Will you guys be beta testing World of Warcraft, and how do I sign up? Our beta tests have included public participation for several years now, and World of Warcraft will be no exception. In fact, it will probably be our largest and most extensive beta test ever. When will the beta start? The beta is expected to begin in early 2004, and it will be done in stages. That is all the information we have at this time; please watch the World of Warcraft site for any news regarding the beta. Can you tell us more about the beta? Will there be different phases? Will there be an open beta? Will it require an NDA? World of Warcraft is currently in the alpha-testing stage (internal testing open to the entire company). The beta test, which is scheduled to start sometime in early 2004, will initially be open to players in the U.S., Canada, and Korea. Participation will require an NDA. 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. What will the NDA involve? The NDA (nondisclosure agreement) is a standard contractual agreement used in the game industry to help prevent sensitive game information from being released to the public by those who have access to that information. Because beta testers will be playing an unfinished, classified version of World of Warcraft before the rest of the world, it’s important that there be an agreement in place that serves this purpose. The NDA for the World of Warcraft beta test has not yet been finalized. When the time comes, every potential beta tester will be able to fully read the NDA prior to accepting it, and we will encourage everyone to make sure that they fully understand and agree to the NDA first. An age limit for the World of Warcraft beta test has not yet been determined. I'm in Europe. Will I be able to participate in the World of Warcraft Beta? We have not yet finalized our beta plans, but we do know that at some point in the process we will need to test servers worldwide. This will certainly involve Europe, but to what extent and when has not been determined.