GW Support didn't help..

Okay so, I have this question. (Please don't put this into the combined question thread, as it will most likely not be answered)

I've been E-mailing GW Account Support with this one question and receiving automated responses for over a week:

I pre-ordered Guild Wars: Factions online from EB Games. I have received the Pre-Order Box and my Pre-Order Key, EB Games has my full billing info. I requested for a 3 day delivery of the Retail Version. (EB Games begins delivery on the 27th of April) Now heres the question, Will my Pre-Order Key only last 24 hours which would result in me waiting 3 days for the Retail version to ship? (This isn't fair since its prepaid via my billing info) Or will it last until I have the retail key.

My help from EB Games and GW Support sumed up in a nice easy sentence.
EB Games told me to talk to GW Support, GW Support told me to talk to EB Games.

So I'm clueless now, does anyone have experience from how it worked with Prophecies? Or know the answer.

From the way I understand it, wether or not you have the actual copy of the game in your hands, as long as you pre-ordered, you will be able to play Factions 24 hours before everyone else.

And...I would think it would ONLY be the 24 hours. Seeing as thats what it allows is a 24 headstart. It would be silly if they let you play for 3 days when you didn't even own the game.

I preordered Prophecies and didn't play in the 24 hours headstart, but I also didn't buy GW until a month later? I don't think many people who preordered will have the game day 1 its open, so I doubt they would make the headstart last longer than the 24 it says. Don't you think people would take advantage of this? Playing a game that they don't even own?

/agrees.

You definitely will need the full game key to continue to play on release day.

(pros/cons really. sometimes that's what happens with online delivery compared with instore pickup. or vice versa.)

added: I do believe that when I logged in on that day, it did ask for the full game key, before you proceed to the characters screen? anyone else remember?

Here's how it worked before. You preorder - you get your early access key. You can START playing for 24 hours before retail on that key, and then an additional 24 hours after retail to give you enough time to go out and pick up your game and continue playing. At the end of the 48 total hours, that early access key will no longer work and you'll be forced to enter in your retail key if you haven't already done so.

Thanks, I'll change the shipping.

actually when I got my prophecies I got it the day before the early access event. I installed it and had to wait another day to play. I would do want you want but I got mine a day before the early access event (last year)

That answers my question too... well... sort of but after the 24 hour head start will the game be in the stores for you to pick up? I didnt pre-order online but from the actual store. My only worry is that they wont have the game after my 24 hour head start key expires.

you can play the full days of the 27th and 28th.

This is how it will work.