StarCraft 2 Beta download has started. Be sure to check your emails and battle.net accounts.

If anyone is looking for a Heroes of Newerth beta key look no further. Send invites for yourself and friends at the HoN beta invite giveaway. If you are already an active player be sure to read up on some HoN strategy and guides. For those that don't know, HoN is an independent game based off of and inspired by DotA. It has taken DotA to a level worthy of its reputation.

It was announced, during Blizzard's conference with investors, that 20,000 were sold for Blizzcon. The cost for the two day tickets were $125 each. The conference stated that the tickets sold out in eight minutes. I assume that's total time considering the tickets were being sold on two different days (four minutes per day). $2,500,000 isn't bad for eight minutes. Of course, Blizzard gets even more money from the DirecTV pay per view coverage of BlizzCon and their own streaming coverage.

"BlizzCon is a celebration of the Warcraft, StarCraft, and Diablo franchises and the communities that surround them. This two-day event will contain Q&A panels featuring Blizzard Entertainment developers, social events for players and developers to meet one another, and hands-on gameplay featuring your favorite Blizzard Entertainment games."

This years Blizzcon should be no different than others; developer panels, playable game demos, tournaments, new game previews, door swag, and lots of costumes! If you missed your chance to buy tickets you can still get exclusive game beta keys and an in-game WoW prize(Grunty the Murloc Marine)by purchasing one of the streams below. (Future Beta keys are limited)

Direct TV PPV info-
http://www.blizzard.com/blizzcon/partners/directv.xml

Internet Steam-
http://blizzcon.rayv.com/

Bad news for those waiting on Starcraft II. The game has been officially delayed until 2010!

Cydra recently posted, on the official Starcraft II forums, that the game will be delayed until sometime next year. Needless to say this isn't unlike blizzard; if you've been part of their following you'd know they like to get everything right before release. "It's done, when it's done."

Cydra-

"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: http://forums.battle.net/thread.html?topicId=19110062236&sid=3000

Blizzard president Mike Morhaime today confirmed that the StarCraft II beta would begin sometime this summer.

"This summer we will be opening up external beta testing, and while we haven't announced a release date yet, this phase will also signal the final stretch [of development on the game]," said Morhaime during today's Activision Blizzard conference call.
Signups for the beta officially opened yesterday, with users able to opt-in to the test by way of their Battle.net profiles. The test will focus on the multiplayer mode, featuring all three of the title's races and several maps.

"Our priority now is completing the core game," added Morhaime. "Once that is complete, our focus will shift [to the two expansions]."

Note: Some have reported being unable to view the battle.net sites. It may be a region issue. I have added us. in front of all URLS. Additional when you the Battle.net system profiler checks your system specs, it may take multiple send attempts for it to go through. I'm sure the servers are busy!

The StarCraft II beta-test period is coming in the months ahead! If you'd like a chance to participate, now's the time to let us know. Simply go to the "Beta Profile Settings" page in Battle.net account management to go through the new beta opt-in process and upload a snapshot of your system specs. During this process, you'll also have the opportunity to opt in to future betas for other Blizzard Entertainment games. Please note that even if you've opted in to our betas previously, you'll need to complete this new process and upload your current system specs to have a chance to be invited.

For more information, see the FAQ -- or create a Battle.net account to opt in now. If you have an unused beta code from BlizzCon 2008 or WWI 2008, visit this site to enter your code.

More info:

Questions answered by Chris Sigaty, StarCraft II lead producer

Q. StarCraft II opt-ins are now available through Battle.net. Does the opt-in process mean that the start of the StarCraft II beta is imminent?

A. We’re getting closer and closer to the start of our closed beta with each week that passes. Several months ago, we expanded our internal testing of the game to the entire company, and we’ve made significant progress since then. We’re looking forward to inviting external testers into the process soon, which is why we’re starting sign-ups now.

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