Bad news ?

[Stekkerdoos]

The Blizzard Europe team is working day and night to bring World of Warcraft to you as quickly as possible. Very soon we’ll start testing the localized versions, and as soon as we're sure this works correctly we’ll move on to the European Final Beta Test.

There will be no additional batch of beta testers added with the start of the localization testing. The next batch of beta testers will include those who bought the pre-order box through the official Blizzard European Pre-Order campaign. This batch will be added at the start of the European Final Beta Test.

More information will be available soon.

Taken from the eu beta boards, posted by the new english community manager Thundgot

Does this mean there will be no real open beta ?

 

[Squalion]

open beta is for everyone who preordered im guessing then.

 

[Fedaykin]

yup i guess if you didnt pre-order you wont be getting in

 

[Squalion]

wooot, less nubs . j/k lol.

 

[Tasslehoff]

Am I the only one seeing it as if though that those that pre-ordered are secured a spot?

 

[Vantros of the Delerium]

The next batch of beta testers will include those who bought the pre-order box

This tells me they are still thinking about an open beta.. but i think pre-orders will come first any open beta will be for the last 2 weeks imho as a stress test

 

[Ttillub]

It says that those that pre-ordered are in but it does not say that it is only those that have pre-ordered. So those that have applied to beta may still get in next wave but if you have pre-ordered you are sure to get in.

 

[Stekkerdoos]

There will be no additional batch of beta testers added with the start of the localization testing

So with "beta testers" they mean the people that applied for the closed beta test and arent invited yet? They will not be adding more closed beta testers.

Sure, it's only logical the the pre-order people get in first, was just a bit worried I wouldn't get my chance, i really want to try a mage at higher level.
I just wanted other people to read it and hear what they thought, wasn't entirely sure.

Thanks for the replies

 

[sko]

Fact: Open beta and final beta are not the same thing.
Fact: US had open beta.
Fact: Open beta allows -anyone- to sign up and test, as if it were a free demo.
Fact: EU will -not- have an open beta, but a Final beta.
Fact: Final beta consists of closed beta participants and pre-order kits.
Fact: After Final beta, there will be retail. NOT open beta.

 

[Lones555]

How i see it (having played in US open beta and keeping an eye both Euro and US forums daily, sometimes even hourly! - yes the US beta got me hopelessly hooked ).

There will be no open beta, the final beta will consist of these who pre-ordered from OFFICIAL Blizzard retailers (in the UK thats GAME and Gameplay) if you did not pre-order from either of these 2 before they "sold out" of pre-order boxes (Gameplay sold out within 3 hours GAME sold out a week or so ago) then you will not be able to play until release.

All current closed beta players will have access to the final beta just they will not be able to play their closed beta characters on them (they will use different servers, final beta players will not be able to join their friends on closed beta servers, but closed beta players will be able to join their friends on final beta servers if they start a new character). A lot of closed beta players seem to have problems understanding they will be automatically in final beta (just read the forums most of them don't have a clue).

I don't see any chance of a final beta before Christmas (Gameplay won't send their beta kits out till 16th or 18th depending which Gameplay rep responds to your emails) and as a postman I know that the 18th is the final posting date for 2nd class items, so unless they send them first class you might not see them before Xmas.

Plus I doubt any Blizzard employees will work over Xmas so starting the final beta before then would be chaos (make no mistake the servers will crash and with no-one there to restart them over Xmas.... well you get the picture).

I believe after the Final Beta will be an entire wipe, no characters will be transferred across to retail. Obviously I can't know for certain this is what will happen but common sense suggests it will happen this way (altho common sense is not always something Games developers have).

 

[Stekkerdoos]

I kept watching this thread and spotted another blizzard post, Thundgot wanted to clarified something from his previous post

quick clarification. (Added text in bold)

Q u o t e:



The next batch of beta testers will include (but not be limited to) those who bought the pre-order box through the official Blizzard European Pre-Order campaign.[/size]


​

And I'm sorry if we sometimes say "Open Beta" when talking about the beta testing process in Europe. We mean "Final Beta".


Thundgot
Community Manager, English
Blizzard Europe

 

[Swifti]

Just poped down to GAME in Blackburn, apparently they have loads in stock. Just picked one up today for 3£. I suggest that the people who want a beta key still, just ring up your local stores and ask. make sure that you want the beta cd key. otherwise they just think your pre ordering WoW and wont give you the beta key box.

The clue is it says "Final Beta key inside!" on the cover. (Nerf n00b employees)