The answer is so simple, yet all the theories you guys come up with are crazy.

How about...no? I refuse to believe it comes down to formality, especially when talking about Blizzard. There is a reason for 12AM launches and it's what I said. I'm pretty sure about that.

[Bakis]

Or simply because the game releases on the 13th and not the 12th?

The answer is so simple, yet all the theories you guys come up with are crazy.

In fact Buljo is correct and you are wrong, the #1 priority for BLZ is to release it at the most suitable time ie. midnight you can tell simply cos they release it at midnight the 13th and not 14:00(2pm) whatever.
Sure they would probably get slightly fewer logins if it was 02:00 but that would mean 2 less hours to deal with issues which is the priority.

13th US/EU to please muppets whining about the date itself and midnight to maximize the time to prepare for the flood of players coming after school and working hours.

[Johnkie]

EU time is like 12 hours infront from Central US time...
So if its a play of Dates, it makes more sense to do it like this.

[Donald Hellscream]

It can't be the same time everywhere since the world is divided into timezones due to the earth rotating around its axis.

[Deleted]

EU time is like 12 hours infront from Central US time...
So if its a play of Dates, it makes more sense to do it like this.

There is no such timezone "EU time". There are several timezones in the EU from GMT to GMT+2. The difference between Central US time and these are 6-8 hours. Not twelve.

[Sarevokcz]

Days might be a bit much if one really care but I do like US gets content patches before EU, then the US suffer all the hickups and usually most of them are fixed in the US and also applied in the EU before we get the content.

Sweet deal imo, US is our live "beta" tester

I dont rememeber the last time US patch had a gamebreaking bug and it was fixed in EU version half a day later, probably like mid-tBC? Otherwise bugs usually arent fixed before eu goes live and server stability is more of an EU issue anyway

[Tntdruid]

More loot for eu

[whywhatwhowhenhow]

Because Blizzard doesn't want to release a new expansion during prime gaming hours. Why? To reduce strain on servers and get as smooth as possible launch.

Lol no. Midnight is the earliest possible time they can release the expansion, for legal reasons. That's why it happens at midnight, not server load. Although I guess it does conveniently help.

PST is 9 hours behind CET. It's just one of those things. Blizzard might be great, but they can't bend space and time to please everyone.

[Deleted]

The bigger question is; if Europe is 9 hours ahead of the US. Why the hell didn't they warn them about 9/11. Damned terrorists the lot of 'em!
Timezones be hard!

[Toc]

In the end I feel bad for the Aussies and the Kiwis. Our oceanic friends seem to be getting really screwed....again.

[Orlong]

My best guess is that midnight is the best time for a release for their servers, most people need to work the day after and can't stay up for all that long, whilst those who can gets their chance at getting ahead of everyone else. It spreads out the pressure that is already really high on the servers, and makes it easier to handle in overall.

If it released in the US at the same time as midnight in Europe, it would release at 15:00, when lots more people are able to storm the server. If it released at US midnight and at the same time in the EU, it would be released 09:00 here, and we would again have lots more people who would try to log in all at the same time.

Bringing them up at midnight is most likely the best for everyone, and you'll simply have to deal with being 9 hours behind.

Server load doesnt have to be an issue. If Blizzard wasnt so damn cheap, there is an amount of equipment (servers, computers, networking equipment, ISP upgrades, etc..) they could buy that could handle 25 million simultaneous users with ease (but Blizzard continues to refuse to do it even billions of dollars later) and they wouldnt have to deal with the problem every time an expansion comes out. That gets rid of the midnight excuse. They can and SHOULD flip the switch at the exact same time so that its fair to ALL players, regardless if they are US, EU, or Oceanic, and regardless of what time it is in each country.

And if they want to stick to the midnight thing, then the EU should get it the midnight AFTER the US, since Blizzard is a US company and their home turf should get it first

[SL1200]

Every time wow expansion drops. I wish nyc was blizzard's home city.

[Aqua]

Because blizzard is in awe of the shining golden gods that are the EU players obviously.


Or maybe we're just 6 or more hours ahead of you, idfk.

[Orlong]

Time difference. Thursday 00:00 GMT/CET is sooner than Thursday 00:00 PST. Therefore, our Thursday comes first, we get it first.

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They release a week after

I thought China gets expansions months after everyone else since it needs to be edited for bones and other art

[owbu]

Its the revenge us poor Eu guys have to endure for abusing the americans as labmonkeys every single patch.

While we are at the topic: Why do these filthy Australiens get their new years before me every year? Thats totally unfair!

[Deleted]

Why isnt expansion launch same time every where? US has to wait 9 hours after EU.

Because 00:00 on the morning of the 23rd is earlier in EU. Why do you get patches earlier? Because maintenance is earlier for US.

[Orlong]

It has to be staggered because of timezones, otherwise it would launch in the middle of the day in one place. The reason they like midnight launches is because it greatly reduces the initial stress on the servers as some will wait until the next morning while those who stay up will have gone to bed by then. If the entire player base tried to play at launch, it would explode.

Not if they spent enough money on enough equipment to handle the load

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Right, the earth spins round on it axis, which means Thursday starts earlier in some places than others, its why we have time zones.

So 00:00 Thursday is earlier in the Eu than in the US.

Now, we can ask the earth to spin the other way to cater to self entitled Americans, but I dont fancy your chances of getting it to happen.....

Or Blizz could simply make the 14th launch day in the EU so their home customers dont get screwed

[Hyve]

Local / Server Times ...

It launches at Midnight everywhere, it just so happens due to the structure of the planet, solar system and galaxy that the U.S. is behind Europe. Can't be having an expansion launch at like, 4:30 in the afternoon ...

[Orlong]

I´m still mad that Americans get most games a couple of days earlier than we poor EU guys. I think it evens out.

9 hours are nothing compared to 3 days earlier for the US with Dragon Age.

But Dragon Age doesnt take place in an online persistent world where starting later puts you behind everyone else. Shitty comparison

[Hyve]

Or Blizz could simply make the 14th launch day in the EU so their home customers dont get screwed

Home customers? What does that shit even mean? Is this just some random butt hurt American bullshit because you're not the first to get something?

Surprise! No-one cares, and it's always been that way.