- Will you guys be beta testing World of Warcraft, and how do I sign up?
The World of Warcraft Closed Beta test officially began on March 19, 2004. The signup period has ended for the Closed Beta; however, we will be conducting an Open Beta test later this year. Please stay tuned to www.blizzard.com or www.worldofwarcraft.com for the latest details regarding the Open Beta test.
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- Will there be beta tests in other countries for World of Warcraft?
Yes. There will be additional beta tests for certain languages in Europe and some additional languages in the Asia-Pacific regions.
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- When are these likely to occur?
Once we have established a stable environment for our current beta test countries, we will be able to better determine when we can extend the test to other regions.
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- Will there be closed and open beta tests?
Yes.
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- How many beta testers will be involved in each beta test?
Approximately 10,000 testers will be invited from each region in which we will be conducting a beta test.
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- Why will these beta tests happen after Korea and North America?
World of Warcraft requires both a complex server infrastructure and local GM/support staff to provide the excellent customer service and unparalleled gameplay experience that we intend to deliver. In order to meet these goals, we are taking a very thorough and measured approach to the beta. Our plan for the initial beta test is to resolve any challenges we face prior to extending the beta test to other countries.
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- When will gamers in countries in which there is no beta test be able to play World of Warcraft?
We would like to deliver World of Warcraft as soon as we can to as many players as possible. However, until the final stages of the current beta-testing process, we will be unable to determine where or when we will be conducting additional beta tests, or when the game will launch in other regions around the world. Once the testing is complete and we have determined when the game will be available in the different regions, we will make that information public.
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- Will lag still be a problem for gamers in countries not operating with a dedicated server?
World of Warcraft is as much a service as it is a game, so in addition to servers, we need to provide high-quality support for players in every region in which the game will be available. As such, we won't launch the game in a region without first making sure everything is in place to support our service there, including reliable server connections, customer support, and GMs.
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- Can you tell us more about the beta? Will there be different phases? Will there be an open beta?
Similarly to how we've conducted beta tests in the past, we will gradually open up the beta to more and more testers in order to gauge server stability and connectivity. While we don't know what the total number of beta testers will be yet, this will by far be our largest beta test ever.
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- Why is Blizzard only accepting beta test applications from U.S. & Canadian residents?
Due to multiple time zones and language differences, we have decided to limit the beta test application participants to the United States and Canada.
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- I'm in Puerto Rico, is that considered a part of the U.S. for the beta?
Yes, people in Puerto Rico are eligible to signup and participate in the U.S. beta.
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- I'm in the U.S. Military and may be traveling/stationed abroad during the beta test. Can I still participate?
Yes, anyone with a valid U.S. address is eligible -. APO/FPO addresses will be accepted.
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- Will there be a Mac version of the beta available?
Yes.
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- What are the system requirements for the World of Warcraft® beta?
NOTE: World of Warcraft has NOT yet been optimized for many hardware configurations. The system requirements are expected to be lower for the final shipping version of the game, specifically in regards to processor speed and video card memory requirements. The system specifications listed below are for the World of Warcraft® beta only. The World of Warcraft® Beta test has the following requirements:
A 56K or higher modem with an internet connection.
Windows® System/OS:
- 800 Mhz or higher CPU.
- 256 Megabytes or more of RAM.
- Geforce 2 Graphics Card or better.
- 3 Gigabytes or more of available hard drive space.
- DirectX® 9.0 or above.
Mac® System/OS:
- 1.0 GHz or higher, G4 or G5 processor.
- 512 Megabytes RAM or higher. DDR RAM recommended.
- ATI or NVIDIA video hardware with 64 MB VRAM or more.
- 3 Gigabytes or more of available hard drive space.
- MacOS X 10.3 ("Panther") or better
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- How are beta testers chosen?
Beta testers are chosen according to their system specs, location, and other factors. Qualified beta testers will mostly be selected randomly. Our goal is to have a good variety of system types and locations to best test compatibility.
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- I was selected as a beta tester, but I never received my copy! What can I do?
Unfortunately, we cannot resend beta discs or track lost beta discs. There will be no exceptions. Generally, if a selected tester doesn't receive their copy, it's because we don't have the proper address listed for that person. It is very important that you double-check your address before submitting your application.
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- How long will the beta test last?
Historically, beta tests last approximately 2-3 months. Due to the depth and magnitude of the World of Warcraft beta, we expect the beta test to last at least this long. We will notify participants when the beta test is nearing completion.
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- Will the beta have a CD-Key?
Yes.
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- What if I did not receive a CD-Key or if I have misplaced it?
We are unable to provide additional CD-Keys for this Beta for any reason (whether lost, stolen, or never received one in the first place). For this reason, please be very careful with your CD-Key, do not hand this out to anyone for any reason. Please note that Blizzard Entertainment employees will never ask you for this information.
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