Starcraft 2 Fanatic

After all the hype has cooled down a little, I've come back here to make a quick update.

Blizzard Entertainment is pleased to welcome all of our beta testers to the first phase of the StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty beta test. You will have an early opportunity to play, test, and experience the online multiplayer aspect of StarCraft II, as well as get a first look at the newly revamped Battle.net.

The new StarCraft II beta forums will be your main source for official news and announcements over the course of the beta test. We encourage you to check the forums regularly and to use them to provide us with feedback and to engage in general discussions about the game with your fellow players. If you ever need help or technical assistance, the Blizzard support website now includes a StarCraft II beta-test section.

We are looking forward to receiving your comments, feedback, and suggestions on StarCraft II and the new Battle.net; let us know what you think via the "Feedback" forums.

Thank you for helping us test StarCraft II. Your participation and feedback is important to us, and will help us make StarCraft II one of the most epic entertainment experiences...ever.

For those still waiting for Opt-In beta invites, Blizzard has been sending them out for hours, and will continue to send out emails throughout tomorrow.

Here is the StarCraft 2 Mini Beta Site,
http://us.battle.net/sc2beta/en-us/

For those of us still waiting for the invite, you can always download the game to make sure you have zero downtime upon getting that special email,
http://www.fileshack.com/file.x/17189/StarCraft+2:+Wings+of+Liberty+US+Closed+Beta+Client

The StarCraft 2 Beta is available for download, that is if you have a key already, from your battle.net account.

Just login, and click on your new SC2 Game to start the DL!!

Also, the SC2 Beta system requirements have been revealed.

PC Minimum Requirements:
- Windows XP SP3/Vista SP1/Windows 7
- 2.2 Ghz Pentium IV or equivalent AMD Athlon processor
- 1 GB system RAM/1.5 GB for Vista and Windows 7
- 128 MB NVidia GeForce 6600 GT/ATI Radeon 9800 PRO video card
- 1024x768 minimum display resolution
- 4 GB free hard space (Beta)
- Broadband connection

Blizzard Link Here,
http://us.blizzard.com/support/article.xml?locale=en_US&articleId=26242&parentCategoryId&pageNumber=1&categoryId=3633

The StarCraft II Beta forums are up an running, and as previously announced the beta will be THIS month!

Here is a small preview of the FAQ found on the beta forums

Beta Access

How do I sign up for the StarCraft II beta test?
In order to sign up for the StarCraft II beta test or future Blizzard Entertainment beta tests, you first need to create a Battle.net account. You can then opt in to the beta for StarCraft II, as well as betas for future Blizzard Entertainment games, through the beta opt-in process. To get started, simply click Beta Profile Settings in Battle.net Account Management. Please note that opting in to a beta test through this method does not guarantee that you will be selected.

If I opted in to the StarCraft II beta, how will I know if I've been selected to participate?
If you are selected, you will receive an email from Blizzard instructing you to log in to your Battle.net account at www.battle.net. You will be able to download the client directly from within Battle.net Account Management. We plan on inviting players in waves, so if you do not receive an invitation in the beginning of the testing period, there's a chance you might receive one in a later wave.

I attended BlizzCon 2008 and received a beta code. Do I have to go through this process?
There is a separate process in place for players who received StarCraft II beta codes from BlizzCon 2008 or have unused beta codes from earlier Blizzard events. To redeem your beta code, visit the beta sign-up page (don't worry that the page says World of Warcraft), and enter the code from your card, along with a valid email address that you check often.

Once you've completed these steps, we will contact you via email at some point during the StarCraft II testing process with further instructions. Please note that in order to participate after your receive the invitation, you will need a Battle.net account (if you don't have one already).

A link to the beta forums can be found here,
http://forums.battle.net/board.html?forumId=25352531&sid=5010

As the Beta looms close, we get some new info about Battle.net 2.0!

Fully integrated, user-friendly, and fast, the all-new Battle.net makes it easy to find and play games, opening the world of online gaming to generations of players. In the 14 years since the original Battle.net's launch, the service has seen tremendous growth both in terms of features and active players. Currently, there are more than 12 million active accounts on Battle.net worldwide.

The list of past innovations on to the legacy Battle.net service is long and varied -- the introduction of competitive ladders, server-hosted games, online-stored characters, automated matchmaking, and more. But with the release of StarCraft II, Battle.net will evolve into an even more powerful and advanced online game service that will power all Blizzard Entertainment titles moving forward.

Check out our new Battle.net preview and video interview with Greg Canessa, project director for Battle.net,
http://www.starcraft2.com/features/misc/battlenet.xml

For more coverage check it out here,
http://blizzardfanatic.com/forums/index.php?topic=66.0

Since the NDA terms has expired today, a lot of single player information has surfaced on various fansites!

- StarCraft II Single Player Hands-On
- StarCraft II Single Player Reveal
- Wings of Liberty SP Coverage

Since we are not in the blizzard fansite program, alas we have no spiffy articles here on our site. Not to worry though, I have plenty planned and in the works for the site, and network!!

Alas the rumors are true,

Today we announced that StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty will not be ready for release by the end of 2009. Over the past couple of weeks, it has become clear that it will take longer than expected to prepare the new Battle.net for the launch of the game. The upgraded Battle.net is an integral part of the StarCraft II experience and will be an essential part of all of our games moving forward. This extra development time will be critical to help us realize our vision for the service.

Our mission is to develop games that deliver an epic entertainment experience. As part of that commitment, we will always take as much time as needed to ensure that our games and services meet the expectations of our players and the standard for quality that we set for ourselves as developers. As we work to make Battle.net the premier online gaming destination, we’ll also continue to polish and refine StarCraft II, and we look forward to delivering a real-time strategy gaming experience worthy of the series’ legacy in the first half of 2010.

We will share more details about the beta, Battle.net, and StarCraft II’s launch in the future. Keep an eye on the official website at http://www.starcraft2.com for updates, and as always, thank you for your continued enthusiasm and support for StarCraft II and all of Blizzard Entertainment’s games.

Source Here,
http://forums.battle.net/thread.html?topicId=19110062236

For those lucky enough, and still wondering what to do with their blizzcon keys, direct yourselves here!

If you have a BlizzCon key from 2008, you can now register it at http://blizzcon.com/beta

Please note that the key on the back of the BlizzCon card is NOT a StarCraft II 'key'. When you opt in on the above site, your email will be added to a distribution list for a guaranteed StarCraft II beta key. When time comes, an email containing a StarCraft II beta key will be mailed out to those who registered with their BlizzCon key. At that point, players will be able to enter their StarCraft II beta key at their Battle.net account management page, allowing them the ability to download the StarCraft II beta client.

Source: StarCraft 2 Forums