From April 10th onward, pre-purchasers of any of the editions (Collector's, Digital Deluxe, or Standard) will be guaranteed access into beta weekend events and a three-day head start for launch, which is awesome if you want to reserve a cool name so you're not stuck with being xLegolasXx. An additional benefit to any pre-purchase is the somewhat mysterious Hero's Band, which will apparently give characters a variety of power boosts to speed them on their way.
The Collector's Edition is going to cost you $149.99, but ArenaNet certainly seems to be providing bang for your buck: a 10-inch statue of the iconic Rytlock Brimstone and his sword Sohothin, a custom frame with five Guild Wars 2 art prints, a book on the making of Guild Wars 2, a soundtrack CD, and five in-game items (including a mini Rytlock), all of which should make this a pretty tempting order for super fans of the game. The Digital Deluxe pre-purchase is only going to run you $79.99, and the Standard Edition will be $59.99 -- again, any three of those will secure you the Hero's Band, a place in beta events, and a three-day head start. Pre-ordering Guild Wars 2 from select retailers will reserve you a copy of the game at launch and entitle you to a one-day head start.
[Source: NCsoft press release]
