Updates to the UDE Points Store

http://entertainment.upperdeck.com/wow/en/news/article.aspx?aid=6176

By Upper Deck
26/06/2009

Dear valued customer,



We recognize that the UDE Points Store has not lived up to its potential. There have been shipping issues and long stretches of time between the introduction of new items. We’d like to apologize for this and hint at some of the things we have planned for the future of the Points Store.



Shipping Orders: We are working to get all outstanding orders shipped. All backlogged orders will be shipped by July 17.



Tabard of the Void: This item has been out of stock for some time, and we’re happy to announce that it will be going back onto the store very soon.



New In-Game Item(s): While we are not yet able to announce the new in-game item(s) for the UDE Points Store, we are currently working with Blizzard on what they will be. We will share this information with you as soon as we are able.



Expanded World of Warcraft Licensed Goods: Items like J!NX gift certificates have been well-received on the Points Store, as they add value and provide immediate gratification. We are working with our cross-promotional partners to add more items like this. Look for gift certificates, coupons, or physical items from a variety of World of Warcraft products and partners, including SwagDog, J!NX, DC Comics, Steel Series, and more! Products from these partners include:

- Swag Dog: Custom guild apparel, including t-shirts, hoodies, hats, and more!

- J!NX: World of Warcraft apparel, including shirts, hats, patches, and even baby apparel!

- DC Comics: Subscriptions to World of Warcraft comic books and more!

- Steel Series: World of Warcraft Steel Series ZBoard gaming keyboard and World of Warcraft Steel Series 5C gaming surface



“Big Item” Sweepstakes: We want to offer some high-end and unique items on the UDE Points Store. We plan on offering items like replica Frostmourne swords, the chance to design your own World of Warcraft TCG card for a real set, the chance to have your image used as an art reference for a World of Warcraft TCG card, Steel Series World of Warcraft MMO gaming mouse, or sets of uncut sheets from World of Warcraft TCG product. We’ll hold these sweepstakes every 4–6 weeks. Customers will be able to purchase as many entries as they’d like using their UDE Points, and after a designated time period, we will randomly select the winner(s) from all sweepstakes entries. Details on this are still being sorted out, and the above information is subject to change pending sweepstakes rules.



Changes to distribution of token cards: Token cards have been a nice addition to the UDE Points store. They are flavorful to the TCG and MMO and are fun to collect and use. That being said, the length of time it takes to produce these cards and the shipping time from the Points Store have led to situations where the tokens are usually outdated by the time the customer receives the card. We’re going to be making some changes to try to broaden distribution of token cards and get the cards into customers’ hands much sooner. Beginning July 10th, token cards will no longer be available on the UDE Points Store. Instead, they will be available in the following TWO ways:



· New Battleground Kits: Starting in July, Battleground Kits have been modified with some improvements. There will be a future announcement further detailing these changes, but one of them will be the inclusion of token cards. For the first few months, the tokens will be existing tokens that some players may have already gotten from the Points Store. We have several new tokens in the works that will be exclusive to the Battleground Kits.



· In Booster Packs: Starting with the first booster set of 2010, new and exclusive tokens will be found in booster packs. These will appear on the back side of some UDE Points Cards. There will be approximately two token cards inserted per booster display. These tokens will relate directly to cards found in the product, so they will be usable immediately.



In two weeks, the token cards will be taken off of the Points Store. We are going to be lifting the limit-per-customer restriction on these items during this time period.



Thank you for your patience regarding this program. We want to continue to provide desirable items through the UDE Points Store, and we hope that these changes will improve your experience.



Upper Deck Staff