An interesting blue post on the official forums, combined with some data from a source outside of Blizzard but familiar with their operations, has led me to conclude that an official announcement on the beta opt-in is pending.
Bashiok:
The gang at World of Warcraft Official Magazine would like to know if you plan on participating in the Cataclysm beta. What about it gets you excited? What should people know before opting-in and participating? Are you purposefully avoiding the beta and all information? Do you love to hunt down bugs, do you thrive in a world of the unknown, or do you despise the impermanence of a testing environment? Tell us about your best experiences from past tests, missed opportunities, your dos and don’ts, your beta hopes, and anything in-between! The best posts will be incorporated into the feature as quotes, and your character will be fully credited.
Thanks in advance to all!
As Bashiok says, they’re prepping content for an upcoming issue of the Magazine. It would follow that this topic isn’t random but has been selected to maximize interest in the beta. Why would they do that? Because the beta, or at least the opt-in, will have begun by the time this feature about it goes to print. This is all sensible and should come as no surprise.
My source tells me that things are gearing up as the infrastructure needed to support the beta test has been ramping up dramatically in the last few weeks.
With that data in mind, I believe that the beta will begin very soon. In point of fact, I believe we will hear an official announcement about the opt-in within the next 72 hours and certainly no later than a week from today.
Take this with a boulder of salt. My source on this matter is close to Blizzard, but doesn’t work for them. It’s possible the preparations he’s aware of are for another project entirely or perhaps he’s misjudged the pacing of their operations.
At any rate, this is certainly another sign that Azeroth will Soon™ see some dramatic changes.
