Diablo 3?

[noticks]

Re: Diablo 3?

I was a beta tester for Hellgate and it really didn't measure up in my opinion. I didn't buy it because I didn't believe it was a finished product, and I realized that while I was hoping to find D3 somewhere in the Hellgate experience... it just wasn't there.

I thought maybe once the Hellgate boxes hit the $10 bin, I'll pick one up. The more I reflect on the beta experience and the (opitional,) monthly fee for "extra content" the more I think I'll stick to D2 at least until I get my hands on D3!

 

[CNSABER]

Re: Diablo 3?

Anyone else notice that the Worldwide Invitational in Paris... just happens to be on the 8th year anniversary of the release of Diablo II... ^^

 

[blackravager]

Re: Diablo 3?

mythos will be more like D3 and if blizzard will make a D3 it will come after starcraft2 and the next WoW

 

[razen]

Re: Diablo 3?

just like to comment on the first page "rumor"

that sounds awefully detailed to be a "rumor", in fact... it sounds completely made up

of course, if the game does come out like that, then i have to eat my tongue. but from a logical standpoint, that sounds like an elaborate gibberish that someone got nothing better to do for 30 minutes.

i DOUBT blizzard will diabloiii. isnt blizzard bought by some other company recently? with the return of gaming to the platforms, it will be hard to invest large sum of money to make something as epic as d3. (or invest little money and get flamed for its shoddy work) i don't see it happening in 5 years. heck, i don't even see it happening in 10 years.

 

[phool]

Re: Diablo 3?

That description of d3 sounded for the most part a complete fiction dreamt up by someone of around young teenager age and not at all believable.

HGL still isn't nearly a finished product imo, it reminds me of bloodlines; the masquerade in sheer bugginess and lack of polish or key balance, with less depth shining through the cracks.

 

[Nebulus]

Re: Diablo 3?

First and foremost lets confirm that Diablo 3 will see the light of day.
The following IGN article confirms that diablo 3 is in the making:
[highlight]IGN link removed by Gorny[/highlight]
"As you probably already know, there is no doubt that we will continue the StarCraft and Diablo franchise," Sims told IGN.

It's also interesting to note that many of the other games listed in IGN's missing in Action article have been announced since the article was written one year ago.

Also a minor patch for Diablo II: Lord of Destruction is in the works. This is obtained from a very reliable source. MedievalDragon the owner of blizzplanet, who has been bang on on all his predictions so far.
[highlight]linked removed as it's a competing website - Orphan[/highlight]

If you guys might remember, in the days leading up to the official announcement of starcraft II the first starcraft II related fansite was authorized by blizzard. And a no cd key patch was release for starcraft.

January 2007 : First Starcraft II related website became an Authorized Blizzard Fan Site
15th May 2007 : Starcraft Patch 1.15
19th May 2007 : Starcraft II announced

And now we are seeing an almost identical pattern for diablo:

January 2008 : First Diablo III related website became an Authorized Blizzard Fan Site
May-June 2008 : Diablo II Patch 1.12 ???
June 2008: WWI in Paris (Diablo III announcment?) On the same day diablo 2 was released!

Another dead give away is the fact that Blizzard Entertainment is currently hiring people to work with the remnants of the Diablo II team on their secret MMO game. For those who think diablo could ever be turned into an MMO note that the only difference between diablo 2 and an MMO is that players do not all play in the same expansive world. Instead in diablo 2 you have to host your own game with a maximum of 8 players.

Why would they start a totally new franchise now? True, after diablo 3 is completed they will no doubt have to invent something new. But at the moment, they have a lot to work with. It's difficult to start from scratch and create lore and all the elements that captivates gamers. Diablo has tremendous amounts of lore. There's no substitute they could invent that could compare. A game that is to take place in both heaven and hell = absolutely awsome. We're talking angels vs demons! Gaming companies would give their right "expletive goes here" to have such a great story line to work with.

From a story point of view this game is anything but conclusive. Although it would seem the prime evil have been anihilated once and for all, the battle has only begun. When Baal was freed from his imprisonment by Marius, he continued to use Tal Rasha's body to house his spirit; it is Tal Rasha's body that is destroyed at the end of Act V, just as it is Sankekur's body that is destroyed when Mephisto is defeated and that of the hero from the first game when Diablo is slain. After being defeated by your heroe they will return to hell where they will have to face Belial and Azmodan.
With the storyline culmination of Diablo II: Lord of Destruction, the entire course of the world and reality is said to be about to change as a result of the destruction of the Worldstone. This seems a highly likely prelude to the next installment of the highly popular series.

And judging by mike morhaim's uncontained laughter at the end of this interview:
http://www.gametrailers.com/player/23324.html
He was no doubt hidding something. He's got plenty to say about D3, and he's laughing because he knows he could totally spill the beans. But he tries to keep his cool and manages to say "no comments" followed by his uncontrolled laughter. A sign of nervousness. And your only nervous when you have a secret your forced to keep to yourself.

Diablo 3 won't be a rehashing of diablo 2. The story alone is quite different and has tremendous potential. The mere possibility to choose from either a heaven and hell faction would surely give this game tons of depth.

 

[Nebulus]

Re: Diablo 3?

Here are my thoughts concerning the secret MMO game and why I think it has to be diablo 3.
Writing anything other than MMO next to their employment listings would be a straight up give away that diablo 3 is in the making. What if they wrote, Hack and slash instead. How lame would that be. When blizzard reveals a game they sound the trumpets and bang the drums. Writing somethine as obvious as hack and slash would ruin the big surprise. The day before starcraft ii was officially announced a good number of you thought it could be diablo 3. See how good blizz reps are at keeping a secret. Why would they stop their perfect streak of keeping silent now.

Also, an MMO doesn't necessarily equate to anything remotely similar to WOW. You can have a hack and slash game that's MMO. The only main difference between diablo II and an MMO is that you host your games instead of all being in a world.

I think as long as the camera angle is from above, and the distinct crowd control combat element is kept the same, combined with an equivalently good story line and cinematics the end result can't possibly stray too far from the original D2 we all adore.

Why would they start a totally new franchise now? True, after diablo 3 is completed they will no doubt have to invent something new. But at the moment, they have a lot to work with. It's difficult to start from scratch and create lore and all the elements that captivates gamers. Diablo has tremendous amounts of lore. There's no substitute they could invent that could compare. A game that is to take place in both heaven and hell = absolutely awsome. We're talking angels vs demons! Gaming companies would give their right "expletive goes here" to have such a great story line to work with.
They also want to get this game out as soon as possible before all their fans grow too old and lose interest. Which is beginning to dwindle on us all, as many of you (including some of the most hardcore Diablo fans) are showing signs of dismay.

Also consider that: they will most likely sell more books, more of the diablo battle chests, and all their current diablo related merchandise. Making a competely new franchise would pretty much banish these products to retailer's dusty back shelves. And thus result in a loss on potential returns. There are millions of dollars worth of Diablo merchandise sitting in store shelves as we speak.

It's as if you had all the ingredients to make speghetti but decided to make mince meat pie instead. And yet the people you're serving have an appetite for speghetti. You can't even imagine how pissed people will be with blizzard if they don't follow through with their fan's expectations.

I'd also like to mention that, gaming companies try to be honest with their fans. It's far more wise for them to tell their fans upfront that they won't be making a sequel then to constantly leave them hanging.
If they leave you hanging though, then you can expect that something is in the works. Simply because they would have officially sealed/closed the series otherwise. Instead we hear the constant: "We're looking to return to the Diablo World, but right now we are busy working on other projects."

And another good show of proffesionalism is not to make any promise. Look at StarCraft Ghost. If I had been a fan, the last thing I want is unfulfilled hype. By no means will Blizzard make such a grave mistake twice. This alone in my opinion guarantees the making of a D3. Since creating hype and putting it on indefinite hold should never be done twice, and certainly not by Blizzard.
So blizzard is playing it safe by not uttering a word more than 'Top Secret'.
And the only reason they aren't saying any more is because they only officially announce new projects at large conventions and because unforseable mishaps may interrupt development.

It's almost been a decade since diablo 2 came out, If they can't formally and permanently close off the series by now, then they have definite plans to return to it in the very near future. If they came out with an all together different MMO then they wouldn't waste a second to tell us that they won't revisite Diablo.

Just imagine this: All the major press is told to attend a conference at which Blizzard will have something important to say. Everyone will obviously suspect the unveillance of D3. All the fans comes with their Diablo atire replete with hype and boiling with envy!
The lights dim down, every one keeps quiets. and then something completely unforetold is shown. WTF?! Riots ensue...
This is why: if they don't make it absolutely clear that they won't return to D3, then one is best to assume they will.

Also think about advertisement and game marketing. If they made a totally brand new game they'd have to spend so much money to get the word out. But if they make D3, word of mouth alone would be sufficient.

 

[oodjob]

Re: Diablo 3?

Add a few of my thoughts here:
First, I have played Hellgate London and do not find it the "D3 in disguise" as people say. I have simply grown way too used to D2 for this game to seem so similiar to it.
Second, Blizzard is indeed strictly business-oriented when it comes to determining how to run and handle their games. However, a major factor of Blizzard's business is to produce fans and keep them. It is not very wise to suddenly piss of the majority of the people who would buy D3 (us) if they suddenly decided to stop keeping D2 up. So, yes, Blizzard does care about its fans because we are the backbone of its profits.
Thirdly, I was very excited to read those rumors regarding D3. I couldnt care less if they are true or not, however, eventually Blizzard will make D3 (just like it has always done like with Sc 2, D2, WC2, WC3) and I definitely believe it would be much more of an extension rather than a new game. Blizzard wants to keep its fans and make new ones, not lose the old just to bring in a new generation. Regardless of the fuss, the day D3 does come out, I will likely poop my pants. Done.

 

[BobCox]

Re: Diablo 3?

I Wish .

 

[DinnDinn]

Re: Diablo 3?

Agreed. D3 will come. And knowing blizzard, they will probably make an awesome game out of it. If I were them, I would not make it a mmo, since all we want is a Hack ´N Slash game, but with more content, better graphix and ever more items and crafting..

I just hope I dont feel too old to play it when it comes out..hahaha.

 

[Zalcitabine]

Re: Diablo 3?

Very interesting read Nebulus.

I just hope that if D3 comes out it will lives up to the expectation - unlike Hellgate and (to a lesser extent) Assassin's creed...

Seems to me that hype and pre-advertising plays an always more prominent role in this lucrative video game market.

 

[MrProphet]

Re: Diablo 3?

The one thing about blizzard that i will always admire, especially after playing HG:L is that they only release games that are ready to be released. Blizzard hasn't released any bad games in a very, very long time.

OT: and thread resurrection woot. I remember a quote from someone (forget who) and it was from the necromantic book or something and it had the exact ritual for thread resurrection

 

[phool]

Re: Diablo 3?

Have you played diablo 1.07 (i.e. default patch after installing LoD)? The entire item system is totally screwed. Though to Blizz's credit that was patched instantly.

 

[raishi]

Re: Diablo 3?

if you ask me d2 is more of a mmo then a hack n slash game anyways...god of war is a hack n slash...any number of those gladiator esk games are hack n slash...diablo is set in an adventure universe...

 

[oodjob]

Re: Diablo 3?

Most would consider it both. You cannot deny there are sheer hours spent in the game of straight up literal hacking and slashing (at least for melee chars :smiley.

 

[raishi]

Re: Diablo 3?

good point...guess i've just been using orb too much

 

[jread]

Re: Diablo 3?

I actually hope it's still a 2D game as I love a game with beautiful 2D art. I also hope that the gameplay stays exactly the same as it's the main reason why I love Diablo in the first place.

 

[zooply]

Re: Diablo 3?

Personally, I hope if there is a D3, it will be 2D (or mock 3D). My reasoning follows...

Cost - Some people have older computers (me) that can't run the newest games. Most likely your computer is going to cost more than any console, especially if it's a nice gaming rig. Not only that, but you'll need to upgrade it every so often. It would be nice to be able run a new game without buying into all that. It may even attract a larger crowd because of the lower requirements.

Graphics - In a sense I'm old fashioned. I get frustrated when games focus on OMGAZ LEET 3DAI GRAPHX!!!111!. Sure looks are important, but that means nothing if the gameplay is junk. Plus, sometimes 2D just looks better than the 3D version.

As for if D3 will come out, who knows. As of right all of this is just rumors and gossip, but it is fun to think about! I also agree with Nebulus to a certain extent on leaving the fans hanging. I believe the worldstone destruction at the end could have been there to give them the option of having something to go on if they decided on making D3, not necessarily as a guarantee. Other than that I agree that it is a little odd they haven't definitely said it's not being continued.

 

[arcanumPower]

Re: Diablo 3?

hmm, i definitely hope that D3 will come out...no, im positive it will. That interview is quite suspicious at the end.

 

[ohnoyellowdinosaur]

Re: Diablo 3?

I'm not sure if this matters much, but I think it deserves an honorable mention.

When interviewed on his new diablo book series, Richard Knaak said, "I'm not writing for a dead series," or something along those lines.

I also heard a rumour from a friend who's friend is working for blizzard and says that he's on the development team for diablo iii.

Also, noting that blizzard has said that they are working on another old franchise, besides starcraft II. And it was suprising enough when they announced starcraft II, I wouldn't put it past blizzard to announce diablo iii next.

But remember Starcraft: Ghost. It was delayed many times and now we don't know what happened to it; most likely that it got canceled. I don't think blizzard is that fond of announcing a game until they are absolutely sure they can follow it.

I think the storyline will be extremly interesting. The worldstone is what kept hell and earth seperated. It was the barrier; what happens when it is gone? The world will change dramatically. Malah told us that, "who says it's not for the better?" Maybe diablo iii will show Malah up.

Cost - Some people have older computers (me) that can't run the newest games. Most likely your computer is going to cost more than any console, especially if it's a nice gaming rig. Not only that, but you'll need to upgrade it every so often. It would be nice to be able run a new game without buying into all that. It may even attract a larger crowd because of the lower requirements.

It may not sound very encouraging, but my friend's dell cost him 800 dollars and it has the ability to play the crysis demo very easily. In fact, he can rev up the graphics on that game and still play pretty lag free. I think, if diablo comes out, it won't be some insane super graphic game and even a 200-500 dollar will suffice. My friend's computer two years ago would've cost an arm and a leg but I think computers are definently becoming cheaper.