It seems Blizzard has discontinued their Friends List Program that rewarded good beta testers with a spot in future Blizzard beta tests. The last time the friends list was used was for the World of WarCraft closed beta.
The original program worked similar to how the Opt-Ins now work, and it's likely that the Opt-In Program is replacing the Friends List. Random fans were given beta keys to an upcoming Blizzard game, and if they were very good with reporting bugs and give feedback, they were put on the Friends List until the next game. Being on the Friends List only gave access to the next one, and you'd have to earn a new Friend List position to continue visiting Blizzard beta testing. This program will end or has ended.
The MVP (Most Valuable Poster) Program is also due for closure. It was originally started on Battle.net back in 1999 and has been a way for Blizzard to reward extra valuable forum members with a coloured title and a special avatar. Besides being taken down between August 2000 and December 2002, it's been a staple in Blizzard forums (most recently the World of WarCraft forums).
Some fans have expressed concern over the fact that anyone with a new Battle.net account can opt-in to the StarCraft II beta (and later the Diablo III beta). They don't feel it's fair on the fans who follow the forums daily, and keep giving valuable input. They should have a greater chance of getting in to the beta and this random drawing will not give them that chance.
We'll just have to see if something else comes in its place, but some sort of beta key giveaway will be available for the distant Diablo III beta from Diii.net. Check out the StarCraft 2 Beta Centre for all available ways to get a StarCraft II beta key.
Via StarcraftWire.net.
Below is the old MVP FAQ from the WoW forums:
The original program worked similar to how the Opt-Ins now work, and it's likely that the Opt-In Program is replacing the Friends List. Random fans were given beta keys to an upcoming Blizzard game, and if they were very good with reporting bugs and give feedback, they were put on the Friends List until the next game. Being on the Friends List only gave access to the next one, and you'd have to earn a new Friend List position to continue visiting Blizzard beta testing. This program will end or has ended.
The MVP (Most Valuable Poster) Program is also due for closure. It was originally started on Battle.net back in 1999 and has been a way for Blizzard to reward extra valuable forum members with a coloured title and a special avatar. Besides being taken down between August 2000 and December 2002, it's been a staple in Blizzard forums (most recently the World of WarCraft forums).
 Blizzard Quote: |
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| I was wondering what happened to Blizzard's Friends List program. In warcraft III beta I got on this list and recived TFT beta because of that. I tried searching abit around to find out if this program is still active but couldnt find any info. Anyone know anything about this? I think the old pages were available at links like [these]. I'm not sure if we're continuing the program past World of Warcraft. I'll check for more information. Our department no longer handles the friends list (along with forum MVPs and such) so it's hard for me to get an answer. It seems that the "friends list" as we know of will end. I don't know if something like that will take its place. If it does, it'll be announced on the forum of the respective beta. BlizzBlues. |
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Some fans have expressed concern over the fact that anyone with a new Battle.net account can opt-in to the StarCraft II beta (and later the Diablo III beta). They don't feel it's fair on the fans who follow the forums daily, and keep giving valuable input. They should have a greater chance of getting in to the beta and this random drawing will not give them that chance.
We'll just have to see if something else comes in its place, but some sort of beta key giveaway will be available for the distant Diablo III beta from Diii.net. Check out the StarCraft 2 Beta Centre for all available ways to get a StarCraft II beta key.
Via StarcraftWire.net.
Below is the old MVP FAQ from the WoW forums:
| Blizzard Quote: |
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| Q. Why was the MVP Program created? A. Often times the members of the Community Team have responded to questions that players could answer just as easily. However, at times, answers by players would go completely ignored while the original poster sought a "blue" response, not trusting what their fellows told them. In order to solve the problem, we instituted a program that has shown great success on Blizzard's forums in the past: the MVP (Most Valuable Poster) Program. This tag next to players who have answered players' questions consistently and accurately lends a note of credibility to what they post; it allows players seeking answers to take what they say at face value Q. What does an MVP do? A. An MVP continues to promote constructive posting wherever they can. They contribute to the community and encourage polite discussion throughout the forums. When you see an MVP post, listen to what they have to say -- they were chosen for their knowledge of the game, also. Q. Why didn't you select _____, someone who always gives great constructive feedback on X subject? A. Please understand that MVPs are not class representatives or community representatives in that sense; they are not chosen for their ability to criticize game mechanics and give feedback. They certainly can do this (and many do). The members of the Community Team are still your vehicles through which you should submit feedback by posting on these forums. We do not have a class representative system in place at this time and would prefer to hear all players' feedback instead of a select few. Q. Why aren't the MVPs all level 60s? A. You do not have to have a level 60 to answer the majority of questions on these forums clearly and accurately. You do not need a level 60 to be able to direct players to the appropriate page on the website for their question, or to link to an answer already given by Blizzard. The "you must have a level 60 to post something useful" perception is largely false, and not something we wish to perpetuate. Again, this partially stems back to the idea that MVPs are in fact community representatives who are giving feedback for the playerbase, which is untrue. Q. How can I become an MVP? A. Keep posting constructively, answering questions about the game, and encouraging discussion (and no, that doesn't mean giving a post a title and then saying "Discuss.") throughout the forums -- we'll take notice. Following the Code of Conduct would be an important part of it, as well. Source |
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