Good news, everybody! BioWare has officially kicked off the beta for Star Wars: The Old Republic! Now before you go and get your light saber out, be aware that they're slowly rolling out invites, so there's a good chance that you might have to wait a few months before getting in. As of now, it's only opened to a small group of community members in North America, so, odds are, you didn't get invited.

If you haven't already signed up to be a tester, I suggest you do that right here, right now. Beta testing is arguably the most important stage of an MMORPG's life, and there have been games that were doomed to failure due to poor feedback during this part of the game's development. If dedicated testers don't submit bugs and suggestions, the developers could launch with a broken game. This isn't like when Call of Duty or Halo has a beta test on Xbox Live. This is the real deal, and they need real help.

The full release is below. May the force be with you, always.

Game Testing for Star Wars™: The Old Republic™ is underway! Those selected to test will gain access to the game and be able to provide valuable feedback to help us tune particular areas of gameplay and begin the process of balancing and tweaking our content.

Game Testing is an on-going process being rolled out in several phases. These phases began with smaller, more focused tests with community members from North America, and later will expand to other territories. Users selected for the test program will be notified via email with more information on accessing the Game Testing Portal. If you’ve not been chosen yet, you may be selected in the next wave!

If you haven’t signed up already, it’s definitely not too late! If you’re not already a member of the Star Wars: The Old Republic community, click here to become one today! Be sure to check the box to indicate you are interested in becoming a tester. If you’re already a member, go to the Game Testing Portal to begin the sign up process. Note that you must be at least 18 years of age to accept the Game Tester Agreement.

Please keep in mind that there are no guarantees that you will be selected once you have completed the sign-up process. For more information about testing Star Wars: The Old Republic, take time to read the Game Testing FAQ.

We’re looking forward to your help in making Star Wars: The Old Republic a success!