World of warcraft® server-blade auction to benefit st. jude children's research hospital®

Irvine, calif.--(business wire)--blizzard entertainment, inc. today announced a series of special charity auctions featuring server-blade hardware that was originally used during the early days of the company’s award-winning massively multiplayer online role-playing game, world of warcraft®. game enthusiasts around the world will get a unique chance to own a piece of world of warcraft history -- original hewlett packard® proliant server blades that once housed hundreds of different realms across north america and europe. the net proceeds from the auction will benefit st. jude children's research hospital, one of the world's premier centers for the research and treatment of pediatric cancer and other catastrophic childhood diseases. "world of warcraft realms are like the virtual neighborhoods of the game’s community -- they contain the spaces where millions of players have made friendships, forged friendly rivalries, and created lasting memories," said mike morhaime, ceo and cofounder of blizzard entertainment. "each winner in this auction will own a small monument to those collective experiences. the best part is that this auction benefits a great charity doing tremendous work in helping children from the u.s. and around the world." in total, approximately 2,000 of the original server blades from about 500 different world of warcraft realms will be auctioned. the server blades will each be contained in a custom windowed case featuring the world of warcraft logo and offering a view of the computer hardware inside. they will also come with a commemorative plaque signed by the world of warcraft team, making each one a true collector’s item. the server blades will be auctioned in batches over the course of four weeks, beginning on october 17, 2011. auctions will take place on ebay and will be managed by kompolt®, a world leader specializing in online charity auctions. interested buyers can find more information on the auction schedule as well as a detailed faq at www.ebay.com/blizzard. about blizzard entertainment, inc. best known for blockbuster hits including world of warcraft® and the warcraft®, starcraft®, and diablo® series, blizzard entertainment, inc. (www.blizzard.com), a division of activision blizzard (nasdaq:atvi), is a premier developer and publisher of entertainment software renowned for creating some of the industry’s most critically acclaimed games. blizzard entertainment’s track record includes thirteen #1-selling games and multiple game of the year awards. the company’s online-gaming service, battle.net®, is one of the largest in the world, with millions of active players.
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