(RUMOR): Press and progamer beta sign-up has begun!

It pains me to know exactly how many days I woke up hoping for the some news in SC2 devellopement.

 

Ummmm, about 979 days?

 

Agreed! I'm looking forward to Beta only because that will signify the release is imminent. Like most of you here, I don't have a Beta key. Being a loyal Blizzard fan means **** all to them, seeing how we're not pro gamers; and they know they can count on our money, so they don't feel the need to give us any sort of goodies.

Furthermore, I already know how the game plays thanks to all the videos that have been made since the annoucement almost 3 years ago. Beta won't be anything we haven't anticipated. You know, frankly, I'm more excited to see the new world editor than the new gameplay --at least that will be novel.

 

Once the beta hits, we'll get AT LEAST one game video per day. That's a very, very, very conservative estimate. To me, that signifies the end of the wait since it's always been the lack of information and video for me that's painful; not the lack of playing the game.

Plus, the game might get some cracked LAN soon after release so you can at least game some comps or friends. Either way, even if I don't get a beta key, I'll be ecstatic when the beta begins.

 

How wrong you are. Blizzard has made up a website with lots of info about the game, allowed us to ask them questions, done battle reports, basically telling us how the game is being made and progressing in ways. And you're still winging Blizzard has not done enough for you. I think Blizzard has already done a lot more then any other game company would for the fans of an upcomming game they are making. I am not a pro SC player either but for me I'm really with happy with Blizzard and what they have done.

Getting a Beta key or not, that is not too important for me. I think I am lek everyone else, I just want to know someone has a working beta key and they are using it. Cause it'll mean beta is ne effect and the release is not too far off then.

So really you can't say "no beta key for me" = blizzard did nothing for me. Cause that would be a lie. They have already given us a large assortment of goodies.

 

I agree that they showed us more than any other company, but they also take longer to develop. So taking everything into account (like info/time ratio) overall Blizzard gave away about as much as any other company would've in the timespan of the development process of SC2. At least that's what I think... I'm not too much into gaming and their publicity.

 

First off, do NOT misconstrue what I say. I choose my words carefully when I post. Never have I equated the fact that Blizzard isn't handing out more Beta keys to fans as a sign that they're not doing enough for ME personally. I have always talked about Blizzard in a general fashion, and when I speak of fans I am speaking of the fan COMMUNITY.

Now, on to your second point: Releasing information about a game (such as videos, screens, info, etc) is REQUIRED in order to hype a game --this is not something that is exclusive to Blizzard: where did you come up with such a quaint idea? Go look at any other game that will be released soon, say, Mass Effect 2 or Bioshock 2... You'll find there is a plethora of screens, videos, and info on these games. So, we've established that Blizzard really doesn't do more for its fans than any other company --haven't we?

This is how I see Blizzard's PR campaign right now: 1) Contrarily to what you stated, they haven't given us more than any other company. Rather, they've provided the standard fare. Only, this offering has been over almost 3 years, so actually, they've given us less. 2) Blizzard have refused to commit themselves (like other companies) to a release date: they can claim (with a straight face!) to their fans that there hasn't been any delay because they have never announced anything in concrete terms. Has Blizzard expressed any sense of regret over these 'delays'? No. And that, I feel, is pure arrogance. Most other companies would state someting to the effect that ''We're as disappointed about this as our fans, but it has to be done.'' 3) Given the fact that the game has been plagued with delays, I can safely say that Blizzard unveiled this game far too early. This is maddening for all fans who actually take the time to to inform themselves and check up on the game's progress.

Bottom line: Given the fact that this game was announced almost 3 years ago, Blizzard have mounted a rather disappointing publicity campaign. You talk about the SC2 website, about how fabulous it is: you, of course, do realise that they rarely update the bloody thing? Blizzard have disappointed us, their fans. If I look at another popular RTS, DOW2, well they somehow managed to have an open Beta (though it started as a closed one). But Blizzard seem more interested in handing out Beta tickets to anyone who's a pro gamer rather than the regular fans --the ones who will ultimately make this game a success. And they stated a while back that the Beta will be a closed one. I do not understand how they can think that after 3 years worth of videos (most of which were not released by Blizzard, by the way) that the Beta will be exciting for regular fans precluded from participating...

 

I think we should also try to see it from a different perspective. People whom are following SC2 development since its announcement nearly a thousand days ago () are not impressed when Blizzard releases a new dood-ad, a new screenshot or some other tiny bit of information.
On the other hand, people who - for example due to the recent beta rumors - just started following StarCraft 2 news ('whoa I never really looked into this game, but this looks pretty cool!') will have lots and lots of info to read. A zillion screenshots they have never seen before, all these different battlereports, cinematic trailers, two years of BlizzCon info - reading through all of that would take days. Chances are that when they've reviewed all that info, beta will have started already. These people would argue that Blizzard has done an excellent job providing them with info.

Edit: I posted this before seeing your edit. I think we can conclude that Blizzard has done a different info-releasing-job depending on whether you are a casual or hardcore Blizzard (and StarCraft) fan.

 

@ RHStag

YOU may be talking about the gamer who's not a devoted fan, but here we are, discussing this on a SC2 fansite --I think it's implicit that we're talking about devoted fans.

Now, if you're a relatively new fan, I probably sound rather caustic --for which I do not apologise. Many of the fans here have been waiting for this game for over a decade. However, the intial rush of excitement that we all felt when the game was first announced has, in many of us, given way to a sense of dull frustration.

 

I absolutely agree with you as being a devoted fan myself. I'm frustrated just as much as you are. I'm just trying to say that Blizzard has done a good job for their casual gamers, and a not so good job for some hardcore fans. This is in my opinion pretty straightforwarded. StarCraft is and remains to be a business opportunity and not some 'gift' to the people. I hope you understand the point I'm trying to make since I find it quite hard to express my opinion properly.

 

You have trouble expressing yourself properly? I assume you're not native, then, because you express yourself well enough.

 

It's not that bad yet, I'm sure we will all be thanking Blizzard on our knees when the game releases for the excellent job they have done and coping with all the criticism they've received.

Be that as it may, there's no denying they could have done a better job on general updates. Case closed on my behalf.

Edit: Well I'm either not native or simply retarded so let's pretend it's the former.

 

So i supose that if beta starts in february, game will be realesed in july-august

 

the guys over at blizard are really ****ing with us obviously. they keep saying soon but the beta is no where in sight. they mind as well just be straight up and say "we dong know when beta will start" instead of saying it will start soon... same thing with the release itself. if u dont ****ing know then say u dont ****ing no -_- /end rant


well anyway all i know is for all the time its taking them to devolpe this game better come out FLAWLESS. and i do mean FLAWLESS in every sense and meaning of the word. this game best not have a single bug/glitch/error in it >.>

 

So many complaints.

Yes, Blizzard is slow, but they have expressed disappointment over the delays. There are so many interviews where that's stated. They keep saying they want beta now, they want to make the game available to the community now (in beta, that is), they want that beta feedback now.

 

As a regular fan of Starcraft and having been a member of this community since the release of the official announcement in 2007, I am pretty disappointed by Blizzard. Yes, another guy who complaints, I'm sorry ! Nearly 11 years I was thining about how Starcraft 2 would be. Yes ! 11 years ! Since March 1999, when I finished the Brood War campaign.
Blizzard takes so much time. They do exagerate. No other company does what Blizzard does. None ! I know they are preparing a blockbuster. Whatever. A chance thay there are more infos in their blogs than in the official sites.
I am sensible on even the tinier info about Starcraft 2. Of course, an info like "SC2 will be for soon" is just to be ignored. Any picture, any video, even from a fan, anything related to SC2 is already good for me. I am tired like all of you to wait for this game. I am also disgusted that Blizzard just gave the beta keys to hardcore gamers. They don't consider their 'middle class' fans. We have so much things to say, so many details to share, and Blizzard just ignore us. I feel this injustice. Over 10 years of ignorance to my hype to Starcraft.
Blizzard Entertainement thinks about their interests first. All companies do it. We can't be disappointed by this reality.
Once this game released, I hope not to be disappointed to have waited so long.

 

Why complain when the beta, and thus the release, are so close? At the most, you have six months to wait. Personally, that's nothing to me but maybe it's just because I'm able to distract myself with other things. This will be infinitely easier once I has teh godily beta vidx.

 

Yeah, like you I have waited so long that even 6 months are nothing. We are used to wait anyway. I do other things too, like playing other videogames, or read newspapers. Thanks to them I can resist.
Oh ! And I play Starcraft the original.

 

Blizzard knows that its better to make a game that is open to casual gamers than to tailor it to hardcore gamers.

Why?

Well the best example is WoW, it wasn't very casual until WotLK and you can now see how the game has changed. More people play it, and the hardcore gamers have their own options to take the game to the hardcore level (Heroic difficulty raids).

Same thing with SC2, you want a game that has a broad reach so EVERYONE can ENJOY the game. You're hardcore? OK, play all you want...be really good at everything, good job.

It's like a sport, everyone can play it but not everyone can or wants to play it on a professional level. There's a misconception apparently that the "pro" SC players are like uber lords of SC. They aren't, they are kids who failed to get into a college and have nothing else to do. Yes, this is fact.

I guess my point is - hardcore fans are going to play this either way. Blizz doesnt want a overly-complex game, they want a game anyone can sit down play, understand, and have fun with. Hardcore gamers will have their fun from playing 24/7 and having non-existent social lives with a win loss ratio of 5:1 or some crap.

Also, every game is a business opportunity. If you dont have business on your mind, well you'll make a game that will fail and then the company will fail and you wont make any more games. The good thing about games is that if you make a great game, usually the business will roll in by itself.

 

To ZealotInATuxedo and others.:
Sure you all might be disappointed with what Blizzard has done. And I think your reply says that. And that's ok each person is entitled to their own opinion. But for me I am not disappointed. I am quite happy with what they have done. And that's my main point.

And on another topic I think Blizz needs to make the game cater to the hardcore and the casual crowd. I totally agree with WotLK's shift to the casual gamer. And I do not like it in a way. I prefer the old days. But it is more popular than ever now and even the hardcore gamers at times like something easy for a change to relax and play. And what is easy to them is easy to hard for the rest of us. So we can have a relaxing game if we want or we can challenge ourselves if we want to.

And that's what I think SC2 needs to do. Have options of play for the hardcore gamer as well as the one who wants a relaxing game time.

And making a rgreat game in itself is not enough to have a mega hit seller. Being able to set it in a well known universe you can exploit really helps. It's like having it in the mario or metriod universe would sell more then Joe Hero in wonderworld. And the same for SC2. If it was Joe's human army vs the green ufo army and it would not sell. No one would look at it and guess it's a good game to buy. But SC2 with terrans/protoss/zerg and people go wow SC1 was so good SC2 has to be good too so I will buy.

So a good game that set in a popular universe you can exploit and is playable by pro and casual gamers alike. That is the ticket to a best selling game. Mind you that's a really hard ticket to make.