During a conference call conducted earlier today, Blizzard CEO Michael Morhaime started talking dates for StarCraft II, something the developer has been otherwise quiet about as of recent. First, he gave the official word on the beta, which missed its scheduled 2009 start date by... well, it still isn't out, so "pending" I suppose is the word to use there. The lengthy testing period, which will apparently be "conducted on a global scale," will be starting this month. In other words, you should start soldering together a new computer within the next few days. As for an official release date for the highly anticipated RTS? Apparently, it's "on track" (which is funny for Blizzard to say about anything) for a mid-2010 release date. Also on track? Flying pigs.

To be honest, the mid-2010 makes sense considering the developer's earlier words about the testing period being a six month process. Once the game is in beta, it means we should only need to wait for a few more months until it hits shelves. Considering how long this specific game has been in the oven for, it might be less time than that. That said, Blizzard is as known for polish as they are for delays, so any dates they give are tentative, to say the least. Here's hoping they finally have their shit together, though, because I'm ready to finally actually get some time in with StarCraft II.