Feldon From EQ2 Forums:
We are proud to announce the release of our new streaming client into beta!
The streaming client will allow players to get into the world of Norrath faster than ever before. We’d like your help testing this new technology. Please check out the announcement in the Testing forum and let us know what you think!
Some of the key points of Rothgar’s posting (please go read the whole thing if you are interested):
We’ve recognized for awhile that the current size of the EverQuest II installation (about 10gb) is a pretty large barrier to entry for many people. We’ve seen the posts on the forums where many players excited about trying the game never make it in due to the large download and sometimes unreliable patcher performance.
When the streaming client leaves beta we will not be forcing it on any existing players. You will always have the choice of running the existing patcher and downloading all assets prior to entering the game. The streaming client will provide a nice alternative for new installations or for computers that you don’t update often.
We’re looking for as many players as possible to download this new streaming client and give it a try. We’re asking that you do a fresh installation into a new directory and see how fast you can get into the game. The streaming client is currently available for the Test Server only.
Our marketing department has an aggressive campaign over the next few months leading up to the expansion with the primary goal of acquiring new players for EverQuest II. The streaming client is an important part of this campaign and we would love your help evaluating this new technology.
Early Results
Already, some players have reported being able to start the EQ2 Streaming Client, create a character, and log into the game and start playing in as little as 5 minutes. Compare this to the existing 10GB download which even on a very fast cable or fiber connection could take 5 or more hours.
This is pure win. Don’t get me wrong, I’m really really glad they’re leaving the option to download everything in advance for after you’ve made up your mind that you’re sticking with the game, but the trial download literally took me overnight when I started playing.