Blizzard's Mike Morhaime revealed Diablo III's box art and the contents of the Collector's Edition during his keynote at BlizzCon 2011. Morhaime also announced that the game will be free to World of Warcraft players that sign up for the company's new annual pass.
In addition to the game itself, the Collector's Edition will include a 4GB USB drive modeled after a soulstone and a Diablo skull base. The USB drive will include full versions of Diablo II and Diablo II: Lord of Destruction. A behind-the-scenes Blu-ray / DVD set is also included alongside a 208-page art book, Diablo III soundtrack and exclusive in-game content.
The Collector's Edition will be available exclusively at retail on DVD-ROM for Windows XP / Windows Vista / Windows 7 and Macintosh. The release date, suggested retail price, and other details for this game will be announced at a later date.
The 12-month WoW subscription is more of a formality than anything as Blizzard simply wants to lock users into a contract to keep playing the game. The subscription can be paid in monthly installments as you normally would for access to the game.
The obvious perk is that you get Diablo III for free starting the day it is released. Other member bonuses include an exclusive WoW Tyrale's Charger mount which is essentially an in-game form of transportation to move around more quickly. On top of this, those with an annual pass will have guaranteed beta entry into the next WoW expansion pack.
To be eligible for this promotion you must have a World of Warcraft license in good standing on or before October 18, 2011. New World of Warcraft accounts created after October 18, 2011 are not eligible.