While every blog and their brother is out there giving you hands on impressions of the graphics and gameplay of the long awaited follow-up to Blizzard‘s original sci-fi RTS, here at Gamer Blahhhg we’re taking a more comprehensive view of the beta. Anyone can give you a rundown of the map types, units and mechanics of the sequel’s beta. A number of sites are even streaming live video of multi-player matches. But what about what it’s like to not be in the beta? Who is going to tell that story?
We are!
This issue was first brought to our attention by JHAPSBER69, long time lurker at NeoGAF, who was shocked to find he had not been invited to participate in the beta. “I started seeing all these blog and forum posts about the beta starting, but when I signed in to Battle.Net I couldn’t find any way to download the client.”
It was only later that JHASBERG69 realized he had never even gone through the procedure required to be considered as a beta tester. “I could have sworn I signed up months ago. I think they must’ve lost my application or something. Anyway, my account is totally set up for beta consideration now.”
A survey of various forums and personal blogs suggest that stories like JHASBERG69’s are common. With the breadth and depth and detail of available StarCraft 2 Beta coverage available on site after site it is easy to forget about the unlucky minorities who have been marginalized by their exclusion from the testing process. Some bloggers on Live Journal have even published suicidal thoughts or pictures of self mutilation. Support groups for the disaffected have started to pop up as well.
NiteBITCH_candlewax, admin of Zerg Wives Homefront, one of the larger support communities on Live Journal, emphasizes a historic perspective. “We have to think of ourselves like the mothers and wives who watched their men leave to wage war in some far flung land. It’s our responsibility to rise up, keep the home fires burning and maintain the engines of industry. In that way we are full participants, no matter what my registered games list on Battle.Net says.”
No word from Blizzard on when, or if, the beta will be expanded.