During today's Activision Blizzard Earnings call, it was revealed that the Starcraft beta would begin "before the end of this month". It as also announced that the game would be released by mid-2010. The beta will be opened to "thousands", although it was not said if this is going to be a closed or open beta. According to Kotaku, it will be closed.

Note from Moose: Confirmed on StarCraft's twitter.
http://kotaku.com/5469024/starcraft-ii-closed-beta-launches-this-month?skyline=true&s=i

Open Beta sounds fun.

I think it is closed, or at least that's what the topic in the SC2 Discussion forum suggests.

How does Blizzard choose who gets to play SC2? Is it randomly chosen people or is there some sort of order?

from what was discussed it said they want to test on a variety of systems with different specifications and operating systems to see how the performance would be on each. I believe it will be somewhat random but yet I think they mean by this they want to test out various machine configerations so random within those groups.

Quote from killer_sss

from what was discussed it said they want to test on a variety of systems with different specifications and operating systems to see how the performance would be on each. I believe it will be somewhat random but yet I think they mean by this they want to test out various machine configerations so random within those groups.

Damn, I should've built a system with dual processors, Windows 2000 and some old ATI cards CrossFire'd so that I could get into the beta

My problem with this whole announcement is this line right here

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"starcraft 2 beta testing ready to launch later this month"

(note: taken directly from the official looking thingy at the bottom of the article.)

Notice it doesnt say beta testing will begin by the end of this month. For all we know, they could take a whole 'nother month just to select people to be in the beta. Or, as blizzard has done in the past, take a month to select people, then go back and change something and delay it another 2 months, just to decide to scrap all the races and start over from the beginning... :/

Quote from ShredderIV

My problem with this whole announcement is this line right here

Quote

"starcraft 2 beta testing ready to launch later this month"

(note: taken directly from the official looking thingy at the bottom of the article.)

Notice it doesnt say beta testing will begin by the end of this month. For all we know, they could take a whole 'nother month just to select people to be in the beta. Or, as blizzard has done in the past, take a month to select people, then go back and change something and delay it another 2 months, just to decide to scrap all the races and start over from the beginning... :/

This man speaks the truth. Knowing Blizzard, that was very intentional. They don't want to commit to something without knowing it's perfect.

I'm getting into the beta whether Blizzard picks me or not! kekeke

They posted on Facebook and Twitter that it was starting later this month. My Blizz pal says the closed beta starts by the end as well.

Quote from dumbducky

Note from Moose: Confirmed on StarCraft's twitter.
http://kotaku.com/5469024/starcraft-ii-closed-beta-launches-this-month?skyline=true&s=i

nice 1-uping me Moose. D:

I received my beta-key via Twitter contest. (Unless you've won some other contest, you'll have to cross your fingers that you get picked for the beta-opt in (requires Battle.net account)

Quote from ShredderIV

My problem with this whole announcement is this line right here

Quote

"starcraft 2 beta testing ready to launch later this month"

(note: taken directly from the official looking thingy at the bottom of the article.)

Notice it doesnt say beta testing will begin by the end of this month. For all we know, they could take a whole 'nother month just to select people to be in the beta. Or, as blizzard has done in the past, take a month to select people, then go back and change something and delay it another 2 months, just to decide to scrap all the races and start over from the beginning... :/

Not true. Blizzard has a couple of contest winners, Blizzcon attendants, and random beta opt-in winners. When the beta starts, it starts.

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Not true. Blizzard has a couple of contest winners, Blizzcon attendants, and random beta opt-in winners. When the beta starts, it starts.

First of all, it was an exaggeration.

Second, it was just supposed to represent what blizzard has given us before. They are infamous for announcing promises and things that they wind up not keeping up with.

Blizzard might take a while to make their products, but it is a well polished one

Quote from ShredderIV

Quote

Not true. Blizzard has a couple of contest winners, Blizzcon attendants, and random beta opt-in winners. When the beta starts, it starts.

First of all, it was an exaggeration.

Second, it was just supposed to represent what blizzard has given us before. They are infamous for announcing promises and things that they wind up not keeping up with.

I think for something like this, however, they took their sweet time to announce the beta so I doubt they're going to retract it at the last minute.

Mike Morhaime: StarCraft II Beta will begin later this month.

Direct quote.

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I received my beta-key via Twitter contest. (Unless you've won some other contest, you'll have to cross your fingers that you get picked for the beta-opt in (requires Battle.net account)

Now be a good boy and give Heinnerman the .exe so he can crack it and let everyone have a go with the editor.

Quote from Jennifer Love Hewitt

Quote

I received my beta-key via Twitter contest. (Unless you've won some other contest, you'll have to cross your fingers that you get picked for the beta-opt in (requires Battle.net account)

Now be a good boy and give Heinnerman the .exe so he can crack it and let everyone have a go with the editor.

I support this.

Quote from Jennifer Love Hewitt

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I received my beta-key via Twitter contest. (Unless you've won some other contest, you'll have to cross your fingers that you get picked for the beta-opt in (requires Battle.net account)

Now be a good boy and give Heinnerman the .exe so he can crack it and let everyone have a go with the editor.

BTW, the Editor will not be in the beta at the start, it'll all be added slowly via patches.
Source: Some post on BlizzBlues, I don't feel like searching.

Any word on how they will be deciding who is chosen for the beta testing? I have a feeling their not just picking names out of a phonebook. Anything that can increase my chances I would do (maybe they are choosing people randomly who are registered on their website?) I have no idea how these are done, as I have never been involved in beta testing.

They gave out keys randomly to BlizzCon ticket-holders, BlizzCon DTV subscribers, and are giving out keys to random people with Battle.net accounts (not to be confused with Diablo, SC, or WC3 Battle.net "accounts").

On top of that, they're giving them out for friends and family testing to Blizzard employees.


EDIT:
So your best bet is to try to get one by making a Battle.net account.