I do not know why people keep saying, Zenimax will announce when beta starts. It has already been stated, that these beta tests will not be like any others.
It is a smart move to just send invites out without posting alot of hype about it. Less hype about beta= alot more focus on fixing issues and making the game better.

I was listening to a developer video and many times it was stated, that they have hundreds fighting. I am 95% sure that the alpha team does not consist of such number.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=27MjH8hi1zQ

It is called closed beta for a reason.

Considering they have a studio of hundreds (and that video's from May of last year), this seems like a large conclusion to jump to. Beta has not started yet.

What proof do you have? There is no need to announce that closed beta has started. It is a distraction that should be avoided until further in.

No matter what lengths they go to in order to lock it down, I find it impossible to believe they could be in beta without some sort of leaks. They've said several times that they'll announce when beta starts. The official twitter account posts https://twitter.com/TESOnline/status/302513182596005888 about 20 times a day.

I have no doubt that in-house beta has started. Even testing the landscape and contours in an area, or checking the mechanics of combat, could be considered closed (in-house) beta. There is nothing that leads me to believe that anyone outside of Zenimax is involved in this process yet. At one point they had a notice on the main site to "watch this space over the coming weeks and months" for the status of beta invites. As much as I want to get into the game, I'd rather wait than have a rush-to-market experience like Vanguard.

I find this quite meagre proof that beta has started.
Alpha can easily be done with 100s of people.

Zenimax has explicitly stated that they will announce the start of Beta on their websites to make sure people check their spam folder for the invite.

Thanks, I needed a laugh today.
For those that don't know, alpha means in-house testing, whereas beta involves members of the public. And your basis for this conclusion is that a lot of people were involved in a previous test? It's pretty safe to say they have enough employees to make that happen. Plus, ZOS have themselves said beta isn't going yet. If you are right, that's one rather large lie, There are sort of laws against that kind of thing.

ZeniMax Online Studio's has around 250 employees, so yes they can do in-house alpha testing easily at the masses.

I'm not watching that video but there is footage of only one siege battle. They specifically said they got everyone in their team (read: internal) into the battle to test it. How else would you test if your 200-people-on-screen engine actually works? You should find that out before you make that claim, right? So my guess is they just had everyone in house log in. Also I'm pretty sure that they said they will announce invites on twitter. And some people have been posting that they got rejected. So I guess its safe to say that closed beta is starting and in house alpha has been running...no?

Beta hasent startet right know, the only think that runs is alpha.

Noob.

Zenimax has said that when beta starts, as in invitations being sent out, it will be announced on this forum, on facebook, on twitter, and on the ESO home page, no it has not started yet....

Alright people. I already knew that they would announce it. I just felt like having others tell me, that it will be announced alot more

Joke is over

Not allowed to do this in Bethesda forums dude...

Seems more like flying a kite to me.

Thread over.