Blizzard certainly likes taking their time making games. Diablo III was announced about four years ago, and has yet to receive a release date. Ever since the beta went live, Blizzard revealed massive changes that had many fans concerned--will Diablo 3 be pushed back even further?
It appears concerns may have been unwarranted. At an investor's call, Blizzard announced that it is "targeting" a Q2 launch for the long-awaited RPG.
Diablo III has already seen sweeping changes throughout its life in beta, but Blizzard isn't shy about making more changes in its quest to perfect the next game in its famed series.
New changes coming to the current version of the game were announced earlier today, which cut companion scrolls and scrolls of reforging. The companion scrolls would summon an adorable minion that would run around and loot gold in your name. According to Blizzard community manager Nethaera, the creature's 'adorableness' was only part of the problem: "The companion pets felt like they were mandatory to maximize play efficiency and some of the pets were too cutesy for the gritty, dark world of Sanctuary."
Steve Parker, senior producer for Diablo III, has announced he's leaving Blizzard. Parker announced his departure on Friday without giving a specific reason, but has been hinting that he has a new position lined up in the near term.
Big changes are in the works for Diablo III. If you thought the ongoing beta was nothing more than an extended demo, think again. Based on feedback from beta and internal testers, the developers are retooling systems once thought to be set in stone.
For starters, the core character attributes are being changed to Strength, Dexterity, Intellect, and Vitality. The Cauldron of Jordan, which allowed the sale of items anywhere in the world, and Nephalem Cube, which broke items down into crafting materials, have both been removed from the game. They were both rendered unnecessary when the team worked out a solution for including the Stone of Recall for quick returns back to town. And, that's just the tip of the iceberg.
Read more: Changes planned for fundamental parts of Diablo III »
Diablo 3 has been facing an uphill battle in South Korea, where the ratings board balked at the auction house feature for its similarities to gambling. The problem has apparently been resolved, as the Korean Game Rating Board now shows the game with an "18-and-up" rating.
Read more: Game rating clears Diablo 3 for worldwide launch »
Diablo 3 is preparing for its launch early this year, but it's hitting a snag in Korea. The somewhat controversial auction house feature is edging a bit too close to gambling, which is making the Korean Ratings Board hesitant.
After accepting an award for the studio, Blizzard took to the stage with an award for all: the opening cinematic for Diablo III. In typical Blizzard fashion, the opening for its next game--and our next obsession--was gorgeous. Watch as fire rains upon the land and pits to hell burst open. Then spend some time with your loved ones because they may not see much of you when the game finally launches in 2012.
Blizzard may have a position on the Diablo III team dubbed "Lead Console Designer," but that doesn't mean the company is officially announcing the upcoming title is coming to any platforms other than PC and Mac.
"There's three of us on the team right now," Blizzard's Josh Mosquiera told Destructoid in an interview during BlizzCon 2011, noting that the team is "trying" to build "the best console team at Blizzard."
While Diablo III will be offered free to World of Warcraft Annual Pass subscribers, even they might still want to splash out for the very fancy Collector's Edition unveiled during BlizzCon.
Packed into a stylish box, you'll find a 208-page art book, 24-track soundtrack CD, documentary DVD, and, of course, a copy of the action-RPG, Blizzard has revealed.
World of Warcraft players are some of the most dedicated Blizzard fans out there. At BlizzCon today, the company announced plans on rewarding World of Warcraft subscribers with quite an enticing bonus: a free copy of Diablo III when it releases. (You will only get the regular edition, not the special edition pictured above.)
Of course, there are some strings attached. To be eligible for the bonus, you must get a new 12 month "annual pass," which costs $15 a month.
Though a lucky few got to start playing Diablo III this week when beta invites began going out, the unlucky masses not in the beta will have to wait even longer. Blizzard announced this morning that the clicktastic action-RPG has been delayed into "early 2012."
Blizzard hasn't exactly been what we'd call "subtle" with hints at Diablo III on consoles. At this point we'd be more surprised if the anticipated dungeon-crawler stays PC-exclusive. Now you can carve another notch in the Incredibly Blatant Teasing scoreboard, as game director Jay Wilson says that internal tests have shown the game feels better when played with an Xbox 360-style analog pad.
Fire up your inboxes, ladies and gentlemen. Blizzard Entertainment has announced it has begun distributing beta invites for Diablo 3 to select members of its community that opted in for the test.
If you're one of the lucky few to make the cut, Blizzard recommends you log into your Battle.Net account and download the client at some point. We recommend you stop what you're doing and get that done now. The client is available for the PC and Mac.
Diablo III is looking likely for a 2012 release, but if you just can't wait to spec your character, Blizzard has opened up a Skill Calculator to let you plan out your skills and check on the experience level you'll need to achieve it. This should hold you over with all the fun of playing Diablo, except without the enemies, loot, or dungeons.
Activision Blizzard COO Thomas Tippl is expecting Blizzard to release six "proven property" releases over the next three years. Tippl said at the Citi 2011 Technology Conference that this will include two expansion packs for World of Warcraft, the remaining two pieces of StarCraft 2, and Diablo III.
This would mean that Blizzard expects the third StarCraft 2 sub-game, Legacy of the Void, to hit by the end of 2014. The sixth release is a possible Diablo 3 expansion, but speculation is swirling that the Titan project could hit in that time frame too.
Blizzard's decision to require a constant connection to play Diablo III understandably upset some pockets of the Internet. However, the company is sticking to its decision, saying that it will prevent the extensive hacking of Diablo 2.
For players with extraordinary levels of skill, masochism and free time, Diablo III is adding a new difficulty level even harder than the ruddy hard 'Hell.' Those braving 'Inferno' difficulty will face even tougher and more powerful monsters, but have a shot at finding unique loot not available anywhere else.
Blizzard's recent announcement that Diablo 3 would require a constant connection to the Internet has been met with some consternation from fans. The company has been caught off-guard by the reaction, at least according to online technologies VP Robert Bridenbecker. He says that Blizzard's history and the direction of online strategies in general shows the always-on requirement as a reasonable standard, given the benefits of it in this case.
"After playing in the beta for a couple weeks now, I'm saying the first week in June."
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